# Re the instrument in Eminem's "Without Me" is that a real saxophone or synthesizer?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-instrument-in-eminems-without-me-is-that-a-real-saxophone-or-synthesizer/281704>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 26, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-instrument-in-eminems-without-me-is-that-a-real-saxophone-or-synthesizer/281704 "2004-12-26T20:30:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-instrument-in-eminems-without-me-is-that-a-real-saxophone-or-synthesizer/281704/1 "2004-12-26T20:30:53Z")

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Re that kinda-sorta bleating/buzzing saxophone sounding instrument that’s predominant in the song. Real or synthesizer?

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**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-instrument-in-eminems-without-me-is-that-a-real-saxophone-or-synthesizer/281704/2 "2004-12-27T06:13:54Z")

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No cite, but to my untrained ears it sounds like a synth.

For something to compare it with, I used the recent album by The Zutons.

Now that’s some funky sax!

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**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-instrument-in-eminems-without-me-is-that-a-real-saxophone-or-synthesizer/281704/3 "2004-12-27T06:35:50Z")

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And, FWIW, there’s no mention in the liner notes of anyone playing sax.

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-the-instrument-in-eminems-without-me-is-that-a-real-saxophone-or-synthesizer/281704/4 "2004-12-27T07:18:40Z")

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I’m a sax player, and it sounds like synth to me. You can tell when it goes into the very low notes and maintains the same basic sounds. Saxes sound different in different octaves.