Roland MKS-7 Black

Roland MKS-7 for sale. The Super Quartet. Fully serviced and tested by professionals and working great. This module came in either black or white. We've had both.

The MKS7 is well loved by those who know its true capabilities. It's essentually a double JUNO-106 module and more. Its insides are nearly identical to a 106 and it can receive 106 Sysex messages. Much better than a Juno106 cause it takes up a fraction of the space and gives you not one but two sounds at once on different MIDI channels, plus an analog bass section and an old school digital drum part. It's 4 part multi timbral sound module that's just 2 rack spaces high. Countless recording artists have used these sounds, from your favorite synthpop groups of the eighties to the best techno, house, hip hop, drum and bass, jazz and other artists of today. William Orbit (Madonna's producer), Vince Clarke of Erasure, the Chemical Brothers, the Prodigy, Human League, Shamen, Underworld, Moby, George Michael, Autechre, Vangelis and many more.  

The following sections each receive data on their own MIDI channel:

1. Juno-106 part Melody: 2 note polyphonic
2. Juno-106 part Chord: 4 note polyphonic
3. Bassline: monophonic analog synth part (can't edit as much as above parts)
4. Drums: old school digital drum sounds (similar to the TR-707)

Melody and chord sections can be grouped together for a 6 note polyphonic synth section responding on 1 MIDI channel

This module contains a nice variety of good preset analog synth sounds.  These sounds are in permanent memory, but the 3 synth sections can temporarily be written over by putting the MKS into a special mode and using the front panel's fader and buttons. It's much easier to control the module through MIDI system exclusive messages - sounds can be edited and or saved on a Juno-106, HS-60, Kenton Control Freak, Peavey PC1600, or most modern computer sequencers / certain patch editors and similar devices! Emagic Sound Diver software includes an editor that works perfectly with this piece, and MIDIquest probably does too (can't remember). Most DAWs can probably be set up with a mixer to edit the mks, which means your sound data can probably be stored with your sequence and instantly be transmitted when you reload your song. No more trying to remember where you stored that old set of sounds! (Please check your DAWs specs to confirm it's got this capability). You can use this item with a keyboard or sequencer as a stand alone synthesizer module, hook it up to your computer, or use it as a Juno-106 expander with your 106 keyboard.  It'll play all your old Juno-106 sounds! Connect MIDI out from your 106 to MIDI in on the 7, select a patch and it's instantly sent to the MKS-7. Or, use the 106 faders to create a sound from scratch. Or, do the same from your computer sequencer, sound editor or Sysex faders. There are only slight differences between this modules and the Juno-106s synthesizer sections. The most important is that the MKS-7 is velocity sensitive. Use velocity to modulate filter envelope depth or volume.  Try to get your Juno-106 to respond to velocity! Here are more features - note the individual outs.

tune knob
headphone jack
master volume fader
rhythm volume fader
bass volume fader
chord volume fader
melody volume fader
dynamic (velocity) sensitivity fader - doubles as data entry fader in special mode
4 LED buttons for selecting / auditioning each part
LED display for viewing program number, MIDI channels and other data
3 additional buttons for each synth part
12 button keypad for program # entry, MIDI CH select, transpose, parameter entry
power button on front panel
knob for bender sensitivity
knob for LFO modulation sensitivity
knob for bass detune
MIDI in and thru
Stereo Pair Mix out
hi med low volume select switch
1/4" Audio Output Melody Section
1/4" Audio Output Chord Section
1/4" Audio Output Bass Section
1/4" Audio Output Drum Section

This box is a great value as it has everything you'll need in a synth for a minimal analog techno setup.  Great smooth analog basses, funky leads, noises, blips, beautiful warm analog strings only a 106 can provide, and much more.