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TV On The Radio, Photo: Tyler Love (Wikimedia Commons)

Photo: Tyler Love (Wikimedia Commons)

Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by TV On The Radio. Every item links to its public source.
23 items · Last checked

What gear does TV On The Radio use?

Kyp Malone has played Fender Jazzmasters and Mustangs and Gibson Les Pauls, SGs and Firebirds, and carries a National Resoelectric on every tour. Dave Sitek has named a Yamaha CS5 and an Akai MPC2000XL as his key gear and Soundtoys Tremolator as his go-to plugin. Tunde Adebimpe started out recording on a Tascam 4-track.

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AllTop 5Kyp Malone's guitarsDave Sitek's studioTunde Adebimpe's home recordingRecords that shaped Tunde Adebimpe
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What gear TV On The Radio uses: a sourced gear guide

Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.

Kyp Malone's guitars

5 items

Dave Sitek's studio

4 items

Tunde Adebimpe's home recording

1 item

Records that shaped Tunde Adebimpe

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Questions

About TV On The Radio's gear.

What guitar does Kyp Malone play?

Mixdown reported in 2015 that he regularly plays Fender Jazzmasters and Mustangs plus Gibson Les Pauls, SGs and Firebirds. He said he always carries a National Resophonic Resoelectric on tour but never plays it with TV On The Radio.

What synth does Dave Sitek use?

Asked about his favourite gear by Soundtoys, he said he would still be making pizzas without his Yamaha CS5, with his Akai MPC 2000XL trailing right behind. Soundtoys describes him as a fan of pre-MIDI analog synths.

What plugins does Dave Sitek use?

Soundtoys says Tremolator is his go-to plugin, used on analog synth tracks for synced rhythmic effects, and that he is also a big fan of EchoBoy.

How does Tunde Adebimpe record his demos?

He told Tape Op he started out on a Tascam 4-track. The Ringer reported in 2025 that he got a Pro Tools setup in 2008 and that he later started using the four-track again in the years before his solo album Thee Black Boltz.

What are Tunde Adebimpe's favourite albums?

In a 2025 Quietus Baker's Dozen he picked Love's Forever Changes, Nick Drake's Pink Moon, Nirvana's Bleach, Pixies' Surfer Rosa, A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders, Aphex Twin's Richard D. James Album and Can's Ege Bamyasi, among others.

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TV On The Radio
About this guide · Last checked

TV On The Radio are the Brooklyn band behind Return to Cookie Mountain, Dear Science and Seeds: Tunde Adebimpe, Kyp Malone, Dave Sitek and Jaleel Bunton. This guide covers the guitars, synths, samplers and plugins they have named in interviews, plus the albums Tunde Adebimpe picked as his favourites.

truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. TV On The Radio didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.

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truerecs gear guides are independent research from public sources, not made or approved by the artist. Store buttons on this page may be affiliate links: truerecs may earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. TV On The Radio isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.