Or…how can one use a Digitakt in a Depeche Mode way?
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To be honest, I’d doubt they would have used it in favour of the Akais and Emus they had at that time.
If they would, vinyl sampling of a variety of pop/rock/hip hop and classical records would have taken place - and they would have been layered with own performances (guitar, synths, etc).
Boring answer, sorry about that! Btw, why are you interested in the 1986 period specifically?
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I just like how they used samples on Black Celebration probably not so different from Music for the Masses but I’ve listened to that album (BC) far more. I assume the Akais or Emus they were using were sampling keyboards? I can’t think of many other bands from that era that used samples as they did but maybe I haven’t paid as much attention as I think I have…
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Yeah, as for BC they went quite crazy with re-amping in the big room at Hansa and that contributes a lot to the overall sound of the album.
So, a lot of sending audio out through various amps/speakers and then record the room back on a separate track for parallel processing was the main method there.
BC was also the last time that Gareth Jones ran that part of the process for them - arguably due to Alan finding the final result of the album “dull and weirdly mixed” 
.
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Ha ha. Well, glad Alan didn’t have his way. I love the mix not that all the years listening to it I was considering that. Wonder how many great albums have nearly been not as great due to a difference of opinion or vice versa. Apparently, one of the guys (forget which one) in Massive Attack was adamant about having Madonna sing Angel. I don’t care to imagine how she would of ruined that track.
Anyways, thanks for the additional information about the production of Black Celebration. It’s one of those albums I played to death as a teen but still manage to find inspiring but it helps not listening to things for a few years and cycling through them again like a new discovery.
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It really is a great album, totally agree with you!
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Would you recommend this album as the start for getting into Depeche Mode? Or what’s a good starting point?
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I would…or Music for the Masses or maybe watch 101 which is a really fun documentary / tour film.
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Skinny Puppy were using samplers then to great effect.
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It’s really good but it’s hard to say if that’s the perfect starting point. Me and my brother always say that we don’t really broaden our musical tastes that much (I hope we do in reality) but just move between different periods of DM 
.
My all-time favourite album is Violator - it’s the perfect storm of great song writing, production and performance, IMO. Incredible use of analogue synths and samplers mixed with guitars for an amazingly organic sound!
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Black Celebration, Music for the Masses, Violator is their gold period.
I have a soft spot for A Broken Frame (1982) I think it’s miles better than their first album Speak & Spell (unpopular opinion).
Some Great Reward is quite good too.
After Violator, I believe it falls off quickly, although Songs of Faith and Devotion does have a few outstanding tracks. (“In Your Room” is right up there as one of my favourite tracks.)
Sorry this was rambling. Haha
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No doubt…or Art of Noise…etc.
Something about how DM uses samples yet still seems to have “space” in their music I really like, if that makes sense?
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I love Violator as well but sort of blacklisted it in my youth due to my high school peers being into it.
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My favorite fwtw
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I almost bought a Tetra once due to this video alone:
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Although a live album seems like a weird recommendation as a first listen, Depeche Mode 101 is fantastic. As a DM fan I listened to that first on cassette then on CD over and over again. It’s a great “best of” and the quality of the performances and recording are top notch.
After that I would start with Violator and work backwards (Music For The Masses, Black Celebration, etc.)
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Yea, I absolutely love the version of The Things You Said on it and in the film where the fade the soundcheck version into the live show. Fucking fantastic!
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It is a crime that Ultra hasn’t been mentioned yet. BC was my favourite of their albums for years but I think Ultra beats it these days.
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Peter Gabriel was completely into samples when the Fairlight arrived. There‘s a great BBC documentary on that period on Youtube:
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Not really like DM, but two Swiss bands come to my mind when speaking about sampling in 80s - The Young Gods and Yello. And other favourites of mine - The Residents. The bought one of the first Emulators (I think the 5th ever produced). They started to tour after that, because they were unable to play their weird music live before…
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