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Roland MC-80 main image

Roland MC-80

Roland MC-80

^# 42

in Audio Sequencers

Equipboard's ranking is determined by analyzing factors such as professional artist usage, popularity, user ratings, reviews, and more.

1 Critic Review

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Find out who is using Roland MC-80

Geoff Downes

0 wishlisted

4 saved

Page last updated Aug 10, 2025

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Description

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The MC-80 MicroComposer from year 2000 is an elegant and advanced MIDI sequencer, perfect for studio and live use. Offering the enhanced resolution of software sequencers, plus the advanced sequencing features from Roland's popular XP-Series workstations, the expandable MC-80 provides reliability, portability, and easy setup for composers, live performers, and those who need to keep things simple. It features 480 PPQN resolution, Direct-from-Disk playback, Internal 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, Grid, Shuffle and Groove Quantize options, Real-time Phrase Sequencing and onboard Arpeggiator with 33 styles, assignable footswitch for Mark/Jump, Start/Stop, Fade Out, etc., MMC and MTC compatible and two MIDI outputs for 32-channel operation. Optional internal 2.5-inch IDE hard drive or internal Zip 100 drive. Expandable with optional VE-GSPro Voice Expansion Board. Get the Owner's Manual.

Videos

Perfect Circuit

Perfect Circuit

Roland MC-80 Promo (1999)

Video thumbnail for Roland MC-80 Promo (1999) by Perfect Circuit

Roland MC-80 Promo (1999)

Perfect Circuit

Perfect Circuit

Video thumbnail for Forgotten studio gear - Introducing the roland mc-80 by Vain Sacrosanct

Forgotten studio gear - Introducing the roland mc-80

Vain Sacrosanct

Vain Sacrosanct

Video thumbnail for Roland Mc-80 / Seq Test - Riva Lima by Tecladista do Youtube

Roland Mc-80 / Seq Test - Riva Lima

Tecladista do Youtube

Tecladista do Youtube

Video thumbnail for #hardwareonly - Roland MC-80 - Songmode explained and live setup by Vain Sacrosanct

#hardwareonly - Roland MC-80 - Songmode explained and live setup

Vain Sacrosanct

Vain Sacrosanct

Reviews

Critic Reviews

Roland MC80

soundonsound.com

The Roland MC-80 shines with its powerful sequencing capabilities and live performance features, making it a robust alternative to software sequencers. Its high-resolution timing, extensive MIDI options, and optional sound expansion are standout features. However, its sound and effect editing is cumbersome, and the lack of a built-in mixing page and mini-keyboard are drawbacks. Despite these issues, it remains a modernized, deluxe machine, particularly appealing for live use with its unique hard drive options and built-in power supply. A worthy successor to the MC50, it offers a strong competitor for both studio and stage settings.

positive

4.5 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 2 Ratings

5 star

4 star

3 star

2 star

1 star

wavesequence

411

about 8 years ago

Notes

MC-80 used in my studio is equipped with VE-GS PRO and CompactFlash reader/writer.

1

Reply

Artist usage

See how Geoff Downes uses Roland MC-80

Geoff Downes

Keyboardist

Yes

Verified via YouTube

At 0:09 of this video showing Yes - Live 2011 keyboards rig the MC-80 can be seen.

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Folk, World, & Country

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