Vintage Synth Explorer

Roland • D-20

The D-20 makes a great budget or alternative D-50. It's more closely related to the D-10 and D-110 synthesizers but adds an 8-voice sequencer with a rhythm track. The D-20 is a digital synth that employs linear arithmetic synthesis (LAS). It's a confusing synthesis / editing method composed of tones, partials and timbres. Basically it all boils down to tricky programming which, if you know what your doing, can have interesting and unique results. Reverb effects and internal / external memory storage are also available on the D-20. Definitely worth a listen.

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Pug

Posted 5 days ago

Basic LA synth, i had one for a few years. Its a low cost D50 but it does sound ok. The synthesis is typical LA. it will not make fat sounds and the analog emulation is very old fashioned. The sequencer is very basic (no copy/editing/paste of sections of track). It records and deletes and thats about it!.
Any soft synth out shines this now sonically. but you have a synth and a bit of history.
At the time it was a poor man's Korg M1.

Michael

Posted 62 days ago

Just thought i post this is a Vid of a song i did on the Rolands Sequencer to like prove how good it is or somthing lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1tXpta-ih8

LiqMat

Posted 129 days ago

A very underrated keyboard in my opinion. I produced entire song productions on this keyboard back in the late 80's. I also paired this up with an Ensoniq EPS sampler keyboard and the two together were all I needed in the studio. The sequencer on the D-20 was easy to use and actually quite powerful. I only wished it had sampling capabilities at the time. That really would have put it over the edge. The sounds on it were great. It had very intuitive workflow overall.

Michael

Posted 146 days ago

My first ever synth its good and i agree with Izera it has some funky drum beats and good sounds the D50 is better but this is the great one if you have no money and you wanna something like a D50. if you get a couple of these and some D10s you could have a real blast XD

Izera Stephen

Posted 169 days ago

Martin pretty much summed it up in the last post.
I do like the drum sounds and some of the drum patterns.
Try running any GM drum pattern in to its drum machine via midi and its a total blast from the past, even a modern beat will be transformed in to Duran Duran. LOL.
I think Roland could have beefed up the prests a little because it really does sound like a machine with a lot of potential but the prests at least are a little bit ho hum.
I think in the right hands it would be really good.

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