Roland MC-4: The 1981 Music Computer

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the Roland MicroComposer / MC-4 from 1981.

In 1977 Roland introduced the first ever microprocessor controlled digital sequencer, which was the MC-8 designed by Ralph Dyck. The MC-4 was the successor and was one of Roland's few CV/Gate digital sequencers before they moved over to MIDI shortly after.

Both when it was new and many years after it was seemingly obsolete, numerous artists swore by it and they're now sought after. In the video we explore why.

With thanks to Pea Hicks for the MC-8 footage and images.

0:00 Intro Jam
0:41 Origin of the MC series
2:54 Interlude
3:31 Demonstration of how it works
10:20 The end result
10:47 Summary of the experience
12:09 Others ways to program
13:16 Experiments & explorations
19:03 MC-4b etc
19:39 Who used it, when and why?"

MC-8 Roland Microcomposer demo VHS tape 1978

Published on Nov 21, 2018 AnalogSynthMuseum

"MC-8 Roland Microcomposer demo VHS tape 1978"

Update via peahix:

"This isn't a demo VHS tape from 1978. It's stolen from my own MC8 demo video, the original of which you can see here [embed below]

The music on my original video was replaced with a piece of music by Ralph Dyck taken from my MC8 blog"

Roland MC-8 Factory Demo Program - Bach Invention #1

Published on Feb 1, 2010 peahix

"This is another of the demo programs provided in the Roland MC-8 manual. This time it's a Bach Invention, played back on a Roland SH-101 synth (not seen in the video). The first part of the video is specifically designed to bore you with stunning footage of me entering the channel 1 CV data for the first 3 pages of the 10-page score. Be thankful that I didn't decide to include the entire CV/Step/Gate data entry process for the entire score. In the 2nd part of the video, you hear the entire mixed piece, played back in sync with the MC-8 displaying the CV data for channel 1.

After posting this video, I was informed that Yellow Magic Orchestra featured this very same demo at the very end of the show during their 1980 world tour. You can hear their version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1qocP...

For more info about the MC-8, and to see high-res scans of the score & program data sheets for this piece, please visit http://www.rolandmc8.wordpress.com"

Roland MC8 vs Arp Axxe - ODD RHYTHMS - Ralph Dyck

Published on Feb 10, 2018 peahix

"I recently had my Roland MC8 Microcomposer repaired by Synthchaser (http://synthchaser.com/), and in order to give it a good test, I fired up the old data file of ODD RHYTHMS (previously seen here: [posted here]), and this time I hooked it up to an Arp Axxe, which provides all the different sounds you hear in this version (via multitracking each monophonic part). There's no EQ or any other effects applied- just pure Arp!"

Happy New Year! The Year in Synths 2013

Happy New Year Everyone!

What a busy year it has been in the world of synths.

This is going to be one doozy of a post, so bear with me. This post is a review of the year in synths for 2013. We begin with Tributes to Those We Lost This Year, followed by New Manufacturers & Makers, Older Manufacturers Added to the Site, New Gear Announcements, Top 10 Posts by Traffic,  My Standout Posts for the Year, and finally This Years' Synth Events. I did my best to keep things as short and concise as possible.

Let's begin with the hardest part of the post.

Tributes to Those We Lost This Year

RIP Bernard Parmegiani - Electronic & Acoustic Composer
Lou Reed RIP
RIP Dick Raaymakers aka Kid Baltan
RIP George Duke - DreamWeaver
RIP Ralph Dyck, Sept 28, 1941 – May 20, 2013
RIP Ray Manzarek

All missed and never to be forgotten. Take a moment to remember them.

------

New Manufacturers & Makers

Starting last January, I decided to keep a running list of every new manufacturer and maker introduced to the site during the year.  This is something I haven't done before and I thought it would be interesting to see how many there were in the year.   It's easy to focus on the big synth announcements throughout the year, but what about all the new makers and brands? I shouln't have to go considerably into the significance of new designers on the scene, so I'll just say two things regarding them.  One, the number of new makers is a direct reflection on the interest in our scene, and two, these are the creators of new gear which directly translate into new designs not previously available to us.  Think about that for a moment.  These are makers and designs that did not exist before.  They are part of our synth history.  So what is the total count of new synth designers for the year? A whopping 113. Think about that a bit. One hundred and thirteen new synth designers and brands this year alone.

Here they are (note a handful date back to 2012, but 2013 marked their momentum and availability):

CLICK FOR MORE »

RIP Ralph Dyck, Sept 28, 1941 – May 20, 2013

The man behind the Roland MC8 Micro-Composer passed away Monday, May 20, the same day as Ray Manzarek, of The Doors.  For synth heads out there, Ralph Dyck may have had more influence. Via the Roland MC-8 Micro-Composer Blog where you'll find more notes on his passing:

"Readers of this blog will, of course, be very familiar with Ralph as the 'godfather' of the Roland MC8 Micro-Composer, but to the most of the music world he remained an unsung hero. Ralph’s primary background was in jazz and commercial music, and I got the sense that he never quite understood the full extent of the influence of his innovations in the realm of electronic pop music production. Suffice it to say that the Roland MC8 provided the definitive blueprint for the way that we work with modern sequencers. Initially Ralph was a bit tentative about sharing too much with a complete stranger (albeit an enthusiastic one), but I think I won him over by laboriously keying-in a piece of his called “Odd Rhythms,” which appears as a demo sequence in the MC8 owner’s manual."

You'll find a number of posts featuring Ralph Dyck here on MATRIXSYNTH.

Synth Manuals on Archive.org

http://archive.org/details/synthmanuals

via an anonymous reader: "As so many of these synthesisers were made back in the 60s and 70s, before digitisation of documentation and sharing of information, it's especially important that some of these older rarities in particular be preserved. This collection is already off to a good start, from the curiously poetic Yamaha GX-1 manual to the rough guide to Ralph Dyck's predecessor to the seminal Roland MC-8, but could always do with more contributions."

Also see: Synth Manuals on fdiskc

Another Ralph Dyck Synth Recovered

"Encouraged by the recovery of his Carson Graham synth, Ralph went in search of another synth he made around the same time for the UBC. Bob Pritchard of the UBC Music Dept. confirmed that the synth was still sitting offline in his office, and after a quick consultation with the school’s administration, it was decided to gift the synth back to its original creator! Ralph has been working on the synth for a few months now. Here’s a bit of Q&A about it, along with some pics and sound examples."

You'll find them on Pea Hicks' Roland MC-8 Micro-Composer blog here. Ralph Dyck is considered the godfather of the Roland MC-8. See the Ralph Dyck label below for previous posts.

Ralph Dyck's 1970s DIY Synth Recovered From Pawn Shop

You might remember Ralph Dyck as the Godfather of the Roland MC-8 MicroComposer. His home-brew sequencer served as the basis for the MC-8. See this post for a video featuring a track he wrote titled "Odd Rhythms" that was included in the MC-8 manual. Ralph Dyck was also featured for his DIY modular work in this 1972 news article.

via Pea Hicks on the Roland MC-8 Micro Composer blog:

"A couple years ago, Ralph mentioned to me that in the early-70s he had built a couple of custom analog synthesizers for local schools – UBC and Carson-Graham Senior Secondary. I attempted to contact the music departments of both of these schools. The UBC music department still had theirs, but the Carson-Graham synth was missing in action. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and I get an email from Ralph that an acquaintance of his in Vancouver recognized Ralph’s handiwork in a craiglist ad for a homebrew synth- it was the long-lost Carson-Graham synth!

The asking price was only $75, but try as he might to recover it, Ralph was too late, and it was purchased by a young guy interested in making 'bloopy synth sounds.'"

Click here for the full story including audio and pics.

Side note: Pea Hicks aka peahix who wrote the article is also the man behind Optigan.com.

1972 Newspaper Article about Ralph Dyck & His Modular Synth

via the Roland MC-8 Micro-Composer blog where you'll find the full size scan.

Ralph Dyck / Paul Horn TRANSITIONS Studio Session

YouTube via peahix
"Ralph Dyck in the studio with the Roland MC-4 sequencer and Jupiter-8 synthesizer, working on his composition "Transitions" for Paul Horn. More info about Ralph Dyck can be found at http://www.rolandmc8.wordpress.com"

User Manual for Ralph Dyck’s Home-Brew Digital Sequencer

You can find the full scan on the on Pea Hicks Roland MC-8 Micro-Composer blog here.

Interview with Ralph Dyck, Godfather of the Roland MC-8

via Pea Hicks

"Recently I’ve been in touch with Ralph Dyck, the man responsible for cobbling together a home-brew sequencer that eventually served as the basis for the design of the Roland MC-8. I’ll be posting lots of photos, music and technical documents that Ralph has been very generously emailing me. This is all very important stuff in the history of programmable sequencers. First off, we’ll start with a brief email interview. All photos are provided by Ralph Dyck, all music is copyright Ralph Dyck and registered by SOCAN Canada."

You can find the full interview on the Roland MC-8 Micro-Composer blog here. Check out the DIY modular.

Roland MC-8 Sequencer Demo Song - ODD RHYTHMS

YouTube via peahix

"This is one of the demo scores in the Roland MC-8 manual. It's a piece called "Odd Rhythms," written by the inventor of the MC-8, Ralph Dyck. I decided to spend a couple of hours punching this thing in to see what it sounds like. The lead, bass and chords are playing back on a Roland SH-101 (overdubbed via the MC-8's tape sync one monophonic line at a time), and the cymbal and conga are playing back on a SCI Pro-One. For the cymbal, I had to use VCF accents instead of the VCA accents the score calls for, because the Pro-One doesn't have a CV in for the VCA. I didn't spend much time on the sounds or on the mix, so it is what it is. But as you can see, you can get as musically complex as you want with the MC-8.

If any other MC-8 users out there want the data for this piece, just send me a message and I can send you an mp3 to load into your machine."