The
Rolandis a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in...
CompuRhythm CR-78 is a
drum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums and/or other percussion instruments. Drum machines are very useful instruments for a wide variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
launched in 1978.
Although primitive by today's standards, the CR-78 represented an important advance in drum machine technology at the time. The wood effect cabinet and preset rhythms of the CR-78 such as
Waltz,
Bossa Nova and
Rhumba suggest that it was seen by its designers as primarily an accompaniment for an
electric organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard...
, but the CR-78 became one of the favorite instruments of
New WaveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
and
electronic musiciansElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The
Rolandis a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in...
CompuRhythm CR-78 is a
drum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums and/or other percussion instruments. Drum machines are very useful instruments for a wide variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
launched in 1978.
Although primitive by today's standards, the CR-78 represented an important advance in drum machine technology at the time. The wood effect cabinet and preset rhythms of the CR-78 such as
Waltz,
Bossa Nova and
Rhumba suggest that it was seen by its designers as primarily an accompaniment for an
electric organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard...
, but the CR-78 became one of the favorite instruments of
New WaveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
and
electronic musiciansElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Songs that make prominent use of the Roland CR-78 include
Heart of Glass"Heart of Glass" is a song by American New Wave band Blondie. Featured on the band's third studio album, Parallel Lines, it was released as a single in 1979 and topped the charts in several countries, most notably in the United Kingdom and United States....
by
BlondieBlondie is an American rock band founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American new wave and punk rock scenes of the mid 1970s...
and
In the Air Tonight"In the Air Tonight" is a song by Phil Collins which first appeared on his 1981 album, Face Value. It was the first single of Collins' solo career, and remains one of his best-known hits...
by
Phil CollinsPhilip David Charles "Phil" Collins LVO is an Academy Award-winning English singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboardist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for English progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
.
The machine and its controls
The CR-78 used analog drum voices, which sounded very little like real percussion instruments, but they instead had their own distinctive sounds. The unit also incorporated an early Intel
microprocessorA microprocessor incorporates most or all of the functions of a central processing unit on a single integrated circuit . The first microprocessors emerged in the early 1970s and were used for electronic calculators, using binary-coded decimal arithmetic on 4-bit words...
to provide digital control of its functions.
Previous Roland drum machines had offered only a selection of preset rhythms. The CR-78's key new feature was that in addition to offering 34 preset rhythms, it provided four programmable memory locations for storing patterns created by the user. These could be created by using step programming with the
WS-1 box, which was available as an optional extra.
The CR-78's front panel allowed the user to customize the preset rhythms by altering the volume balance between bass and treble sounds, canceling some sounds altogether, and adding
ring modulationRing modulation is a signal-processing effect in electronics, related to amplitude modulation or frequency mixing, performed by multiplying two signals, where one is typically a sine-wave or another simple waveform. It is referred to as "ring" modulation because the analog circuit of diodes...
("metal beat") to the cymbal sounds. Many of the preset rhythms have a memorable character, and the ability to manipulate them further made the CR-78 a versatile instrument.
No digital control of tempo was provided on the front panel, with only an analog knob for the function. However the CR-78 would also accept an external V-trig clock.
A selection of preset fills and rhythm variations were also available, either to trigger manually, or automatically every 2, 4, 8 or 16 bars. Some of these fills were used in synth-pop songs such as
Enola Gay by
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England. OMD record for Virgin Records ....
,
Underpass by
John FoxxJohn Foxx John Foxx John Foxx (born in Chorley, Lancashire, is the stage name of English musician Dennis Leigh. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox!, before embarking on a solo career in 1979...
and
Vienna by
UltravoxUltravox are a British New Wave rock band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s/early 1980s. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements...
.
Roland also produced a simpler drum machine, the
CompuRhythm CR-68. This was essentially the same as the CR-78, but without programmable patterns or the ability to fade drum sounds in and out. At the same time Roland also sold the TR-66, a smaller unit which offered fewer preset rhythms and no programmability.
Sounds and rhythms
The CR-78's built-in rhythm sounds were a further development of those available on the earlier
Roland Rhythm 33The Roland Rhythm 33 , is a preset drum machine , produced by Roland in 1972....
,
55The Roland Rhythm 55 , is a preset drum machine , produced by Roland in 1972....
and
77The Roland Rhythm 77 drum machine was Roland's first product - released in 1972. It is actually an updated and relabelled Rhythm Ace FR-8L
...
machines.
The analog percussion voices consisted of:
bass drumA bass drum is a relatively large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The bass drums are of variable sizes and are used in several musical genres . Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished: the large orchestral bass drum, the smaller kick' drum, and the...
,
snare drumThe snare drum is a drum with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom...
, rim shot,
hi-hatA hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, disco, jazz, rock and roll, house, reggae and other forms of contemporary popular music.-Operation:...
,
cymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
, maracas,
clavesClaves are a percussion instrument , consisting of a pair of short , thick dowels. Traditionally they were made of wood, typically rosewood, ebony or grenadilla. Nowadays they are also made of fibreglass or plastics due to the greater durability of these materials.When struck they produce a bright...
, cowbell, high
bongoBongo drums or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
, low bongo, low
congaThe conga is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent....
,
tambourineThe tambourine or Marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils"...
,
guiroThe güiro is a percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a wooden stick along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role in the typical...
, and "metal beat" (a ring modulated accent that could be overlaid on the hi-hat voice). The CR-78 had an accent control, which increased the loudness of certain steps in a pattern.
The rhythm patterns were:
Rock 1,
Rock 2,
Rock 3,
Rock 4,
Disco 1 and
Disco 2 (all available in 'A' or 'B' variations);
WaltzThe waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
,
ShuffleShuffling is a procedure used to randomize a deck of playing cards to provide an element of chance in card games. Shuffling is often followed by a cut, to ensure that the shuffler has not manipulated the outcome.-Shuffling techniques:...
,
Slow Rock,
SwingThe term "swing dance" commonly refers to a group of dances that developed concurrently with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s, '30s and '40s, although the earliest of these dance forms predate swing jazz music. The best known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, a popular partner dance that...
,
Foxtrot,
TangoTango is a style of syncopated ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, doublebass, and two bandoneons...
,
BoogieBoogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm , "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie music. The characteristic rhythm and feel of the boogie was then adapted to guitar, double bass, and other instruments. The earliest recorded...
,
Enkais a Japanese popular music genre. Although considered to resemble traditional music stylistically, modern enka is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as Nihonjinron, while adopting a more traditional...
,
Bossa NovaBossa Nova may refer to:*Bossa nova, a style of music*Bossa Nova , a dance form associated with the music*Bossa Nova - album by John Pizzarelli*Bossanova, an album by the rock band the Pixies...
,
SambaSamba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in African and European roots. The word is derived from the Portugese verb sambar, meaning "to dance to rhythm." It is a worldwide recognized symbol of Brazil and the Carnival and is the national dance of Brazil...
,
Mambo and
Chacha- Creation of the Cha-cha-chá :The cha-cha-chá is unusual as dance music genres go in that its creation can be attributed to a single composer named Enrique Jorrín ....
,
Beguine and
RhumbaRumba is a dance term with two quite different meanings.First, it means Cuban event of African style, organically related to the rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. There are several styles of this rumba, the most common being the guaguancó....
. It was possible to select more than one rhythm at a time, and also mute drum sounds from a pattern using the balance knob and dedicated cancel buttons.
Notable users of the CR-78
- Blondie
Blondie is an American rock band founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American new wave and punk rock scenes of the mid 1970s...
- Der Blutharsch
Der Blutharsch is the primary musical project of Austrian musician Albin Julius.-History:...
- Warren Cann
Warren Reginald Cann is a drummer and drum machine programmer, best known as a member of the British New Wave band Ultravox.-Early life:...
- Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins LVO is an Academy Award-winning English singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboardist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for English progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
- John Foxx
John Foxx John Foxx John Foxx (born in Chorley, Lancashire, is the stage name of English musician Dennis Leigh. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox!, before embarking on a solo career in 1979...
- Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English musician and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. More recently he has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering...
- Genesis
Genesis are a Grammy Award-winning English rock band formed in 1967, and are among the top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, including 21.5 million albums sold in the United States. In 1988, the band won the Grammy Award for Best...
- Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates is a pop music duo made up of Daryl Hall and John Oates. The act achieved its greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul." Critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine & J...
- Japan
Japan were a British pop/rock group, formed in 1974 in Lewisham, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s/early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .-Early years:Original members:* David Sylvian : vocals, guitar, keyboards*...
- Kontour
Kontour is an English electronic music artist, currently signed to Some Bizzare Records and White Label Music.-Background:Early work included recordings of distorted telephone calls and late night television. He uses a range of vintage recording equipment and analog synthesisers, electronic...
- Machinations
Machinations was a popular Sydney-based outfit working the mid-1980s independent Australian music scene. Notable national hits included "Pressure Sway", "My Heart's On Fire" and "No Say In It". They also achieve indie prominence with the two versions of their first single, "Average Inadequacy"...
- Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of commercial electronic music and has been described as the "King of synthpop." Numan is widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars"...
- Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England. OMD record for Virgin Records ....
- Primitive Calculators
The Primitive Calculators were an Australian post punk band of the late 1970s, known for their use of a screeching Mosrite Ventures model guitar, primitive synthesizers along with an electronic organ played through effects pedals, and an extra fast drum machine keeping time . Their frantic,...
- Ultravox
Ultravox are a British New Wave rock band that rose to prominence in the late 1970s/early 1980s. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements...
External links
Roland CompuRhythm CR-78 Demo (YouTube video)