Roland C-200 digital organ, pedalboard

Drop-Down MenusTop of Page

New Items

04/07/11

Testimonials

Used Instruments

10/19/2012

Lazar's Early Music

Bill Lazar

425 N. Whisman Rd., Ste. 200

Mountain View, CA 94043

(650) 938-5367

(866) 511-2981

(408) 705-1960 fax

Bill.Lazar@gmail.com

Roland C-30 Harpsichord

Accessories

Roland Classic Keyboards

Available

C-200 Specifications

C-200 Overview and Demo

C-200 Overview Video

C-200 Overview Video 2

C-200 Demo Video

C-200 Demo Video 2

Mouret's Rondeau

Largo from Handel's Xerxes

Sweelink's Malle Sijmen

The following sound clips show some of the potential of the C-200 with repertoire outside the Baroque and Classical.  The cuts explore orchestral potentials from individual instruments to string orchestra providing the backdrop to flourishes of (human) choral strains and some interesting syncopations showcasing Middle East modalities. They were performed by Len Friedman, recorded on one track with no stacking, from the internals speakers using a Zoom H3-HD recorder.  No pedalboard was used; the expression pedal was used for sustain; the split manual keyboard was used to get the layers of other instruments. Here is what Len Friedman has to say:

"The C-200 is not exactly a beginner's instrument.  I'd expect that at first glance, it would appeal only to musically literate individuals seeking to imitate and/or duplicate long established and revered sounds first encountered in houses of worship. As it happens, though, the story needs not end with that. What we have is something akin to an all-in-one office machine equivalent but in the music business.

There are voices available that miraculously duplicate a number of common instruments at the flip of two or three switches. It is easy enough to pair two or more instrument voices and arrange to feature them over a string orchestra by utilizing both manuals.

In short, we can summon forth a brilliant trumpet or flute or host of other popular voices while retaining all the virtues common to a conventional pipe organ. On top of that, this keyboard is an arranger's dream. As you'll hear on the clips below, strains of pastoral oboe song give way to a string orchestra or brass ensemble as easily as clouds seemingly play tag on a breezy day.

Nevertheless, I see this as an instrument appropriate for one who has some fairly solid grounding in music, be it through classical training or studies of jazz and related styles. And this is where the C-200 will stand out.

I've heard everything out there via Internet. Nothing produces more authentic voice qualities. Being able to assign voices to half the keyboard area while retaining ensemble characteristics in the other half makes this a composer's dream machine. Arrangers need to know what this can do. I see no limit as to what can be done."
 

Irish Lullaby I

Jazz Funk

Persian Trails

Buyer Feedback

Bill, My new organ (Roland C-200) arrived today on schedule. I've got it all setup at home and it sounds beautiful! I LOVE IT! Thank You! AW  07/12

Bill, The organ arrived yesterday afternoon. I looked at it in the cartons (keyboard & stand) for probably an hour before I decided it was time to put it together.  Packaging was extraordinary---everything was perfectly protected and while not labeled, all was as clear as could be desired in the paperwork accompanying the stand.  

The organ is much more professional in appearance than online photos suggest. The laminate surrounding the keyboard itself resembles a faux wood grain, probably meant to simulate red/brown mahogany. The speakers are located on the top surface. This tells me a person could place the instrument on a table in a pinch for a short performance time although I suspect air cooling from underneath would be an important consideration. 

The organ sounds very much like a pipe organ, of course. At first I was delighted and then the awful truth sank into my thick skull:  I'm going to have to unlock registration secrets if I'm to get the voicings I especially want! Horrors! 

Played and explored for awhile, then got away from it. Bedtime had me pecking away once again and I finally got a murky blues going with a walking bass that got so raunchy, even my wife had to get out of bed...probably thought I had a sexy lady out in the living room. I swear, it was "Casa Blanca" all over again but without the booze, the sultry smokey air and if anything, the atmosphere was about as subtly reverent as a church with a Pope lying in state. She was lavishing praises and I was shocked at what this thing will do. Going to bed was difficult as I was almost afraid I'd forget how to get the jazz voicing I so desperately needed and had uncovered. 

This morning I went after the oboe sound, having failed in my prior attempts the night earlier. Suddenly it was right there to be heard in all its glory. Mind you I was an oboist in jr. high, high school and then college. As an undergraduate, I earned part of my tuition by making oboe reeds which the college bookstore happily sold to professional players---so I know quality oboe sound. It's truly uncanny that Roland has been able to come up with the componentry that will yield such a unique tone quality. 

The trumpet will be my next goal. The tab labeled "trumpet" is more like a choking Farfisa organ tone out of the 1970's...suffocation might be pleasanter than having my neck squeezed if only to produce such an unstable, wobbly & colorless sound. So I just played Hector Olivera's YouTube offering of Mouret's "Rondeau" which opens with trumpets. This piece is the backbone offering for Public TV offerings in Texas, by the way, and is understandably appreciated not by the few but, instead, the many. I've got to reproduce it as I know it will be widely enjoyed. I stopped Hector's (Olivera) presentation, freezing the panel so I could copy the registration. He uses things I'm not clear on yet but at least I can begin to make some sense out of it. I'll get it, yet. 

This is probably the long way to tell you I'm loving the C-200. If there's any weakness in any of this at all, it's in my impatience to master a few things. There's a lot to learn, a lot to experience anew and then to learn from all of of it. The pedal board will help immensely as it will give me the third hand I need so even that will usher in a whole new playing field.. 

Have you any info on the C-110 (2.1 speaker system) yet? I'm thinking it will produce more extremes in the tonal spectrum---possibly mellow midrange sounds or more pointed highs. The pedal board comes with a swell pedal, I believe. If not, then we need to get one as it's absolutely essential. 

This is definitely a highlight of my musical life as I struggle to find a comfortable place in my senior chapter. The C-200 brings so much opportunity to recreate performance of classical stature right in a person's own living room! It's not possible to beat that, is it?  

Thank you for having done your part in making this possible, Bill.  LF, 2/12

Updates:

This morning I was able to replicate a clarinet voice with a wonderfully throaty bottom. I then contrasted it with a simple Irish sounding penny whistle tonal quality reminiscent of Celtic street music such as "line dancing." This is such great fun!

JA and I went out with Androids in hand in search of music manuscript so I can get down to transcribing some literature specifically for the organ...some baroque classics and show tunes, too. I love production numbers---these are larger scaled renditions of typically simple ballads or upbeat duple/triple meter tunes but set to a more classical orientation. I think many of these will work out great when I can produce various registrations at will without having to think about it. Today, for example, I combined the trumpet with the two lowest bass tabs and played that on the equivalent of manual #1 while I used a very muted and mellow flute-like voicing in manual #2. When that bored me I used the tone knob to the left and got a near-perfect oboe to cut like butter. Incredible fun, just mind boggling.

More: Bill, Just played a jazz session and absolutely loved every minute of it. This organ is beyond belief in so very many ways. I love it, I love it!
I'm hoping to send you a bit of improvisation once I'm comfortable with the instrument's formatting. One thing is for sure: this instrument will let a trained musician do things never before even thinkable. Cathedral sounds? Super funky blues with celesta and harpsichord? How about pure funk piano with a dash of reverb followed by totally straight nonsense right out of Bach's Tocatta & Fugue?
This is totally insane and I couldn't be happier.

More:  Bill, The organ is everything I could have wanted and more. It's going to mean a lot when the pedal board arrives...exciting.
I suspect most well trained musicians haven't a clue as to what can be done with a latter day digital pipe organ in terms of playing all sorts of jazz oriented genres and slipping easily from one specie to any other. It is unfortunate to picture how cubby-holed I might have remained were it not for having found the C-200 and you, too.

Bill, We received the (Roland) C-200 (digital organ). It is really wonderful. I played it for hours, and enjoyed it very much. DC, 09/11

Hi Bill, First let me say how wonderful it is to have the C-200 as part of our music program here at the parish. The Christmas concerts and Masses were truly enhanced by the creativity of my staff and their use of the C-200. DC, 12/11