We have ways of making the hi-tech musician talk. Good guy, bad guy... angle-poise lamp in the face... sodium pentathol. And, as Keith Emerson recently discovered, the MTease questionnaire...

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Keith Emerson pioneered and popularised the Moog synthesiser from the early 70s, as one third of prog-rock trio ELP. Emerson and the other two - bassist/vocalist Greg Lake and drummer Carl Palmer - have just celebrated 25 years (on and off) together with a major 4-CD box set titled Return Of The Manticore (Manticore being their original label). More than simply a retrospective, the set includes fresh recordings of all manner of ancient material - some of it in freshly minted Dolby Surround Sound.

1 What was the first synthesiser you ever played?

"Moog Modular System, built by Dr Robert Moog in 1969."

2 Who is your favourite musical pioneer?

"J S Bach."

3 What's the difference between Take That and Stravinsky?

"Stravinsky wrote 13 different arrangements of The Rite Of Spring before he was satisfied. But there again, if Walt Disney signs Take That there won't be a hell of a lot in it."

4 What's the difference between a drum kit and a drum machine?

"The person using them."

5 Playing live: why bother?

"Best way to see the world."

6 Which record says most to you about music technology?

"ELP's first."

7 What does the phrase 'multimedia' mean to you?

"Not a lot."

8 How do you react to hearing a sample of your music on someone else's record?

"By sampling one of their's for mine..."

9 What is the next piece of equipment you would like to buy?

"A waterproof digital diary."

10 Will technology become invisible?

"I don't know, but it's a good concept."