Roland GR-700, G-707, and GR-77B
Front and back panel of the GR-700, as shown in the 1984 Roland GR-700 and G-707 Brochure.
The GR-700 Guitar Synthesizer, G-707 Guitar Controller, released in late 1984, and the GR-77B Bass Guitar Synthesizer, released around a year later, from the Roland Corporation.
The device names and model numbers are typeset in Earth, with altered A’s and a slightly different G. Numbers are also slightly different to those seen in listings. These may be yet unseen alternate glyphs or modifications. Earth was also used for the device names and numbers on many other Roland products released around the mid-1980s. Other text featured in the brochure and on the devices appears to be set in Helvetica. The type in the Roland logo, designed by Takuji Tomita and in use since 1972, is set in Univers 53.
Front cover of the 1984 GR-700 and G-707 Brochure. Model names are typeset in Earth. Note different A and G used.
Detail from the GR-77B
The GR-700 compared to the GR-77B. Note the different A’s used on each model, potentially constructed from an inverted U or V, or maybe unseen alternate glyphs included in Earth.
3 Comments on “Roland GR-700, G-707, and GR-77B”
Thanks for posting. I had one of these. There was a terrible latency when you played the note till you heard the actual tone.
I remember reading somewhere that I can’t find anymore, that this font was designed in Japan for Roland. Certainly based on Earth, but I think it was called “RBIO”.
Maniackers Design/Masayumi Sato designed new digital versions for Roland in 2009, called “RBIO-09R” and “RBIO-09DB”. These versions are somehow lighter and slightly different from the Earth-inspired original ones found on the 1980s machines.
They credit in a Flickr post that the original design is by Shigehiro Yamada/Roland Corporation Design Room, and they also mention a previous version from 1995–96 with variants “RBIO – REGULAR” & “RBIO – DEMI BOLD”. It is not clear if Yamada designed the original Earth spin-off or this previous 1990s version. I’m sure there might be someone in Japan at Roland who can explain better.
Another font from Roland machines that always made me curious is this other one used on the TB-303 (where it says Bass Line), on the TR-606 (where it says Drumatix) and also on the BOSS Dr. Rhythm DR-55 drum machine (see images below).
Years ago, I also found this Fontlab screenshot of what seems to be a (not fully developed) font at some online forum, but lost track if it was more of a homage to the original on the machines (seems so).