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.

simon

October 3, 2011 @ 1:01 pm

Indeed, a great synth, still a unique concept and superb sound. I own 2 D50, 1 D550 en the PG1000 programmer, a great team. These Roland synths still suprise me when you really work things out an take the time to tweak. D50/550 has it's own identity, deep ugly fat growls and cristal twinkeling mistic highs. Most synths that hit the market today do not impress me like the D50's did. Only the Kurzweil 2600 hits you in the face but that is a different architecture you can't compair with D50/

robotunes

September 16, 2011 @ 12:31 am

the d50 of the 21st century? the vsynth gt. very similar architecture, with the advantage of being able to sample its own pcm attacks (and so much more).

vsynth gt goes way beyond the d50's abilities but couldn't wow people the way the older machine did -- in 1987, the d50 didn't have to compete against softsynths.

long live the d50!

Neil B

September 15, 2011 @ 12:28 pm

I couldnt afford a D50 when they were released but played and programmed my friend's until my fingers hurt. Since I've owned / own an Ensoniq VFX, Roland JV90, Access Virus Ti, Korg R3 and Blofeld. The D50 blows them all out of the water. The synth architecture is unique and for some reason never re-used by Roland. Beautiful breathy pads, deep warm strings, realistic pianos, wierd industrial drones I could go on forever. The sound is just so *Rich*. I've just bought one on Ebay: For me no other synth even comes close to a D50 even after all these years.

Numanoid

August 20, 2011 @ 11:48 am

A software controller has just been made available for the D50 and D550:

http://www.vst-control.de/D50v.html

jcale

August 19, 2011 @ 8:40 pm

has authority. a no brainer for current price tag.

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