Ikutaro Kakehashi

In 1960, Kakehashi founded Ace Electronic Industries Inc. In 1964, he developed the first fully transistorized electronic drum instrument, the R1 Rhythm Ace, which was exhibited at Summer NAMM in 1964. It was a push-button device that was manually hand-operated in a manner similar to modern electronic drum pads. It was not commercialized in North America, however, due to its lack of automated preset rhythms. This led to him beginning work on a fully transistorized electronic rhythm machine.[8][11] In 1967, Kakehashi patented the "Automatic Rhythm Performance Device" drum machine, a preset rhythm-pattern generator using diode matrix circuit, a drum machine where a "plurality of inverting circuits and/or clipper circuits are connected to a counting circuit to synthesize the output signal of the counting circuit" and the "synthesized output signal becomes a desired rhythm".[12] Ace Tone popularized the use of drum machines, with the FR-1 Rhythm Ace finding its way into popular music starting in the late 1960s.[13]

In 1972, Kakehashi founded the Roland Corporation, and led it for four decades.[1] While rival companies Moog and ARP targeted professional musicians and academics, Kakehashi, who had no musical training, wanted to appeal to amateurs and hobbyists, and focused on miniaturization, affordability, and simplicity.[2] The company went on to have a big impact on popular music, and did more to shape electronic music than any other company.[11]

At Roland, he continued his work on the development of drum machines. Roland's first drum machine was the Roland TR-77, released in 1972.[14] After Kakehashi realized microprocessors could be used to program drum machines,[15] Roland launched the CR-78, the first microprocessor-driven programmable drum machine, in 1978.[16] These 1970s Roland drum machines were used in disco, R&B, rock, and pop songs from the early 1970s to the early 1980s.[14]

During the 1980s and 1990s, Roland released several instruments that have had a lasting influence on popular music.[1] Roland launched the TR-808, the first fully programmable drum machine,[17] in 1980.[18] Kakehashi deliberately purchased faulty transistors that created the machine's distinctive "sizzling" sound.[19] Although it was not an immediate commercial success, the 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine[20] and became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic and hip hop genres.[21]

In 1994, Kakehashi founded the Roland Foundation and became chairman. In 1995, he was appointed chairman of Roland Corporation. In 2001, he resigned from the position and was appointed as special executive adviser of Roland Corporation. In 2002, Kakehashi published an autobiography, I Believe in Music. His second book, An Age Without Samples: Originality and Creativity in the Digital World, was published in 2017.[22]

In 1973, Kakehashi founded Boss Corporation, a subsidiary of Roland that produces amplifiers and effects units for electric guitar and bass guitar players. Boss effects units became the de facto standard of guitar effects for decades, with many guitarists relying on them for sonic experimentation.[10] Boss amplifiers and effects units have had a significant impact on the development of rock music since the 1970s.[10][23]

In the early 1980s, no standardized means of synchronizing electronic musical instruments manufactured by different companies existed,[24] which Kakehashi felt was limiting the growth of the industry.[25] He proposed developing a standard with representatives from Oberheim Electronics, Sequential Circuits, Yamaha, Korg and Kawai.[24] Kakehashi favored the name Universal Musical Interface (UME), pronounced you-me,[26] but the protocol was named Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI).[27]^: 4 Kakehashi and Dave Smith of Sequential Circuits unveiled MIDI in 1983.[28][29] MIDI allowed communication between different instruments and general-purpose computers to play a role in music production.[30] In 2013, Kakehashi and Smith received Technical Grammy Awards for their work.[31][32][33] MIDI remains the industry standard.[26]

In 2013, after a clash with management,[34] Kakehashi left Roland and founded ATV Corporation, an audiovisual electronics company.[22] His final project at ATV was the aFrame, an "electro-organic" percussion instrument played like a hand drum.[22]