MC-202 MicroComposer

The accepted wisdom is that the MC-202 was an unabashed commercial failure with reports claiming it was the worst-selling Roland instrument of the 1980s. And yet, to modern eyes, the MC-202 makes perfect sense. Taking the flexible sequencing capabilities of Roland’s high-end MC-4 and MC-8 Micro Composers and adding the rich analogue synthesis circuits of the popular SH-101 synthesizer is a match made in heaven. Following a detailed analysis of the underlying circuits, hardware and software interfaces, and operational workflows, the chapter explores how design choices such as the inability to easily save sequences, along with some confusing marketing messages initially put paid for the instrument. Ultimately, while Roland rarely celebrates the MC-202, this chapter argues that, by mapping the path to the modern ‘groovebox’, it is one of the most influential and important instruments the company has ever made. Indeed, the chapter concludes by exploring how recent third-party modifications and upgrades have completely transformed the MC-202 into the instrument it so nearly was in the 1980s.