Roland Corporation

thumb|right|Company logo Roland Corporation (ローランド株式会社, Rōrando Kabushiki Kaisha) is a Japanese multinational 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 factories in Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. As of December 2022, it employed 2,783 people. In 2014, it was subject to a management buyout by its CEO, Junichi Miki, supported by Taiyo Pacific Partners. Roland has manufactured numerous instruments that have had lasting impacts on music, such as the Juno-106 synthesizer, TB-303 bass synthesizer, and TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines. It was also instrumental in the development of MIDI, a standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments manufactured by different companies. In 2016, Fact wrote that Roland had arguably had more influence on electronic music than any other company. Quotes about Roland Corporation Whilst the 808's place in history is undisputed, it's worth noting that several other drum machines drove early hip hop and house music, notably the E-mu SP1200, Oberheim DMX, and others, and though these are held in esteem, none ever became household names in the same way. Clearly there's something about the way these Roland machines sounded. As ever, there's something about Roland! Oli Freke of Mixmag (April 26, 2021) External links Category:Companies based in Japan Category:Musical instruments manufacturers