Roland SVC-350

Documentation on the Roland SVC-350 is thin, but the period press confirms what it was. It was a self-contained vocoder Roland sold in the early 1980s, aimed at studios and musicians who couldn't afford the earlier, pricier vocoders. Roland's spec-sheet advertising in Recording Engineer (December 1982, p.38) called it the first truly sophisticated vocoder priced within reach of most applications. The same "Incomparable Product" ad format ran in Mix Magazine (May 1983, p.69) and again in Recording Engineer (August 1983, p.83).

The most useful hands-on account is in Modern Recording (January 1982, p.56). The reviewer described the SVC-350's track/hold toggle. Press it down and it holds the current tone color for as long as the switch is depressed. The center position tracks the analyzed input continuously. Press it up and the color locks for up to several minutes. The same piece called the human-choir sounds exceptional and noticeably lusher than a Korg chorus unit. Residual noise was the main caveat.

What the period ads list for specifications:

• Program (mic) input: 1/4" phone jack or XLR, 600 Ω, −54 dBm min; level control with LED
• Instrument input: 1/4" phone jack, 100 kΩ
• Output jack; vocoder/bypass switch

Production years and original price are unconfirmed in the surviving record.

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