Analogue Solutions Series 700 remakes Roland's System 700 from the original schematics

Analogue Solutions has opened pre-orders for the Series 700, a remake of Roland's System 700 modular from 1976 (Gearnews). The company says it set out to replicate the original "as closely as possible", keeping its look, layout and physical size (Analogue Solutions).

What is in the Series 700?

Gearnews lists six blocks with nine VCOs, multimode and lowpass filters, plenty of modulation, a three-channel 12-step analog sequencer and onboard effects (Gearnews). Analogue Solutions says almost every circuit was reproduced from the original schematics, with changes only where parts are discontinued and unobtainable. Knobs and slider caps were custom made, and switches and pots custom ordered. The one added feature is a basic single-channel MIDI-to-CV converter, mainly for syncing the sequencer; the company says it "resisted the urge to change the spec or feature set" (Analogue Solutions).

What does it cost and when does it ship?

No price is published. Gearnews expects it to be expensive. The maker sells complete systems and says buyers can also start with one block, such as the Main block, and add others later. Customer modules are being built and tested now, with shipping expected in late 2026 (Analogue Solutions).

For context, the company says original System 700s are rare and that second-hand examples "fetch over £150,000", usually as partial systems (Analogue Solutions). This is not its first big remake: it previously recreated the EMS Synthi 100 as the Colossus and the ARP 2500 as the TC5000 (Gearnews).

What we think

The hardware-clone economy has two tiers. At the bottom, cheap copies of classic monosynths compete on price. At the top, makers like Analogue Solutions rebuild instruments almost nobody can own, and compete on faithfulness. The Series 700 sits firmly at the top, and its pitch is honest: the value is that it is the same circuit, not a "reimagining".

The open question is price. If a remake costs a fraction of a £150,000 original, it moves the System 700 from museum piece to something a well-funded studio or university can actually play. That matters more than the nostalgia. Restraint is the other smart call: adding only MIDI-to-CV keeps the clone useful in a modern rig without blurring what it is.

Our advice: register interest if you want one, but wait for the price and a full module list before committing. A remake this specialised lives or dies on what a starting block costs.