Depeche Mode’s Peter Gordeno reveals his stadium-filling Roland rig

Depeche Mode’s Peter Gordeno reveals his stadium-filling Roland rig

With just hours to go until showtime at Prague’s Eden Arena, Peter Gordeno of Depeche Mode slipped an Access All Areas pass around Roland’s neck and invited us to soundcheck. Armed with tunes that span from 1989’s Personal Jesus to this year’s Where’s The Revolution, the Essex trio are the dark lords of British synth-pop – so it’s no surprise that their live rig is a treasure-trove of Roland gear. “We’re a very electronic band,” explains Peter in this behind-the-scenes video interview, “and sometimes we even have three keyboard players playing.

 

 
Now, you’ll get right into the heart of the Depeche Mode backline, as Peter guides us through the synth stations of founder members Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher, and reveals the crucial role played by the Roland A-800PRO MIDI Keyboard Controller. “We’ve used these controllers for years,” he says, “because they’re incredibly reliable.

Alongside his own A-800PRO, Peter also gives us a walkthrough of the Roland RD-2000 Stage Piano, exploring the digital tech and authentic acoustic feel that he’ll rely on throughout the Global Spirit world tour. “I take care of most of the piano stuff,” he says, “and it’s important for me to have a really nice hammer action. One of the highlights of the show is the acoustic songs that I do with Martin, and one of the excellent things about the RD-2000 is being able to play those songs with a really nice action. We’re quite early in the tour, so I’m still messing around with my favourite sounds in there. I think I’ll probably have decided on my favourite by the Madison Square Garden show…!”

Roland Keyboard Rigs