Roland MC-8 Microcomposer

[1][6] The MicroComposer could precisely adjust multiple sound producing and effects elements of a synthesizer, such as the VCO, VCF, and other voltage-controlled components very rapidly, which is nearly impossible to do manually by a performer.

[7] Roland switched to the then brand new Intel 8080A 8-bit microprocessor and increased the RAM from 512 bytes to 16KB, allowing storage of over 5,300 notes,[8] which could be entered via the calculator keyboard (the preferred method) or recorded in real-time (not so easy).

[9][10] At the time, Billboard noted that the use of such computer-based technology in conjunction with synthesizers allowed Yellow Magic Orchestra to create new sounds that were not possible until then.

[12] The German electronic music group Tangerine Dream also used the MC-8 on their album Force Majeure, recorded August to September 1978 at Hansa no.3 studio in Berlin.

Most of the album From the Tea-rooms of Mars (1981) was made this way and Burgess produced many other tracks this way including the European club hit "Angel Face" (1980) for the group Shock.