Roland SH-2

Roland SH-2 Image

The SH-2 is one of Rolands' early synthesizers. It is very simple in design, look and function. It sounds much like the SH-101 synth, including the typical SH-style sub-oscillator. But the SH-2 employed 2 oscillators for a much fatter sound. It has the typical Roland SH sound - it's a monophonic bass synth that's flexible enough to provoke punchy analog basses, leads and squelchy sounds. The oscillators can be de-tuned as well, another feature the popular SH-101 lacks. But it isn't very pretty to look at as it shares the same design and layout as the SH09. Still it makes a simple and easily programmable mono-synth that can be used in place of the more common SH-101. However the SH-2 is harder to find and so it usually has a higher price than other SH-type synthesizers from Roland. It has been used by Duran Duran, Groove Corporation, Eat Static, OMD, Men Without Hats, and the Eurythmics.

44 Visitor comments
Rex
May 2, 2013 @ 4:24 pm
It amazes me the 101 is somewhat more sought after than the Sh2. The 101 was cheap folks that's why it was adopted by the electronic community back in the day. Sh2 knocks its socks off in every way, beautiful bass, zany effects, lovely leads. Built like a tank!
highlander
April 28, 2013 @ 10:11 pm
Animal Collective used one too. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_They%27re_Gone,_Spirit_They%27ve_Vanished
Marcus
April 21, 2013 @ 6:03 am
Does anyone have a SH2 in very good condition for sale in or near London (UK) ?
please get in touch.
marcusjknight@googlemail.com
Webmaestro
March 22, 2013 @ 4:31 pm
I also have an SH-2 with a matching CSQ-100 digital sequencer for sale in the classifieds.
Hallu
March 15, 2013 @ 5:20 pm
Ernest - I am selling a Roland SH-2 in the VSE market place! There are pictures there to check out
 
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  • Demos & Media
  • YouTube Thumbnail
    Video 1
    - Roland SH-2 Monophonic Synthesizer Demo

    Audio Clip 1 - Hear some demo basslines, synths sounds and other fun stuff by the SH-2.

    Audio Clip 2 - Every sound including the Drums were created on the SH-2. Some external fx processing was used to "modernize" the sound. Submitted by Michael nil-x.

    Manual - Roland has made manuals for most of their products available as free PDF downloads.

  • Specifications
  • Polyphony - Monophonic
  • Oscillators - 2 VCO's + 1 Sub oscillator (waveforms: pulse, square, sawtooth, sine, noise)
  • Memory - None
  • Effects - LFO with sine, square and Sample & Hold; Auto-Bend
  • Filter - Resonant, self-oscillating 24dB lowpass filter, mod by EG, lfo and kybd tracking. External audio input
  • Arpeg/Seq - None
  • Keyboard - 37 keys
  • Control - CV / Gate
  • Date Produced - 1978 - 1979

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