INCREASE YOUR VERSATILITY AND GET MORE GIGS   In today’s music world, the vast influence of EDM and other electronic styles has crept into the fabric of nearly every popular genre. The core of EDM is a driving rhythm groove, with the low end held down by synthesizer bass. To cover this essential sound,…

The modular synthesizer is back! The boundless world of sounds inside this instrument is fascinating professional musicians and amateurs alike. This synth (that looks more like a computer network device than instrument) features a series of knobs and jacks, buttons and switches, blinking lights and screens all hidden behind a wall of patch cables. But…

Some of the most inspiring stories of the music industry come not from the bright-shining stars but from the slow-burning musicians and artists, whose songwriting abilities and smarts have provided them an enviously long career. One such musician is Geoffrey Williams, a singer-songwriter and loop artist who has written for artists such as Michael Jackson…

For decades, artists and producers have been evolving the classic Roland TR-808 and TR-909 drum sounds. The Roland TR-8 Rhythm Performer gives you those timeless sounds, along with the capacity to manipulate, sequence and affect them in real time. Now, the new Roland SP-404A Linear Wave Sampler takes this versatility even further, with the ability…

So, you’ve been DJing for a while now. Fantastic! You’ve also gotten to know your way around the decks. Great stuff! What you are probably wondering now is, “How do I take that big step from playing in my bedroom to my first club gig?” It can be daunting, but remember – every DJ started…

The Roland Icon Series is a collection of articles looking back at the most popular and recognized Roland instruments. In over four decades, Roland has designed many world-first instruments, like the first touch-sensitive keyboard and first guitar synthesizer.     MOVING FORWARD   The late 1970s and early 1980s saw Roland pioneering synth design with…