System-100M
A Roland System-100M (top left) controlled by a Commodore 64
ManufacturerRoland Corporation
Dates1979-c.1984[1]
Price£1242 for 5-module system with monophonic keyboard[1]
Technical specifications
PolyphonyDepends on chosen modules. Usually monophonic or 4-voice polyphonic.
OscillatorEach VCO has triangle, falling sawtooth, and pulse output (110, 112 modules)
LFOEach voltage-controlled LFO has sine, triangle, square, rising sawtooth, and falling sawtooth output (140, 150 modules); the manually set LFO has triangle output only (172 module)
Synthesis typeAnalog subtractive
Filterlow-pass (110, 121 modules)
EffectsPhase shifter and BBD-based audio delay available (172 module)
Input/output
Keyboard32 keys, monophonic (180 keyboard); 49 keys, monophonic (181 keyboard); 49 keys, 4-voice polyphonic (184 keyboard)
Left-hand controlPitch bend (181 and 184 keyboards only); portamento on/off (181 only); automated arpeggio (184 only)

The Roland System-100M was a modular analog synthesizer manufactured by the Roland Corporation in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was the successor of the Roland System-100, a semi-modular keyboard.

In the 1980s, shortly after its introduction, Richard Burgess of Landscape called the 100M "one of the best synthesisers on the market, with so many control functions available independently, whereas most synths only have one or two LFOs to do all the modulating."[2] Ian Boddy considered the System 100M "an almost ideal introduction to the world of modular synthesis,"[3] and praised its oscillator sync sound, especially when sampled to achieve polyphony.[4]

By the 1990s, although digital synthesizers were starting to replace analog ones, several prominent musicians still enthused about their 100Ms. Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto said "the best thing about it is that it's modular and it uses a patchbay, so you can send things back on themselves and get, like, analogue feedback, you really can... You can do cross-modulation, too. It's pretty good for external sound sources, as well."[5] Chris Carter called it "as versatile, expandable, and affordable a system as you can get without going the DIY route" in 1995.[6]

Components

A Roland System-100M with 3 modules
ModelTypeReleased[7]Description
110Module1979VCO / VCF / VCA
111ModulePrototypeVCO / VCF
112Module1979Dual VCOs
120ModulePrototypeVCF / VCA
121Module1979Dual VCFs
130Module1979Dual VCAs
131Module1980Output Mixer / Tuning Oscillator / Headphone Amp
132Module1980Dual CV / Audio Mixers & Voltage Processors
140Module1979Dual ADSR Envelope Generators / LFO
141ModulePrototypeDual Envelope / Gate Delay / Inverter-Adder
150Module1979Ring Mod / Noise / S&H / LFO
160ModulePrototypeComputer Interface
165Module1983Dual Portamento Controller
170ModulePrototypePitch to Voltage converter / Envelope Follower / Amp
172Module1980Phase Shifter / Audio Delay / Gate Delay (with LFO)
173Module1983Signal Gate & Multiple Jacks
174Module1983Parametric EQ
180Keyboard197932-key Controller Keyboard
181Keyboard197949-key Controller Keyboard
182Module1980Analog Sequencer
184Keyboard198149-key 4-note Polyphonic Controller Keyboard
190Rack1979Three-Module Rack
191JRack1979Five-Module Rack

New Modules

ModelTypeReleasedDescription
185Module2009/2021[8]Multi-stage Sequencer by RYK Modular. Updated version released 2021
175Module2022Triple Vactrol Resonator by RYK Modular

2020 Clones

Behringer System-100M clone

The original Roland schematics being fully available online, Behringer has planned[9] respective released their own versions (either straight copies or adaptions) of the Roland 100M series of modules in Eurorack format. As of July 2020, the following modules are available for (pre-)ordering:[10]

  • 110 VCO/VCF/VCA
  • 112 Dual VCO
  • 121 Dual VCF
  • 130 Dual VCA
  • 140 Dual Envelope/LFO
  • 150 Ring Mod/Noise/S&H/LFO
  • 172 Phase Shifter/Delay/LFO
  • 173 Quad Gate/Multiples
  • 182 Sequencer
  • 297 Dual Portamento/CV Utilities (combination of 132 Dual CV / Audio Mixers & Voltage Processors & 165 Dual Portamento Controller)
  • 305 EQ/Mixer/Output (combination of 131 Output Mixer / Tuning Oscillator / Headphone Amp & 174 Parametric EQ)

Notable users

References

  1. 1 2 Forrest, Peter (March 2003). The A-Z of Analogue Synthesisers, Part Two: N-Z, Revised and Expanded. Susurreal. pp. 137–139. ISBN 0-952437-73-2.
  2. 1 2 Beecher, Mike (Nov 1981). "Landscape Explored". Electronics & Music Maker. United Kingdom: Music Maker Publications (UK), Future Publishing. pp. 6–10. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  3. 1 2 Boddy, Ian (Mar 1984). "Roland System 100M". Electronics & Music Maker. United Kingdom: Music Maker Publications (UK), Future Publishing. pp. 80–82. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  4. 1 2 Gilby, Paul (Dec 1986). "Ian Boddy: Phoenix". Sound On Sound. United Kingdom. pp. 37–41. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  5. 1 2 3 Ward, Phil (May 1993). "Message In A Sample". Music Technology. United Kingdom: Music Maker Publications (UK), Future Publishing. pp. 36–42. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  6. ↑ Carter, Chris (April 1995). "Roland System 100M". Sound On Sound. United Kingdom. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  7. ↑ Reid, Gordon (December 2004). "The History Of Roland: Part 2: 1979-1985". Sound On Sound. United Kingdom. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  8. ↑ gearnews.com
  9. ↑ musicradar.com
  10. ↑ thomann.de
  11. ↑ Robinson, Dave (Apr 1993). "The Aphex Effect". Future Music. United Kingdom. pp. 22–23.
  12. ↑ Murphy, Scott (February 2003). "Nick Launay Interview". Fodderstompf. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  13. ↑ Industrial music pioneer Chris Carter with gear, 1980, Boing Boing
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