street priceD-50 is one of the most popular digital synthesizers not only ever created by Roland but ever emerged on the market. The 61-note velocity sensitive keyboard with aftertouch was released in 1987. It features 16-voice polyphony which becomes an 8 one in a split or a dual mode. The architecture offers bitimbrality, 32 oscillators providing 2 per voice while in dual or split mode there are 4 per voice available. The synthesis is based on Roland’s Linear Arithmetic technology combined with 8-bit PCM samples onboard. The structure includes 3 LFOs. The filter section is represented with a low pass resonant filter TVF (Time Variant Filter) while the amp is also defined as TVA. Memory stores up to 64 patches.
Roland D-50 received a TEC Award in 1988 beating Yamah DX7 in popularity and waiting for the Korg M1 to come and take its laurels already the next year. D-50 was among the first synths to offer digital chorus and reverb as well as to include sample-based sounds not being a rompler.
D-50 was also unique back then owing to its digital wave generating while many other synths used to fill their structures with complete PCM wave samples. D-50 used PCM to sample acoustic instrument attack nuances as well as delivered samples of famous analog synthesizers processed through the analog path LFO, filter, amp stages.
Tags: digital synthesizer
Country of origin / production: Japan
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| Usage area | |
|---|---|
| Synthesizer | |
| Archetype | |
| Digital (D) | |
| Polyphony | |
| Voices | 16 |
| Multi Timbral Capacity | 9 part(s) |
| Tone Generator / Sound Synthesis | |
| Oscillators overall | 32 |
| Oscillator Type | Digital |
| Technology of Sound Generation | PCM |
| Roland | |
| LAS (Linear Arithmetic Synthesis) | |
| Oscillators per voice | 2 |
| Programs/ Voices/ Timbres | |
| Patches | 64 |
| Filter | |
| Low-pass Filter (LPF) | |
| Resonance | |
| MIDI in/ out | |
| IN | |
| OUT | |
| THRU | |
| Keys | |
| Type | Synth Action |
| Velocity Sensitivity | |
| Aftertouch | |
| Size | 5 |
| Number of Keys | 61 |
| Built-in controllers | |
| Pitch Bend/ Modulation Lever | |
| Joystick | |
| External controllers | |
| Expression foot pedal | |
| Foot Switch | 2 |
| Hold | |
| External Control Panel | |
| Audio out | |
| Stereo | |
| All voices mixed in one output | |
| Analogue: 1/4" (6.35mm) | 2 |
| Analogue: 1/4" (6.35mm) headphones preamplified | 1 |
| Power | |
| Voltage | 230V |
| Voltage | 100V |
| Voltage | 115/117V |
| Power Supply | External |
| Dimensions | |
| Height | 94 mm |
| Width | 974 mm |
| Depth | 332 mm |
| Weight | 10.5 kg |
| Case/ body | |
| Plastic | |
| Metal&plastic | |
| Color | |
| Black | |
| Production start | 1987 |
| Production end | 1989 |
| Production ended | |
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