The Roland System 700 was a professional monophonic

modular synthesizer Modular synthesizers are synthesizers composed of separate modules for different functions. The modules can be connected together by the user to create a patch. The outputs from the modules may include audio signals, analog control voltages, o ...

for electronic music manufactured by the

Roland Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment, and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on 18 April 1972. In 2005, its headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. It has f ...

and released in 1976 and was followed by the

Roland System-100M 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 introduct ...

in 1978.

Modules

The System 700 range included the following modules: * 701A – Keyboard controller * 702A – VCO-1 * 702B – VCO-2 * 702C – VCO-3 * 703A – VCF-1 * 703B – VCF-2 * 703G – VCF (Block 8) * 704A – VCA-1 * 704B – VCA-2 * 704D – VCA (Block 8) * 705A – Dual

envelope generator In sound and music, an envelope describes how a sound changes over time. It may relate to elements such as amplitude (volume), frequencies (with the use of filters) or pitch. For example, a piano key, when struck and held, creates a near-im ...

* 706A – LFO-1 * 706B – LFO-2 * 707A – Amplifier / envelope follower / integrator * 708A – Noise / ring generator * 709A –

Sample and hold In electronics, a sample and hold (also known as sample and follow) circuit is an analog device that samples (captures, takes) the voltage of a continuously varying analog signal and holds (locks, freezes) its value at a constant level for a ...

* 710A – Multiple jacks * 711A – Reverberator / panning / standard oscillator / phase shifter * 712A – Monitor / external keyboard controller / voltage processor / keyboard CV output / gate output *713A - Gate delay * 714A – Interface * 715A – Multi-mode filter/Audio mixer * 716A – Mixer (Signal/CV) * 717A – Analog sequencer * 718A – Power Supply * 720B – 2 Channel Phase Shifter * 721A – 2 Channel Audio Delay * 723A – Analog Switch

Blocks

The following blocks were offered, as suggested combinations of modules: * Block 1: The main console – 702A, 702B, 702C, 708A, 703A, 703B, 704A, 704B, 711A; 712A, 705A, 706B, 709A, 707A, 705A, 716A, 710A, 718A * Block 2: Keyboard controller – 701A * Block 3: Analog sequencer – 717A * Block 4: VCO bank – 3x 702D, 3x 702E; 716A, 710A, 706B, 709B, 705A * Block 5: VCF / VCA bank – 2x 703C, 3x 704C; 713A, 2x 705A, 710A * Block 6: Interface / mixer – 714A, 704C, 715A * Block 7: Phase shifter / audio delay – 710B, 723A, 720B, 721A * Block 8: 'Lab' configuration – 702A, 702B, 702C, 708A, 703G, 704D, 716A, 706A, 709A, 705A, 718A

Documentation

* 101 – Synthesizer instruction manual * 101 – Synthesizer patch book * 102 – Expander unit instruction manual * 102 – Expander unit patch book * 103 – Audio mixer instruction manual * 104 – Sequencer instruction manual * System 700 Synthesizer Service Notes * System 700 Synthesizer Service Supplement

Notable users

The System 700 was used by many artists, including: * Rhett Lawrence * Isao Tomita * Matthias Becker *

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* Paul Davis, singer/songwriter and owner of Monarch Sound Atlanta GA * Eloy Fritsch *

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* Klaus Netzle *

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* Visage *

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Giorgio Moroder Gear Guide
Dolphin Music *

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References

System 700 Monophonic synthesizers Analog synthesizers Modular synthesizers Musical instruments invented in the 1970s {{Electronic-musical-instrument-stub