Roland Atelier
Landmark Organ Sound, Performance, and Luxury
Roland AtelierLandmark Organ Sound, Performance, and Luxury
The Roland Atelier represents the epitome of the organ maker’s art. It also represents the fulfillment of a dream for Ikutaro Kakehashi, the founder of Roland Corporation.
Mr. Kakehashi has had a lifelong fascination with the sound of the electronic organ. Although not an organist himself, he loves the sound and wonderful music which these amazing instruments create.
As an engineer, he was intrigued by how the sound was made and how the instruments were designed and manufactured. This led to Mr. Kakehashi’s first manufacturing company, Ace Electronics. The Ace Tone organs became very popular throughout Japan and around the world, which led to a unique partnership with the famous American company, Hammond Organs. During this partnership, Mr. Kakehashi created many interesting features and models for Hammond.
In 1972, Mr. Kakehashi founded Roland Corporation. From the start, one of his goals was to eventually create the finest electronic organ possible. Over the next two decades, Roland became famous for its synthesizers, digital pianos and other electronic instruments, but Mr. Kakehashi never lost sight of his goal to create the world’s finest electronic organ. Mr. Kakehashi literally “banked” some of the best sounds and most attractive features which were being developed.
In 1994, the time was right and he was able to take all those sounds and all those features and introduce the first Atelier model: the AT-70. That introduction created an entirely new generation of organ enthusiasts and famous performers. No one had ever heard an electronic organ sound like that. The reason was simple: there had never been an electronic organ with so many unique features and extraordinary sounds.
The new Roland Atelier quickly attracted the world’s top players — like Hector Olivera, Rosemary Bailey, Tony Fenelon and Yuri Tachibana, to name just a few. The Atelier series offered an endless “palette” of tonal colors for these artists to explore and create new musical experiences.
Dennis M. Houlian, Chairman, Roland Corporation U.S.
Now, 16 years later, the latest series of Atelier models has the most current, state-of-the-art technology and more realistic, lifelike voices than ever before. The Atelier series perfectly embodies one of Roland Corporation’s slogans: “Be the best, not the biggest.” The Roland Atelier organs really are the best when it comes to digital music making for the home. Whether you are an experienced organist or just starting out with this rewarding hobby, there is a Roland Atelier model perfectly suited for your needs.
The next time you sit down to enjoy your Roland Atelier, remember Mr. Kakehashi’s lifelong dream. We think you’ll agree that he has not only fulfilled that dream, but he has exceeded it! Now, every time you hear or play the Roland Atelier, you can enjoy that dream for yourself.
For additional information or dealer location, Contact Roland.