# Roland - The Synthesizer Pt. 1...

- Site: Analog Industries
- Author: Chris Randall
- Date: 2012-02-26
- URL: https://analogindustries.com/2012/02/roland-the-synthesizer-pt-1/

![Roland - The Synthesizer Pt. 1...](https://analogindustries.com/images/blog/foundation.png)

I was able to scan in the first of the four Synthesizer 2nd Edition books. This is "A Foundation For Electronic Music," and the title pretty much sums up the contents. It is the smallest of the four, and contains a general overview of synthesis types of the era and what filters do.

It is perfectly pertinent today, as we've not diverged much in the 40 years since this book was made, with the caveat that it only talks about the methods available at the time, which were subtractive, additive, and some very basic computer stuff. There are three others in the set: Multichannel Recording For Electronic Music, which mostly describes recording and mixing techniques for a four-track tape deck and a 6-channel mixer, and the two-volume Practical Synthesis For Electronic Music, which has in-depth programming techniques. It mostly uses the System 700 for its examples, but the second volume also uses the System 100 and SH-101.

In any event, [here](https://web.archive.org/web/2012/http://www.analogindustries.com/samples/RTS_Foundation.zip) is a zipped version of the PDF. I'll put up the rest in the next few days as I get to them, and once I have them all scanned, I'll bundle 'em all together and put them on the Free Shit page. If you find these useful, here's a tip jar. I paid too much money for these, and it'd be nice if I could spread the pain around a bit.

## Comments (23)

**RGiskard** (2012-02-26):

Much appreciated! Sent some dipyrone your way - I can't get that book here in Brazil, so it seems fair to contribute with an analgesic not available in the US.

**Chris Randall** (2012-02-26):

If I end up with anemia, I'm blaming you.

-CR

**Hollywood Sims** (2012-02-26):

This is wicked, cheers!

**huggie** (2012-02-26):

Thanks Chris!

- Hugo

**jsepeta** (2012-02-27):

Thanks man! I saw this set on ebay for $150 and that's just not in my budget. I'm sure I saw this when I was in high school in the 1980's but it didn't really apply to anything I was doing with my Korg Poly-800. Now that I'm old and have a bunch of analog softsynths, I'm trying to learn as much as I can before this information disappears, along with their creators.

**synthetic** (2012-02-27):

I'm excited to dig into this, thank you. I donated a little, let us know if you need more.

**Chris Randall** (2012-02-27):

When you guys see me tweet a picture of my shiny new black-on-black Dodge Challenger SRT-392, then you'll know that enough donations have been received.

-CR

**darklordjames** (2012-02-27):

Huh. I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion on this. I barely even know about the topic and find these books to be extremely intriguing.

Now I have to get my iPad 2 running on my Mac Mini so I can actually sync this shit up. Changing platforms from PC to Mac has been... effortful thus far.

**boobs** (2012-02-28):

a guy who drove race cars for the factory dodge team (in road races not the 'lets go fast and turn left' races) told me "they're called dodge because that's what you end up doing when you drive one on a race track because they handle like shit". he said you end up steering them as much with your feet as you do with your hands, "though the brakes suck too."

he also said something about "anyone can go fast in a straight line"

but, being an american male you no doubt are acquainted with the typical boat like handling traits of american vehicles.

**Chris Randall** (2012-02-28):

I'm not entirely sure what that has to do with anything, since I'm not likely to drive in road races any time soon. If I did, I'd want a car that won, like an Audi R8.

Honestly, I could give a fuck about "American" cars; the vast majority of the parts are made in other countries even if the final assembly is done here, and I wouldn't feel even a slight bit bad if it was built with Chinese tweens chained to the assembly line, and ran on the oil of baby seals. I like Dodges because I'm 6' 4" tall, and it is the _only_ brand that has designers that recognize that not everyone is built like Oliver Hardy.

Plus they look bad-ass.

-CR

**boobs** (2012-02-28):

has nothing to do with anything i just saw "car" and thought "oh, i have a dumb story, i'll post it"

and yes to all your points. but if you do ever get the chance to drive on a race track i recommend it... especially if it's in a car that doesn't belong to you. it's a helluva way to 'recharge the batteries' if you like to go fast and stuff and is a learning experience to ay the least.

**DGillespie** (2012-02-28):

Plus the 1970 dodge challenger r/t in plum crazy people with the rallye hood and the 440 6-pack under the bonnet is the coolest vehicle ever made.

Jus sayin.

**DGillespie** (2012-02-28):

When you're that cool, you don't have to turn.

**Chris Randall** (2012-02-28):

The man has a point.

It is worth noting that for several years running the Dodge Viper absolutely _dominated_ the GT class of both American LeMans and the Speed WC series. All but one of the track records on the Speed WC series are held by Vipers, as it happens. You don't really get to that point by being shitty and not handling well. Not against Porches.

Of course, Dodge stopped making the Viper GT-ready cars some years ago, and the last crop could barely hang in 2011, never mind 2012, and there is no fucking way that big-ass Challenger SRT-8 can run a GT race. It'd be all over the place, being a drag car rather than a road car. Now it's up to Cadillac to hold the line in GT, while Mustangs continue to wtfpwn Acuras in GTS, like they always have, since there were GTS-class Acuras.

And yeah, you can buy a drag pack Challenger that you can pick up at the dealer, drive to the track, and turn a 10.5 with. Honestly, at 220mph, I don't really want to do much turning.

http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/challenger/V10.html

-CR

**boobs** (2012-02-28):

that allpar thing is nuts. 10.5 in a 1/4 is stupid fast.

there was 1 viper in the most recent 24hrs of daytona. didn't do too well. those endurance races are another kind of thing though.

**obscurerobot** (2012-02-28):

Can a Viper even do 220? I thought they were aerodynamically limited to the high 100s.

**seancostello** (2012-02-28):

I was going to make some smart ass comment about "this is your brain on Ford" or whatever car people say, as I generally don't care about cars. Then I Googled 1970 Plum Crazy Dodge Challenger.

Holy. Shit.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0JS3iEQJ00

Wir fahn fahn fahn auf der Autobahn...

**Duke Fame** (2012-02-28):

I considered buying a used Gen 1 Viper years ago (blue with white stripes, hell yes) until I read a frequent complaint about the sudden-without-warning snap oversteer of the car at the threshold of cornering adhesion, so I passed.

Then I got into watching WRC, bought a WRX STi, never looked back. It even seats four and has a pretty big trunk.

**robbster** (2012-02-28):

sorta kinda back on the original post?

I used to own these books. Bought 'em back in the day when Roland had a catalog w/reply postcard that came in the box when I bought my Alpha Juno-1 brand new. (who knew that stupid sound "What The?" would be popular?)

At any rate... yes, I recall the content of these books. Kind of refreshing to see them resurface this way. Content-wise? Yup, pure 70s analog synth edumacation. This is what an LFO is... this is what a Filter is...

I believe I donated them to the library in my college town back in 1991.

**Chris Randall** (2012-02-28):

I'm going to do the Recording one this morning, hopefully, unless something else crops up.

-CR

**DGillespie** (2012-02-28):

Yeah, this is the one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NIp1jlWDmc&feature=related

I had a love affair with that car in my teenage years.

Also, I finally got a chance to look at the Roland book this morning and it's great. Definitely worth it for the diagrams alone. These are also some of the questions I tend to ask in interviews.

**BlueSpark** (2012-02-28):

My 6' 8" friend only buys German cars, because he says he can't fit in anything else.

I knew I'd find the silver lining in being under 6'.

**robbster** (2012-02-28):

My Honda Fit fits me nicely with plenty of headroom, and I'm 6' 0" @ 245lbs.

Of course the thing was designed to hold a busload of japanese children...