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

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 w/ Original Box

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via this auction

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

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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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The Roland Super Quartet - The 80s band in a box!

Alex Ball

Check out more of Alex Ball's synth videos here.

"If you’re after a classic Roland Juno-106 or TR-707, you might not know that both (plus a bass synth) are found inside the MKS-7 or “Super Quartet” from 1985.

Roland made various rack mount versions of their 80s synths in the MKS range, but the Super Quartet is a little different and is somewhat related to their earlier CMU-800.

In this video we take a look at what it does, how it was intended to be used and how it can be used in ways that weren’t intended.

Espen Kraft even shows up. What’s not to love?

0:00 Intro
0:32 The Super Quartet
2:07 Four Bass Presets
2:56 Four Chord Presets
4:12 Four Melody Presets
4:55 Editing
5:17 In Its Pure Form
6:04 Karaoke
7:09 Playing Outside the Box

Some original brochure scans stolen from the wonderful Retro Synth Ads blog:
http://retrosynthads.blogspot.com"

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.

Roland CMU-800 with MIDI & Original Box

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Roland CMU-800R MIDI Interface Test

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Published on Mar 6, 2016 DeftAudio



via this auction

See this post for a fun overview and demo of the CMU-800R, including the software, at the 2006 PNW Synth Meet. You can find additional info on the CMU-800R here and here, and of course in the archives. Note you do not get full access to the internal synth parameters, so think of this as a severely limited preset synth with TR-606 drum sounds, and CV & gate outs. Still a fascinating bit of synth history and this one has MIDI so you do not need the software to make use of it. According to this Sound on Sound article it was "the first sound module to provide multitimbral voicing, independent outputs for each section, control over other synthesizers, and sequencing."

Description from the listing:

"The CMU-800 is one of unique and rare module that was produced by Amdek and then by Roland in the 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!

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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 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."

Roland CMU-800 with Original Box

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This is the unit featured in the video posted here.

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Roland cmu-800 MIDI interface test / CMU800

Published on Mar 6, 2016 DeftAudio

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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Roland CMU-800 CompuMusic with Apple II Interface Card

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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."

The End of Asia／YMO

Published on Mar 23, 2015 Toshiyuki Arakawa

With the DSI Prophet '08 and a Yamaha Motif.

See this post for a version with the Roland CMU-800 & Gakken SX-150.

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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1984 Roland DG COMPU-MUSIC CMU-800 German Ad

via synthmuseum.de

Roland CV Sequencer CMU-800 with Apple IIe

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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 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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Roland CMU-800 ~1983

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"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

You'll be able to control everything that could be controlled. Including single voice Melody channel, single voice Bass channel, 4 voices Chord channel and analog Drum channel. CV/GATE ouput also works, so, you'll get 8 channels of CV/GATE in addtion!

Midi implementation chart:
Midi channel CMU800R CV/Gate out Comments
1 Melody Ch1 1-voice
2 Bass Ch2 1-voice
3 Chord Ch3 1-voice
4 Chord
Ch4 1-voice
5 Chord Ch5 1-voice
6 Chord Ch6 1-voice
7 - Ch7 1-voice
8 - Ch8 1-voice
9 - -
10 Rhythm - 7-poly drums in GM
11-16 - -

Also support pitch shift, CCs on 01, 16, 17, 18, RPN and midi reset mesages.

Audio Demos:

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