“A synth that arguably did more to fuel the early ‘90s house and techno explosion than any other.”
—Red Bull Music Academy
Beauty in Simplicity
Introduced in 1982, the SH-101 was designed with portability and affordability in mind. Compared to the many complex synths available at the time, it offered a basic monophonic structure and characteristic voice that was fast to program and adept at bright, edgy tones and exciting sound effects. And with gray, blue, and red color options, support for battery power, and the ability to be played like a keytar, this modest-yet-flashy monosynth was a hit with forward-thinking musicians eager to redefine the image of keyboardists on stage.
Mono Monster
The dynamic look and sound of the SH-101 proved big things come in small packages, and it was a go-to tool for leading new wave artists of the day. It was later rediscovered by a new generation of electronic musicians and producers, who used it to fuel the foundation of house, techno, and other emerging styles. To this day, the SH-101’s brain-bending bass and one-of-a-kind lead sounds continue to be sought after by electronic artists the world over.
Plug In Your Own SH-101
Through direct involvement with the original SH-101 engineers, our SH-101 plug-in painstakingly recreates the hardware’s sound down to the behavior of the original circuits. It has all the great sounds and features of the original instrument, plus new features that extend its capabilities:
- Dedicated envelope for the filter
- Two extra LFO shapes
- Extended octave range for the VCO
- VCA tone control
- Modern effects: reverb, bit-crusher, and tempo-syncing delay
- Onboard arpeggiator with tempo sync
- Multiple skins featuring all three original colors
SH-101 Sound Examples
Hardware Integration
The SH-101 also supports our PLUG-OUT format, providing extended operation with Roland hardware synths like the SH-01A, SYSTEM-8, SYSTEM-1, or SYSTEM-1m. Operate the DAW plug-in with hands-on controls, or take the SH-101 to the stage without the need for a computer.
Join Roland Cloud today for access to the growling bass and stinging leads of the SH-101, as well as a host of other legendary instruments. Interested in other instruments that have helped define electronic music? Check out the TB-303 and see how it started a techno revolution!