Tell me about the legendary D-50

Just won a D-550 on the auction place prettty cheap.

Tell me about this beasty. I've had other synths of legendary status and wasn't particularly impressed. For example, DX-7 and M-1. Just don't get what all the hype is about.

What does it excel at ? What will it do that my other synths won't ? I've watched a coupe of videos, and it really doesn't seem to do anything a good AI2 synth could do (01-03-05R/W).

Or am I missing something ?

Technically there's not a huge amount in the D-50 that can't be done elsewhere. By today's standards, the PCM section sucks and the looped waveforms are a bit cheesy.

However, the "analog emulation" section is pretty nifty -- essentially in pure synthesis mode you get two 2-osc synths running simultaneously, both with their own "resonant" (sort of) filter, with a decent amount of modulation. It doesn't sound like an analog, really, but that's not the point. The D-50's a bit slow in speed (on things like LFO etc.) compared to modern stuff, but the modulation options are impressive. The overall sound is "breathy" and I still find a place for an occasional D-50 pad like Glass Voices -- its easy instant "air".

The stock patches are impressive for the time -- you hear them everywhere. This means that they are also overused.

However, it can be worthwhile to program, or at least seek out card voices.

Here's an example of five patches I have on the D-50 that are not stock (some I programmed, some I didn't). They are mostly deep space pad type patches because these days I feel the D-50 is best for that.

Sweet, thanks.

My impressin is that it's a pad/soundscape machine. Would you agree ?

Yep, these days, that's what I use the D-50 for.

You'd be crazy to pick up the D-50 for it's trumpet emulation.

what I like from hearing d-10 demos is the MYST like pizzacato, and also the bell...

the d50 has those sounds too I presume?

less pad, more soundscape. Awesome synth, especially for the silly low prices they fetch!

One word: revolutionary.

The D-10 sounds like {censored}e compared to the D-50.

The D-50 is nowhere near as high fidelity as new software samplers, but that is not the point - it has its own bathed in reverb vib, and it just has a GOOD sound. Iconic sounds abound in its stock presets.

http://www.synthmania.com/d-50.htm

Listen for yourself.

Roland D-50 Demos

Linear Drift - Roland D-50 only. Demo by Analog Kid

Seashore Morning - Roland D-550 only. Demo by Don Solaris

Green Crystals - Roland D-50 only. Demo by Paolo Di Nicolantonio

Kudos to soundwave106, fantastic demo!!

Yeah, the D-50 has the famous "Orinoco Flow" Pizzagogo patch, as well as a bunch of nice bell sounds.

The D-10 just doesn't sound as nice. The D-10 has 12 bit DACs and samples, and the D-50 has 20 bit DACs and 16 bit samples according to a rec.music.makers.synth post. That would explain some of the difference in quality.

The D-50 reverb does sound good, but it is good to turn it off sometimes and run it through your own FX -- in a mix the reverb can be a bit "blobby" to me.

Don Solaris, thanks for the links to those demos, very nice stuff.

The D-50 is one of warmest digital synths ever created. I wouldn't describe it as being very broad tonally, but there is no question it sound is unmistakable and distinctive.

The sawtooth waveform in particular is mellow, rich and alive. It has a sound that can only be recognized as D-50. There are a few thing the D-50 offers that are very characteristic about it's sound generation in particular, it's ring modulator, delay "chase" function and several types of reverbs that give the D-50 an expansive sound quality.

Why doesn't my D-550 sound like this?

Whatever I try to do with it, it just sounds muddy in the mix. I only have synth sounds in it, I don't even use the PCM samples, and I don't use the reverb because I only have one output working. Maybe I need to recap it? Or learn to program properly?

Myst was written on a Trinity, just FYI

I WANT ONE SO BAD BUT HOW TO TRUST THEM?

The D-10 and D-50 both have 16-bit DACs.

Notwithstanding the lack of LFOs, as compared to the D-50/550, I think the largest difference in the D-10's sound "quality" is due to the reduced effects section. Throw some external effects at it, and you have something comparable to the D-50.

D-10 raw output

D-10 w/external effects

Heck, even just the addition of chorus makes a big difference.

D-10 w/external chorus

When I first tried the D50 in 1987 I thought it was the bees knees... trully unbelievable....

However, by 1996 when I tried it again those sounds weren't really doing much for me...

Now in 2008 I can't imagine what I would do with one or what it would offer me that can't be acheived elsewhere... but maybe it has reached that nostalgia/classic stage, like I'm sure every keyboard will. FOr instance my friend positively hates the V-Synth and the like... but in 10 years it will be seen as a classic...

All being said a MINT D50 would be a great synth to have I think... they are one of the most beautiful digital keyboards out there I think...

But where "elsewhere"?

It has some nice chorus effects as well, and the saw wave's "width" can be set/modulated just like the pulse wave. These features make it possible to get some really fat analog-like sounds, not to mention the fact that there are 4 oscillators and 6 LFOs available in dual mode.

The resonant filter, as limited as it is, has a distinctive quality to it that also screams "D-50".

It can be tricky to program it "just right" to get good sounds out of it, but when you hit the sweet spot nothing can touch it. Having a programmer (PG-1000, or a software editor) makes it much easier than doing it from the panel, especially on the D-550.

Though the DACs are 16-bit, I think the PCM samples are only 8-bit, or maybe 12-bit.

But where "elsewhere"?

Well theres a can of worms. But for me, pretty much any S+S synth...

....or the V-Synth XT.

....or the V-Synth XT.

Well, even then you're gotta get people talking about the DAC/noise resolution of the original being better (i.e. worse!).

I'm not an obsessive about such matters of course

Well theres a can of worms. But for me, pretty much any S+S synth...

Ah, you must have used the D-50 for its impressive trumpet patches.

I didn't think that anything was quite capable of D-50 air pads / soundscapes until VSTs came along. But honestly, to me, some VSTs are quite capable of that D-50-feeling soundscape. The sound is different of course, I'm more talking about feel here.

Now, D-50s *are* cheap so that's something. If I didn't already have one, I probably wouldn't get another one, though, and I feel no compelling need to replace it should the D-50 die.

It does say something that I've had the D-50 longer than any other synthesizer (roughly 15 years), I guess, though.

Well theres a can of worms. But for me, pretty much any S+S synth...

My friend no S+S synth have the features of D-50. Laugh as you like, then download the manual. D-50 is a VA synth with primitive sample playback section. Has lo/fi samples and awesome glass / crystal sounding converters. And you can't cover D-50 with other S+S synths because none of them (minus V-synth) have the Pulse Width Modulation. D-50 does. Available for saw wave too.

Unique sound. This is why people buy them, and this is why Roland company issued the "D-50 card" for V-synth. Trust me, it is about its sound, not because of the Enya patch.

How about reading the D-50 manual first then see what the hype is all about.

As of DX-7 and M-1 i've never heard of any "hype" about them. One is FM synth, other is a standard rompler - nothing unique about these two, which can't be said for D-50.