Mark Mothersbaugh

Neve 1073 preamp is included in the list of Mark's "Studio Gear."

Mark almost exclusively used Fender Telecasters which he liked to duct tape his pedals to. This choice was not only aesthetic but practical as well as he can often be seen twiddling the knobs on the pedals while playing. He played what seemed to be a stock Telecaster in the “Satisfaction” video with what appears to be an Electro-Harmonix Frequency Analyzer mounted on the body though it looks like at times he had up to three pedals. Live footage of Devo in Japan in 1979 also shows Mark playing what appears to be a different Telecaster modified with a humbucker in the neck position.

Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh, 'Satisfaction' live at The Fillmore, SF, 14 Jan 2012

Both Keith Richards and Eric Clapton have tried to buy this amp off of him.

Mark Mothersbaugh’s keyboard rig comprises a Korg microKORG synth, a Moog Voyager and his original Minimoog. Keyboard tech Cris Callans breaks down the signal flow: “The Korg micro outputs a stereo signal to a stereo direct box. The Voyager and Minimoog output is mono into a Whirlwind A/B box. Output of that is routed to a Dunlop Dimebag Crybaby From Hell wah to Boss DS-1 distortion pedal to Boss DD-20 delay. Output of the delay is inputted to a Whirwhind DI."

Mark Mothersbaugh’s keyboard rig comprises a Korg microKORG synth, a Moog Voyager and his original Minimoog. Keyboard tech Cris Callans breaks down the signal flow: “The Korg micro outputs a stereo signal to a stereo direct box. The Voyager and Minimoog output is mono into a Whirlwind A/B box. Output of that is routed to a Dunlop Dimebag Crybaby From Hell wah to Boss DS-1 distortion pedal to Boss DD-20 delay. Output of the delay is inputted to a Whirwhind DI."

Mark Mothersbaugh’s keyboard rig comprises a Korg microKORG synth, a Moog Voyager and his original Minimoog. Keyboard tech Cris Callans breaks down the signal flow: “The Korg micro outputs a stereo signal to a stereo direct box. The Voyager and Minimoog output is mono into a Whirlwind A/B box. Output of that is routed to a Dunlop Dimebag Crybaby From Hell wah to Boss DS-1 distortion pedal to Boss DD-20 delay. Output of the delay is inputted to a Whirwhind DI."

Mark Mothersbaugh’s keyboard rig comprises a Korg microKORG synth, a Moog Voyager and his original Minimoog. Keyboard tech Cris Callans breaks down the signal flow: “The Korg micro outputs a stereo signal to a stereo direct box. The Voyager and Minimoog output is mono into a Whirlwind A/B box. Output of that is routed to a Dunlop Dimebag Crybaby From Hell wah to Boss DS-1 distortion pedal to Boss DD-20 delay. Output of the delay is inputted to a Whirwhind DI."

"At one time we used Electro-Harmonix frequency analyzers on every instrument and voice. It was one of those things that came out for guitar players, and nobody liked them. It wasn't like a wah-wah or fuzz; it just destroyed the pitch and made everything you played sound weird."

"Piano of course is midified, so that helps."

Item can bee seen at 1:10

Known as the Life Aquatic synth.

ARP Synthesizers sued Octave for ripping off their Odyssey model with this synth.

The touch plate version of the Synthi A.

Uses some random version of this synth.

Modified with reverse sawtooth for Smart Patrol.

"Mark Motherbaugh's keyboard rig comprises a Korg microKORG synth, a Moog Voyager and original Minimoog."

"Mark Motherbaugh's keyboard rig comprises a Korg microKORG synth, a Moog Voyager and original Minimoog."

"The down side of technology, and having lots of it and collecting lots of it, is that you tend to not make up your own sounds any more, because it's easier. When I first noticed it was happening to me was with the DX7. I was really lousy at trying to program a DX7 when they first came out, and I ended up falling back on the pre?programmed sounds, and that's when I realised that I was being told what colours to use, what palette to use, by tech people somewhere in Japan."

Seen throughout the performance, Mark uses the DX100 for various lead sounds, one example is at 30:07, during Going Under, where he uses the DX100 as a keytar.

The Ondioline is seen at 4:50 in the video. Mark explains that while Devo was writing the Freedom of Choice album, they were rehersing in a store with painted windows, next door to Pink Floyd, who were rehearsing for an upcoming tour. Pink Floyd discarded the Ondioline, where Mark found it later. Notes from Pink Floyd remain on the instrument.

Box for a Moog One synthesizer is found in the background during the opening segment of the video.

Seen at 4:24. Mark doesn't explain the history or usage of this synthesizer.

Seen at 3:03. Mark used it for practicing in hotel rooms because of the Sonic Six's compact, all in one, luggage style design.

The Prophet 5 is on the left at 0:47. Devo is known to have used prophet synthesizers during the early 1980s, possibly including this very example.

At 4:13, a EDP Wasp synth is seen in the background. It is fair to assume that this is the same synth that can be seen used for the whip sound in whip it during certain live performances.

At 4:14 and earlier in the video, the Hymnotron is a synth Mark shows in various studio tours. Usage of this synth is unknown.