Roland MC-8 Sequencer Demo Song - ODD RHYTHMS

This is one of the demo scores in the Roland MC-8 manual. It's a piece called "Odd Rhythms," written by the inventor of the MC-8, Ralph Dyck. I decided to spend a couple of hours punching this thing in to see what it sounds like. The lead, bass and chords are playing back on a Roland SH-101 (overdubbed via the MC-8's tape sync one monophonic line at a time), and the cymbal and conga are playing back on a SCI Pro-One. For the cymbal, I had to use VCF accents instead of the VCA accents the score calls for, because the Pro-One doesn't have a CV in for the VCA. I didn't spend much time on the sounds or on the mix, so it is what it is. But as you can see, you can get as musically complex as you want with the MC-8.

here's an mp3 of the music:
http://www.shitteo.com/mc8-odd-rhythms.mp3

and here's the data for any other mc8 users out there:
http://www.shitteo.com/mc8-odd-rhythms-data.mp3

also, i've just started a blog about the mc8 here:

http://rolandmc8.wordpress.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• roland
• SH-101
• sequential
• circuits
• pro-one
• analog
• sequencer
• synth
• synthesizer
• blinking
• lights
• vintage
• computer

[walkerbelm]

brilliant video nice work. any chance of getting an mp3 of the track as recorded by you?

[peahix]

@walkerbelm hi, i just posted a url to the mp3 in the video description.

[VacTrooper]

DAMN this is probably the coolest thing ever.

[kotep777]

fuckin incredible!!!!!!

the SH sounds amazin controlled by it!

[bonusbmusic]

reminds me how much i LOVE HOW VINTAGE GEAR LOOKS, i love those big cash register buttons

[MrSidMan]

No offense, and I totally Love vintage Audio hardware, but this kinda reminds me of this:

youtu.be TSwqnR327fk

[senorverde09]

And to think Martin Rushent spent WEEKS slaving over this thing when producing Dare.

[Yazoku]

They don't make em' like this anymore. This would have been a real feat in musical technology when it was made, Nothing made today can be seen to make as much of a breakthrough as this did back then.

[Munkki345]

reminds me of 80's serials and cartoons

[douro20]

Only 200 MC-8s were made, at a cost of US$8000 each in 1977. But it was the world's first standalone microprocessor-controlled sequencer. It can store sequences up to 5200 steps long, and any parameter controllable by CV/Gate can be programmed. The MC-8 could control any device which uses a CV/Gate interface, including stage lighting.

[douro20]

@harktheherald

Not at all. It sounds like it, but all of the sounds are analog.

[douro20]

How old is this sequencer?

[walkerbelm]

@peahix thanks!!!!

[KaslarProductions]

That machine take FOREVER to program.... the manual is "over 9000" pages