Martin L. Gore

Martin answers questions and discusses being the very first person to own this synth.

In an interview with MusicTech, Martin L. Gore discusses his use of the Moog Minimoog Voyager Performer Edition, highlighting it as one of the many vintage synthesizers in his collection.

Engineer Gareth Jones says Depeche Mode used an E-Mu Emulator II on People are Peopl "That song was a lot about sampling and the room," says Gareth Jones. "The monophonic Synclavier was a big part of the sound — we didn't have the polyphonic sampler until the fifth album [1986's Black Celebration] — and we also had an Emulator II and my own AMS. These were used all the time, and since only the Synclavier stored samples, a lot of what we did was recorded onto tape; track by track.

If you look at 1:15, you can see the synth Martin is playing has the Juno-106 label on it.

At 3:20, the words "PPG Wave 2" can be seen on the back of Martin's keyboard.

In this picture, Martin is clearly playing a Yamaha DX7.

Cs2x can be seen 1:27:24 into this video. Played by Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher in 2001 tour.

Mentioned by producer Daniel Miller in this May 1982 Electronics & Music Maker interview. Gore specified it to be his first synthesizer at Moogfest 2019, as recalled in this April 30, 2019 Parklife DC article.

Electronics & Music Maker, May 1982

How long have the band been playing synthesisers?

"About 18 months now. When they started they always used a drum machine and they were playing more conventional instruments. Andy (Fletcher) was playing bass guitar and Vince was playing electric guitar. Only Martin had a synth but when the others saw the possibilities it offered they both got one as well. Then they started to like bands like Human League and Kraftwerk so they gradually changed their instrumentation."

What equipment did they originally have?

"Martin had a Yamaha CS5, Vince had a Kawai 100F and Andy had a Moog Prodigy."

Parklife DC, April 30, 2019, "Interview: Martin Gore of Depeche Mode (In Conversation with Daniel Miller of Mute Records @ Moogfest 2019 — 4/26/19)"

As Martin recalled during the conversation on April 26, he fell in love with music when he was 10 years old and listened to his mother’s rock and roll records over and over. Soon after hearing Kraftwerk, Martin expanded his interests to electronic music, purchasing copies of Autobahn and Trans-Europe Express.

Martin began playing guitar in a band called Norman and the Worms when he was 13 and then formed another called Composition of Sound with his future bandmates in Depeche Mode, Andrew Fletcher and Vince Clarke. Another friend, Rob Marlow, lent Martin a Korg 700S, and Martin later purchased a Yamaha CS5, his first synthesizer.

Martin Gore can be seen playing a Roland JD-800 in this photo.

In MusicRadar's interview with Depeche Mode's techs on the Delta Machines tour it was revealed that ""Sample wise we're using Native Instruments Kontakt and Massive a lot too. We're also using a lot of GMedia ImpOSCar and Synthogy Ivory for pianos too. There are some sounds you can't get with the synths, so we use the samples for those, but there's a lot we can do and we try to use the synths as much as possible. Stripped is a good example of that. The big lead sound is Massive and ImpOSCar all layered up to create that main riff sound." Martin is strictly using software when he puts his guitars down for older material, he has a Roland Edirol controller as well as an Access Virus both commanding Muse Receptors with various plugins loaded. Though Martin's Virus was not used for its internal sound engine on the Delta Machines tour Martin still tours with it.

A MKI monophonic unit was on Sounds of the Universe, as is visible in this photo from a March 2009 teaser for the May 2009 Keyboard interview it is specified in.

KeyboardMag.com, March 2009, "Depeche Mode Behind the Scenes - Part I"

DM Studio Shot 2: Here’s a view of the same room from a different angle, showing the Matrix 12 at dead center. At right foreground, a Rhodes Mk. I Suitcase electric piano is holding up an extremely rare analog synth, the Steiner-Parker Synthacon.

Keyboard, May 2009, "Exploring Deeper Space on Sounds of the Universe"

One of the rarer synths that I managed to acquire was a Steiner-Parker Synthacon, which made quite a few appearances on this album. It’s got some weird note-stealing thing, if you hit it right, you can play a three-note chord — it’ll actually play all three notes at once.

The word "Emulator" can be seen on the back of one of Martin Gore's keyboards in this picture.

In a 1983 video of Depeche Mode, Martin L. Gore is seen using the Casio Casiotone MT-30 at timestamps 2:41 and 3:26.

Martin L. Gore of Depeche Mode owned a Dave Smith Instruments Prophet 12, which was sold for charity on Reverb.com in 2019.

Martin L. Gore, of Depeche Mode, owned a Roland Alpha Juno-2 synthesizer, which was sold for charity on Reverb.com in 2019.

Sold on Reverb.com in 2019 for charity.

Tom Oberheim himself has posted oa couple of pictures of Martin with his new TVS-PRO on his Facebook page .....

The linked picture shows Martin down on the floor in his studio recently playing the TVS_PRO.

Martin pictured using the Memorymoog in the studio. In the caption he's quoted as saying:

"Technology has just changed so much... It was a feat just to get a drum machine just to run in time with a sequencer back when we started. Now you've almost got endless possibilities."

Depeche Mode's engineer Gareth Jones says Depeche Mode used the ARP 2600 for recording People are People "Everything was layered one instrument at a time," explains Jones. "Because of our relatively limited resources and because we couldn't save any of the analogue synths, we didn't have the whole song playing at the same time. It was very different to how we work now. We had the demo, so we knew where the song was going, and then we'd record something — for instance, guide drums, followed by a guide bass from something like a Minimoog, then a rhythm sequence from a triggered ARP sequencer running an ARP 2600, and then maybe something else.

Martin Gore played an Emu Emax HD/SE and a Yamaha DX7 IID during the "Music for the Masses" tour.

"At home I've got a basic setup of demos. I've got (Hybrid Arts) ADAM machines for the recording, and I program on (Steinberg) Cubase. I use an Akai CD3000, a (Roland) JD-800, and a (Clavia) Nord Lead. The Nord is a very interesting synthesizer -- the fact that you can record all your movements real time into computer, wave sweeps and everthing. I like it. I've also got three ARP 2600's and two Minimoogs. But I tend to keep things very basic at that stage."

Martin is awarded the Matriarch via Moog at the 2019 Moog Fest! 51:20 on the video

Sold on Reverb.com in 2019 for charity.

This Ensonic Fizmo Synthesizer is from the private collection of Martin Gore, founding member of Depeche Mode

SN: FIZMO-11570. Ensoniq synthesizer. A couple of key contacts have fallen out. Taped to the front. The red LP screen cover has come off.Taped to the front. IEC included. Signed by Martin Gore.

All items in The Official Martin Gore of Depeche Mode Reverb Shop ship fully insured with delivery confirmation and include a signed and embossed Certificate of Authenticity from Martin Gore.

Sold on Reverb.com in 2019 for charity.

This Behringer Deep Mind 12D is from the private collection of Martin Gore, founding member of Depeche Mode.

Before making clones of iconic synths, Behringer cuts its teeth on DeepMind, its flagship analog polyphonic keyboard synthesizer. Now, that synth (which earned its name for complex programming capabilities) gets a little sibling. DeepMind 12D is a desktop synth that bring’s the flagship’s sound design capabilities into a more compact and portable package. The keyboard version’s two analog oscillators and LFOs per voice, 8-channel modulation matrix, 32-step sequencer, and 4 FX engines make their way over into DeepMind 12D, and at an even more handsome price point.

SN: S170500490CF7. In box. With rack ears and manual.

All items in The Official Martin Gore of Depeche Mode Reverb Shop ship fully insured with delivery confirmation and include a signed and embossed Certificate of Authenticity from Martin Gore.

In a user-uploaded photo on Towleroad, Martin L. Gore is shown using the Cavagnolo Exagone Monophonic Synthesizer.

Throughout the entirety of the attached video, Martin can be seen using the PPG Wave 2.

Sold on Reverb.com in 2019 for charity.

This Alesis Andromeda A6 is from the private collection of Martin Gore, founding member of Depeche Mode

SN: (21)A10806045701016. Mild signs of physical wear. Functions as it should. Includes IEC cable. Signed by Martin Gore on the bottom.

All items in The Official Martin Gore of Depeche Mode Reverb Shop ship fully insured with delivery confirmation and include a signed and embossed Certificate of Authenticity from Martin Gore.

Sold on Reverb.com in 2019 for charity.

This Arturia Mini Brute is from the private collection of Martin Gore, founding member of Depeche Mode

The Arturia Minibrute is a full featured analog monosynth in a compact package, featuring 3 oscillator types which can be mixed for a huge variety of sounds. Each type includes an additional form of adjustable processing as well.

The saw wave gets a widening Ultrasaw circuit, the square wave can utilize Pulse Width Modulation, and the triangle wave can be run through the unique Metallizer circuit. Featuring MIDI and CV I/O in addition to it's 25 key semi-weighted keyboard, audio and USB connections, the Minibrute also excels as an interface between computers and vintage or modular synths.

SN: 1312196000968. Clean mini brute. With power supply. Signed by Martin Gore.

All items in The Official Martin Gore of Depeche Mode Reverb Shop ship fully insured with delivery confirmation and include a signed and embossed Certificate of Authenticity from Martin Gore.

Sold on Reverb.com in 2019 for charity.

This Moog DFAM Drummer From Another Mother Analog Synthesizer is from the private collection of Martin Gore, founding member of Depeche Mode.

An analog percussion instrument from the originators at Moog. Huge range of analog sounds, from smooth and booming to metallic chaos. A built-in sequencer allows for easy, hands-on rhythmic building, and the Eurorack patch panel opens up the Moog DFAM to an enormous range of synthesis potential.

SN: 10296. New in box and donated by Moog for Martin. Martin is extremely gracious for Moog's generosity.

All items in The Official Martin Gore of Depeche Mode Reverb Shop ship fully insured with delivery confirmation and include a signed and embossed Certificate of Authenticity from Martin Gore.

We see Martin Gore playing with his newly acquired Modal 001