THE ROLAND MODULAR LINE
ROLAND SYSTEM100 - made in 1976
LARGE VIEW SYSTEM 100 here/ grossbild Roland System 100
Schematics System 100 ..
the Roland System 100 consists of 101 basic unit, the "expander" 102, the sequencer 104 and mixer 103
it is very very similar to the sh5.
1)the expander and basic unit provide a 12dB/oct. LPF and the typical non-vc or dynamically modulated hpf (fixed for just thin out the sound a bit..).. each unit offer a VCO with PWM (the sh5 has both in one unit),also you can find an envelope generator on each unit.., same for lfo.
the sequencer is 12step the mixer 104 is a normal audio mixer, so it may not be that important these days.. the system 100 is very different from the system 100m but it is still "semimodular"...
btw: there are some pictures on the net showing 5 pots instead of 3 (like my 104 sequencer pic -->)
and the mixer looks different,too.. but in fact I did not see other versions in real life than the version shown here..
speeding up the lfo? check info here SH because it's the same as on the sh5.
very similar to the SH-5, not so similar to the sh-7 but it has a nice manual controllable BPF but no semimodular patchable modules
for ring modulation you needed to get the expander 102, same for S/H (sample & hold), but is the same tech. as used in the sh5 (again).. means: you can set the gate and time!! I'd hope that newer synth will give us back those 2 s/h parameters.. but there are not many synth.. (like A6 andromeda or modulars..)
ROLAND system 104 sequencer
this is the System100 - Sequencer (module 104)... you see the similarity of the sh5 and system 100? ;) may work together nicely!
12 steps max. and very easy to use. module 103 was a mixing system..
enlarge pics? click on the image!!
this is what you can connect to the 101 basic unit of the system 100. rolands called it computer interface :)
the sh line and system 100..
Roland Modular System 100 / System 100m / System 700
THE ROLAND STUDIO SYSTEM 100m.
100m modules - are rare! there are 2 sorts cabinets - 3 and 5 spaces (called 190 and 191j)
btw: the 100m is also very SH-Series like.. so check more on the sh tech here: SH
today a complete 5'cab is worth 2000$ (!!)
in fact this is enough for roland to re-release it for the prices back in 1978..
most modules have 3 inputs with "attenuator" ,so it will be quite small, the 700 still has this very convenient pre-routing as well.. there are even complete 3-size modules incl. VCO-VCF-VCA , dualVCO, double ENV plus LFO module (with two 1.5ms Attack, 4ms decay/release ADSR envs), ringmod and s/h with clock/lag time like on the system100 as well but with 35hz max)
the lfos are CV controlled, the filter is 24dB/oct slope, LPF only but with static typical roland HPF switch (off plus 3 settings)
the VCO offers weak and strong sync, pwm and standard waveforms (only one wave per VCO of course: triangle, pulse and saw).. 32' to 2' octave switch. btw: all lfos are 35hz max. nice sound, very smart size ,but it can not do everything and its heavily overprized! why? it's roland!
..more system 100? check this..
the 100m keyboards: the 184 was quite similar to the jupiter 4's arp'er and control system offering 4CVs for those who want to play 4 voices on a modular..
the other one was the 180 and is a simple CV keyboard.. no more no less.
the smaller system 100m and even more the semimodular 100 is almost a "split into parts" - synth that still thinks moire "keyboard"-way of snthesizer. most rolands as those 100 & 100m systems do NOT provide a voltage controlled HPF. but a non-VC-HPF. some mod routes simply do not work.. the bigger 700 has quite an amazing sound (more fat than the 100 series that optically have nothing in common). its much more of a modular than the 100. still if you want a modular these days you may tend to the moog and serge, wiard or technosaurus systems.. the rolands are quite easy to patch ,some is internally prerouted. the special 6 pin connector meaning is this:
| Pin 1 power/15V- Pin 2 power/15V+ Pin 3 gate Pin 4 trigger Pin 5 power/GROUND Pin 6 your CV |
Pin 1 power/15V+ Pin 2 gate Pin 3 N/A Pin 4 LED pos. Pin 5 trigger Pin 6 power/15V- Pin 7 power/GROUND Pin 8 CV Pin 9 LED GROUND |
| for linking DIN 6pin | also DIN.. |
there is one thing that the SH,100,100m and 700 have in common: good sounding filters!..
the system 100m is NOT (as some ppl say) a revision of the system 100! it is more a slimed down system 700! more on system 100 .. scroll up again.. the sh5 is quite system 100 related so lets start with it:
System 100m: Module 110:
VCO + VCF + VCA
pic by theo bloderer @ bluesynths.com
another roland system 100m
by myself / click to enlarge:
Module 140 dual ENV + CV LFO +
Module 150 S/H, CV LFO, Noise white/pink, ringmodulator
system 100-m
1978 the system 100m was released..
System 100m: Module 140 + 150:
ENV/LFO + S/H + Ring + LFO
lfo got 3 stage switch (lo,mid,hi) for freq. + delay
ADSR with ext trigger
System 100m: Module 112: dual VCO
these are the wing cabinets.. the main unit was about the same as large as 2 wings and there was as sequencer about the same size (2 wings) --->
click images (as always) to enlarge system 700 from 1976
