Hi all,

Does anyone remember when Roland released their synthesizer contest tapes in the 80s (and I think the late 70s too)? My dad had their 8th Annual Synthesizer Contest Winner tape, which he gave to me eventually. I've since recorded that tape onto my PC in digital form, but it had been played so much that I've wondered if another less-played copy of the tape would sound better. Last year, I found someone selling the 6th & 7th Roland synthesizer contest tapes on eBay and bought them and recorded those onto my PC. I think those ones sound better (less hiss etc.) - perhaps they had not been played much. I've been wanting to find another (better?) copy of their 8th contest tape to see if it would sound better. I'd be interested in also finding their other contest tapes as well (right now I just have their 6th, 7th, and 8th). I've looked online but it seems there isn't much information about them at all.

Another reason I've been looking up their 8th contest tape online is because I somehow lost the cassette tape liner notes a long time ago, so I don't know the song names. I happened to find one online (the author had a web page available that mentioned it), but otherwise I don't know the other song names.

Nightfox

Re: Roland Synthesizer Contest tapes
By: Nightfox to All on Fri Oct 20 2017 12:49 pm

Does anyone remember when Roland released their synthesizer contest tapes in the 80s (and I think the late 70s too)? My dad had their 8th Annual Synthesizer Contest Winner tape, which he gave to me eventually. I've since

I think this is what you're looking for.

http://mildslopes.blogspot.com/2016/01/rolands-8th-annual-synthesizer-tape.html

No track listing though.

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Re: Roland Synthesizer Contest tapes
By: Nelgin to Nightfox on Fri Oct 20 2017 03:34 pm

I think this is what you're looking for.

http://mildslopes.blogspot.com/2016/01/rolands-8th-annual-synthesizer-tape .html

No track listing though.

I've seen thage page. In fact, I was the one who provided the FLAC and MP3 recordings he has for download on that page. (I've since made newer recordings using a USB cassette interface which I think sound better in spots.)

Aside from the track listing, I'm curious to find the other Roland synth contest tapes too. I have the 6th, 7th, and 8th currently.

Nightfox

Re: Roland Synthesizer Contest tapes
By: Nightfox to Nelgin on Fri Oct 20 2017 04:20 pm

I've seen thage page. In fact, I was the one who provided the FLAC and MP3 recordings he has for download on that page. (I've since made newer recordings using a USB cassette interface which I think sound better in spots.)

I listened to bits of a few sounds and they sounded ok to me. Maybe you're more of a perfectionist than I am when it comes to music. I'm the guy who has a USB turntable so I can listen to analogue records!

Aside from the track listing, I'm curious to find the other Roland synth contest tapes too. I have the 6th, 7th, and 8th currently.

Have you emailed Roland? maybe they still have them lying around?

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Re: Roland Synthesizer Contest tapes
By: Nelgin to Nightfox on Sat Oct 21 2017 10:23 pm

I've seen thage page. In fact, I was the one who provided the FLAC
and MP3 recordings he has for download on that page. (I've since made
newer recordings using a USB cassette interface which I think sound
better in spots.)

I listened to bits of a few sounds and they sounded ok to me. Maybe you're more of a perfectionist than I am when it comes to music. I'm the guy who has a USB turntable so I can listen to analogue records!

In those recordings, there were some audio artifcats (such as some pops & clicks that I couldn't quite remove) and one spots where the audio dropped out a bit on one speaker, which sound better in my newer recordings. I used a different cassette deck with the original recordings, so some of the issues may have had to do with the cassette deck. Also I noticed the recordings with the first cassette deck are slightly faster.. The updated recordings I made were with a new cassette deck, so I'm wondering if the first cassette deck was not playing at quite the right speed.

Aside from the track listing, I'm curious to find the other Roland
synth contest tapes too. I have the 6th, 7th, and 8th currently.

Have you emailed Roland? maybe they still have them lying around?

I emailed Roland, and they said they've never seen any of those tapes around. Perhaps the people working there now are not the same people who were working at Roland back when those tapes were released..

Nightfox