Digital Control Bus

DCB (Digital Control Bus, Digital Connection Bus or Digital Communication Bus in some sources) was a proprietary data interchange interface by Roland Corporation, developed in 1981 and introduced in 1982 in their Roland Juno-60 and Roland Jupiter-8 products. DCB functions were basically the same as MIDI, but unlike MIDI (which is capable of transmitting a wide array of information), DCB could provide note on/off and program change only. Data was relayed using a thick cable that connected to a port vaguely resembling a parallel port. DCB-to-MIDI adapters were produced for a number of early Roland products. The DCB interface was made in 2 variants, earlier one used 14-pin sockets and cables, later switching to standard DIN 5-pin plugs — connectors that became MIDI standard.