We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our client

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music on 17th March 2019

Restoration Status: KSR to service once sold, and prior to shipping to the new owner.

We are both delighted and honoured to be able to offer the Roland System 700 Block 1 (Main Console) and Block 2 (Keyboard Controller) for sale.

We probably don’t need to make much in terms of introduction here, but with there only believed to be around 40 full System 700 ever made, then you will appreciate this instrument was scarce even when it was in manufactured during the period of 8 years from 1976. Over the years, the systems were broken up, and/or perhaps Roland only supplied partial systems to buyers back in the 1970s, but it’s not uncommon to see partial systems coming up for sale, like the one we are offering here.

As electronic musical instruments go, this is considered by many to be the Holy Grail of synthesizers, and is without any doubt, amongst the very best designed and built analogue modular synthesizers ever made. It’s not for us to sell the virtues of such an outstanding instrument as the worlds most accomplished synthesists have shown the capability of these beautiful creations, so we will just talk here about this particular instrument that’s available for sale.

Provenance

This System 700 has been in our client’s ownership for only a few short years, and they had purchased it from a very respected analogue synth collector in the EU. Any provenance prior to this is unknown, but like most System 700 we see, these Blocks have been extremely well cared for and maintained.

Cosmetic Condition

Upon arrival at RL Music, we checked over the system and found it to be 100% intact with all the controls, ancillary hardware (including all lids), knobs, sliders caps, switches, keys, cable and serial plates etc., all to be present and correct.

The overall condition of the Tolex covering on each Block is excellent, with only 2 scuffs to note, that can be seen in photos below. The anodised control surfaces & screen print on each individual module to be superb, with only minimal wear…remarkable!

Operational Condition

We carried out a full assessment on the Blocks after they arrived here, so can confirm everything is working. The system will benefit from a minor service, which would include a full potentiometer/slider clean and calibration etc., and this will be included in the sales price.

A much higher level of ‘restoration’ can be undertaken, should any new owner decide that this is something they would like, for future proofing, so the best thing is to contact Richard here at RL Music to discuss your needs as a customised support package can be costed, including extended warranty.

Configuration

This is a standard configured Block 1 – Main Console. here is a full configuration breakdown:

Block 1 – Main Console (sn: 730139)
This is the Heart of the System, and it contains all the basic modules necessary for a professional system. It has 3 x VCO, 1 x Low Pass VCF, 1 x LP/BP/HP VCF, 2 x VCA, 2 x LFO, 1 x Dual ADSR Envelope Generators, Noise, Ring Mod, Voltage Processor, S/H, Envelope Follower, Integrator (Lag Processor), 1 x Mixer, 2 X 5 multiples, Headphone Monitor Module, and an Output Module, which includes Stereo VU Meters, a six-position test-tone, Phase Shifter, Spring Reverb, and voltage controlled Panning. Most common module connections (power, cv, gate) are made internally for easier patching.

Block 2 – Keyboard Controller (sn: 780202):
The 61-key two-voice Keyboard with Portamento and Pitch-bend controls.

What does it sound like?
It sounds incredible, and can be huge or beautifully musical and subtle…like any quality modular system, but the System 700 has its own sound and unique character. Kent at KSR actually wrote a short track with the full System 700 we sold recently, just after he had completed the restoration work, so if you click the link below you can listen to the piece on his Soundcloud account:

https://soundcloud.com/ksr80/uphill-700

The System 700 is a professional grade instrument, with a price tag to match back, even in the 1970s. The recent full System 700 we had available, sold for £70K GBP (February 2019). Recent specialist auction prices ( £110K GBP at VEMIA November 2017) show that these have risen very sharply in price. Demand has always been very high for anything System 700 related, either in the Lab Systems or separate Blocks being sold.

We are selling this Block 1 & 2 System 700 with a full 3-month warranty, and we will ship worldwide. A quote for custom packing (by us), shipping & insurance to get it to you will be produced upon request. Delivery by us (in person) is possible for most UK destinations – prices subject to address.

This beautiful synthesizer is currently set to operate on 220V, but it can be set internally to 110V if needed. We are not supplying any 1/4” jack audio cables with the sale, but the owner has printed off the original owners manual (red folder pictured), so that’s supplied with the system. We also have a high-quality version in PDF which we will include in the sale if needed.

This is one serious music machine and words simply can’t describe the power and potential for infinite sound creation possibilities. There is such a lot to say about this legendary and beautiful modular system but we just haven’t enough room here on our website so please call or email us to discuss your requirements.

Price: £40,000. GBP

Availability: This Roland System 700 Block 1 & 2 is now SOLD, as at 23rd March 2019.

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photos of the actual System 700 Block 1 & 2 for sale.

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our customer.

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music on 28th November 2018.

Servicing Status: A full service by KSR will be carried post-sale.

Remarks: A very rare opportunity to own stunning vintage 
modular system from the Roland 700 lineage – the System 700 Lab.

This is a very powerful 3 oscillator normalised system with 1/4 inch jack In/Out for expanded sound creation possibilities and is based entirely on the system architecture of the full System 700. Unusually, we also have a full Roland System 700 for sale at the moment – so you can see that the Lab is the same size as one of the lower wing cabinets.

This is a standard configuration system, so has not been modified from its original factory specification, and the serial number is 660042. This contains all the basic modules necessary for a professional system. It has 3 x VCO, 1 x VCF, 1 x VCA, 1 x LFO, 2 x ADSR EG, Noise (white & pink), Ring Mod, S/H and a Mixer.


The 700 Lab is in excellent all original condition, with only light wear to the modules surfaces, although there is some oxidisation to the anodising, which we are seeing as normal for these 40+-year-old instruments. The Tolex covering and chromed/nickel-plated parts are all intact and in excellent order, although there are a couple of small indentations on the back of the cabinet along the edges.

We would rate this as a collectors condition example – 9.5 out of 10. KSR has just fully serviced the system so it’s 100% perfect operationally.

This is a 1V/Oct system that can be accessed via any suitable CV/Gate controller or MIDI to CV device. To get the most out of the 700 Lab we would recommend using a multi-channel Midi to CV device like the Kenton Pro-2000 which can give you 3 note polyphonic control if needed. We can supply a Kenton Pro-200 but is not included in the sales price below, so please ask us for prices.

This System 700 Lab is sold with our normal 3-month warranty and runs on EU 220V. There was no user documentation supplied by the owner, but we will supply a copy of the System 700 Synthesizer Instruction Manual in PDF format.

As with all Brokered Sales, the synth will be fully serviced post-sale before it’s sent to its new owner. We do this to ensure that the instrument leaves us in perfect operational condition, and it is backed up by our full warranty to give the new owner complete peace of mind. The servicing is carried out as a priority once the sale has been completed, and although it will delay shipping/delivery by a short time, we know from experience that customers are happy to wait.

Price: £18,600 GBP.

Availability: This System 700 Lab is not currently available.

Pictures of the actual synth below.

Click on the Thumbnails for higher resolution photos of actual synth for sale.

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our customer

Came into stock: Available at RL Music from 18th March 2019.

Servicing Status: A full service by KSR will be carried out post-sale.

Remarks: An stunning condition example of one of the worlds finest professional grade vintage analogue vocoders – the Moog 16 Channel Vocoder.

This pure analogue 16 channel vocoder has always been considered one of very best and sounds amazing – this is an extremely rare instrument to find up for sale in 2018. The Moog Vocoder was co-designed between Bob Moog and Harold Bode and launched in 1979. The Moog uses a very similar architecture to the Bode 7702 Vocoder, and that’s a very good thing. Moog and Bode collaborated on a number of technologies prior to the release of the Vocoder, one of these being the Frequency Shifter.

Our client has owned this Moog Vocoder for over 10 years and it has been in regular use and serviced regularly during their ownership. Cosmetically, this 39-year-old vintage analogue vocoder is in truly fantastic condition and we would rate this as a Collector Grade – 9.5 out of 10. The main control surface is in remarkable condition with all the controls intact and the housing is in super condition throughout, with just some light wear as you would expect for a device this age.

This Moog 16 Channel Vocoder. operates on EU 220V. We do have a user manual (in PDF format) for the BODE 7702 Vocoder, which the Moog is similarly based on. As the instrument is being Brokered through RL Music, it will be sold with a full 3-month warranty and can be shipped worldwide.

Demos are available by appointment only.

As with all Brokered Sales, the synth will be fully serviced post-sale before it’s sent to its new owner. We do this to ensure that the instrument leaves us in perfect operational condition, and it is backed up by our full warranty to give the new owner complete peace of mind. The servicing is carried out as a priority once the sale has been completed, and although it will delay shipping/delivery by a short time, we know from experience that customers are happy to wait.

Price: £7,800 GBP.

Availability: This Moog 16 Channel Vocoder is now SOLD, as at 7th May 2019.

Pictures of the actual vocoder below.

Click on the Thumbnails for higher resolution photos of actual vocoder for sale.

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our client

Came into stock: Arrived at RL Music in April 2018

Restoration Status: Kent Spong of KSR completed the full 6-week restoration on 22nd June 2018, so the system now resides with RL Music in Reading, UK.

We probably don’t need to make much in terms of introduction here, but with there only believed to be 40 System 700 ever made, then you will appreciate this instrument was scarce even when it was in manufactured during the period of 8 years from 1976.

As electronic musical instruments go, this is considered by many to be the Holy Grail of synthesizers, and is without any doubt, amongst the very best designed and built analogue modular synthesizers ever made. It’s not for us to sell the virtues of such an outstanding instrument as the worlds most accomplished synthesists have shown the capability of these beautiful creations, so we will just talk here about this particular instrument that’s available for sale.

Provenance

This System 700 has very recently (March 2018) been purchased from its original owner in Japan. The owner purchased it new from Roland and had it kept in their home all that time, and although they could not recall the exact date it was bought, it was certainly around 40 years ago. The incredible instrument has been imported directly into the EU from Japan and is now being offered by RL Music for sale.

Cosmetic Condition

Upon arrival at RL Music, we checked over the system and found it to be 100% intact with all the controls, ancillary hardware (including all lids), knobs, sliders caps, switches, keys, cables and serial plates etc., all to be present and correct.

The condition of the Tolex covering on each and every Block is excellent, and the anodised control surfaces & screen print on each individual module to be superb, with only minimal wear…remarkable! Kent carried out some light restorative re-finishing to the Tolex to bring back its depth-of-colour and lustre. There is a ‘Roland” badge missing off the Block 4 lid, but all others are present on the other lids.

There is a small scuff on the sequencer panel, and some of the anodising on certain modules has oxidised due to age, but otherwise, this is a close to perfection as is possible, and the dream of most of us to own. KSR stripped each panel and deep-cleaned the anodised surfaces (very carefully).

Operational Condition

Kent carried out a 6-week complete overhaul of the system, so every jack-socket, sliders, block-connector, DIN-socket, interconnect cables and switches have been deep cleaned & lubricated. The twin VU meters were replaced with NOS Roland meters as the originals were no longer working.

Each and every Module was removed, tested, deep-cleaned and fully calibrated. A number of the power-regulation capacitors were replaced due to the originals having failed due to age. The PSU has been fully refurbished.

The Keyboard was stripped and fully overhauled.

Every single function and detail of the modular system has been methodically & fastidiously addressed, and after investing over £15K GBP in restoration costs, it now works flawlessly and looks stunning!

Configuration

This is a slightly non-standard configured system, and a manufactured later in the production run of these professional studio systems, from what we could ascertain, so here is a full configuration breakdown:

Block 1-Main Console (sn: 590069)
This is the Heart of the System, and it contains all the basic modules necessary for a professional system. It has 3 x VCO, 1 x Low Pass VCF, 1 x LP/BP/HP VCF, 2 x VCA, 2 x LFO, 1 x Dual ADSR Envelope Generators, Noise, Ring Mod, Voltage Processor, S/H, Envelope Follower, Integrator (Lag Processor), 1 x Mixer, 2 X 5 multiples, Headphone Monitor Module, and an Output Module, which includes Stereo VU Meters, a six-position test-tone, Phase Shifter, Spring Reverb, and voltage controlled Panning. Most common module connections (power, cv, gate) are made internally for easier patching.

Block 2 – Keyboard Controller (sn: 630116):
The 61-key two-voice Keyboard with Portamento and Pitch-bend controls.

Block 3 – Sequencer (sn: 800097):
This offers 3 x 12 step sequencer with Pulse Shaper, Clock Oscillator, and Series / Parallel output sections – considered one of the best analogue sequencers ever made.

Block 4 – VCO Bank (sn: 800002):
6 x VCO, 1 x Dual ADSR Envelope Generator, 2 x LFO, Sample and Hold and 1 x Mixer.

Block 5 – VCF/VCA Bank (sn: 800003):
1 x Low Pass VCF, 1 x LP/BP/HP VCF, 2 x VCA, Noise Generator, Ring Modulator, 1 x Dual ADSR Envelope Generator, 2 x Mixers and 2 x Gate Delay.

Block 6 – Interface/Mixer (sn: 780089):
1 x Frequency-to-Voltage Converter (with VDU) Interface with Envelope Follower & Gate Signal Generator, a VCA, 9-channel Audio Mixer, and a Multimode Filter.

Block 7 – Phase Shifter/Audio Delay (sn: 800001):
A 2-channel Phase Shifter and a 2-channel Audio Delay, Amplifier, Envelope Follower, Integrator (Lag Processor), 2 x Mixers and a Sample & Hold.

What does it sound like?
It sounds incredible and can be huge or beautifully musical and subtle…like any quality modular system, but the System 700 has its own sound and unique character. Kent at KSR actually wrote a short track with the System 700 just after he had completed the restoration work, so if you click the link below you can listen to the piece on his Soundcloud account:

https://soundcloud.com/ksr80/uphill-700

The System 700 is a professional grade instrument, with a price tag to match back in the late 1970s, and recent specialist auction prices ( £110K GBP at VEMIA November 2017) show that these have risen very sharply in price. Demand has always been very high for anything System 700 related, either in the Lab Systems or separate Blocks being sold, but finding a full system is exceptionally rare.

Now the System 700 has been meticulously restored, we are selling it with a full 6-month warranty, and we will ship worldwide. A quote for custom packing (by us), shipping & insurance to get it to you will be produced upon request. Delivery by us (in person) is possible for most UK destinations – prices subject to address.

This beautiful behemoth of a synthesizer runs on 110V. We are not supplying any 1/4” jack audio cables with the sale, and unfortunately, the original owners manual was not supplied to us, but we do have a high-quality version in PDF which we will include in the sale.

This is one serious music machine and words simply can’t describe the power and potential for infinite sound creation possibilities. There is such a lot to say about this legendary and beautiful modular system but we just haven’t enough room here on our website so please call or email us to discuss your requirements.

Price: £70,000 GBP

Availability: This Roland System 700 is now SOLD on deposit, as at 15th february 2019.

Click on the thumbnail for higher resolution photos of the actual (post-restoration) System 700 for sale.

We are Brokering this instrument for and on behalf of our EU client.

Came into stock: Available from RL Music as at 20th December 2018, and this CS80 is currently located at our restoration partners – KSR in Surrey, UK.

Servicing Status: A full health-check by KSR has already been carried out (December 2018), so this CS80 is ready for sale now.

Remarks: This CS80 is good all original condition, with no modifications.

This CS80 we are offering for sale comes to us for Brokering from a private owner who had sent the instrument to KSR directly for a full check-up, to ensure it’s fully operational and ready for us to sell for them. The overall condition of this CS80 is good, but it does show signs of wear to the control surfaces and tolex, as we would expect from a 40+ year old instrument.

The pictures we have taken (see below), provide an honest appraisal, so we would rate this mid-production series CS80 (serial #13xx) to be a suitable studio example, that works flawlessly.

As mentioned, Kent at KSR has conducted a full health-check, and system-wide calibration of this CS80, but this is akin to a low-level service, so this is not a restoration. If a higher level of restoration work is something any potential buyer is interested in having done to ensure future longevity for this CS80 then please contact us for details of what is covered and the pricing etc.

Warranty provided on this CS80:

The CS80 is sold with a 3-month warranty as standard which covers all parts and labour and telephone/Skype technical support.

Upgrade Option Fitted -1:
If Midi is required on the CS80 then we are normally able to supply and install the Kenton Midi retrofit Kits for an additional £850 GBP.

Items of Note on this CS80 for sale:
Most CS80’s have lost their ‘Pedals, Music Stand and Legs’ over the years, so we are unable to supply these original accessories to the new owner, and this example for sale does not have any either. However, this CS80 does come with the original lid, and we will supply a copy of the owners manual on PDF.

This CS80 operates on EU220V but can be converted to US110V if required (subject to quotation).

We can have the CS80 professionally packed (custom crated) and shipped pretty much anywhere in the world (subject to quotation).

Price: £22,000 GBP.

Availability: This CS80 is now SOLD as at 4th February 2019.

Picture of the actual CS80 for sale below. We took these in-situ at the KSR workshop in December 2018, where the CS80 currently is available to demo (upon request).