The U-20 is nothing special. It is a digital synthesizer that uses ROM samples of pianos, brass, strings, bass, drums, etc. However it is built for professional use and is truly a quality instrument, even though its sounds may seem like dated-eighties synth pop cheese. It's got nice piano sounds, but they're not the real thing.

The U-20 features 6 part multitimbrality with a 7th drum part, plus 2 direct outputs and 2 stereo outputs. The 30 note polyphony helps if you take advantage of this synths multitimbrality for creating entire performances and ensembles. Digital reverb, chorus and delay effects liven up your sounds. Editing is simple, but there are no filters. With several performance features, the U-20 has a full 61 note keyboard with velocity and aftertouch. There's an on-board arpeggiator, a chord-memory feature and the U-20 accepts Roland SNU-110 sound library cards. It has been used by Prodigy and Astral Projection.

The Roland U-220 (pictured above) is simply a rack-mount version of the U-20. It has all the same sounds and features packaged in a compact single-space sound module.

pajacke

April 15, 2011 @ 6:31 am

Go to http://www.rolandmusik.de/downloads/werkseinstellungen/index.php and download the factory sysexfile and dump it into your U20 via MIDI.

Geeva Naidoo

April 12, 2011 @ 6:35 am

U-20 Good keyboard with brilliant strings effects
Lost all my sounds, how can I retriew?
Tks

Fred

March 26, 2011 @ 6:37 pm

Great piano, amazing strings especially if you have the card. Latin percussion card is essential, I leave it in all the time.

Key contacts got intermittent.

There's a flexible printed circuit plastic strip that serves as a contact strip under the keyboard. It connects to another printed ribbon cable. That connection was extremely easy to damage when removing cable from the base metal.
Replacement is improved w extra PCB.

It is $120 U.S. for strip and rubber contacts.

Removing battery or pcb's loses all the sounds! Back them up first via Midi or to a RAM card!!

Synth Brain

February 12, 2011 @ 6:16 am

Although I repair, service and reprogram U-20s, here, in Canada, I can advise & teach patient keyboardists how to service their own. Shipping is too expensive these days! A properly working U-20 is right-sized, relevant, & a real joy to play. It has a clean sound and, if you have some of the cards or MIDI it, to a computer and/or other gear, it acquits itself, quite well, compared to current synths. I'd enjoy taking on Bill's U-20 (below)! If you've got a problem, just write me. SynthBrain2000 at gmail.com • New life for retro & classic synths! •

Bill

February 10, 2011 @ 9:58 pm

Just picked up one of these used. I was hoping to get some a great bargain, but it really is in need of work - work I dont know how to do. Anyone looking for one for parts?

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