Roland has been making some serious waves with their Boutique Series synthesizers with micro-sized recreations of classic synthesizers including the JP-08, TB-03, and SH-01A synthesizers, as well as the TR-08 and TR-09 drum machines. In a departure from their typical Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology, which boasts electronic circuit modeling to achieve their super accurate emulations, Roland has teamed up with Studio Electronics to create the SE-02 Analog Synthesizer, the first in a new Boutique Designer Series of instruments.
The SE-02 utilizes authentic, discrete analog circuitry to create a distinctively vintage sound with a wide-array of programming options. The front panel is equipped with a plethora of high-quality knobs and switches, which provide one-to-one control over parameters and the on-board sequencer. There are three voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) with temperature stabilization for automatic tuning. Each oscillator offers six waveforms including triangle, sawtooth, triangle + sawtooth (OSC 1, 2 only), reverse sawtooth (OSC 3 only), and square 1-3. The oscillators pass through a 24-dB low-pass filter (VCF) and a dual gain amplifier (VCA).
If you are wishing to push beyond the veil of classic vintage tones, there are several options designed to create some jaw-dropping effects, such as three cross-modulation (XMod) types, a ripping filter feedback loop, envelope sweeping and inverting, oscillator sync, a noise generator, a tempo-syncing LFO with nine waveforms, and a tempo-syncing delay. A 16-step sequencer adds motion and dimension to your sounds and provides a wide array of sync options including tempo via MIDI, USB, or triggered input. There is an adjustable per-step gate time, adjustable glide, tempo, and each sequence can be saved to any of the 384 preset patches. Additionally, synth parameters can be automated by sequencing changes, by pressing a step and moving a control. What’s more, there are some powerful creative performance features allowing you to set the scale, direction, shuffle, and first/last steps on the fly.
The Roland SE-02 is built into a solid enclosure with a rugged metal top. The instrument is compatible with Roland’s optional K-25m keyboard or DK-01 accessory docks. The rear panel boasts a variety of inputs and outputs via 1/8” connectors and includes a stereo headphone output, stereo line output, and a stereo line input, which passes the external signal through the SE-02’s filter section. Additionally, there are CV inputs for VCF, CV pitch, gate, and trigger in and out. For control, the instrument features two full-sized 5-pin DIN connectors for MIDI in and out, as well as a USB micro-USB connector that enables audio and MIDI transmission. Chain multiple SE-02’s to increase polyphony for even greater sound explorations.
