Roland’s mantra is “We design the future,” so you might think that a new, dedicated ‘Future Design Lab’ would be unnecessary. Not so, it turns out, as the company has confirmed that it’s opening one up “to help design the future of music creation”.
It seems that, rather than simply creating innovative new instruments, this new R&D group will focus on emerging technologies. These include AI, WEB3, virtual and augmented reality, low-latency wireless connectivity and more.
As well as working on projects in house, we’re told that the team will actively seek feedback from music creators around the world. The Lab will be headed up by Paul McCabe, Roland’s senior vice president of research and innovation, a music composer himself and IT enthusiast to boot.
“We have entered one of the most exciting and dynamic moments in the history of creativity, where many new technologies are reshaping how we compose, produce, perform, and enjoy music,” says McCabe. “At Roland, we believe these technologies offer tremendous potential if applied responsibly.
“Roland Future Design Lab has been established to continue our leadership in music technology innovation and maintain our position as a driver of creative culture well into the future.”
The launch of the Future Design Lab follows Roland’s announcement of its 7 Principles for Music Creation with AI, which it worked on with Universal Music Group. These have already been adopted by more than 50 music tech brands, including Focusrite, Native Instruments, Splice, Output, Waves, and Eventide.
