Roland | The Roland MC-4 Microcomposer (1981)
The Roland MC-4 MicroComposer was an early microprocessor-based music sequencer released by Roland Corporation. It could be programmed using the ten key numeric keyboard or a synthesizer keyboard using the keyboard's control voltage and gate outputs.
1981-07-14 19:00:00 - Alex Ball
It was released in 1981 with a list price of US$3,295 (¥430,000 JPY) and was the successor to the MC-8, which in 1977 was the first microprocessor-based digital sequencer. Like its predecessor, the MC-4 is a polyphonic CV/Gate sequencer.
Notable users:
- Aphex Twin
- The Cars
- Suzanne Ciani
- Vince Clarke (Yazoo, Erasure)
- Depeche Mode
- Devo
- Rusty Egan
- Die Form
- John Foxx (The Garden Studio)
- Front 242
- Heaven 17
- The Human League
- Kontour
- Kraftwerk
- Landscape
- Adrian Lee (Toyah, Mike & the Mechanics)
- Daniel Miller
- The Monitors (first use on a recording, programmed by Ralph Dyck)
- Giorgio Moroder
- Masato Nakamura
- Rational Youth
- Martin Rushent
- Tears for Fears
- Isao Tomita
- Toto
- Wang Chung
- Yellow Magic Orchestra