A Love–Hate Letter to Roland (and Friends)

This post may land me in a world of hate—but I’m going for it anyway.

Before you stop reading, close the tab, or shut off the video, give me a moment to explain. This probably isn’t the rant you think it’s going to be. Or maybe it is—but I hope you’ll hear me out.

This isn’t a “Roland is terrible” post. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. It’s about my love–hate relationship with Roland—and, to be fair, a few other companies as well.

The Baseline: When Companies Get It Right

Let’s start with what works.

When I purchased my Universal Audio Volt 476, it came with the required USB-C adapter. Universal Audio didn’t assume I’d dig through a drawer looking for an old phone charger or hope something random would work. Everything I needed was in the box. Plug it in. Done.

When I bought the Native Instruments Maschine+, it came with a USB cable, power adaptor and an SSD—ready to go out of the box.

My Akai Force? Same story. It includes the power adaptor, 3.5mm-to-standard 5 pin MIDI adapters. They didn’t assume I had some lying around at my grandmother’s house.

Even the recent Behringer monosynths I picked up came with the power adaptor and everything needed to connect to Eurorack—whether that was my intention or not—plus patch cables.

In all of these cases, the message was simple: we want you making music immediately.

The Love Part: Why I Keep Coming Back to Roland

Before I get into my frustrations, I want to be very clear about something.

I love Roland.

Before entering my college music department, my dream piano was a Roland digital piano. I adored that instrument. When it started to age and things went wrong, I didn’t throw it out—I ordered replacement parts and spent hours nursing it back to health.

I currently own a Roland FA-06. I came close to buying a Roland Gaia II. And as I write this, I’m already thinking seriously about what my next Roland synth might be.

So yes—the love part is real. I keep coming back. We clearly have history.

The Frustration: When the Box Isn’t Enough

Now… here’s where things get complicated.

I purchased the SP-404MKII. Great sampler. Powerful. Inspiring. But:

• It requires a USB-C cable to connect to a computer — not included
  
• It uses 3.5mm MIDI jacks to standard 5-pin MIDI — adapters not included
  
• Updating it (at least when I bought it) required an SD card — not included
  

This is a sampler that costs over $600 CAD, and it doesn’t include:

• A USB cable
  
• MIDI adapters
  
• Even a tiny SD card just to get started
  

Yes, SD cards are cheap. Yes, not everyone uses 5-pin MIDI. That’s not the point.

The Bigger Issue: Ownership vs Permission

This concern gets bigger when we move up the product line.

Take Roland’s Fantom-0 series. One of the selling points is access to Roland Cloud—downloading sounds, expansions, even paid vintage emulations that can cost $200+ CAD each.

Here’s the catch:
Those sounds must periodically “handshake” with Roland Cloud to remain usable.

So let’s be clear:

• You buy a $2,000+ keyboard
  
• You buy $1,000+ worth of expansions
  
• And if Roland ever shuts down or changes Roland Cloud… those sounds can disappear
  

There’s no permanent license code. No “I bought this, leave me alone.” You’re tethered to the internet to keep what you already paid for.

Ableton has flirted with similar territory. Buy a Push 3 for a couple of grand, then spend another $600+ to unlock Ableton Suite to really use it. Yes, it works out of the box—but again, that’s not the point.

This Isn’t About Cost—It’s About Experience

I know all the counterarguments:

• The Fantom works perfectly fine with its stock sounds
  
• SD cards are cheap
  
• Not everyone needs MIDI
  
• Push works with Live Lite
  

All true.

But this comes down to customer experience.

Supplying a few adapters likely costs manufacturers pennies. Including basic software access—or at least a generous grace period—builds trust and loyalty. And loyalty sells products.

Just ask Akai and their decades-long MPC fanbase.

So which experience do you prefer?

• Buy expensive gear and get an all-inclusive, ready-to-create setup
  
• Or buy expensive gear and then head back to the store to make it usable
  

The Inevitable Ending

Despite all of this…

I will probably buy another Roland product.

That’s the truth.

Because the instruments themselves? They’re still inspiring. Still beautifully designed. Still deeply musical.

I just wish the experience around them matched the brilliance of what they create.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go to the store and buy another Roland something.