Roland has announced the launch of Roland Future Design Lab, a new R&D group withing the organization that they say is “formed to help design the future of music creation.”
The Roland Future Design Lab will research trends in music, technology, and culture and prototype innovative music creation experiences to inform future product development.
Here’s what they have to say about the Roland Future Design Lab:
“With a focus on boundary-defining innovation, Roland Future Design Lab will explore the creative possibilities presented by emerging technologies such as AI, WEB3, virtual and augmented reality, low-latency wireless connectivity, and more. The team will actively seek input from music creators around the world to garner feedback from end users.
Strategic partnerships will be integral to continued success, with the recently established relationship with Universal Music Group and the resulting ‘AI For Music’ and Music Provenance initiatives being led by Roland Future Design Lab.”
![](https://www.synthtopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/paul-mccabe-320x320.jpg)
The Roland Future Design Lab is led by Roland Paul McCabe, who was recently promoted to senior vice president of research and innovation.
“We have entered one of the most exciting and dynamic moments in the history of creativity, where many new technologies are reshaping how we compose, produce, perform, and enjoy music. At Roland, we believe these technologies offer tremendous potential, if applied responsibly,” said McCabe. “Roland Future Design Lab has been established to continue our leadership in music technology innovation and maintain our position as a driver of creative culture well into the future.”
“Roland’s mantra ‘We Design The Future’ has guided our approach and company values for decades. The introduction of Roland Future Design Lab showcases our commitment to this deeply mindful approach by allowing us to stay ahead of trends in a rapidly evolving industry,” said Roland Corporation CEO, CIO, and Representative Director Masahiro Minowa. “We are confident that these efforts will both propel us toward growth and success and provide innovative offerings for future generations of music lovers and creators.”
Sounds like Hyperbole…I am a little sceptical of anything Roland since ”Roland Cloud” and the total lack of updates and new content…
They design the future , but they think it is 1970 , so their future is still 30 years in our past
are you typing from the year 2000?
It’s not 2000?
What year IS it?!?
That’s pretty accurate. A good thing to remember is that much of what’s considered the Roland heritage comes from products that actually failed in the markeplace and was then picked up as pawn shop bargains by people who then used them in ways Roland never anticipated.
They already did! So lets do it again! Good luck Roland!
We all know the names of the biggest synth brands, but which are the most popular, in terms of internet searches, country by country? While not definitive, a new study sought to find out, and the results indicate that the two companies leading the way right now are Roland and Behringer.
The results are based on analysis of Google searches for what the researchers deemed to be the six most popular synth brands right now – Arturia, Behringer, Korg, Moog and Roland – and show that, perhaps unsurprisingly, people have a tendency to favour instruments that come from their own country.
This is evidenced by the fact that Roland is dominant in Japan (and Asia in general, in fact) and Behringer leads the way in Germany. What’s perhaps more surprising is Behringer’s dominance in Spanish-speaking countries – not only is it number one in Spain, but it also locks out almost the whole of South America. It turns out that it’s huge in Southern and Eastern Europe, too.
While Roland has a long history in the synth market, Behringer only made its move into the sector relatively recently. While some of its products are original designs, its success has been built on creating new versions of classic synths (including some from Roland) and selling them at rock-bottom prices.
Something cool to show ya. I got something cool to show ya.
Love Roland forever, mind you. This sounds amazing!
i remember that corny vocal sample. from the JD-Xa demo. ?i ended up buying the Jd-Xa eventually. pretty awesome synth.
This is for shareholders, not musicians.
for sure. they’re trying to raise some capital with hype. AI! WEB3! its gonna REVOLUTIONIZE EVERYTHING! INVEST NOW FOMO!!!!
I just want a D-Beam I can control with my ****.
Roland just aren’t ready for this much innovation
Oh god… more ABC / NaturalCore / SuperZen technologies!
My V-synth is the only synth to this day I still regret selling.
“The Roland Future Design Lab will research trends in music, technology, and culture and prototype innovative music creation experiences to inform future product development.”
Quick poll – how much are the shoes you’re wearing part of your ‘music creation experience’? No reason.
Dear Roland,
There’s this thing called ‘aftertouch’…
They call it Key pressure, or Channel pressure.