| abstract
| - This is a (possibly incomplete) list of the many monophonic synths produced by Roland. They are listed in roughly the order of model introduction. Most date from the 1970s and were introduced prior to the Jupiter-4, which was Roland's first polyphonic synth.
* SH-1000: Introduced in 1973, this was Roland's first synth (the company produced some drum machine models previous to this). Roland claims that it was the first synth produced in Japan. It was a hybrid preset synth with ten factory presets and a manual mode, in which parameter control was transferred to the cluster of tightly grouped knobs and sliders on a panel to the left of the keyboard. As was the style of some similar models of the time, it was intended to be used as an adjunct to an organ, and so had all on-off settings in the form of organ-like tabs that protruded from the front edge of the case (and got broken off when the unit was handled roughly). The architecture consisted of a single VCO with several sub-oscillator choices), one VCF, one VCA, two LFOs, and a noise source. Production numbers are unknown, but Roland did keep it in production until 1981.
* SH-2000: An "improved" model of the SH-1000, with more presets but fewer editable parameters. Notable for its aftertouch sensitive keyboard, one of the first self-contained synths to have one. Produced at about the same time as the SH-1000.
* SH-3/3a: This was a single-VCO, single-VCF, single-VCA synth notable mainly for its rather unique VCO configuration, which permitted a crude form of additive synthesis. The VCO was capable of outputting five signals simultaneously, each one octave apart. For each, the user could choose a square, pulse, or sawtooth waveform, and then mix in the desired level with a slider. All of the patch controls were on a panel to the left of the keyboard, like the SH-1000 or 2000 but without the organ tabs protruding from the front of the case. The synth came built into a road case. The 3a model, introduced at some point in the production run, changed out the original diode ladder VCF circuit for a transistor ladder. Produced about 1973-1978.
* SH-5: A higher-end model above the SH-3. Known as the "two of everything" synth, because it included two VCOs, two VCFs, two VCAs, two LFOs, and two envelope generators. It was also one of the few Roland models to be equipped with a ring modulator. It established the Roland habit of avoiding model numbers containing the digit '4', which traditionally is considered bad luck in Japan. Produced 1976-1981.
* SH-7: An improved version of the SH-5; it added a duophonic keyboard and improved VCOs, but only had one LFO. Produced 1978-1981.
* SH-09: A small and inexpensive synth with one VCO, one VCF, and limited routing options. Produced about 1978-1982.
* SH-101: The follow-on to the SH-09 which added, among other things, an arpeggiator and sequencer unit. The packaging was somewhat odd; it is known to have been produced in four different case colors (red, blue, gray, and white). A hand grip, containing a pitch wheel and pressure sensor, could be added on to the left side to make it a keytar. It was capable of being powered by batteries. Produced 1983-1986.
* Driftbox-R: A very small monophonic synth in a knob-laden tabletop package. It is controlled via a CV/gate interface. Produced in limited quantities in 2015. The SH-32, SH-201, and SH-01 Gaia are not monophonic, despite the nomenclature.
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