In the early 1980s, Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi and Sequential Circuits founder Dave Smith had a dream—a simple interface that would allow all electronic musical instruments to communicate with each other and with computers. To make this dream a reality, these pioneers brought together an unprecedented coalition of manufacturers from the United States and Japan, and soon the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or “MIDI,” was born. 30 years ago, the 1983 Winter NAMM Show hosted its landmark public unveiling, where Roland and Sequential Circuits demonstrated the first two MIDI-equipped synthesizers “talking” to each other via this new universal communication standard.

The immense promise of MIDI was immediately apparent, and soon dozens of devices began appearing on the market outfitted with this new interface. In the ensuing years, the capabilities of MIDI have grown along with the incredible advancements in electronics and computing, unleashing a universe of creative power that continues to influence the way artists make music three decades later. Today, nearly every type of electronic musical instrument and device incorporates MIDI in some way, and it’s an indispensable component in computer-based music composition and production, live performance, and beyond.

For their visionary efforts in the development of MIDI, Mr. Kakehashi and Mr. Smith were recently honored by The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY® Foundation with a 2013 Technical GRAMMY Award. “Each year, The Academy has the distinct privilege of honoring those who have greatly contributed to our industry and cultural heritage, and this year we have a gifted and brilliant group of honorees,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. “Their exceptional accomplishments, contributions, and artistry will continue to influence and inspire generations to come.”

“It’s already been 30 years since the debut of MIDI protocol in 1983, but it seems to me that those years have passed so quickly,” said Mr. Kakehashi. “Electronic musical instruments have become very popular all over the world through this time, and it is my great pleasure that MIDI played a significant role in their prevalence. This year’s Technical GRAMMY Award is the result of the cooperation by the companies who worked towards the same dream—growth of electronic musical instruments.”

Throughout 2013, the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA)—the group that maintains and develops the evolving MIDI specification standard—is celebrating the 30th anniversary of this essential technology. In the first of many activities planned for the year, they’ve created an entertaining and informative video that explores the past, present, and future of MIDI.

The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is an international songwriting contest that began in 1997. The Contest is open to amateur and professional songwriters who submit entries in any one of 12 categories. The JLSC is open year-round and features two Sessions — with 72 Finalists, 24 Grand Prize Winners, 12 Lennon Award Winners and one “Song of the Year.”

Enter for a chance to win a JUPITER-50 fully pre-loaded with all the sounds from the JUPITER Synth Legends Volume 1 collection.

With the JUPITER Synth Legends sound collection, Roland is proud to unveil a series of free sound libraries for the JUPITER-80 and JUPITER-50 synthesizers. Featuring all-new Tones, Live Sets, Registrations, and arpeggio patterns, the collection uses the powerful and flexible SuperNATURAL® sound engine to capture the essence of a number of historical synths. The Live Set architecture and multi-effects capabilities of the modern JUPITERs are fully maximized as well, giving players a huge selection of “dream patches” comprised of the most legendary synths ever produced.

GR-D
V-Guitar Distortion
V-Guitar technology in a Twin Pedal with bold, high-clarity distortion and synth tones only possible with GK processing.

GR-S
V-Guitar Space
V-Guitar technology in a Twin Pedal with super-spacious tones and multi-string emulation only possible with GK processing.

BK-3
Backing Keyboard
Portable, self-contained backing keyboard with built-in sound system, high-quality sounds, rhythms, and Music Assistants.

To ensure delivery on the Windows 8 release, Roland’s engineering team has been building and testing the new drivers alongside the Windows 8 beta releases.

If you own any of the products below and have Windows 8 please download the drivers using the links below.
All CAPTURE series interfaces including the OCTA-CAPTURE USB Audio Interface and QUAD-CAPTURE USB Audio Interface have Windows 8 drivers available in both 32- and 64-bit formats.

The A-PRO series is also fully supported including the A-800PRO MIDI Keyboard Controller and new A-49 MIDI Keyboard Controller.

Here is a full list of Roland products that already have Windows 8 driver support: www.RolandUS.com/Win8

We hope you enjoy Windows 8 and the new drivers!

In celebration of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp’s 15th Anniversary and Roland’s 40th Anniversary, Roland Corporation U.S. is honored to announce the first ever Roland Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp Giveaway. One lucky Roland fan will win a chance to rock with Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction and The Who’s Roger Daltrey this January in Las Vegas. Monthly installments of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp’s highly successful music-magic experience are scheduled to take place at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and will feature top-line Roland musical instruments and recording gear.

We’ve gone berserk…AGAIN! Every two weeks you could win a BOSS pedal autographed by one of these five guitar heroes: Dave Navarro, Steve Vai, Steve Stevens, Jeff Loomis or Herman Li. The grand prize is $1,000 is BOSS gear. That’s six chances to win. Enter today!

Roland is giving away a CUBE-20XL BASS amp autographed by respected session and touring bassist Derrick Murdock, noted for his long-running late-night TV stint with Kevin Eubanks and The Tonight Show Band. To enter, visit the Roland U.S. Facebook page by September 6, 2012, answer a simple question about the CUBE-XL BASS series, and fill out a short entry form. One winner will be selected at random from entries with the correct answer. Good luck!

Now. That’s the time you want to enter the U.S. Nationals for the V-Drums® World Championship 2—you’ve only got until August 24th. In September, we’ll be holding semi-finals all over the country. In October, you’ll duke it out with America’s other best drummers at PASIC in Austin, TX, and next spring in Frankfurt, Germany, it’ll be all about world domination. There’ll be great prizes, celebrity judges and special guests. And, of course, victory.

Are you the world’s top looping musician? The time is now to show your skills for the BOSS Loop Station World Championship 3! Just submit a live performance video with any BOSS RC-Series Loop Station to YouTube™ and you’ll be entered for an opportunity to compete at the U.S. National Finals at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. The top prize is $3,000 in BOSS gear and the chance to vie for the world title in January 2013. There are only six spots available at the U.S. competition, so give us your best shot! Don’t delay—the entry period runs for three months only, from June 1 through August 31, 2012.