Ikutaro Kakehashi, known by the nickname Taro, was a Japanese engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur.
24 Facts About Ikutaro Kakehashi
1.
2.
Ikutaro Kakehashi founded the musical instrument manufacturers Ace Tone, Roland Corporation, and Boss Corporation, and the audiovisual electronics company ATV Corporation.
3.
Ikutaro Kakehashi founded Roland in 1972 and was involved in the development of various influential electronic instruments, such as the TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines and the TB-303 and Juno-60 synthesizers, in addition to Boss guitar amplifiers and effects pedals.
4.
Ikutaro Kakehashi was key to the development of MIDI, a technical standard that connects a wide variety of electronic instruments, in the 1980s; in 2013, Kakehashi received a Technical Grammy Award, shared with Dave Smith of Sequential, for the invention of MIDI.
5.
Ikutaro Kakehashi was born on 7 February 1930 in Osaka, Japan.
6.
Ikutaro Kakehashi's parents died of tuberculosis during his early childhood, and he was raised by his grandparents.
7.
In 1947, aged 16, Ikutaro Kakehashi founded the Ikutaro Kakehashi Clock Store, a watch-repair shop.
8.
In 1954, Ikutaro Kakehashi opened the Ikutaro Kakehashi Radio electrical appliance store.
9.
Ikutaro Kakehashi had no musical training, and wanted musical instruments to be accessible for both professionals and amateurs like himself.
10.
Ikutaro Kakehashi wanted them to be inexpensive, intuitive, small, and simple.
11.
Ikutaro Kakehashi constructed his first 49-key monophonic organ in 1959, specifically designed to be playable by anyone, with no musical skill necessary.
12.
In 1960, Ikutaro Kakehashi founded Ace Electronic Industries Inc In 1964, he developed the first fully transistorized electronic drum instrument, the R1 Rhythm Ace, which was exhibited at Summer NAMM 1964.
13.
In 1972, Ikutaro Kakehashi founded the Roland Corporation, and led it for four decades.
14.
Ikutaro Kakehashi went on to have a big impact on popular music, and did more to shape electronic music than any other company.
15.
Ikutaro Kakehashi deliberately purchased faulty transistors that created the machine's distinctive "sizzling" sound.
16.
In 1994, Ikutaro Kakehashi founded the Roland Foundation and became chairman.
17.
In 2002, Ikutaro Kakehashi published an autobiography, I Believe in Music.
18.
In 1973, Ikutaro Kakehashi founded Boss Corporation, a subsidiary of Roland that produces amplifiers and effects units for electric guitar and bass guitar players.
19.
Ikutaro Kakehashi proposed developing a standard with representatives from Oberheim Electronics, Sequential Circuits, Yamaha, Korg and Kawai.
20.
Ikutaro Kakehashi favored the name Universal Musical Interface, pronounced you-me, but the protocol was named Musical Instrument Digital Interface.
21.
In 2013, after a clash with management, Ikutaro Kakehashi left Roland and founded ATV Corporation, an audiovisual electronics company.
22.
In 1991, Ikutaro Kakehashi was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music for his contribution to the development and popularization of electronic instruments.
23.
In 2002, Ikutaro Kakehashi published an autobiography, I Believe In Music, and was featured as a biography in the book The Art of Digital Music.
24.
In 2013, Ikutaro Kakehashi received a Technical Grammy Award, shared with Dave Smith of Sequential Circuits, for the invention of MIDI.