The Shape of Things That Hum
Background information
Production company	Allied Forces
Producer	Jacques Peretti
First broadcast	2001
Original channel	Channel 4 (UK) 01.30am-01.41am
Genre	Synthesizer documentary
No. of episodes	8
Length	11 minutes (episode)
featuring Nick Rhodes

The Shape of Things That Hum is a synthesizer documentary series that featured Nick Rhodes, first aired by Channel 4 in the UK during 2001.

About the seriesEdit

The series focused on electronic instruments that helped shaped modern music, with every episode focusing on a specific instrument.

The episodes were broadcast between 01.30am and 01.41am, and featured musicians talking about classic vintage synthesizers. Nick Rhodes appeared in two programmes, including the DX7 that defined the sound of the 1980s.

EpisodesEdit

1. Mini Moog (15-01-2001) - Cult electronic instruments that helped to shape modern music.
2. Vocoder (22-01-2001) - Developed as a scrambling device in World War II, includes interviews with Orbital and Rick Wakeman.
3. DX7 (29-01-2001) - Synthesizer that defined the sound of the 1980s. Interviews with Vince Clarke and Nick Rhodes.
4. Fairlight (05-02-2001) - Computer based snthesizer offering sampling, digital recording, sequencing and editing. Includes Nick Rhodes.
5. Simmons (12-02-2001) - Includes producer Arthur Baker talking about making "Planet Rock".
6. Roland TB-303 (19-02-2001) - House innovators Coldcut and Orbital discuss the Roland 303 synthesizer.
7. Roland TB-808 (26-02-2001) - Includes producer Arthur Baker, plus Ray Keith talks about the importance of the bass.
8. Akai Sampler (05-03-2001) - Instrument that helped fuel the rave scene and the white label explosion.