What Classic Electronic Music Gear Should Roland Bring Back?

roland-logoAt the 2013 NAMM Show, one of the biggest trends was that companies are looking to the past for inspiration and bringing classic gear of the past to new audiences.

The two most notable examples of this were probably the Buchla Electronic Music Instruments’ Electric Music Box – a recreation of a Don Buchla classic – and the Korg MS-20 Mini – a new version of their classic analog synthesizer.

Roland has their own treasure chest of vintage electronic music gear designs that they could mine, ranging from their vintage synths. to their classic analog and digital drum machines, to their unique bassline synths.

Do you think that Roland should revisit the past for inspiration? If so – what piece of classic Roland gear should they bring back?

134 thoughts on “What Classic Electronic Music Gear Should Roland Bring Back?”

    1. A new 909 would cost them pennnies to produce, but they’d sell millions – not because it has the “all-new supernatural spectromorping hyper-real drum sound engine”, but because it sounds familiar and is *fun* to work with.

  9. A nice analog Jupiter-8 sounding performance synth, with no rom sounds at all anywhere near it! But with proper MIDI (dare I say OpenSoundControl!), and a good velocity sensitive after-touch enabled keyboard. mmmmmm.

  11. Sh-7 – It has the kick and smoothness of the SH-101, but has many more options… For $1000 even it would beat out Minibrute and company….

  16. How about non of the above. Seriously, we are going to go back in time. We can’t evolve? Should Apple release the first iPhone? Is that better as well?

    I would love an analogue emulation synth with perhaps hybrid sim/real analogue filters. And give me a modern interface!!! Something akin to the Soundcraft Si1 mixer interface. That is what I want. Can we please dump the retro already?

  17. i’m so tired of this “bringing back” old glory…
    it will be wonderful of corse to get all the best stuff back
    but i think we should ask for something TOTALLY NEW

  18. We’re never going to see a Jupiter 8, it would cost around $20,000 today.

    So being realistic, and keeping in mind they’re not going to jump in at the deep end if they do this, they’ll do something similar to Korg, I think the SH-101 is the obvious synth for them to remake. But of all their past catalogue the thing that would sell the most of is a new TR-808.

    1. Dear Friends at Roland,
      Please keep doing what you are doing. Everything is fine.
      Pay no mind to those whiners on the internet, saying they
      want real analog synthesizers or some nonsense. Fanboy
      losers with no cash to spend, all of them! Stay the course
      no matter what.
      Sincerely,
      Your Friends at the Korg Corporation

    1. I look forward to seeing a new Jupiter-8, MemoryMoog and CS-80. People won’t stop clamoring for them until they are made, reviled for their imagined lacks and finally displaced because it wasn’t really that big a deal to begin with. I’ve played all three and I understand why so many are wild for them, but they also had their negatives. Having done that, I know the software versions and variations you find in workstations are respecting the originals with very good emulations. I don’t think people want analog circuitry as much as they want the thrill of the idea itself. You know what would quiet down the hollering? One tech’s tune-up bill for a CS-80. Yes, an analog Jupiter-8 sounds swell, until you consider that to stay in tune, it uses a temperature-control system that makes it a serious heat source in the winter. That seems needless now that I have a computer, a workstation that runs on 10 watts and software that can get me as close to a JP-8 as I’ll ever need to be. After all, stacking five instances of Arturia’s JP8v gives you a Jupiter-40. Its a very different game now, if you’ll embrace it.

      1. The harder people argue about music gear, the more they resemble an old bald guy buying a toupee and a sports car to impress babes. I’m amused at people’s defensiveness in the face of near-magic. A fully analog reissue of the Jupiter-8 would cost a ransom and people savaged the JP-80 before it had even been heard, even though its actual synth-guts really can stand toe-to-toe with the JP-8 for Big Sound. So if you are stuck between a burning desire for vintage gear and an auto-contempt for any non-exact recreations, that seems like a lot of needless Stuck in the midst of plenty.

        I’m still amazed at the growth of the tools. Unless you’ve pulled out hair trying to get MIDI cables lined up in several hardware modules, you can’t fully appreciate what it means to be able to simply click it together on a screen now. Its like being handed a useful super-power. I’m as happy as hell to never have to use frequency shift keying as a sync source again. I’d rather use a spittoon as potpourri.

  23. sh101 or the tr808 are the most obvious choices to make most impact…of course they use discreet circuits so it[s not as simple as the ms20, maybe roland should make a new synth like arturia did?

  26. I’d like to see a re issued juno 60 or sh101. Great sound, not too expensive to manufacture, with a wide usage base.
    A polyphonic 101 would be great though!

  27. juno 106,but I would like to see more korg synths like the monopoly or polysix again in a 68% size of the real thing.
    I would also like a minibrute version of Acces Virus or waldorf but with a wavetables osc included + an effect section and no presets for reducing the price.
    It doesn’t have to be analog as long that it’s sounds better than stupid software.
    I want knobs and sliders and character.
    Please synthbuiders be original like korg finally did.

  29. Not going to happen. Roland was cool on accident 30 years ago. Today they would rather make a new digital piano or use a Jupiter 8 color scheme than retool for analog.

    1. Roland builds what people want to buy.

      If you look at their product line, there’s analog all over it. But not an ‘analog synth’.

      I think this will change as they start seeing how much interest Korg is getting with their new synth.

      1. It’s a miracle that someone at Korg allowed the Monotrons / Monotribe / MS20mkII to be produced. But good for them. Someone had a clear vision of where the market is going and fought hard to make that happen. But trust me, Roland would think it is beneath them to have Korg lead the way for them. They have been trying to cash in on their happy accidents of the 70’s/80’s for the last 15 or so years or so. They passed up the chance to buy Steinberg and also to partner with Abelton on their controllers, most likely because of arrogance.

        Roland is just like any other 40+ year old corporation. These are middle managers that don’t want to loose their jobs taking a risk and have a mortgage to pay. Do you really think they Roland would have even done a better job? They would try to pack in all of these additional features for no good reason. They don’t care about finding the exact right transistors to get it to sound just right. They just don’t care enough. But hey, you are welcome to prove me wrong, Roland.

        Juno 106 and 60 are not that hard to find, just buy a used one if you want one so bad.

        The boutique market has been filling in the void for the past 16 years or so just fine, and they have been doing it better and better each year. You have the x0xb0x and Bass Bot TT 303 for 303, you have the Jomox XBase09 for TR-909, you have the JoMoX XBase 888 and Novation Drum Stations for TR-808/606, the MiniBrute captures the spirit of the SH-101 pretty well. Then there is the whole Eruorack modular explosion.

        The people at boutique operations are younger, have less overhead, are less jaded, and are more dedicated to the soul of the instruments. Their ideals would never fly in the Roland of today, it would be a soul sucking job for them.

  30. I doubt it will happen either. Roland has been lost for decades. Doubt they could get chips for the classic junos., 808 would be expensive, 909 maybe, 303 is the easiest (but they should have done that 15 years ago). But I have all those….The classic vocoder would be sweet though…

  31. Realistically , they fetched out no crap gear, I even owned one of those Juno 106’s with the speakers built in, (I didn’t own it for long)ok that was utter shit.
    Roland where and are the company who’s reasonably priced gear enabled,(in no particular order) Acid house, Electro, House, Detroit Techno , come about ,
    (oh and that utter duff crap called hip hop)
    The other manufactures provided additional gear to the ‘core gear’
    Roland what has become of you , (amost a line from a Bahaus track)
    Model 500 changed my life, Future Acid tracks made me realise people where alive with enthusiasm for pushing envelopes, literally.
    Roland , get a grip. Mc 202 would do me with Midi, but rack it up.

      1. I am travelling and writing on a blackberry,
        What bit was unclear? I think the ideas are straight forward.
        I think there is a lot in there and written concisely.
        Do you wan’t an apology or something?

        1. Well, I was just razzin ya is all. I actually agree with you completely, I think. I’m an editor, and while this isn’t an English Composition site, I sometimes can’t help myself.

          But since you asked, let’s start at the top:

          “Realistically, they fetched out no crap gear” This could mean that they improved gear that wasn’t crap, they improved only crap gear, or they failed to release any crap gear, etc…. I’m not quite sure. At first I thought you meant, “They fetched out more crap gear” but you seem to think that you said exactly what you meant, so now I’m unsure.

          “Roland where and are the company who’s…” I’m pretty sure you were going for “Roland, where is the company whose…” – I’ll assume this sentence was hijacked by some kind of auto-correct.

          “The other manufactures provided additional gear to the ‘core gear’” – a complete sentence to be sure, but it doesn’t actually say anything meaningful. And I think you meant “their core gear”

          “Roland what has become of you ,” — no question mark

          (amost a line from a Bahaus track) — 2 spelling errors, almost & Bauhaus

          Plus a bunch of commas that don’t belong, and just poor explanation of most everything. While I *understood* most of what you said, to call this comment “concise” is a bit of an overstatement. Concise involves being clear and substantive. While there is substance here, I wouldn’t call it very clear. Concise means that you’ve prepared good information to be easily perceived and understood, which I don’t think you can really say about your original comment.

          And no, I don’t want an apology. But I will give you one: if I hurt your feelings in anyway, I’m sorry. I agree that roland needs to get it’s head out of it’s ass.

          Also, I’m one of your thumbs ups.

  33. IMHO Manufactures such as Korg who respond to demand of “retro-interest” related past products by resorting to “cloning” the product, are avoiding the future because of lack of vision for their company’s future. In the case of Roland I personally do not want to see an exact copy of a Jupiter 8, rather I would like to see a copy of a Jupiter 8 with a transplanted copy of a Tr-808 right inside it complete with the knobs and buttons as if someone were to shrink the Jupiter 8s controls some and plop the TR-808 in to the right hand corner. Also refresh the graphics and display and midi and sounds and some more new tricks to make it more CONTEMPORARY not just retro. Old synth gear is beautiful but by only cloning this denies the super-power leader company’s such as ( Roland and Korg ) who have the brilliant R&D people and money to innovate new types of music gear . Innovative music gear translates into innovative music and as or more importantly it allows more people who might not have found a way to make the music they want will now be equipped withe the gear that will allow them to do so and enjoy it!

  35. I reckon a range of analogue modules may well put a big dent in the market.
    Their MS20 would be the system 100 keyboard I suppose, with the ‘expander’ built in.

  38. TB-303 (but with an upgraded, FR Mobius-style sequencer, and built in delay and overdrive), SH-7, TR-808…

    I would kill for an analog version of the jp-8000…. they wouldn’t even have to make it all analog, just analog oscs with supersaw, jupiter 8 filter, and an analog ring/cross mod. Cheap, powerful, they would sell them like crazy

    Or a TB-303/TR-808 combo groovebox. Update the sequencer. keep it analog except the effects and D-Beam (Roland will put a dumb D-beam on it) … I’d take one.

    1. I love the idea of an 303/808 hybrid! If they could do a real analog box that did bass and drums, price it around $1,000 and they’d sell truckloads!

      Call it the 308 or the 803, who cares as long as it sounds good?

  39. The sensible and most realistic option would be an SH-101, as cheap mono synths are all the rage at the moment. Or a JX3P with the programmer controls built in.

  42. JP-16X. The JP-8000 successor with 8 DSP’s for better than reality sounding synthesis with 16 Individual outs in 192Khz. UAD/Roland Tape Delay/Chorus/Reverb-algorithms included.
    Analog was yesterday. Now are DSP’s with quadrizillionbibillions of possibilities. 🙂

  43. I find it totally mystifying that Roland haven’t jumped in to get a second slice of the 303 , 808 cash that they have basically donated to the TR clone makers…

    it is almost as if they have no contact with the external world, they managed to release some products that are mining avenues like VR technology and COSM Modelling that the market has always seemed indifferent and lukewarm about at best.

    have you ever seen the bit in the film Empire Records when the owner of the record shop says he wished it sold bath and toilet fixtures. I always get the feeling that someone at the top of roland is similar kind of hoping one day all these pesky musicians just stop buying all their boring products so they can move production over to de-humidifiers or blenders.

    1. Roland knows that the 303 and 808 clones sell in the double digits. Meanwhile, they sell tons of keyboards to the worship market and to giggers.

      I was talking to a contact at Roland and he was saying that the mega-church market was huge, which I had no idea about.

  44. None Please. There’s already plenty of new analog synths already. Does the world really need more 808/909/303 in it’s music?

  48. MIDI enabled 303, 606, 808, 909, SH-101, and Jupiter 8. Reissued Juno 106. That ought a do it. If I can only pick one, Jupiter 8. There are enough alternatives for the other units.

  50. We’ve already reverse-engineered all of their stuff. I don’t think a Roland logo would make any of these already available analog instruments sound any better. And you know Roland wouldn’t cut us any slack price-wise…

    1. did not read all the comments. the 707/808/909 combo thing would be my fav so far.
      – tb303: no, not anymore, xoxbox & co. filled that void
      – m100: yeah, not too bad. but there isnt really a lack of good modular stuff nowadays
      – juno: kinda covered too by their flagship synths
      I’d go for a n opportunistic non-analog choice: sp808! with tasty effects and true midi multisampler capabilities without loosing the workflow. octatracks success shows there is a demand for hardware samplers done right. nowadays a multisampler with decent usb/memory specs, analog circuits for filter/distortion and granular/glitchy fx would sell, I reckon. and keep the recording/mixer part, I know 2 bands still using the sp808 for everything.

  55. I’m not sure a tr-808/909 remaking could be the best way for the company, BUT Tempest’s are being bought by lot of people, and jomox, and mfb’s, monotribes…I mean, people likes and buys analog drums for their music… So I can’t understand how the pioneer of that analog grooveboxes aren’t willing to make a new tr serie.. i don’t know, a tr-1010? with an analog sound engine plus digital effects?

  63. Must Make:
    Juno-60, or 106.
    TR-808, 909, and CR78
    SH-5
    SH-101

    Could happen:
    System 100 would be cool, but has a lot of competition with eurorack.
    TB-303 would be easy, but has competition from a lot of clones, (but few are good enough).

    Won’t happen:
    Jupiter-8 would be too expensive to do properly today.

    Weird, but cool:
    I’d like to see the MC-4 with MIDI 2.0

  67. I think that their ship has sailed. They have good people but the top management only wants to make organs. what would I build if I were them? A revised SH-5, or a Jupiter 4. Even an SH-101 updated for the modern world would be nice and would probably do well for them.

  68. I’ll tell you what. I’d settle for Virtual Analog on these grounds:

    1) Aren’t ROMplers.
    2) The sounds is as good or better than a soft synth.
    2) The case and controls are identical (or identical + anything extra to make MIDI work) to the originals.
    3) They all have MIDI implementation.
    4) Are reasonably priced.

  69. I’m surprised this is even a question. A 909. Duh!

    All the current 909 remake software, is limited to yesterday’s thinking. If they apply the new technology of what exist today it can be a sick drum machine with USB midi that can be fully controllable and reprogrammed. I guess a joMox would be similar, but Roland can totally make it have analogue and digital capabilities. Once you connect that USB cable you, can be able to use it as a sequencer or a sound unit in conjuction with your current software and utlize all it’s outputs for each individual sound.

  70. I’d love to see an updated reissue of the SH-101. Full MIDI is an obvious must, but keep the CV ins/outs – hooking it up to some Eurocrack would be fun. A multimode version of the filter would be cool, as would an extra LFO (plus clock sync), a second VCO (maybe with rudimentary FM and/or ring modulation?), patch storage (add a small screen for patch names and a USB port for storing/loading patches on a computer or iDevice), 303-like sequencing (accent/slide, etc.), a full three-octave keyboard, and keep it around a grand at the most. The keytar kit needs to come back, too. 🙂

    1. despite the fact that many people don’t believe in ipad apps, they are actually good
      and it wouldn’t be bad for Roland to try to go in that direction…
      apps can work in different ways…

      animoog is clearly not expensive as his hardware counterparts but has a beautiful design and sounds good. maybe from their point of view is not “important” or a bit out of their core hardware know how, but i bet they earned a lot of money from it.

      korg has followed other routes, they have never been afraid of getting in the “amateurish” stuff.
      now if you think at how many times that “amateurish” stuff is used in music you hear everyday, your head will spin so fast you couldn’t believe… they make a lot of money from it and it just keep people talking about them and their designs… even when they are far from perfect… just think about the MS-20, appeared on the Nintendo DS (wonderful and crappy machine), appeared on the ipad, and know reborn in hardware form…

      one thing must be said… while it’s true that Roland doesn’t work nowadays like Korg, or Yamaha for better or worse, it is also true that their designs were so successful that many hardware or software clones have already been created.

  74. I know Alesis has its DM Dock on the way, but I’d like to see a new iPad assisted electronic drum brain & app from Roland with all the V-Drum modelling stuff built in. The TD-8 was my first piece of Roland gear.

    Roland seems to be determined to never return to analog, even though they really did make some awesome analog/digital hybrids back in the day. I’m personally a Juno 106 fan but with three keyboards called “Juno” already in their lineup I would figure that Roland doesn’t think anything new/old is needed for the series.

  80. An expanded/updated JD-800 with a few extra features. JD-800 is one Roland synth that despite it’s PCM underpinnings really is a synth that can fit into any decade and is a Joy to use/play/program. Why none of the newer Roland VA/PCM synths had an interface as grand as that I don’t know. It’s a sound designers dream. JP-8000 doesn’t count as is ‘only’ VA and VA has it’s work cut out now against software, but something as epic as a JD-800 maybe with even a few more sliders and the missing PWM would be an awesome synth in 2013 (just as the JD-800 was in 1991 and still is in fact).

    Only make sure you don’t use the ‘red glue’ on the keys this time, stick those pots of epoxy in the shed Eh Roland? 😛

  81. hey guys come on!!!
    stop raving about things that will NEVER happen
    the best thing you are going to get from Roland right now
    is a beefed up Roland Gaia and then the next step will be a Roland Gaia with micro keys!!!

    1. That’s what everybody said about Korg and they came through with the Mini MS-20.

      Roland wants to make money just as much as Korg!

      1. than we (musicians) will just release music that’s gonna sound 30 year old and boring,
        so let’s bring back also the harpsichord with the black keys between the B and C and between the E and the F, it will sound soooo refreshing!!!!

  84. Roland is powerful, I’m sure they could blow everyone out the water with some modern-day analogue/digital hybrid offering, or just some straight up discreet analogue.. Why are they sitting on this?

    1. What people fail to remember is that a lot of Roland’s ‘classic’ gear flopped when it was originally released.

      The 303 was originally intended to be a ‘robo bassist’ that you could practice with, for example, and musicians hated it.

      If you’re the bean counter at Roland, it’s probably hard to get excited about re-releasing a piece of gear that bombed when it was first released.

  86. Roland just released a sound module Integra that focuses on realistic “Supernatural” ukulele sounds and the like. So this is pointless. But I would like to see an analog/hybrid groovebox and separate keyboard, that you can choose an all analog signal path if you desire.

  87. TB 303 and TR 606 are a great set for the current market. small modular. good looking units. if they had midi and bpm built in rather than a dial. maybe add 808 and 909 sound banks to the 606. you’ve got really simple well designed entry level kit right there that sounds amazing!

  88. TB 303 and TR 606 are a great set for the current market. Small modular. Good looking units. If they had midi and bpm built in rather than a dial. maybe add 808 and 909 sound banks to the 606. you’ve got really simple well designed entry level kit right there that sounds amazing!

  90. Why do you expect Roland to reissue anything they made in the past (or make anything interesting at all)? They missed all the TB303 mania in te past 20 years as well as TR909/808. Roland just decided to misuse the Juno/Jupiter brands for a set of new products.

    Making all analogue equivalent of polyphonic Jupiter 4/6/8 would not be economical (expensive technology to make, compared to present digital machines with one small circuit board in a big box), the service and guarantee costs would not be acceptable as well. Check out the quite recent business “success” of Alesis A6 Andromeda. It can not be compared with rather simple designs of OB SEM or MS20.

    Monophonic SH101 is based on Curtis VCO (not available in large quantities anymore), but if they wait with mono VCO based synth, there will be no market gap anymore with already introduced MS20mini, Arturia Minibrute, Waldorf Pulse II (that should be out soon), DSI Mopho, Moogs, OB SEM, etc.

  92. Roland – get on the reissue-of-every-roland-classic-synth-as-an-app-on-iPad train, it’s the big one with all the people waving to you.

    Surprised at some of these answers – 303? 909? 808? Really? Samples are available practically for free. Most people who want these boxes never owned them and are not aware of the tuning issues. The Roland MC series covered that 20 years ago people.. and no it wasn’t perfect, (theres a MC-505 FS here for $200 mint) but 95% of population cannot afford perfect, so what’s a company to do? Arturia Spark / Spark LE does way more than just 808/909 – although I wish the sounds were on-board and there was a trigger out but for $250.. you can’t complain.

    To Roland, I’d suggest a 16-voice multi-timbral large hardware polysynth w MIDI and CV triggers in classic 70’s/80’s colors, with optional matching dedicated hardware sequencer (Like Arp / Moog Doepfer) w infinite knobs, similar to Nord Wave style, the synth at around $1500 and sequencer about $600. Knobs and control switches for every function with dedicated 101, 202, 303, Juno, Jupiter patches in digital memory.

    Waldorf did similar to this, less the sequencer, with the XT and Q models 15 years ago.. Access Virus as well – remarkable hardware. However – how strong is demand is these days for existing Access / Nord / Waldorf due to software synths??

    Hardware would unsurprisingly be pricey to cover the $250,000 it takes to develop a new hardware synth.. not sure how strong sales of the Gaia SH-01 are but you can pretty much get any vintage Roland synth sound out of it BUT it is a task..

    *Listen up Roland: you should release 101, 202, 303, Juno and Jupter pre-programmed banks for the Gaia, that was a HUGE miss, and mono-timbral.. really? Maybe in the coming SH-02??

    The one to watch is Dave Smith Instruments. Mopho x4? Prophet 12.. hello

  93. To me nothing sounds better than old roland stuff!!! I’d love to see some faithful reproductions.
    I think it’s fantastic what korg did with the ms20, and hats off for resisting the urge to modernize it, even moog didn’t have the guts to re-release the model D.
    Ok, that’s kind of silly, it’s not fear that inspired the voyager, it was design progress. But there are design classics out there that still have a place in the world! Guitarists, can buy a brand new telecaster and brand new twin reverb if they want, and why shouldn’t they?
    When those silly guitars that also had a bass neck in them came out, did people stop making normal guitars because they wanted progress?
    The ms20 is a valid INSTRUMENT, and I hope it stays in production indefinitely.

    The genius of the ms20 mini is that everyone who’s ever wanted an ms20 but couldn’t justify the cost can now buy one. For roland to have as great a product it would also need to be 1/3rd of the ebay price. I can’t see roland doing that.

    If the church market is that high they should just release some giant, beastly, all analogue, divide-down osc, combo organ, string synth monster. Like an RS505 on steroids.

    If you wanna buy a brand new all analog…
    monosynth – you got options
    polysynth – you got options
    modular – you got options
    drum machine – you got options
    string synth – sorry go buy vintage
    combo organ – why would you ever need an all analog combo org…. well you might find an old vintage one…. PHWAR HOW MUCH???$$$?$?$?$?!!!!!!!!

  94. I love the SP- 808 ex it was way ahead of its time . Something like this incorporating the 808 and 909 but next level Shit

    Amen 😀

  96. If one is looking for a nice and capable Roland VA synth they could do worse than the sh-32. While not perfect it does have a great high pass and band pass filter and a fantastic arpeggiator which is completely programable and borders on a step-sequencer. And they are inexpensive! For the bonus round, responds to poly aftertouch, which is really fun to use with the arpeggiator.

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  98. TB-303!!!! no rompler,the real deal .Add a memory bank for pattern storage (like even a micro SD) and make it MIDI/MIDI controller and you have yourself a Winner!
    We would all love to own a Juipter8,Juno 106,808/909 etc but all we would get is a lame ROMPLER keyboard. If you want the real thing, Check out the Arturia Mini Brute,!00% analog badass! and VERY affordable.We are not all filthy rich and can afford Dave Smiths Great but EXPENSIVE equipment!
    Besides if your not performing on stage do you really need all that hardware cluttering up your studio when some of these latest VSTi are down right spectacular,i.e TAL-U-NO-LX, Arturia Jupiter 8 ,Mini Moog V,CS-80,Spark Vintage etc. D16’s LuSH-101,Drumazon(909) , Nepheton(808) , Phosyon(303),Nithonat(727) , NI Pro-53 , Audio Realism ABL, ABl Pro and ADM, reFX Juno X2, The KORG collection,e.t.c..
    These are just the VSTi’s that have 3D realistic interfaces,there are plenty more but these are the closest thing the real deal w/o to spending a bank roll on a beat up Non-MIDI device that when it breaks down your kind of SOL.

  102. The 808 and the 909! They’re nowadays expensive as ****! Like the MS-20 mini from Korg, it should have usb to be connected to the PC

  103. I dont think Roland should bring anything back. A brand new reissue 808 or 909 will be just as expensive as a vintage one. I dont want a reissue of the 303. There are enough clones. It will also devalue the originals.
    I’d rather see a new synth with filters based on the originals. Or a new drum machine in the same category as the Tempest but with analogue circuitry and a modern feature set.
    I dont trust Roland to do it well though. They will stick that d-beam crap on it and it’ll have that horrible font they use and the childish paint job on a cheap plastic box. Roland used to be the epitome of quality. Then suddenly they became utter rubbish in the mid 90’s. Remember the MC-303? Yea we know that it wasn’t analogue but it was so badly put together. Cheap pcm samples in a cheap box using cheap circuity with really awful sounding fx. A horrible sounding machine whos only job was to cash in on Rolands past glories. I hate the way Roland still use numbers like 303, 808, 909, and rehashing the Juno and Jupiter names. I simply dont trust the company anymore. They will have to seriously have to compromise the cheap priced tat and start working on products that will restore their prestige.

  104. Well, Korg brought back the MS-20. I almost pooped my pants in surprise. I guess hell did froze over..
    They really need to bring back the VC-10, MS-10, MS-50, SQ-10. The MS-20 is proof that it’s possible to make an affordable and 100% analog synths in 2013.
    Roland and Yamaha really needs to wake up!
    I guess i’m stuck with software emulations till then. At least they could all really make some great emus in AU and VST format of these classic instruments. These big names used to bring us wonderful instruments, but now they focus on releasing one useless sample player after the other. Very disappointing for sure. Maybe they should hire some musicians, that are also engineers, and not just engineers without any vision.

  105. Bring back an improved MC 307. Something with reliable timing and powerful enough to pull an Ableton session. With improved buttons that don’t lose sensitivity. Hell. Throw in a D Beam. And get rid of all the crap presets. Okay, have a couple of preset songs but make one of them b the theme song from Futurama. But keep the look. I love the look of the old Groovebox.

  106. The SH5, similar to the MS20 in shape, but a monster in a box.
    Doesn’t have the patch cable array the MS20 does, and has no need for it.
    This is the first synth with a bender bar ever produced, and we’re not talking about some flimsy piece of plastic but a metal arc with a wonderful little handle at the top.

  107. Very good website you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any discussion boards
    that cover the same topics talked about here?
    I’d really love to be a part of community where I can get feedback from other
    knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know.
    Cheers!

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