Roland50 Studio Launches
Yuri Suzuki launches a digital reworking of some of Roland’s most famous machines to help the synth manufacturer celebrate its 50th anniversary.
After the success of last year’s 808303.Studio Yuri Suzuki and team were commissioned by cult synth manufacturer Roland to help it celebrate its 50th anniversary by creating Roland50 Studio, a digital reworking of some of its most famous machines.
As part of #303 Day, Yuri, his team and Counterpoint have added Roland’s classic SH-101 analogue synth to the TB303 and TR808 interfaces to form the Roland50 Studio. The SH-101 was an affordable, one-note machine that was used by electronic musicians including Nitzer Ebb, Aphex Twin, Future Sound of London, Orbital, and The Chemical Brothers.
The graphic interface created by Yuri and team can be played online and on digital devices. Fun and accessible to anyone, users are encouraged to record their creations, download and share on their social platforms.
A longtime user, collector and fan of Roland synths, Yuri added several playful touches to the online experience. For example, when you click the play buttons, you hear the recorded physical sound of the button being pressed on an original machine, and the record function metronome countdown is from a real 303.
“Roland synthesizers and drum machines provide a huge inspiration for making music,” Yuri adds. “All instruments are unique and behave differently but the excitement of making music with these instruments is almost like orchestrating a mini robot band; bass, drum and lead. Roland50 Studio is a little taste of this. You can share your music with the world while inspiring others to compose and explore the electronic music field.”
Roland’s anniversary celebrations continue over the next six months, telling the story of more of its iconic machines and the musicians who brought them to life.
Listen to a curated playlist created by Yuri featuring the SH101, TB303 and TR808 here
