Roland Corporation

Roland Corporation is a manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi[?] in Osaka on April 18, 1972, and was named after the French epic poem, Le Chanson de Roland[?].

Roland use a number of additional brand names for their products:

Roland company slogans:

A few noteworthy products:

Roland Jupiter-6[?]: First Roland synthesizer to support MIDI
MC-303[?] The first non-keyboard drum machine, sample based synthesizer and sequencer combination bearing the now generic term "Groovebox."
MC-505[?] Successor to the MC-303 with more powerful synthesizer and sequencer. Featuring "Megamix."
MC-909[?] 2002 Successor to the MC Groovebox series featuring a full 16 track sequencer and sampling built in.
Roland RE-201[?]: Renowned 'Space-Echo' machine - arguably the most popular tape-echo produced
Roland SH-1000[?]: Claimed by Roland to be Japan's first commercial keyboard synthesizer
Roland SH-101[?]: Monophonic[?] synthesizer designed to be worn hung around the neck with a strap, with an optional modulation attachment that protruded like the neck of a guitar
Roland SoundCanvas[?]: One of the first General MIDI synthesizers
Roland TB-303: Defined the "acid" sound for rave music
Roland TR-808: One of the first and most popular of the programmable drum machines and the sounds that are particular to that machine have become pop music cliches, heard on countless recordings
Roland TR-909[?]: Was (during the 1990s) and arguably still is the most popular drum machine for use in modern Electronic Dance Music
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