Forgotten studio gear - Introducing the roland mc-80 

Hi Vain, thank you for putting this video up, there has been so little info on this wonderful sequencer, which is improved by 200% if you can find the VEGS Sound card, not to mention the 'New Blue ' screen option. Looking forward to watching more great videos from you. Billy

Good on you for doing this. I researched before buying my mc80 and am aware how little content was available on them. Good contribution.

FYI: the sound engine on the VE-GSPro expansion (standard in the MC-80ex) has the sound engine of the SoundCanvas SC-88 Pro, not the SC-55.

Very helpful and informatively video. Tysm!

This is an amazing piece of gear. I love mine.

Hands down my favourite sequencer. Migrated to it off an MC-300. Wanted more features and was blown away with the newer model. Help system right in the menu is very convenient. I was able to learn everything I needed in a day, without opening the manual. Short learning curve for anyone familiar with Roland gear, unlike with Yamaha, where every new device feels like a freshly shuffled deck of cards. The only complaint I have is that despite supporting ZIP and internal hard drives, the system slows down significantly, when there are too many files in a folder. Above certain limit, things just won't show. I think it's 100 files per directory, or something like that. When playing straight off a ZIP disk (without loading into internal memory), system stutters, but off a slower 1.44" floppy it works just fine, stringing multiple files. I have a pair of MC-80's for possible 32-track playback, they sync real well together, but I've never written anything as complex. Having migrated off an 8-track sequencer I was used to doing more with less.

MC Sequencer and a Cat! Yes. Great content.

8:01 faith healer!

Great machine. I have a xp80 and it has a built in mc80. Only 1 midi in and out.

I bought an MC-80 in 2000, I was hoping it had the same drum step edit program feature as in the MC-50 MKII.Why wouldn`t Roland put that in right? It does not, I was disappointed so I kept using my MC-50 MKII. The MC-80 is still in the box up in the closet never been used.

It looks like the MC-80 lost the tape sync feature. The MC-50 from 1990 has that, which is nice. The Realtime Phrase Sequencing (RPC) and Arpeggio is interesting. Can you drag and drop *.MID files onto the MC-80 floppy disc from a computer?

I'v got a MC 80 , I have tinkered with over the years but never really used it ,I'm personally used to the MC 500 but have transferred to the MC 50 over the last year .I have also been racking my brain over the dam Daws ,computer's are quite new to me in music Ableton mainly which great but I don't like the sequencing in DAWS so much and MC 50 seems to make the DAW crash and just general jiggery pokery head fuck time ,but the MC 80 seens to run rock solid with Ableton and sync's bang on the bar & beat (It must be the MTC that's keeping it all straight with the DAW ).I only turned the MC 80 on today so it's a bit new to me but seems to be like the older Roland sequencers that I am very familiar with ,I don't have a manual for the MC 80 but i'm reading off a computer screen the MC 80 seems to be just what I need .p.s thanks for your video's on the MC 80 they have been very informative to me ,cheers Finn

18/05/2022... Just found one on eBay. Original box, Manuals and the two disks (Update Disk and Demo disk)Who's a happy boy? PRISTINE CONDITION! ;)

What Great Thing About Is,It Has 16 Tracks.I Think The MC80 Are Better Than MC50(8 Tracks) and MC500(6 tracks)But Unfortunately,It's Rare.

Hello again, do you know where can I get a compatible Hard drive for my MC 80 and also do you have any experience with now called USB floppy drive? Thank you

I thought the MC-80 could only format to 2.1 gb? Where you able to format a full 6gb?

Need help repairing play button on mc80

Hello, can I use duo Capture-EX to transfer data files from MC 80 with Hard Drive to my computer? Thank you

Hello. I have a question: do you know if it is possible to use a VST from a computer as a sound module for the MC-80 by means of any device like the dual interface that you show on the video? I have a handful of VSTs in my computer (Korg M1, Roland D50...) but I don't if I can use them as sound modules for the MC-80.

Need help repair play button on mc80

any audio demo please

i dont see no point in hooking the mc 80 to ur computer unless you have to sync vsts or samples. how did you use with your computer. the micro composer is kinda made not using the PC innit?

I have one for sale. Pristinely condition. Never use it. Cheap!