Synthesisers & Keyboards

The Roland Juno-60 is a six-voice programmable polyphonic analogue synthesiser released in 1982, combining digitally controlled oscillators with analogue filtering, envelope-controlled amplification, two chorus settings, an arpeggiator and a 61-key keyboard. Its 56-patch internal memory, cassette storage and DCB interface significantly expanded on the Roland Juno-6 and helped establish the Roland Juno family as an important part of early 1980s synthesiser development.

The Moog Memorymoog was a six-voice programmable analogue synthesiser built around 18 voltage-controlled oscillators, six Moog 24dB-per-octave filters, six amplifiers and 12 ADSR contour generators. Its architecture combined three oscillators per voice with extensive LFO and voice modulation, oscillator sync, programme memory, multiple keyboard assignment modes, an arpeggiator, programmable foot controls, cassette storage and a 61-key keyboard. The Moog Memorymoog became the original Moog Music company’s final commercially released synthesiser and remains historically significant as its most substantial attempt to carry the fundamental three-oscillator Moog synthesiser architecture into the programmable polyphonic era.

The Yamaha DX7 became one of the defining digital synthesisers of the 1980s. Its six-operator FM synthesis engine provided 32 algorithms, extensive programmable envelopes and scaling, 16-note polyphony and precise digital control of 145 voice parameters. A velocity and aftertouch-sensitive 61-key keyboard, internal and cartridge voice storage, LCD programming interface and early MIDI implementation made the Yamaha DX7 both a sophisticated synthesiser and a practical performance instrument. Its commercial success helped establish digital FM synthesis as a major force in music production and permanently changed the direction of synthesiser design.

Released in 1983, the Oberheim OB-8 was an eight-voice programmable analogue synthesizer and the final major model of Oberheim’s original OB series. Building on the Oberheim OB-X and Oberheim OB-Xa, the Oberheim OB-8 combined two voltage-controlled oscillators per voice, selectable 12dB/octave and 24dB/octave filtering, extensive modulation, 120 patch memories, programmable Split and Double modes, polyphonic portamento, a sophisticated arpeggiator and the additional Page 2 programming system. Produced until 1985 and designed to integrate with the Oberheim DSX and DMX as part of the Oberheim System, the Oberheim OB-8 marked the culmination of Oberheim’s early programmable analogue polysynth development at the beginning of the MIDI era.

The Roland Juno-106 Programmable Polyphonic Synthesizer combined six-voice subtractive analogue synthesis with digitally controlled oscillators, a resonant VCF, ADSR envelope, built-in chorus, 128-patch memory and extensive MIDI implementation. As the successor to the Roland Juno-60, the Roland Juno-106 brought the established Juno architecture firmly into the MIDI era while retaining direct front-panel control over its synthesis functions. Its straightforward architecture, extensive patch storage and ability to transmit and receive synthesis parameters over MIDI made the Roland Juno-106 particularly well suited to the rapidly developing electronic studio environment of the mid-1980s.

The E-mu Emulator II was a professional polyphonic digital sampling keyboard that greatly expanded the capabilities of the original E-mu Emulator. It combined up to 17.6 seconds of sampling time, eight channels, a five-octave velocity-sensitive keyboard, extensive sample editing, programmable splits and layering, four-pole analogue filters, VCAs, envelopes and LFOs with floppy disk storage, MIDI, SMPTE, RS-422 computer interfacing and an integrated multitrack MIDI sequencer. Its combination of sampling, synthesis-style processing, sequencing and expandability helped establish the E-mu Emulator II as a major professional sampling instrument of the mid-1980s.

The Ensoniq Mirage was one of the pivotal instruments in the transition of digital sampling from high-cost professional systems to equipment accessible to working musicians and smaller studios. The Ensoniq Mirage DSK-8 keyboard combined eight-voice 8-bit sampling, a velocity-sensitive 61-note keyboard, analogue filtering, envelopes, modulation, MIDI, floppy disk storage and an onboard sequencer for an advertised price of $1,695. The 1985 Ensoniq Mirage DMS-8 transferred the same core sampling architecture into a 2U rack-mount format for MIDI-controlled studio use. As Ensoniq’s first commercial musical instrument, the Ensoniq Mirage established the company in the professional electronic instrument market and helped make sampling a practical part of mainstream music production.

Released in 1987, the Roland D-50 Linear Digital Synthesizer was Roland’s first fully digital synthesiser and introduced LA synthesis, combining PCM sound components with programmable digital synthesis. Its 32-Partial architecture, seven Structures, integrated digital equalisation, chorus and reverb, 64 internal Patches, Memory Card expansion and velocity and pressure-sensitive 61-key keyboard placed sound generation, processing and performance control within a single instrument. The Roland D-50 became one of the defining digital synthesisers of the late 1980s and helped establish the combination of sampled and synthesised sound generation that became central to later digital instruments. 

The Korg M1 was a 16-voice digital music workstation combining 16-bit PCM-based AI synthesis, a 61-note velocity and aftertouch-sensitive keyboard, multitimbral Program and Combination operation, dual digital multi-effects processors and an eight-track MIDI sequencer. Released in 1988, the Korg M1 helped establish the modern music workstation format and became one of the most successful synthesisers of its era. Its distinctive factory sounds and integrated production architecture left a lasting influence on keyboard design and popular music production.

The Ensoniq VFX combined 21-note polyphony, a 61-note velocity and polyphonic aftertouch keyboard, Dynamic Component Synthesis, 109 basic waves, 17 Transwaves, six-Voice Programs, dual digital filters, extensive modulation and 24-bit onboard effects. The Ensoniq VFX-SD expanded the concept with additional drum waveforms, 24 programmable drum kits, four audio outputs, a 3.5-inch disk drive and a powerful 24-track sequencer. Together, the Ensoniq VFX and VFX-SD established Transwave synthesis as an important part of Ensoniq’s instrument architecture and combined programmable digital synthesis with unusually comprehensive performance and music-production facilities.

The Yamaha SY77 was a music synthesiser that combined Advanced Frequency Modulation (AFM) and second-generation Advanced Wave Memory (AWM2) tone generation systems. Its defining feature was Realtime Convolution and Modulation (RCM), which allowed AWM2 samples to modulate AFM operators, creating a fusion of sample realism and FM expressiveness.

The Roland XP-50 was a workstation synthesiser featuring a 32-bit RISC processor and the MRC Pro sequencing system, designed for high-speed response and spontaneous musical creation. It offered 64-voice polyphony, 16-part multitimbral operation, and 448 internal waveforms, with expansion capabilities via SR-JV80 Series boards. The instrument included a 61-note velocity and aftertouch-sensitive keyboard, a comprehensive suite of digital effects, and extensive sequencing features such as Groove Quantize and Realtime Phrase Sequencing.