Mark Tsuruta

Mark Tsuruta is an influential product engineer who led development teams at Ace Tone and Roland Corporation throughout much of his distinguished career. Born in Nara, Japan, Mark grew up playing guitar and was inspired early on by The Ventures. When faced with a broken electronic organ as a young musician, he successfully repaired the instrument — an experience that sparked both joy and a lifelong desire to support musicians by providing the tools they need to express themselves. In 1971, Mark was hired by Ikutaro Kakehashi to join Ace Tone, confirming he had found the career he was meant to pursue. The following year, when Kakehashi-san founded Roland, Mark became part of the team tasked with designing an affordable synthesizer, a project that resulted in the innovative HH-1000. Over the decades, Mark contributed to numerous technological advancements, including the development of MIDI and other industry standards. He played a central role in establishing Roland R&D Corporation, focusing on samplers and compact synthesizers, and later helped design guitar and bass amplifiers as well as the groundbreaking V-Drums after the formation of Roland Audio Development in 1995. As computers reshaped music creation, Mark embraced their potential while remaining guided by a simple question that defined his career: “What can I give the musician to help them?”