Ikutaro Kakehashi

, also known by the nickname Taro,

Early life Kakehashi was born on 7 February 1930 in Osaka, Japan. and he was raised by his grandparents. 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.

Roland

In 1972, Kakehashi founded the Roland Corporation, and led it for four decades. After Kakehashi realized microprocessors could be used to program drum machines, Roland launched the CR-78, the first microprocessor-driven programmable drum machine, in 1978. These 1970s Roland drum machines were used in disco, R&B, rock, and pop songs from the early 1970s to the early 1980s. in 1980. Kakehashi deliberately purchased faulty transistors that created the machine's distinctive "sizzling" sound. Although it was not an immediate commercial success, the 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine and became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic and hip hop genres.

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.

Boss

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.

MIDI

In the early 1980s, no standardized means of synchronizing electronic musical instruments manufactured by different companies existed, which Kakehashi felt was limiting the growth of the industry. He proposed developing a standard with representatives from Oberheim Electronics, Sequential Circuits, Yamaha, Korg and Kawai. but the protocol was named Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). Kakehashi and Dave Smith of Sequential Circuits unveiled MIDI in 1983. In 2013, Kakehashi and Smith received Technical Grammy Awards for their work. MIDI remains the industry standard. Kakehashi left Roland and founded ATV Corporation, an audiovisual electronics company. Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle, and was featured as a biography in the book The Art of Digital Music. As of 2002, Kakehashi was awarded about 50 patents, since the 1960s. describing it as the "rock guitar of hip hop". In 2017, Electronic Musician magazine listed thirty of his instruments and innovations that have influenced popular music over the course of fifty years.