Jump to content

Ikutaro Kakehashi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ikutaro Kakehashi
Thang úc quá lang
Born(1930-02-07)7 February 1930
Osaka, Japan
Died1 April 2017(2017-04-01)(aged 87)
NationalityJapanese
Occupation(s)Engineer, entrepreneur
Years active1947–2017
Known forFounder ofAce Tone,Roland,Bossand ATV
Notable workElectronic musical instruments,MIDI,guitar amplifiers,effectsunits

Ikutaro Kakehashi(Thang úc quá lang,Kakehashi Ikutarō,7 February 1930 – 1 April 2017),also known by the nicknameTaro,[1]was a Japanese engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He founded the musical instrument manufacturersAce Tone,Roland CorporationandBoss Corporation,and the audiovisual electronics company ATV Corporation.

Kakehashi founded Ace Tone in 1960 to produceelectronic organsand earlydrum machines.He founded Roland in 1972 and was involved in the development of various influential electronic instruments, such as theTR-808andTR-909drum machines and theTB-303andJuno-60synthesizers, in addition to Bossguitar amplifiersandeffects pedals.He was also key to the development ofMIDI,a technical standard that connects a wide variety of electronic instruments, in the 1980s; in 2013, Kakehashi received aTechnical Grammy Award,shared withDave SmithofSequential,for the invention of MIDI. Kakehashi's inventions are credited with shapingpopular musicgenres such aselectronic,dance,hip hop,R&B,rockandpop music.[2][1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Early life

[edit]

Kakehashi was born on 7 February 1930 inOsaka,Japan.[2]His parents died oftuberculosisduring his early childhood,[11]and he was raised by his grandparents.[2]Much of his childhood was spent studyingelectrical engineeringand working in theHitachishipyards of Osaka.[11]DuringWorld War II,with no music lessons, Kakehashi became interested in radio as a way of listening to music,[2]and his home was destroyed by American bombing.[2]Following the war, in 1946, he failed to get into auniversityon health grounds, and moved to the southern island ofKyushu.[11]

Career

[edit]

In 1947, aged 16, Kakehashi founded the Kakehashi Clock Store, a watch-repair shop. He soon began repairing radios.[11]He later returned to Osaka to attend university. During a mass food shortage, he contracted tuberculosis and spent several years in asanitarium,where he became aclinical trialtest patient for anexperimental medicineantibioticdrug,streptomycin,which improved his condition.[2][11]In 1954, Kakehashi opened the Kakehashi Radio electrical appliance store. In his spare time, he repairedelectronic organsand created prototype organs throughout the 1950s.

At 28, he decided to devote himself to music and pursuit of the idealelectronic musical instrument.Kakehashi had no musical training, and wanted musical instruments to be accessible for both professionals and amateurs like himself. He also wanted them to be inexpensive, intuitive, small, and simple. He constructed his first 49-keymonophonicorgan in 1959, specifically designed to be playable by anyone, with no musical skill necessary. The focus on miniaturization, affordability, and simplicity later became fundamental to product development at Roland.[2]

Ace Tone

[edit]
Main article:Ace Tone

In 1960, Kakehashi foundedAce Electronic Industries Inc.In 1964, he developed the first fullytransistorizedelectronic druminstrument, the R1 Rhythm Ace, which was exhibited at theSummer NAMM Conventionin 1964. It was a push-button device that was manually hand-operated in a manner similar to modern electronic drum pads. It was not commercialized in North America due to its lack of automated preset rhythms, so Kakehashi began work on fully transistorized electronic rhythm machine.[8][11]

In 1967, Kakehashi patented the "Automatic Rhythm Performance Device"drum machine,a preset rhythm-pattern generator using diode matrix circuit, a drum machine whereby a "plurality of inverting circuits and/or clipper circuits are connected to a counting circuit to synthesize the output signal of the counting circuit" and the "synthesized output signal becomes a desired rhythm".[12]Ace Tone popularized the use of drum machines, with the FR-1 Rhythm Ace finding its way intopopular musicstarting in the late 1960s.[13]

Roland

[edit]
Main article:Roland Corporation

In 1972, Kakehashi founded theRoland Corporation,and led it for four decades.[1]While their rival companiesMoogandARPtargeted professional musicians and academics, Kakehashi, who had no musical training, wanted to appeal to amateurs and hobbyists, and focused on miniaturization, affordability and simplicity.[2]Roland had a major impact on popular music and had more influence onelectronic musicthan any other company.[11]

At Roland, he continued his work on the development of drum machines. Roland's first drum machine was theRoland TR-77,released in 1972.[14]After Kakehashi realizedmicroprocessorscould be used to program drum machines,[15]Roland launched theCR-78,the firstmicroprocessor-driven programmable drum machine, in 1978.[16]These 1970s Roland drum machines were used indisco,R&B,rock,andpop songsfrom the early 1970s to the early 1980s.[14]

During the 1980s and 1990s, Roland released several instruments that have had a lasting influence on popular music.[1]Roland launched theTR-808,the first fully programmable drum machine,[17]in 1980.[18]Kakehashi deliberately purchased faultytransistorsthat created the machine's distinctive "sizzling" sound.[19]Although it was not an immediate commercial success, the 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine[20]and became a cornerstone of the emergingelectronicandhip hopgenres.[21]

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 anautobiography,I Believe in Music.His second book,An Age Without Samples: Originality and Creativity in the Digital World,was published in 2017.[22]

Boss

[edit]
Main article:Boss Corporation

In 1973, Kakehashi foundedBoss Corporation,a subsidiary of Roland that producesamplifiersandeffects unitsforelectric guitarandbass guitarplayers. Boss effects units became thede factostandard of guitar effects for decades, with many guitarists relying on them for sonic experimentation.[10]Boss amplifiers and effects units have had a significant impact on the development ofrock musicsince the 1970s.[10][23]

MIDI

[edit]
Main article:MIDI

In the early 1980s, nostandardizedmeans of synchronizingelectronic musical instrumentsmanufactured by different companies existed,[24]which Kakehashi felt was limiting the growth of the industry.[25]He proposed developing a standard with representatives fromOberheim Electronics,Sequential Circuits,Yamaha,KorgandKawai.[24]Kakehashi favored the name Universal Musical Interface (UME), pronouncedyou-me,[26]but the protocol was named Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI).[27]: 4 Kakehashi andDave Smithof Sequential Circuits unveiled MIDI in 1983.[28][29]MIDI allowed communication between different instruments andgeneral-purpose computersto play a role in music production.[30]In 2013, Kakehashi and Smith receivedTechnical Grammy Awardsfor their work.[31][32][33]MIDI remains the industry standard.[26]

ATV

[edit]

In 2013, after a clash with management,[34]Kakehashi left Roland and founded ATV Corporation, an audiovisual electronics company.[22]His final project at ATV was the aFrame, an "electro-organic" percussion instrument played like ahand drum.[22]

Death

[edit]

Kakehashi died in April 2017, aged 87.[6][35][10]Tributes came from musicians such as Tommy Snyder ofGodiego,[36]Chris CarterofThrobbing Gristle,[36]Samantha Ronson,Matthew Herbert,Marc AlmondofSoft Cell,Martyn Wareof theHuman League,and producerPaul Epworth.[1]Moog Musicdescribed him as a "model of resilience and a genuine trailblazer",[1]andDave SmithofSequentialwrote that he was "just an amazing man, a good friend, a very good competitor of course, and just innovative continually all that time".[1]

Legacy

[edit]
Kakehashi's handprints atRockWalk,Hollywood, California

In 1991, Kakehashi was awarded anhonorary doctoratefromBerklee College of Musicfor his contribution to the development and popularization of electronic instruments. The Bentley-branded Rhythm Ace inspired the 1997 Birmingham bandBentley Rhythm Acewhen a model was found at acar boot sale.

In 2000, Kekahashi left his handprints atHollywood's RockWalkinHollywood.In 2002, Kakehashi published an autobiography,I Believe In Music,[37]and was featured as a biography in the bookThe Art of Digital Music.As of 2002, Kakehashi was awarded about 50patents,since the 1960s.[37]: 283 In 2005, he was awarded the title of professor emeritus of the Central Music College of China and the University of Glamorgan.

In 2013, Kakehashi received aTechnical Grammy Award,shared with Dave Smith of Sequential Circuits, for the invention ofMIDI.[2]The 2015 documentary film808documented the impact that hisRoland TR-808drum machinehad onpopular musicandpopular culture,[38]describing it as the "rock guitarofhip hop".[39]In 2017,Electronic Musicianmagazine listed thirty of his instruments and innovations that have influenced popular music over the course of fifty years.[29]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • I Believe in Music(2002)
  • An Age Without Samples(2017)

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdefgMcKee, Ruth; Grierson, Jamie (2 April 2017)."Roland founder and music pioneer Ikutaro Kakehashi dies aged 87".The Guardian.Retrieved29 May2017.
  2. ^abcdefghiThe life and times of Ikutaro Kakehashi, the Roland pioneer modern music owes everything to,Fact
  3. ^Pareles, Jon (3 April 2017)."Ikutaro Kakehashi, Engineer Behind Revolutionary Drum Machine, Dies at 87".The New York Times.Retrieved29 May2017.
  4. ^Creative Media (2 April 2017)."BBC World Service tribute to the founder of Roland Corporation".Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-13.Retrieved29 May2017– via YouTube.
  5. ^Ikutaro Kakehashi, Founder of Roland and Developer of the TR-808, Has Died at Age 87,Vice
  6. ^ab"Roland Founder Ikutaro Kakehashi Has Died".Synthtopia.April 2017.Retrieved1 April2017.
  7. ^Ikutaro Kakehashi, Roland Founder and Music Pioneer, Dies at 87,Spin
  8. ^abReid, Gordon (2004),"The History Of Roland Part 1: 1930–1978",Sound on Sound(November),retrieved19 June2011
  9. ^Anderson, Jason (27 November 2008)."Slaves to the rhythm".CBC News.Retrieved16 January2017.
  10. ^abcd"Tribute: Ikutaro Kakehashi and Roland's Impact on Music".reverb.5 April 2017.Retrieved29 May2017.
  11. ^abcdefg"The 14 drum machines that shaped modern music".22 September 2016.Retrieved29 May2017.
  12. ^US patent 3651241,Ikutaro Kakehashi (Ace Electronics Industries, Inc.), "Automatic Rhythm Performance Device", issued 1972-03-21
  13. ^Russell Hartenberger (2016),The Cambridge Companion to Percussion,page 84,Cambridge University Press
  14. ^abMike Collins (2014),In the Box Music Production: Advanced Tools and Techniques for Pro Tools,page 320,CRC Press
  15. ^Kirn, Peter (2011).Keyboard Presents the Evolution of Electronic Dance Music.Backbeat Books.ISBN978-1-61713-446-3.
  16. ^Gordon Reid (Nov 2004)."The History Of Roland Part 1: 1930-1978".Sound on Sound.Retrieved2011-06-19.
  17. ^Contemporary Keyboard,Volume 7, Issues 1-6,1981: "The Roland TR-808 will undoubtedly become the standard for rhythm machines of the future because it does what no rhythm machine of the past has ever done. Not only does the TR-808 allow programming of individual rhythm patterns, it can also program the entire percussion track of a song from beginning to end, complete with breaks, rolls, literally anything you can think of."
  18. ^"Everything you ever wanted to know about the Roland TR-808 but were afraid to ask".Fact.16 January 2014.Retrieved16 January2017.
  19. ^Norris, Chris (13 August 2015)."The 808 heard round the world".The New Yorker.Retrieved16 January2017.
  20. ^Wells, Peter (2004),A Beginner's Guide to Digital Video,AVA Books, p. 18,ISBN2-88479-037-3,retrieved20 May2011
  21. ^Anderson, Jason (27 November 2008)."Slaves to the rhythm".CBC News.Retrieved16 January2017.
  22. ^abcPareles, Jon (4 April 2017)."Ikutaro Kakehashi, Engineer Behind Revolutionary Drum Machine, Dies at 87".The New York Times.Retrieved2018-09-06.
  23. ^"Boss HM-2: more than a Myth, the story of the Swedish Sound - Guitariste-Metal"(in French). 2016-03-16.Retrieved2016-07-18.
  24. ^abChadabe, Joel(1 May 2000)."Part IV: The Seeds of the Future".Electronic Musician.XVI(5). Penton Media. Archived fromthe originalon 28 September 2012.
  25. ^Kirn, Peter (2011).Keyboard Presents the Evolution of Electronic Dance Music.Backbeat Books.ISBN978-1-61713-446-3.Archivedfrom the original on 1 February 2017.
  26. ^ab"The life and times of Ikutaro Kakehashi, the Roland pioneer modern music owes everything to".FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music.2017-04-02.Retrieved2018-09-06.
  27. ^Huber, David Miles (1991).The MIDI Manual.Carmel, Indiana: SAMS.ISBN9780672227578.
  28. ^Chadabe, Joel(1 May 2000)."Part IV: The Seeds of the Future".Electronic Musician.XVI(5). Penton Media. Archived fromthe originalon 28 September 2012.
  29. ^abPrève, Francis (2017-04-03)."The 30 Top Instruments and Innovations of Roland's Ikutaro Kakehashi (1930-2017)".Electronic Musician.Penton Media. Archived fromthe originalon 2017-04-04.
  30. ^Russ, Martin (2012).Sound Synthesis and Sampling.CRC Press.p. 192.ISBN978-1136122149.Retrieved26 April2017.
  31. ^"Technical GRAMMY Award: Ikutaro Kakehashi And Dave Smith".Archivedfrom the original on 22 August 2016.Retrieved31 August2016.
  32. ^"Ikutaro Kakehashi, Dave Smith: Technical GRAMMY Award Acceptance".9 February 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 9 December 2014.Retrieved31 August2016.
  33. ^Vail, Mark (2014).The Synthesizer.New York: Oxford University Press. p. 56.ISBN978-0-19-539481-8.
  34. ^Yamada, Yūichiro (2014-07-04)."ローランド tổng sẽ ､ người dựng nghiệp と xã trưởng が kích しい ứng thù ｢これは thừa っ lấy り｣｢いや､ cấu tạo cải cách の ためだ｣"[Roland's founder and president fiercely exchanged at the general meeting "This is a takeover" "No, it's for structural reform" ].Toyo Keizai.
  35. ^"Ikutaro Kakehashi: Roland founder and music pioneer dies aged 87".BBC News Online.Retrieved3 April2017.
  36. ^ab"Synthesizer pioneer Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of Roland, dies at 87 | The Japan Times".The Japan Times.Retrieved2018-09-06.
  37. ^abKakehashi, Ikutaro; Olsen, Robert (2002).I Believe in Music: Life Experiences and Thoughts on the Future of Electronic Music by the Founder of the Roland Corporation.Hal Leonard Corporation.ISBN0-634-03783-8.
  38. ^Watch a Trailer for a New Documentary About the Roland TR-808 Drum Machine,Spin
  39. ^"SXSW Preview: New Film Looks at the 808 Drum Machine – 'The Rock Guitar of Hip-Hop'".Billboard.Retrieved2016-11-17.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ikutaro_Kakehashi&oldid=1243575764"