street priceThe Roland MC-500 MicroComposer is a disk-based MIDI sequencer that quickly established itself as an industry standard following its release. Housed in a greyish creamy blue case that some have compared to a cash register, the unit measures 12" × 3¾" × 11" and features an ergonomically efficient layout that proves less fiddly than competing products.
The front panel is divided into three main sections. On the far left sit all transport controls (stop, play, record, rewind) with a large, easily-read backlit LCD display in an attractive blue shade positioned above them. The center section houses Roland's familiar Alpha dial with two cursor controls beneath it, alongside seven mode selection keys. The right section contains a numeric keypad for direct data entry.
The MC-500 offers 512K of internal RAM, providing a stated capacity of 25,000 notes or MIDI events. In practice, when recording in step time without velocity, aftertouch, or pitch-bend data, this can be pushed beyond 30,000 events. The 3.5-inch disk drive uses standard disks capable of storing 2MB of data each, allowing approximately eight complete songs per disk. This disk-based architecture enables future expansion for the cost of additional disks, though it means the unit cannot function without a boot disk containing the operating system.
The sequencer provides five tracks total: four dedicated to music and one for tempo information and rhythm programming. While this may feel limiting to users accustomed to eight-track systems, the design reflects a focus on efficient memory usage and streamlined operation.
The MC-500 operates through five main modes, each containing up to 10 pages of functions:
Mode - Handles record status (real-time, step, or punch-in), playback modes, disk operations, chain play facility, and utility functions.
Function - Controls clock type selection (Internal, MIDI, or Tape Sync), metronome resolution (eighth or 16th notes), song titling, rhythm track parameters, block repeat, auto-stop, and tempo control.
MIDI - Manages MIDI reception and transmission, including channel selection, event filtering (velocity, pitch-bend, aftertouch), clock output routing, and a software Thru option that effectively creates a MIDI merge facility.
Edit - Provides ten pages of editing tools including erase, delete, copy, insert, and transpose functions applicable to one or more measures. Supports MIDI channel reassignment, track merging, extraction, and velocity modification.
Microscope - Enables event-by-event scanning and editing, allowing insertion, deletion, and modification of individual note data including pitch, step time, note length, and gate time.
The MC-500 supports multiple recording approaches. Real-time recording captures performances with all timing nuances and mistakes, initiated either by pressing Rec/Load followed by Play (which provides a two-bar count-in) or via footswitch. An Auto mode waits for the first note before beginning recording.
Step-time recording offers resolution from minims (half-notes) down to hemidemisemiquavers (64th-notes), including triplet times. While timing isn't critical in this mode, only pitch data is captured initially. Chords and velocity can be input during step-time recording, but other MIDI information must be overdubbed in real-time. Data entry can utilize the MIDI keyboard, Alpha dial, and numeric keypad simultaneously. Rests and tied notes require pressing Shift with cursor controls.
Punch-in recording allows specification of a recording start point, though notably lacks a punch-out point, meaning all data after the punch-in point is erased.
The rhythm track serves dual purposes. Primarily, it functions as an internal sync code containing measure information that the four music tracks require to play. Without rhythm track data, music tracks remain silent.
Beyond this sync function, the rhythm track enables drum pattern programming directly within songs. Patterns chain together as on a drum machine, conserving memory efficiently. The system supports up to 32 drum voices, each with eight definable dynamic levels, assignable to any MIDI note number and channel. This eliminates MIDI clock delays by running everything from one clock source.
However, the programming method proves cumbersome. Work proceeds one drum at a time, one bar at a time, with beats entered by typing numbers 1-8 on the keypad at desired steps. Preview is impossible until patterns are written, preventing combination listening during composition. Despite offering variable resolution, wide dynamic range, and a flam facility, the tedious input method diminishes the feature's practical appeal.
The Edit mode offers comprehensive manipulation of recorded data, provided sufficient tempo track information exists. Tracks can be merged to free space for additional overdubs. The "Extract MIDI Channel" command removes specified MIDI channels from merged tracks for separate editing before re-merging. However, this fails when multiple parts share the same MIDI channel.
The quantize function represents a standout feature, moving notes to the nearest resolution point while leaving original timings intact—a unique approach among sequencers of its era.
Microscope mode scanning arpeggiates polyphonic data as the dial rotates, requiring spatial awareness but proving manageable with practice. This mode also handles program changes, poly and mono aftertouch, pitch-bends, and System Exclusive requests.
Tempo changes insert easily in step or real-time on the tempo track and remain editable at any time. These changes output through the Tape Sync Out, with tape overdubs following programmed tempo variations. The unit implements MIDI song pointers, enabling tape syncing via SMPTE with accurate position tracking for mid-song starts. The FSK Tape Sync proves highly reliable for standard applications.
Block Repeat cycles over predetermined bar ranges for rehearsal or part development, though recording isn't possible in this mode. The Auto-Stop facility prevents recording beyond existing track data — a handy safeguard.
The standard 3.5-inch disk drive handles substantial data volumes with quick save, verify, and load operations (speed varying with composition length and complexity). However, critical limitations exist: disk formatting requires entering Utility mode, which completely wipes internal memory. Users must format disks before beginning work to avoid losing compositions. Similarly, the unit doesn't preserve memory during power loss, necessitating frequent saves every 10 minutes or so.
The Chain Play facility in Disk mode arranges up to eight complete songs in running order for live performances—not a traditional song section chaining system as the name might suggest.
The rear panel provides MIDI In and Out connections (two MIDI Out ports), a metronome audio output, and two sockets for Tape Sync In and Out.
The default MIDI Clock Out setting is "Off," requiring manual configuration to send clock to external drum machines. Memory-intensive features like aftertouch and velocity also require deactivation if unused. Software Thru must be enabled when using a mother keyboard to drive MIDI modules. These setup steps must be repeated each session, as settings don't persist after power-off.
Country of origin / production: Japan
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