Gear: Roland Commemorates 50 Years of Innovation – American Songwriter: Music News & Songwriting Tips
As you might have heard, Roland, the world’s most iconic electronic musical instrument brand, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022. To kick off the milestone year, Roland has launched the “Roland at 50” website. It is just the first of many activities planned for the year, thanking musicians all over the world for bringing Roland instruments to their art since 1972. The anniversary site showcases significant moments in music history and honors the artists and the Roland products relied upon to shape music and culture for the last five decades.
As a pioneer musical instrument manufacturer and preeminent electronic musical instrument designer, Roland has a rich history of developing epoch-making products, touching nearly every music genre, and meeting the demands of creators all over the world. From being the backbone of superstar performances to workhorse practice and educational tools to the instruments that have unlocked the doors to creative expression for music hobbyists around the globe, everyone has some connection to Roland. What better way to commemorate such an important landmark anniversary than a website that pulls together all the highlights of the company’s last 50 years?
At the heart of the “Roland at 50” website is a comprehensive timeline, spanning the decades from the ‘70s to 2020s. It showcases more than 180 Roland products, including many we know as “world’s-first products”; many changed the face of music. For example, the 1980s lead off with remembering the popular TR-808 drum machine, the 1990s revisits the Legendary S-770 digital sampler and the 2000s include a feature the ground-breaking VP-9000 Elastic Audio Processor.
Rich with content, the commemorative site also highlights articles that illustrate how bold Roland products have powered creative processes and provided inspiration for musical artists over the decades. Those articles include A History of Roland Samplers, Time Machine: Remembering Neil Peart, Sound Behind the Song: “Take On Me” by a-ha, and Drumatix: The Perpetual Appeal of the TR-606, and offer many more for Roland fans to investigate.
The “Roland at 50” website also looks to the future offering a glimpse at commemorative Roland anniversary products that are scheduled for release throughout 2022. At least one 50th model is slated for debut this year on April 18, not accidentally the very date Roland was founded in 1972.
Visit the “Roland at 50” website HERE.