This week's Fess' Find is a original, well-preserved Roland MRS-2 ProMars, a monosynth that many consider to be among the best. It comes with its original hard case and is in good condition.
This handsome kit was far ahead of its time: released originally in 1979, the ProMars MRS-2 Compuphonic stood out because it was one of the first analog synthesizers to use microprocessor control. It relies on an Intel 8048 processor to control its analog components all while offering 10 presets and 10 user-programmable patch memory slots.
Used by the likes of Vangelis and Depeche Mode, the synth was particularly beloved by electronic music pioneer Don Lewis, an innovative instrument designer who was instrumental in the development of several Roland products. The ProMars was merely one of many cutting-edge synthesizers in his infamous LEO system.
Let's now get into the nitty-gritty of the ProMars itself: it was originally designed to complement the Jupiter-4—its architecture is similar to a single voice from that synthesizer and some circuit boards can be interchanged between the two. However, unlike the Jupiter-4, the ProMars has two oscillators per voice with sawtooth and pulse waveforms that can be adjusted for detuning. Additionally, there are low-pass and band-pass filters with their own ADSR envelope, a typical VCA envelope section, LFO, and a pitch/mod wheel that could affect the LFO, VCF, or VCA.
With a meticulous restoration as pristine as the day it left the factory, this legendary synth is worth adding to your Watch List and making an offer on.