Roland Museum Germany Massive Synthesizer Selloff - Most Gear for Sale in a Single Auction

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This one in via Marko of Retrosound.de.

26.000,00 Euro gets it all.

via this auction

Someone needs to contact the Guiness Book of World Records. Longest list of gear for sale ever:

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Working Roland CMU-800R w/ Apple II Up for Auction

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via this auction


This is the system featured in this recent video.

"Unbelievable piece of Roland history in museum condition. Here is the Fully Working Roland CMU-800R setup together with Apple II computer. This is not just working CMU-800 in pristine condition. It comes together with Apple II interface card impossible to find and Apple II software. It's fully running and working. CMU-800 is also modified to introduce drum sounds tuning. This is the professional upgrade performed in my workshop. No corners cut. Apple II is retrobrighted, comes with a monitor and keyboard and also includes FLOPPY Emulator. It also comes with the original floppy drive, if you prefer to keep authentic. This is one of set up, that you'll enjoy.
That is CMU-800R? It's essentially computer based synth/interface designed early 80s. It combines 6 synth parts - Melody, Bass, Chord (4 voices) and TR-606 style analog drums. It also has 8 CV/Gate interfaces, Roland composer software to operate it. NO MIDI :)

Check out the video I recorded of this exact system: [posted here]

You'll receive:

1. Roland CMU-800R
2. CMU800 Apple II interface card
3. Apple II computer
4. Floppy emulator with SD Card and all necessary files
5. Floppy Drive
6. Original CMU-800 Manuals
7. Original 5.25" floppy discs
8. Apple Color Monitor
9. Apple Keyboard
10. Power cables."

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CMU-810 Compu Synth, CMU-800 Compu Music, Roland, C-64

via this auction

"Roland CMU-810 Compu Synth Expander Module with manual for sale. Also, I have a Roland CMU-800 Compu Music with impossible to find software, interface, and Manual for Commodore 64. I don't know much about these but they are tested and working. Everything looks like new. I've had them for about 15 years and only tested them so I really don't need them. For more information about them just google Roland CMU-800 and CMU-810."

via jbrave

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PNW 06: James Talks About His Roland CMU-800

James Gallant talks about his Roland CMU-800 at this year's Pacific Northwest Synthesizer Meeting. Videos of the CMU-800 playing coming this week. Note the CMU-800 has eight channels of CV and gate.

Roland CMU-810

Click here for shots via this auction. Details: "This is the Roland CMU-810 Compusynth, one of the rarest synths ever made by Roland DG Group, an obscure offshoot of the Roland Corporation that remains to this day. In the old dealer price sheets from the 80's it was listed as an expander for the CMU-800 Compu Music, a small mixer/synth/drum machine in a similar housing that you hooked up to a computer. If you look online or read Peter Forrest's A-Z book, a false rumor has perpetuated that this is simply an SH-101 or an MC-202 in a metal box without a sequencer. They reference the schematics but the schematics are nowhere to be found. I've been looking for years for them without any luck. I've compared all three synths side by side, and have triggered the CMU from both an SH-101 and MC-202 sequencer as well as the Roland MC-4. The sound out of this box is entirely different than it's younger cousins, more aggressive, with a faster attack, and much nicer filter. The SH-101 and MC-202 sound very plasticky and thin compared to the CMU. The CMU-810 sounds more like the SH series of synths and soundwise it's probably closer to the SH-09. It excels at bass sounds and percussive effects. It also differs from the MC-202 and SH-101 in that it has a delay slider on the LFO, an input to control the VCA for tremolo effects, and removes the trigger control over the envelope. It also has a built in miniature mixer so you can merge the sound of two additional synths or drum machines (MC_202/TR-606?) with the output of the CMU. It sports sliders from the era of the Jupiter-8 indicating that it probably predated the MC-202 and SH-101 by at least a year or so. One European reviewer on SonicState wrote, "They say it is like the 101/202 but I have not heard any of them (101/202) as aggressive as my new baby (cmu). Very clear, very warm, loads of rumbling and as stated before it can be a very aggressive basspump. If you want to get rid of yours give me a shout cause I would not mind linking a few together." I agree 100%. I would buy one over an MC-202 or SH-101 anyday. But the CMU makes a good partner for either of these synths because it takes up such a small footprint and can act as a second voice when hooked up via CV/GATE. You can watch a video of a CMU-810 on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eof7hVqBsw0"



Previous CMU-810 posts

Roland CV Sequencer CMU-800 with Apple IIe

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via this auction
This is a fairly unique opportunity to get hold of a Roland CMU-800, and the computer required to run it, with an easy to use and space saving SD card floppy disk system, without having to spend months/years trying to put your own set-up together. Buy it all in one go and take all the ball ache out of the equation. Hook it up to your CV/Gate synths and start making music now.

Mint condition and working Roland CMU-800 8 channel CV/Gate Sequencer and manual,with built in 7 voice analogue drum machine supposedly similar to the TR-606.(I actually prefer the CMU's drums as they seem cleaner and snappier to me than the 606.The hats are also better in my opinion.

Also a very basic unfiltered 6 voice digitally generated synthesiser.(Actually quite useful for testing out compositions without having to fire up your precious vintage synths, and I'm sure I can hear these sounds on Doris Norton's Personal Computer album)The interface card is a clone I built myself and it works exactly as the original.

Plus it comes with an Apple IIe personal computer (rebuilt power supply)with SDISK II SD card floppy disk drive, so no bulky annoying 5.25" floppy disks or drives required.Working and in very good condition for it's age. I will supply this with 5 SD cards.

THE SOFTWARE LOADS UP FROM SD CARD AUTOMATICALLY ON POWER UP AND LOADS IN 8 SECONDS.
You treat each SD card as if they were 1 floppy disk. You use 1 SD card to load up the Sequencer, then you change SD cards and use another one for loading/saving your songs. Easy. And also easy to archive all your work. Just put the SD card in your computer and copy the file somewhere safe.Double easy.
You can also do the bulk of your programming on a PC based Apple II emulator(no sound or CV/Gate control possible of course) and then load that file up into the real thing for fine tuning and to see how it sounds.
(I may consider offering some spare parts(1 motherboard for spare chips/disk interface card and more) with this Apple IIe if you turn out to be a cool customer.This is totally at my discretion and is not guaranteed or offered as part of this auction.Contact me if you are interested in this proposition)

Also comes with a handy little 10" composite/vga monitor which is plenty big enough to work on and doesn't take up much room. This has a scratch on the front of the screen but it doesn't cause any problems during use of the sequencer software.This also comes with it's own power supply and composite lead.

Operation
If you build a complete song from start to finish then there are no problems that I have found, however, the loop function in the software can sound a little sluggish(at least to my ears) I'm guessing that this is because it takes time for the old 6502 to get back to bar 1 (a sloppy coded IRQ I suppose). Just put together a song by using the repeat command to repeat as many steps as is required (easy to do, and what this was really designed to for(the centre of your CV studio)).You also do the same for the internal rhythm channel if you are using that.That's about it for old school problems.(not a problem if you actually write a complete score)..."

Roland CMU-800 CompuMusic with Apple II Interface Card

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via this auction

Note this does require an Apple II and software to run. You don't see pics of the card often.

See this post and this post for a couple of video overviews of the CMU-800. A search will bring up previous posts.

"Up for sale is a very rare Roland CMU-800 CompuMusic vintage analog synthesizer/sequencer module. Additionally it has 8 cv/gate outs for controlling other gear that supports this feature.

The unit powers on and the LED lights up, but that is all as far as the testing goes as I don't have the needed gear to test. So I am selling this AS IS.

It also comes with an Apple II interface card -- no software though. (Everything you get is in the two photos).

If you search the net there is a way of making or buying a MIDI interface for this. One is available for around $75 from beatnic.jp, which is based on an atMega168 using schematics and c code another Japanese fellow developed. I'll include on a DVD-ROM this set of files. -- in case you want to implement your own using the schematics, printed circut board image file and the c code.

I read that with the MIDI interface you can trigger all 8 channels of the cv/gate -- for compatible gear. Channel 8 has a nice portamento effect."

Roland CMU-800R XMas CAROL

YouTube via digitalbeatsyndrome.

via this auction

"I take no credit for any of the work in this film. The DIY retrofit of the CMU-800R was done by RJB who is author of the Japanese DIY synth blog Radiojunkbox."

via this auction
"Roland CMU-800R Analog Synth / Drum machine. Very rare to find one of these in this condition, complete with the Apple IIe software and interface card. It has a Bass Channel (mono), Lead Channel (mono), Chord Channel (4 note poly), and Drum Channel (TR-606 drum sounds). It also has 8 Channels of CV(0 5.25v, 1v/octave) out and 8 channels of Gate out (0-12v), which would compliment the CMU-810 sister synthesizer or other analogs using CV-Gate. This particular unit was found in the basement of a music school with another flawless unit, some confused person had marked on the box sound mixer. I had hopes to MIDI retrofit it but never got around to it. I've listed links so you can listen to how the machine sounds, I do not take credit for any of the music or film in the links. The particular unit for auction is NOT in any of the videos and audio clips, I've listed them for audio demonstration only. For those who are interested in MIDI retrofitting this synth, the video by deftaudio demonstrating this machine in action with the MIDI retrofit installed. He offers the retrofit for sale."

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XBASE 888 (Digital-side), SH-101, CMU-800 demo by Jordan Passmore

Published on May 3, 2016 Jordan Passmore

"This demo is of the JoMoX XBASE 888 (utilizing solely the digital, sample-based side of the drum machine, rather than the analog voices), Roland SH-101 (doing the bassline), and Roland CMU-800 (with the arpeggio melody). The Mutable Instruments MIDIpal is sequencing the CMU and the Roland SH-101 is running off of it's own sequencer. A Roland SBX-80 is the master clock, sending MIDI clock to the XBASE and MIDIpal and triggers to the SH-101's trigger in. The mixer is a Roland M-16E and the only effect is the Boss DM-2w analog delay.

I uploaded my own samples into the XBASE 888; a mix of LinnDrum and Oberheim DMX samples. The XBASE has an 8-bit sample playback engine for 6 of it's voices and they can either be one of the stock 808/909ish samples or user uploads (via the JoMoX Win/OSX utility)."

Roland CMU-800 Revived

So when is the last time you heard a @roland_us #cmu800 #analogdrums and #analogsynth parts thru a #multivox #multivoxmx201 #tapeecho #multiecho #spaceecho huh? 🤖🎛🔊💥❤️ all sequenced by the #frankensix #tr626 for a quick check. Drums dry with low EQ cranked up, then spring reverb, then tape delay, then some A&H EQ sweep, oh yeahhhhhh

A post shared by RhythmDial - Owen D (@rhythmdialtechno) on May 16, 2017 at 10:22pm PDT

via @RythmDial

You don't see these often. The CMU-800 normally required software running on an Apple II via an interface card. You can now use it with a MIDI interface card from beatnic.jp. Click here for some previous posts featuring the CMU-800. There was also a CMU-810 expander.

Checking out Roland's CMU-800 w/ a Alex Ball history lesson

video upload by Stazma

"Here we dive again into Roland's "Compu-Music" serie from the early 80s with it's centerpiece and first release: The CMU-800.

If you havn't seen the video about the CMU-810, featuring the full history thing on the Compu Music serie by Alex Ball, here it is:"

The mighty yet unknown CMU 810 by Roland featuring Alex Ball

Roland CMU-800R with MIDI Option Installed

via this auction

"For the quick info visit:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec04/articles/roland.htm

www.cmu800r.deftaudio.ru

http://sites.google.com/site/analogvocoderinfo/interfaces/roland-cmu-800r

The CMU-800 is one of unique and rare module that was produced by Amdek and then by Roland in th past. It's a medium-sized, off-cream metallic wedge, with a barrage of jacks on the back and a bare minimum of knobs on the front. It also sported this ruddy great ribbon cable hanging out the back!

What is it? Essentially, its a computer-controlled CV/gate output system, designed to work with computers - a Japan-market-only NEC Z80 machine and the humble Apple II range. No MIDI, no inputs as such, just a means to let your "brand spanking new 8-bit computing marvel" be the controlling heart of your System 100M. The box was the same for each model, you just bought the interface and software to suit your particular CPU.

This unit is in amazing condition looks and works like new even it's 25+ years old! It has MIDI option installed. This is custom prepared unit, almost not possible to buy anywhere else:

http://cmu800r.deftaudio.ru/midi.html"

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Roland AMDEK COMPU MUSIC CMU-800

via this auction
"Branded as 'Amdek' but is actual fact exactly the same as the Roland branded cmu-800

'Although Roland were based in Hamamatsu by the early '80s, Kakehashi established the AMDEK Corporation in Osaka. Their main product lines were small effects units and computer monitors manufactured for Roland (but not by Roland) in Taiwan. For a couple of years, the company proved to be surprisingly successful but, as competition mounted, Kakehashi decided not to compete with the large computer companies entering the market, and in 1983 he ceased supplying monitors, simultaneously discontinuing the effects units. But this was not the end for the company. Kakehashi renamed it the 'Roland DG Corporation', and then used it as a vehicle to release a range of the company's own computer and music peripherals.'"

PNW06: James Demos His Roland CMU-800

Continuation of this previous post. James Gallant demos his Roland CMU-800 at this year's Pacific Northwest Synthesizer Meeting. No title link. Unfortunately I cut the last video short thinking I better keep the video small to upload. The tune ends, James takes a bow, and we all laugh. Hard work James. : )

Roland SH-101 and CMU-800 Demo by Jordan Passmore

Published on Apr 7, 2016 Jordan Passmore

"This video is a demonstration of the Roland CMU-800 and SH-101 synthesizers. The CMU is doing the drums, chords and melody while the SH-101 is doing the bassline. The CMU is connected to a Beatnic.jp MIDI interface that allows for it and any one of the prospective 8 CV/Gates to be sequenced via MIDI. The SH-101 is connected to the 7th channel of CV/gate outs. The two are being sequenced by an Akai MPC-1000 and mixed on an Ace Tone MP-40 mixer."

Vintage Roland DG Model CMU-800

via this auction

Search for CMU-800 on the right for previous posts. I believe the CMU-800 requires software and a PC to work.

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ROLAND 4-Channel Mixer / Synthesizer, Model CMU-800 SN 317458

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via this auction

If anyone knows where to find the software for this please comment or shoot me an email. From the description of the auction it sounds like this one comes with it, but if you bid, be sure to make sure with the seller on eBay.

"The Roland CMU-800 is a four-channel mixer with internal preset voices and sequencer software for an Apple II or PC. There is a ribbon cable out the back with a card attached. It features analog synthesis with fixed sounds. Four note polyphony in the chord section, monophonic bass and melody synth sections, and an analog drum section.

The Chord/Melody section has only 1 sound. The drum section is similar to the TR-606 Drumatix, and the bass section is similar to the TB-303 Bassline (some limited adjustments in sound were possible via software). It has separate melody, bass, chord, rhythm, mix outputs. There's also 8 cv/gate outs to run external analog equipment by control voltages, and there's a click in/out. On the face it has knobs for portamento, Melody sustain & decay, Bass decay, and Chord decay. It also has volume level sliders for each of the instruments and a master volume slider. The software uses a similar music programming method as the MC-8 or MC-4."

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First steps with the T-1 from Torso... with a Roland CMU 800

video upload by Stazma

Proper fun anachronic setup today in order to show you my first impression about playing with the T-1 from Torso. I'll try to make a full pattern / short track / jam / whatever using it with the legendary unknown CMU-800 from Roland (proper video about this thing coming rather soon as well). Have fun!"

00:00 Intro
01:44 Drum beat!
05:48 Lead
08:12 Sequencing the bass
09:21 Polyphonic arpeggios
12:57 Let's add some voltage controlled filters
15:00 How to CV control using a note channel
17:52 End jam

Roland CMU-800 with MIDI & Original Box

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via this auction

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Roland DG CMU-800 CompuMusic Vintage Analog Synth Sequencer SN 327621

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via this auction

"Up for sale is very rare Roland CMU-800 CompuMusic vintage analog synthesizer sequencer module.

The unit powers on and the LEDs light up, but that is all as far as the testings go as I don't have the needed gears to test. So I'm selling this AS IS.

If you search the net it seems like there are ways of converting this to MIDI, as well as people who sell MIDI interface for these."

These require an interface card and software to run. You can see a video of one here.

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