Nice Low Frequency GMS Phrase

GMS Pad with Reverb and Delay

Here’s nearly four minutes of knob turning while playing an arpeggio on the MKS-80.

Unprocessed Evolving Arpeggio

The Roland MKS-80 has several modes for dividing up it’s staggering 16 voltage controlled oscillators. One of the modes is called Unison 2. In this mode playing one note uses all 8 voices (2 oscillators per voice) for a loud punchy, and usually phased sound. Playing two notes together uses four voices per note. Playing three or four uses two voices, and five or more uses one. To illustrate this I played eight notes together, starting with just one note then adding higher notes at each quarter note. As the chord builds you can hear each note getting thinner as voices are being robbed from the first note played.

Unison 2 Mode