Vintage Synth Explorer

Roland • D-50 / D-550

The D-50 is an all-time favorite digital synth that's still just as popular today as when it first came out in '87. Once Roland's hottest digital synth, it competed against the Yamaha DX7, and was much easier to use. By joining 8-bit PCM samples with "LAS" synth-generated sounds, the D-50 is capable of unique and complex sounds. The PCM samples contained the attack transients, while the rest of the sound came from the Linear Arithmatic Synth (LAS) section which sounds very analog, with subtractive-style synthesis and low-pass-resonant filters. Built-in chorus and (for the first time) digital reverb are also included for giving your sounds space and life! It also has a joystick controller for real-time timbre manipulation. The D-50 was great for new and non-acoustic, percussive, ethereal and beautiful pads & sounds.

Roland D-550 Rack Version

Both the D-50 and D-550 benefit from the PG-1000 external controller which gives you very plain and simple slider/fader type control of all adjustable parameters of the synth. The D-50 includes MIDI on all 16 channels but because it is monotimbral you can only use one channel at a time. There is an upgrade which will give the D-50 and its rackmount version a full 16 channels of simultaneous MIDI multitimbral data communication. This popular synth has been widely used in all forms of music. Eric Clapton, Enya, 808 State, Jean Michel Jarre, Vince Clarke, Apollo 440, Eat Static, LTJ Bukem, Fluke, Information Society, Lab-4, Gary Numan, Rick Wakeman, Kitaro, Rush, Vangelis, Richard Barbieri, Boston and Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran are just a few of the many satisfied users.

VISITOR COMMENTS (51)

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Posting Rules: Please keep your comments relevant! Do not post requests for help, do not use for sales, do not post unless you have something interesting to say about this instrument, or we may delete your post.

 

Colin Badrick

Posted 6 days ago

ive bought a use d50 i need any thing to help me operate this keyboard. if your documents are still available i would be oblidged
regards colin

Chris Nightingale

Posted 7 days ago

Bought one of these after only realising that Jarre used it on Revolutions. Amazing sounds - very distinctive.

I've produced a new free librarian and real-time editor if anyone wants it:

www.d50librarian.co.uk

Martin

Posted 30 days ago

Finally got one yesterday, and wow. love the sounds this thing puts out, and I only messed with presets and a valhalla D-502 data card. Cant wait to start programming with it. I've had a D-20 in the past, and even though the D-20 had it's advantages (multi-timbral, sequencer) , lets get one thing straight, the D-50 sounds infinitely better.

The Dark Knight

Posted 42 days ago

Ive had the D50 since it was new 1988, ive had jupiter 6 and 8 and prophet 5 come and go, but incredibly this has stayed, in fact this is the only synth thats ever stayed in my studio, maybe that tells you something about this synth ?

Stef

Posted 71 days ago

The D-50 is also incredibly sturdy. Once I was run over by a taxi cab going to a rehearsal on bicycle with my D-50 in a thin gig bag (not too wise). The keyboard fell hard on the street and on the keys side. It was still working flawlessly. That was in 1992. Years later in 2001, I was working in a tree planting camp and had brought the same D-50 with me to jam with the people there. Well one day, a strong gust of wind blew off the tent where the D-50 was plugged and it was held by the plug and fell flat on the ground again. No damage again and it still works to this day in 2010. Not to mention what a sound!

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