The music of Mark Knopfler conjures a wide range of emotions, connecting with listeners around the globe. From early epics like “Romeo and Juliet” to a worldwide smash like “Walk of Life,” it’s a sound that takes audiences on a journey. Knopfler’s wry lyrics and nuanced guitar work are the stuff of rock legend. Supporting his compositions are musical director Guy Fletcher and keyboardist Jim Cox. At Colorado’s legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre they walked us through their keyboard rigs.
Covering Territory
“I like to call it the glue,” Fletcher explains, describing the cross-section of sounds coming from his setup. “There’s a lot of pads, atmosphere, chordal stuff, harmony lines. It covers all sorts of territories.”
Indeed it does. Listen to the rich textures he contributes to the live version of “Your Latest Trick” off 1985’s Brothers in Arms. Fletcher joined Dire Straits during that storied era. Since then, he’s worked with Knopfler, most recently co-producing 2018’s Down the Road Wherever.
Evolving Sounds
Fletcher’s setup is elaborate yet rock-solid. He describes his Hammond and Leslie as “self-explanatory.” Of his JD-XA, Fletcher says, “It’s incredibly analog-sounding, and the analog side of it is what I really love. A lot of pads, atmospheres, and evolving sounds I use in the show come from this synth.”
Then there’s the SYSTEM-8. “I use it for sounds that have a little bite—are more synthy,” reveals Fletcher. “You can get quite wild with it.” His main keyboard is the RD-2000. “I use real instrument sounds—piano, electric piano, clarinets, vibraphones, and celestes,” he explains of his many contributions to the Mark Knopfler show. “The control features are easy to use on stage and the keyboard is fabulous.”
“I like to call it the glue. It covers all sorts of territories." -Guy Fletcher
Simmering Samples
“It’s like cooking. There’s a lot of simmering going in laptops which host Mainstage synth and string samples.” Of course, there are specific sounds Mark Knopfler fans want to hear. “A lot of the samples from the older songs come from there.”
On the other side of the stage, Cox raves about his Roland V-Piano. “It sounds amazing, and it’s the best feeling keyboard I’ve ever played,” he enthuses. “They feel like real piano keys. Not just the depth, but the actual touch.”
Cox also uses the FA-07. It plays an important role in bringing tones from Down the Road Wherever to arena stages. “We did a lot of analog things on the record,” recalls Cox. “Recreating those has been easy as pie.”
There are also some silent but essential pieces of gear in the Mark Knopfler band’s setup. In particular, Fletcher speaks highly of his Roland V-Mixer. “It’s tremendous because you never have to touch it. Once we set it up in rehearsals, it’s good to go.”
"We did a lot of analog things on the record. Recreating those has been easy as pie."
-Jim Cox
A Vintage Gem
There’s even a vintage Roland gem in Fletcher’s rack of which he’s quite proud. “This little guy here is the Roland JD-990,” he says. “It has a great string bed.” Those sounds have a life beyond the stage as well. “It got onto a lot of Mark’s records,” Fletcher reveals.
Through all these different pieces of gear, Fletcher sees a common thread. “They’re all incredibly reliable,” he says definitively. “The Rolands have been amazing.”
