It finally happened! The original GoldenEye 007 game is now on Nintendo Switch and Xbox! And with the recent release, players are listening to the incredible soundtrack again.
And if you’ve ever been curious about what instruments the composer used, look no further. Thanks to research from the VGM community, it’s possible to recreate the soundtrack using legitimate instruments and samples.
This post will show you some of the original instruments, synths, and sample libraries Grant Kirkhope used to create the GoldenEye 007 soundtrack. We’ll also show you modern alternatives to help you get those same sounds (legitimately).
Quick Look: The Original Synths Used in GoldenEye 007 on N64
A vintage rackmount synth that rocked the '90s. It packaged sounds from of the original Proteus and Proteus 2 modules with added effects. You can still find used models in fantastic condition.
An undeniable icon of '90s music. The JV-1080 was one of the most popular synths ever created by Roland. Many are still available in the used market.
An expansion board made for Roland JV and XP series synths. It features samples from classic analog synthesizers by Roland and other manufacturers.
An expansion board made for Roland JV and XP series synths. The orchestral samples in this card were used in many '90s and '00s projects.
1. E-MU Proteus FX
Proteus was a line of rackmount synths created by E-MU Systems. One of the more popular ones was the Proteus FX, a synth that featured sounds from the previous instruments in the line.
Several Proteus sounds were used in the GoldenEye soundtrack, including the iconic “gong” sound, which is just a tambourine pitched down several octaves.
A vintage rackmount synth that rocked the '90s. It packaged sounds from of the original Proteus and Proteus 2 modules with added effects. You can still find used models in fantastic condition.
Modern Alternative: E-MU Proteus Legacy
The original E-MU Systems company no longer exists. But the assets have been scooped up by other companies.
Thanks to Digital Sound Factory, you can pick up the Proteus Legacy Library, which includes Kontakt versions of the Proteus synths.
Remastered samples from the original E-MU Proteus line. It's perfect for fans of '80s and '90s pop music, film scores, and game soundtracks.
2. Roland JV-1080
The JV-1080 was one of the defining synths of the ‘90s and early ‘00s. In many ways, it was a Swiss Army Knife of music production — there were thousands of samples from electronic and acoustic instruments.
One of the 1080’s most iconic sounds was called “4 Hits 4 You”. These were the orchestral hit sounds used throughout GoldenEye’s soundtrack.
An undeniable icon of '90s music. The JV-1080 was one of the most popular synths ever created by Roland. Many are still available in the used market.
Modern Alternative: Roland JV-1080 Software Synthesizer
These days, Roland offers digital versions of their legacy synths. Basically, you can get a VST version of the legendary JV-1080 with the same incredible sounds as the original.
Released in 1994 and packed with iconic strings, evocative ethnic instruments, and many more sounds, this faithful recreation of the JV-1080 is both a ‘90s icon and a powerful contemporary synthesizer.
3. Roland SR-JV80 Expansion Boards
Long before digital sample libraries and VSTs were a thing, Roland made hardware expansions for their products. The SR-JV80 expansion boards could plug into synths like the JV-1080, adding even more sound possibilities to an already-great instrument.
One prominent board used for GoldenEye 007 was the JV80-02 Orchestral. Most of the game’s string sounds came from this expansion.
An expansion board made for Roland JV and XP series synths. The orchestral samples in this card were used in many '90s and '00s projects.
The other was the JV80-04 Vintage Synth board. This expansion featured samples from — you guessed it — vintage synthesizers. As you’d expect, many of GoldenEye’s electronic instrument sounds came from this product.
An expansion board made for Roland JV and XP series synths. It features samples from classic analog synthesizers by Roland and other manufacturers.
Modern Alternatives: Roland SRX Orchestra and SRX Keyboards
Roland tends to recycle their sounds into new products. For example, many of the JV80 samples were used in the SRX boards that replaced them. Today, Roland offers VST versions of those same SRX libraries.
Between SRX Orchestra and SRX Keyboards, you should be able to find most of the original samples used in GoldenEye.
A virtual instrument with countless orchestral samples and patches from Roland's legacy products.
Nearly 400 ready-to-play patches including acoustic and electric pianos, synths, organs, guitars, woodwinds, and more.
Original Samples & Recordings
As with any great composer and sound designer, Grant Kirkhope provided his own samples to help make the soundtrack as awesome as possible.
The most notable example is the electric guitar from the opening sequence. Grant performed the guitar himself, then chopped the recording into smaller samples the N64 could properly handle.
Find More of Your Favorite Video Game Sounds
The Nintendo 64 was home to some of the most revered games of all time. So we’ve done some digging to find samples from other classic games. Here are a few of them:
- What Instruments Were Used in Banjo-Kazooie? — Grant Kirkhope was also responsible for the Banjo soundtracks. Here’s a look at the instruments and samples he used for those games.
- Super Mario 64: What Samples Were Used? — Find out what samples Koji Kondo used to create the iconic soundtrack for the N64’s launch title.
- Zero-G Ethnic: The Sounds Behind Zelda and Other Classic Games — We explore the sample pack used in classic games like Ocarina of Time, Crash Bandicoot, Half Life, and other media.
