I was interested in finding out from here if anyone knows what keyboard/patch Russ Freeman used in "Tropical Paradise"...there is a piano sound with a pronounced bell/chime sound in most of the songs in that album

Welcome to the board.
I cant answer your question, but just to clarify, the Ripps dont have an album by that name. Are you referring to "Tourist In Paradise", or "Life In The Tropics"?

well, if you mean Tourist in Paradise, all it says in the transcription book I have is, "African Piano Synth"

Maybe someone who plays keys here will know, but I have no idea what that would be.

It's possible you could ask directly, at rippingtons website, click on the faq page, and ask one, or try the contact us link. You may get a surprise, and have Russ tell you himself. Billy Heller, the current excellent keys player, may have a link too, not sure, you can do a search on the internet.
Happy hunting
TY

I think that the much-missed Mark Portmann was responsible for the keys back then?

Roger- that's true, but Billy Heller is more likely to answer, being a current member, and a heck of a nice guy as well. I know he's played TIP live, so he'd have to know. It's possible Mark Portmann would answer too, was just pointing Amor to the easiest possibility.

Later
TY

Hi, Billy - if you're out there!? Hope you and your family are doing well and having a great summer! I'm looking forward to delivering brownies in November!?

"Jeff's brother's wife" : )

PS...I still want to see your photo of Mike with the sax!

PPS...Hello to Kat as well - I know you're always out there somewhere..and I bet that you know the answer to the question at hand...

~ sorry for jumping in with this semi-untrelated post - just thought I'd take advantage of the opportunity to say hello...

Hi Carol...

Here's the youtube>

I think Mark was playing a Yamaha synth (upper key and mobile), maybe an EMu or a Korg (lower keyboard, I'm pretty sure it's an EMu -have to find a video which is more clear) since this was the early 90's....

Billy plays a Kurzweill, and probably uses a vintage type of patch for it. I would have to ask.

Billy said:

" Tourist in Paradise, the main electric piano sound would have been a DX 7. I play a layer of a few different things when we play it live. "

From Kat: A DX 7 is a Yamaha Digital synth, circa late 80's, early 90's

Yep, the DX-7 ruled the world in those days!

Yes... back in the day.... I had a Sequential Circuits Prophet 10 - which just wouldn't stay in tune. I switched to an Oberheim OB-xA for a while, but since I was lugging gear around myself... the DX7 and the Roland Jupiter-8 became the keyboards that I lugged. But those keys were a lot different than the keyboard workstations of today that are driven with patches and programs. We ended up carrying a couple just to get the right sounds.