Roland MC-500 | The Magic of 80s MIDI Sequencing | Pt.1

[@rjbush7955]

I love old sequencer hardware. Seems to be the only bit of music equipment Behringer isn't copying at the moment.

[@Thunder_Owl]

They also are still not copying Solton Programmer for some reason 😬

[@JaleneR]

Or truly hardware MIDI processors/routers like the JL Cooper MSB+. The most perfect piece of MIDI processing kit ever, imho.

[@KaceyBakerFilms]

Lol

[@Robert44444444]

I relied on the MC-500 for nearly 3 years in the mid 80s to make my living. I bought the very 1st one to hit my area in California in Aug '86 and was in both a duo and a trio where I had programmed the MC-500 to play the drums and other synth parts (on multiple synths) in addition to the parts I played live. Add a live GTRist and vocals and it was possible to make in a night what a "full band" got paid doing covers. I became very fluid/quick sequencing with this machine such that it never got in the way of inspiration… AND it NEVER let me down on a gig. I mostly stopped using Roland MC-series sequencers in the spring of '93 (I was done doing any live work by that time) when I switched to sequencing on my 1st Mac using Cubase Audio… year later switched to Logic Audio Pro.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@Robert44444444]

@@EspenKraft - you too and HNY… may 2021 rock in a way that 2020 didn't ;-)

[@michaeluhrich9557]

I had one int he late 80's and produced many, many songs! What a great unit!!!

[@russisaac813]

About 5 years ago I bought on Ebay two MC-300's at £30 each. One of which was still packed , Never been used, factory condition). The used one is also in excellent condition, No yellowing of the casing etc and both came came with unused manuals, software disks and midi cables. I never had the heart to mar their pristine condition so they still reside well packaged in a corner of a dark closet along with most of my 80's midi equipment collection. Currently I use a Yamaha QX1 which I bought New in 1985. Unbelievable build quality as I used it on stage throughout the 90's and still the "Tank" works perfectly and has never crashed on me.

[@AndersEngerJensen]

I only had the MC-50 MkII which was onboard the Roland XP-50, then later 60 and 80 during the mid 90s. But I read stories and articles about the 500 and 500 MkII while I dabbled with my Technics KN1000 and 2000 in the early days. They were nice, but not as flexible and powerful as Roland's dedicated machines. Glad I started with these, but so thrilled that I can now use a DAW and be even more creative. :)

[@EspenKraft]

Isn't that the beauty of it all? The journey we take in pursuit of creativity and ultimately, making good songs and music? :) One day it can be using some old gear and another day we can fire up the DAW and use whatever we desire to make whatever we want. My musical life would definitely be lacking if I didn't have these old sequencers to get me in the mood. ;-)

[@leepshin]

@@EspenKraft It was thanks to you Espen that I got myself an MC-50.

[@DonnDeVoreMusic]

what a glorious machine with those big beautiful buttons! love it. I used the MC50 mkII inside the XP50 in the late 90s quite a bit to write songs and make demos. used it so much I broke the play/stop button.

[@mikecorrao5831]

I've had mine since 1986, and it still works great.

[@joedomingos8486]

I sold these brand new in 1986 at the store I worked at, that was a great era for a synth salesman. $

[@gcoudert]

Thank you for this trip down memory lane. I had an MC50 Mk II for years. I don't miss that workflow but I keep fond memories of it.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@GeraldreiDaniel]

actually the song in the intro stucked onto my head, so nice i'll give it 10

[@infesticon]

Lovely looking machine.

[@axelanas9537]

Another great one Espen...love those sounds played like this :) See you in 1981 (+40 but don't tell :-) ) Cheers!

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks! Cheers :D

[@lukewarm5356]

Ah yes I remember that thing, does bear a striking resemblance to a cash register. There's a lot to be said for the hardware approach, still have a QY700, also rock solid. Anyway fab as ever Espen, tusen takk!

[@EdgetoneStudios]

I never got to use hardware sequencers in the 80's, but I did have access to an Atari ST at music school. I don't remember what the software we used was, but something that was out in 86-88 timeframe. I just recently picked up an MC-500 MkII with the Super MRC upgrade. Look forward to figuring it out and integrating it with my gear.

[@cortical1]

You're more than welcome, buddy! You're already making magic with it, which was my sincere hope! It's a joy to behold.

[@EspenKraft]

So much fun man! Thanks again! :D

[@DavidMorley]

My first sequencer! Got me signed back in the day. Great devices. I still have an mc50 and a love of hardware sequencers.

[@osterreichfirst6283]

Happy new Year :-)

[@amonster8mymother]

Happy New Year Espen. And Cheers from Canada. 😎👍🇨🇦

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks and Happy New Year to you. :)

[@amonster8mymother]

Ditto. ❤

[@amonster8mymother]

Happy Canada day. ❤

[@amonster8mymother]

"The rest of the modules are daisy chained from the midi out of the mc500"???❤ is that correct? So modules cannot be midi thru from the synth? Dont you need to have a synth looped midi in and midi out to have a timing chain? Then midi thru to modules? I'm trying to figure this out. But perhaps roland sequencers do it this way??❤

[@amonster8mymother]

I'm using the msq700 but it could be the wrong sequencer if it doesnt do loop back?? Not sure. Can you help me out?

[@tommycato6368]

I have always wanted one of those, even now and don't really need one😄. I have a Bit master keyboard with a built in 4-track sequencer which is quite intuitive though. If you are near Karlstad Sweden some time you're welcome for a cup of coffee.

[@EspenKraft]

Thank you very much! I live 30 minutes from the border of Årjäng so I've been to Karlstad many times, but unfortunately we live in times when I'm prohibited of going to Sweden for a while, but when this has blown over I might take you up on your offer. ;-)

[@001GrandExplorer]

Music production can get very complicated once you dig deep into it!! You know what? The flute sound at 6:16 really throw me all the way back to my childhood. Nice touch!

[@spahndirge]

A couple of years back, I managed to win an eBay auction for an MC500 in mint condition, boxed with all discs and manuals, for the princely sum of $20 AUD. It’s quite a hefty unit with a very solid build quality...they certainly don’t make them like this anymore.

[@edenhunter9904]

Used one of these for years. Well designed and completely reliable.

[@derekarmstrong1408]

My industrial band ran off of one of those. I loathed the amount of time we had to spend amusing the crowd while the next song would load.

[@CircuitStudiosMO]

and for that reason, our band always brought two and had FDD copies with us loaded and ready to go.. Good Times !!

[@derekarmstrong1408]

@@CircuitStudiosMO eventually we got a Korg O1W and Yamaha V50 so our keys guy could load songs while playing the others, but we broke up once everyone had their own gear, so go figure. :)

[@melvinsmudd5484]

I have the MC-300, MC-500, MC-500MKII, MC-50MKII, MC-80EX, MV-30 and a Yamaha QY-700. I love hardware sequencers! They make us use our brains a lot but the results are fantastic!

[@enilenis]

MC-80EX is my favorite in that list. I liked my first one so much, I bought a second, just in case I ever need spare parts. They can work as a pair for 64 channels of MIDI goodness, but I've never written anything that complex. One has ZIP and the other a 2GB hard drive. I've been trying to find a compatible Flash to IDE adapter for it, but nothing I tested so far worked.

[@amonster8mymother]

That's a nice collection.

[@melvinsmudd5484]

@@enilenis Mine has a CF to IDE adapter installed but the maximum size of cards it recognizes is 512 MB.

[@enilenis]

@@melvinsmudd5484 That's great to know, because I only tested with cards 2GB and larger. I have a few small ones, but never occurred to me to try them.

[@melvinsmudd5484]

@@enilenis It seems that only the ones with the latest firmware are able to recognize 2GB. I was not able to find the latest firmware on the Internet in order to upgrade it.

[@JaleneR]

I'm glad you got one! I ***LOVED*** my MC!!! Oh, the mileage I put on that wonderful Alpha Dial. Just the best input device, imo! The sequencer only did everything I ever needed in the years I had it. My synth at the time didn't have an arpeggiator, so I would program in some arps and trigger them with a footswtich when playing live. The metronome could be sent out as a click track for a drummer, but even after amplifying it, the drummer really couldn't hear it. So we ended up using a Roland R5 drum machine that the drummer set the tempo on and provided a click he could hear, and the MC was synced to that, but still also sent out various MIDI triggers back to the drum machine when needed. I spent two whole days sequencing the entirety of The Who's Baba O'Reilly on the MC, getting it as perfectly close as possible. The MC never let me down; always had flawless timing. The absolute best thing about it was that you could merge MIDI tracks easily, and open up the other tracks for new MIDI data and then merge again. Its two MIDI outs and one MIDI Thru were also hugely appreciated, and for a long time meant I didn't need a MIDI router to control my rig. I know that modern software sequencers can do more than the MC can and maybe even faster, but I never got on with them. The software sequencers in the mid to late 90s were flakey, and laptops were too expensive back then to even think about gigging with them. But you could gig with a Roland MC and know that nothing bad was going to happen. Roland ought to re-release these units. They were superb!

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks for the comment! Nice to hear about your adventures with this great sequencer. The merging was a life-saver, I remember that too. Cheers :D

[@leegreveson]

I wish Roland would re-release them too without the floppy disk though 🤣, maybe a little smaller, but keep it simple and built like a tank. Alternatively, put it in a rack version like the Sequentix Cirklon, it makes sense for live rigs.

[@JaleneR]

@@leegreveson Roland did make the MC-50, and it's fine, actually; essentially a 500 mkII in a smaller package and a few extra track buttons. It's just that the MC-500 had larger, more tactile (and robust?) buttons that simply felt better when spending hours sequencing, as well as much, much easier hitting play/stop quickly. As for storage, the only thing a re-released one would require is two USB ports. One for connecting to a computer, and the other for a USB drive maybe (I know Espen prefers floppy disks -- sorry, Espen). Memory is much cheaper, so the on-board note/events and song storage capacity could be significantly higher. The MRP and MRB software could be pre-loaded into it as an option. I had the MRB (librarian) software, but I never really used it. I preferred to do a patch sysex dump at the start of my track. Plus, with more internal memory, you could permanently save/flash your drum patterns for the rhythm track internally as well, dropping them into any sequence as needed. Honestly, in the 90s, we were used to floppy disks and the time it took to read/write data on to them so it wasn't any sort of imposition back then. We were absolutely thrilled, actually.

[@MiklosVajdaMusic]

It was my first sequencer. After years i changed it for MC50 Mk2, because i recorded lot of midi events, and the MC-500 was not enough. I love it both.

[@happyonthetrails]

i have an MC50mkII its the next gen of this i believe i love it i still do a lot of my composing and sequencing on that over cubase. there's something so rewarding about doing it all hands on with hardware sequencers and vintage synths

[@guyrichardson6556]

Lovely machines. I’ve had my MC300 for about 35 years and still use it. It’s a bit slow compared to using a DAW but it’s such a pleasure to work with. It’s a data recorder, so you can’t do stuff on the fly if you’re playing live - you can jam along with it but that’s it.

[@amonster8mymother]

I used a MC-500 when they first came out at my high school. Roland came to the school to show us students some new gear. I had an assignment to make up a song on it then transcribe the song into paper. Back in 1987. 😁

[@devids51]

That is awesome

[@amonster8mymother]

@@devids51 yes it was now that I look back on it but at the time I thought it was tedious and annoying. 😁😁😁

[@enilenis]

Love composing on MC-300. Once all commands go into muscle memory, I end up not even looking at the screen. It's highly intuitive. I learned most of it without a manual. Even had my 8 year old daughter learn to record on it. It's that simple. 500 is a better alternative for MRC2 OS, but I prefer the smaller buttons on mine. That's what I got used to, and it makes it feel more similar to MC-50 and MC-80.

[@ASH-ou4cg]

Thanks for sharing this Espen. Always a nice watch.

[@J._Campbell]

Thanks for video! Nice flute sound with reverb! Good lay in mix)

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@TimMoney]

I’ve had since it debuted. Merge up to 16 channels/tracks onto 1 track and always able to extract to an open track for editing. Also used performance package software for LIVE sets with super fast access.

[@christophschuermann6512]

Hi Espen, i love to see my old studio workhorse from the 80's! I bought this sequenzer after going crazy with a "sequenzer" running on a Commodore C64. I still have my MC500 and this machine rescues a bonnie tyler concert in the 90's in Mannheim/Germany. Many artists in germany used up to 4 MC500 live and in the studio to face the bad midi timing in a big setup. Greetings from berlin!

[@chenguefer156]

From mid 80s and on this was THE STANDAR MIDI sequencer. Thanks Cortical1! I love this channel.

[@cortical1]

Hi! I'm just seeing this now, a year later. You're welcome! My MC-500 was bought brand new back in the day and was still in perfect condition, with the disks. Yet, I rarely used it, so I thought Espen would get a lot out of it. And he certainly has put it to good use many times since I shipped it to him a year ago. Glad you appreciated it! Sending well wishes from southern California.

[@rhill109]

The MC was the hub of my music-making for nearly 3 years in the late 80s. I used it so much that when I bought one again a few years ago, my fingers seemed to automatically know how to operate it. One of my favorite functions in Pause/Record, where it will play the metronome in standby till you play a midi note or hit play on the unit, then it starts recording. I keep asking Steinberg to add this feature to Cubase but I don't think they know what I'm talking about. Lol.

[@RoyMaya]

Yeah, that's a great feature to have. My Roland Fantom has it too but my DAW (Studio One) doesn't have it. Maybe one day.

[@rhill109]

Presonus may be more responsive. Send them an email.

[@kevinlangley9644]

Had one of these. Great little sequencer. Another(among many pieces) piece of hardware i should've never got rid of.

[@vainsacrosanct2014]

When I got an mc-300 earlier this year for only 50€, a whole other world opened up for me. Being able to sequence my synths and drum machines by the mc-300 is far more satisfying but also very addictive then hovering with a mouse over a pc screen and just clicking the right notes on a grid in a DAW. Thanks for this video. I presume a fill in-depth video will be released soon? Best wishes for 2021 and cheers from Antwerp!

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! I don't do long in-depth videos anymore. Takes too long to make and doesn't get a lot of views, but I have the pt.2 coming in a couple of days and it will show more than this, I promise you that. ;-)

[@gcoudert]

What you said about not quantising your pads / strings is very important. When I first got into hardware and software sequencing, I made the mistake of quantising everything smack on the grid and, with hindsight, it sounded terrible, like those old commercially available MIDI files. Nowadays, I tend to quantise kicks and snares (and not always at a 100% strength) and keep everything else looser but then, it all depends on the song and style.

[@waugsqueke]

Very nice. Love the HoJo reference.

[@16mmCam]

Bought mine after watching your unpacking-video. Will upgrade to an oled display and usb floppy emulator. Nice old school user interface. I like it.

[@EspenKraft]

Nice to hear! :)

[@billsolomon1]

I used the MC500 for many years. Awesome piece of gear! Ahead of its time for the 80’s. I believe I still have sequence disks for the MC500.

[@jimgourgoutis]

I would love to see a video about the workflow you use to go from sketching out a song idea on a hardware sequencer, into the DAW for the full production.

[@EspenKraft]

It's really not much to see that you don't see here. I just make a couple of tracks to get a sense of how it sounds. Then I start all over again on the DAW based on memory on how it was done on the sequencer. I don't import MIDI etc. I start all over. Now, if I'm doing something live, which i these days only do in the studio, I'd build up everything in the sequencer. I never used computers live on stage, always hardware sequencers. Cheers!

[@KeisariEurobeat]

Happy New Year!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@J._Campbell]

Happy new year!! Good health, happiness, new musical wins! Best wishes!

[@EspenKraft]

The same! :D

[@DJShuffle07]

Wow this whole beat from the beginning started just like it reminds me of the movie firestarter that starts from the beginning back in 84 🔥🔥

[@EspenKraft]

Cool, great movie too. :)

[@DJShuffle07]

@@EspenKraft yes sir!!! I see that movie when I was 12 it was great.

[@flowmaka]

Man I love this presentation. I remember the really great timing of these and other hardware sequencers. I use Logic now with the MPC templates and it’s not even close to the really locked in timing of hardware sequencers. You took me back to a really great time! Bless you!!!!

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks James! :)

[@musikstudiowendland]

I was 12 at this time. The music school Had one. We were so amazed. I recorded a lot with it.

[@jdanielcramer]

My first!🙀 I saved up a long time for it and eventually got the version OS. 🥳 I was ace at using that thing!

[@ClemensWennersMusic]

Lovely video Espen! I bought an MC-500 mkII last year but unfortunately I can't get it to work. I can't load or save anything from or to disk. The drive is probably broken..

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks man! Sounds like a faulty drive for sure. Get replacement drive or get a floppy emulator. ;-)

[@timka880057]

I have the MC 500 mk 2. Its a fine little machine, had it a long time, I had to made sure I backed up more 💾 for SUPER MRC since they're hard to find. I still use it with my Alesis HR 16, SR 16 drum machines and some vintage keys. And it's linked via MIDI time code to my Roland VS 1680, Tascam TSR8 reel to reel and DAW. All works together 👍

[@jackpisso1761]

Really great little toy. Thanks for sharing.

[@EspenKraft]

Not a toy, this is a tool. ;-)

[@bradfordcraig6224]

This is a thing of beauty.

[@RonWellsJS]

My 1st Sequencer (300), used until Cubase Atari. Loads of dancefloors rocked by it

[@MrDunklerEngel]

Great video as always... My MC500-MkII floppy drive stopped working sadly but I replaced it with a Gotek floppy emulator and she's up and running again...

[@EspenKraft]

As long as it works. ;-) Great to hear.

[@D-unfadeable]

Great video, still using mine in 2024!!!!

[@jbooks888]

I had one of these back in the 80s but I don't remember much about its workings. What I do know is it enabled me to play in a band with a keyboard player that was not human! I had it controlling 3 synths - and OB-Xa with midi fitted, a Roland d50 and some other el cheapo Roland synth. Today I have the latest Cubase and all of these synths and much more emulated by plugins. What can be done on a computer today, for a tenth of the price could not have been dreamed of back then.

[@EspenKraft]

Sure, with the latest tech you can do it all, but that's also all you can do.

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

@@EspenKraft But you could earn a living in the 1980's from music LOL now people waist their time making videos for youtube

[@fakshen1973]

I had the Kawai Q80. It was in the same class. It was pretty nice with 32 tracks of sequencing. I used it from around 1991 to 1995.

[@EspenKraft]

It's a great one as well.

[@normalizedaudio2481]

PCBway is a cool sponsor.

[@synthlord2368]

I have a PR-100. It looks very similar in appearance. Never stayed with it, because the "Quickdisk" drive was shot when I bought it. Seemingly a common problem with those particular drives of the era. It was fully functional otherwise. It was fun to play with, but without the drive working I couldn't save anything. Wondering if there is anything to be done to maybe maintenance it to fix it. I eventually moved on to an MC-303, now I use an MC-707. Love both of those. Great video as always Espen. Keep up the good work!

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! Well, these are not quick disk, nor a QD drive, so replacing this with another floppy drive should be easy enough, or go for a floppy emulator.

[@owenparker636]

Excellent.Can’t wait for the next instalment.I own an MC 500 mkll and MC50 and love them.I prefer them than using a DAW .All the very best for 2021

[@jukkaleppala7720]

Just beautiful!! Very interesting and inspiring!! 🤩🤩

[@TheAstroKid]

Thanks, i just bought a 300 unit 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@push-pull3647]

Cool tribute to Howard Jones ! 😎

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@pianokeyjoe]

I always loved the look of those white colored Roland sequencers and drum machines but I wish they had more memory like their later more modern black counterparts! The full travel computer keyboard style buttons were far more reliable than the later tact switches that are the bane of electronic musicians' existence.. I think 90% of vintage 1990s electronic gear has bad tact buttons on their control panels now. Loved the simplicity of hardware midi recording.

[@leepshin]

Nice take on Hide and Seek by Howard Jones. It's one of my favourites.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@studiomddp]

It was a great sequencer. The mine works always perfectly :-)

[@BozowolfnHD]

I didn't get my first sequencer until the mid 90's, a Boss DR-5. I sold it in 2019 and have thought about getting another one but I am torn because, my DAW works so well as my main sequencer now. I still use some traditional MIDI devices but my master controllers are a pair of IK Multimedia iRig Keys (version 1 and 2). I run the DAW which is pretty old (Sony Acid Pro) on a Dell Mini netbook style laptop to a MIDIMan 2x2 for playback. I record to the same software on a bigger Dell PC (all of my videos posted were recorded this way.) One day I may return to a DAW-less setup....just not sure when.

[@Keyboardnut99]

My first and fav sequencer I wish they. carried the line on!

[@SuperWave86]

Please make a video to recommend for beginners on hardware sequencers that are real good to use and easy for drum machines and keyboards. I want to find one to do my recording instead of using a daw. Good video love it! 🎼 ❤️

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! I have something like that planned. ;-)

[@marcbrasse747]

I mentioned it a few times on this channel before but I know the MC system from my W30 sampling workstation. It had 16 tracks though so I suppose that makes it an MK2 or super MC. In the W30 it had to be programmed through a lot of menu steps because there where no dedicated switches beside the tranport keys. It was a pig to get your head around the whole W30 system but once you did it was a great tool. I worked for year swith it but only found 1 single sequencer bug in it. While working on a 20 minute progressive rock epic I once totally filled the memory (20.000 events if my memory serves me right, which was humongous at the time). It ended recording very nicely and the file was even playable and could be stored. One thing however: You could never again get back into it to free up memory or edit it. I gues even those Roland guys had never tested it themselves :-) Luckily I always worked with 2 back up diskettes so that I could always go back to an earlier version. With the operating software on disk as well it is however a micracle I never wore the drive out. I had all the switches replaced once though. It's been my main workhorse for years and I actually still own it. (My) Music History would not have been the same without it!

[@rm2kmidi]

The only sequencer I have is in the Yamaha SY77, I don't really know how it works. I feel kind of dumb, I've even watched tutorials, but It doesn't really click with me. I'm used to sequencing everything in the DAW lol.

[@EspenKraft]

No shame in that. ;-)

[@samanderson806]

At the end of "E=mc2" album, Giorgio Moroder lists off the gear used to make the album (through vocoder) and he says "Roland MIC RO COM PO SER." I always wondered what that was.

[@EspenKraft]

Yes, that was not this. MC-8 was among the earliest sequencers from Roland. This came much later.

[@ashitanojoe69]

I had this one back in the 90s. It bring me a good momories. I'm japanese.

[@tomasbrun8242]

My first sequencer was a MSQ-100. Only one track that could be step programmed and 7 more real time recorded (with quantize). Only one song could be stored and the backup was to a tape recorder (which I couldn't afford). So one song at a time it was! :) But I think sometimes limitations can actually feed creativity.

[@EspenKraft]

I agree 100% to your last words. :)

[@analogsynthmuseum784]

Nice demo again, press pause after pressing record allow you to start recording when you play the controller keyboard.

[@EspenKraft]

Good tip! Cheers!

[@jamesedinger4956]

Used one for years...always wanted to get the MKII for better SysEx handling

[@xnonsuchx]

Never had a hardware stand-alone sequencer. I got an Atari 520STm in 1985 and that was always my MIDI sequencer (well except when I updated to a 1040STe and then a Falcon030).

[@_Only_Zuul]

hi. i'm trying to find the name of a black n white striped piece of gear made by alesis..

[@grafisktinitiativ446]

This was a great cover!!👍👍👍👍🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@amonster8mymother]

Can I get a receipt?

[@ProSimex84]

Sitting here with my QX5 blinking at me, telling me I should be making music.

[@KONNECTORAS]

Still have my QX-5 FD!!! Bought in 1990, really tought me midi and sequencing! And yet it is 100% operable! Cool! +1000 Espen! Greetings from Athens!

[@brianwilson2904]

Way back in the early 1990s I was part of a class teaching young unemployed people how to use a computer, to do this we used Cakewalk Apprentice. after I started writing the lyrics for a song, all 6 in the class wrote songs. long story short, we all went to a small studio to record them, the equipment used was an MC500 Mkii, several Roland JP 35s, and Roland D110. the song can be found here, soundcloud.com/wmts/slamn-door enjoy. The only guitar was added in the studio.

[@FP2025]

I have an mc500. I tried to reactivate in 2022 but found that I no longer have the operating software. I looked on the Internet, but I didn't find anything. I do not know what to do

[@EspenKraft]

You can easily find the MC500 OS-file online. I did a quick search and found several webpages with forum posts where people share them.

[@FP2025]

@@EspenKraft Thank you for your attention. I will look again. Hugs from Brazil. Musicians around the world and for a better world.

[@tubarent]

I love your videos! Do you know if this sequencer will work with MIDI 2.0 (Roland XV-5080)?

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@infesticon]

I've been tempted to get one of these, But can't justifie it with how little space I have at the moment :(

[@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5]

I have one of these, and have never even tested its functionality (or turned it on). Perhaps I'll do that.

[@leegreveson]

An MC-300 user of old here. Logic now though. Check out Sequentix Cirklon for a modernish hardware sequencer, not checked them for a long time, but their offering was a cool desk/rack mount design, clunky buttons and knobs (encoders) with optional CV/Gate interface aswell as MIDI. If I had the money and gigged regularly, it would be my sequencer of choice. Unless of course Roland come out with a retro alternative! (Doubt it though)

[@PRODUCEDBYLILDOUG]

Just got one of these. Found it weird you cannot quantize during a real time recording. You have to quantize it after the recording has completed.

[@Wazoox]

Nothing beats the drum programming mode of the MRC 2.0 OS for the MC-500MkII. You can easily set up drum kits from many different sources and program patterns that use them all. For instance I used an RX-5, an S-950, a D-20, a U-110 at the same time from the MC-500 just for the drums. Fun fact: I still mostly use my old faithful MV-30 Super-MRC machine for musical creation. DAW are just too slow. Too many possibilities actually harm creativity. Nothing beats these hardware machines were you can do everything without even watching thanks to big clicky buttons :)

[@EspenKraft]

Nice summary!

[@Wazoox]

@@EspenKraft to hear a sample of a song I programmed on the mighty MC, see for instance this one: www.amazon.fr/Elle-fait-tout-la-doudou/dp/B002444WZO (sorry, that's the only online sample I've found for this one)

[@amonster8mymother]

Can you turn tracks on and off while they are runn8ng with this one? Beca7se that 8s a b8t 9f a problem with my msq700. 😎

[@EspenKraft]

With the stock OS no, but you can if you run the Super-MRC.

[@dannygijbels7433]

In my studio I still work with a MC500 & MC500mkII, besides a Roland W30 which owns a similar style sequencer, two Yamaha SY99's which is also comparable and a Korg KRONOS. I really don't need a DAW to record my compositions. These old sequencers don't distract you with graphics as DAW's do. I still prefer this "old" workflow.

[@maurumsynthwave618]

Me encantan los sequencer

[@RoyMaya]

Si es verdad!

[@petertraxler9243]

Hello espen where have you the blue display on the roland d550 ??

[@EspenKraft]

You'll find them on Ebay, just search for it.

[@petertraxler9243]

@@EspenKraft ok thanks

[@nightnoodler812]

Cool.. one word

[@william1411]

80's synth like drugs for my ears That's cool

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers! :D

[@larrymann1272]

I have a Novation MM 10X controller keyboard hooked up to a Korg NR rack and into an MC 50mk2. Used Midi Hits sound cards for backing tracks to play cover songs in gereral midi. Now I just use a Fantom X. 👍

[@neilkendall5499]

Hi Espen, just wondered do you ever record some parts in step time instead of real time? I think a lot of parts sound more natural when played in real time, e.g. pads, melodies etc, but perhaps for drum and bass parts you can get away with step time. What's your opinion on when to use step vs real time recording with a sequencer?

[@EspenKraft]

To tell the truth, I never use step sequencing, never did either. I can play and therefor I've always recorded in real time and just quantized if I needed strict 16ths or whatever. Nothing wrong with step timing though, it's a tool like anything else, but we chose our tools from needs right? I've also never programmed drums through a sequencer, I always used drum machines and some of them requires programming skills that can remind of step sequencing of course. ;-) Now I only use samples when I do drums in a production.

[@simonburns1055]

what about the MC 300 was it after this model?

[@EspenKraft]

What about it?

[@spazkong]

It's like a Death Star... "Look at the size of that thing!"