Inspiring Creative Musicians Since 1972
Many of the creative musicians at Sweetwater go way back with Roland, and it's no wonder why. Over 45 years ago, when Roland first came on the scene, they immediately began pushing the envelope of electronic music gear. Within their first five years, they produced several drum machines, guitar amps, iconic effects, keyboards, and synthesizers.
The earliest TR series drum machines and SH series analog synths came out of this era. So did the RE-201 Space Echo and RS-101 Strings ensemble — two mainstay effects that are still extremely popular today. Suffice it to say, Roland instantly established themselves as a leader in the industry, and they've never stopped being one.
Decades of success have inspired countless musicians of all levels to embrace Roland products, effecting areas of music and media production ranging from hip-hop to film scores and everything in between. Go to a live show, and there's a good chance you'll hear Roland innovation at work. Whether you're on the main stage or in your bedroom studio, we're sure you'll appreciate this amazing gear.
A Legacy of Historic Innovation
While the terms "innovative" and "influential" get tossed around a lot, they're perfect for describing Roland's history. To put this into perspective, two of Roland's biggest "failures" — the TR-808 rhythm machine and the TB-303 bass line, which didn't come close to emulating traditional drums or bass — were so cool and unique that they quickly became (and still are) essential elements of electronic music. In fact, you could argue that these machines launched multiple musical genres. And those are just examples of Roland's accidental successes.
The same creative and unique elements that made the '808 and '303 (among others) so influential in the emerging world of electronic music put Roland at the forefront of many other styles of music. The early '80s saw the rise of the Jupiter-8, Juno-60, and Roland's first MIDI-equipped synth, the JX-3P. On that note, it says a lot that Roland was one of the three major synth and keyboard manufacturers involved in establishing the MIDI standard in the first place, a breakthrough that completely revolutionized the world of electronic music.
By the '90s, Roland's V-Drums began to show traditional drummers that electronic drums could feel and sound great. V-Drums continue to set the gold standard in electronic drums. They've long since passed the point of living up to the performance of acoustic drums. Now each new generation of V-Drums pushes the envelope farther, demonstrating the limitless possibilities electronic drums can offer.
Cutting-edge Synthesis for Unrivaled Sound
As important as Roland's history may be, it far from overshadows their more recent accomplishments. We've already mentioned the continuous success of the V-Drums line, but there have been a lot of other innovations in the meantime. For example, Roland's 2009 V-Piano was the first digital piano built entirely on physical modeling, and many pianists still consider it among the few wholly acceptable acoustic piano alternatives. But that was just the beginning of Roland's advancement into physical modeling.
One of the most important examples in the past decade has been Roland's SuperNATURAL technology, which lies at the heart of their phenomenally realistic drum, piano, and other instrument sounds. SuperNATURAL sound engines pushed past the limitations of PCM sampling, combining non-looping audio with cutting-edge physical modeling to create seamless, dynamic, and expressive instrument sounds.
While products such as the Jupiter-80, the Integra-7, and the V-Drums TD-30 showcased SuperNATURAL technology, Roland has continued to explore the boundaries of physical modeling. The 2017 release of the TD-50 sound module introduced Prismatic Sound Modeling, ushering in a new era of V-Drums. We can't wait to see where Roland goes from there.
Shaping the Future of Music
With an eye to future generations of musicians, Roland has not only developed many products priced within easy grasp of up-and-coming artists, but they've also developed new and exclusive technologies to go with them. In 2014, they launched their AIRA line — a set of modules aimed at tabletop electronic musicians and DJs. At first glance, these modules appear to shamelessly pay homage to some of the most iconic Roland synth gear of all time, including the TR-808 and 909 rhythm machines, TB-303 bass line synth, and System 100 synthesizer, but that impression was deceiving.
While these models used classic Roland sounds as a base, their extended range of synthesis and real-time capabilities, such as their shared Scatter function, made them perfect for live music. What's more, there were several other cool ideas that came out of the AIRA line. For one thing, following the success of the AIRA line, Roland launched into their Boutique series, which included a number of small, inexpensive, and impressively good modules covering both classic Roland sounds and completely innovative synthesizers.
Directly from the AIRA series, the System-1 popularized the concept of the "plug-out" synthesizer, which is a hardware synth that can be entirely reprogrammed via software patches. The AIRA MX-1 mixer integrated so many performance features, including step sequencing, that it's an instrument in its own right. And when Roland released their first Serato-compatible DJ controller, the DJ-808, they practically completely blurred the line between DJing and real-time electronic music production.
Meeting and Exceeding Customer Needs
What about Roland's amazing V-Mixers, guitar synth systems, video equipment, and other great gear? The thing is, Roland has come up with so many wonderful and influential products that we simply couldn't cover it all. What's more important than the gear itself is the philosophy behind it. Here at Sweetwater, we pride ourselves on selling you the gear that best fits your needs, and that's one of the reasons we often recommend Roland. But it's no coincidence — Roland develops their gear in response to customer feedback, actively seeking out criticism to keep their finger on the pulse of the creative music world.
This philosophy doesn't just cover the kind of gear Roland makes — it also includes how they make it. There's nothing like spending a good chunk of change on a fine piece of gear only to have it break down just out of warranty. While Sweetwater's industry-leading Total Confidence Coverage 2-year warranty has saved countless customers that particular headache, with Roland gear, you'll probably never discover that for yourself. They combine decades of R&D with premium-quality parts and in-house manufacturing to build their gear to the highest standard.
As you can probably tell, Sweetwater's relationship with Roland runs deep. That's not just because they're one of our top brands; it's also because we share much of the same philosophy. We both believe in doing the right thing for our customers and providing them with the music gear they need to fulfill their creative goals. We proudly stand by Roland products, and we're confident that once you discover Roland for yourself, you'll know exactly why.
