Roland D Series synth history

In the late 1980s, Roland launched its D Series of synthesisers, including both keyboard and module-based instruments, using its Linear Arithmetic Synthesis model.

Contents

• Roland D-50
• Affordable D Models
• Roland D Models
  • D-50
  • D-550
  • D-10
  • D-110
  • D-20
  • D-5
  • D-70
  • MT-32

Roland D-50

The D-50, launched in 1987, was the first (more) affordable synth to combine sample-based playback with subtractive synthesis.

Roland’s sound engineers developed Linear Arithmetic (LA) synthesis because they had found that the most difficult component of any instrument’s sound to realistically simulate is the initial attack phase.

LA mitigated for this by having built-in attack samples in ROM (47 in fact). These would then have subtractive synthesis processing appended to these sounds. It was also possible to mix in additional texture samples.

The whole solution was put in place partly because of the high cost of memory in the ’80s — the D-50 won a TEC (Technical Excellence and Creativity) award for outstanding technical achievement in musical technology in 1988.

Affordable D Models

The D-50 was Roland’s flagship model, with a launch price of around $2,000.

Roland launched several keyboards and modules with lower prices and specs, to open up the D Series to more musicians. This included the D-10 keyboard, D-110 rack module and D-20 keyboard in 1988, and the D-5 in 1989.

Perhaps ironically given that memory prices were a prime reason for employing LA synthesis in the first place, these models featured a cut-down LA synth engine and double the PCM-based samples on board.

Roland also launched its 76-key D-70 featuring “Super LA” — more filters, effects and polyphony.

Roland D Models

D-50

Overview

The first, and flagship model of the D line of synths, the D-50 introduced Roland’s LA (Linear Arithmetic) Chip, designed to be both easy to program and with advanced sounds.

The D-50 has four distinct sections:

1. a digital synth
2. a digital equaliser
3. a digital chorus section
4. a digital reverb section

LA Synthesis effectively gives the D-50 four built-in digital synths, each of which can behave either like an analog synth (subtractive synthesis) or a PCM sampled synth. They’re referred to as partials and can be combined into a tone.

Tones could be modified using up to three low-frequency oscillators, a pitch envelope, a programmable equaliser, and on-board effects such as reverberation and chorus. Two tones grouped together become a patch.

The D-50 did not contain an acoustic piano sample. Its keyboard was both velocity and aftertouch sensitive, it had 16 notes of polyphony, and could save preset data to a memory card.

Specifications

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Famous Users

The D-50 has been used by musicians including Prince, Sting, Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Rick Wakeman, Michael Jackson, and Enya.

D-550

Overview

The D-550 was the rack mount version of the D-50.

D-10

Overview

The D-10 was a slightly more affordable LA based synth which featured a built-in rhythm machine with 32 presets and 32 user-editable presets, as well as double the polyphony of the D-50, 128 preset tones and 64 programmable tones. Data can be stored on memory cards.

Specifications

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Famous Users

We don’t currently have a list of famous users for the D-10.

D-110

Overview

The D-110 is an upgraded rackmount version of the the D-10. It was released as a professional successor to the MT-32, which gained huge popularity despite being aimed at the consumer market.

A criticism aimed at the D-110 is its confusing and cramped interface, caused in part by being a module. Reviews note the buttons are very close together, making erroneous keypresses more common, as well as the screen glitching from time to time, and the manual being rather verbose and confusing.

Specifications

Media

Articles

• Roland D110 LA Synthesiser review from Music Technology, Sep 1988

Famous Users

We don’t currently have a list of famous users for the D-110.

D-20

Overview

The D-20 came out in 1988 and features a built-in 9-track sequencer, 32 note polyphony, a rhythm generator, and storage of data to floppy disk or memory card. Both media can be used for sound and rhythm data while the floppy drive can be used to record sequenced performances.

It was almost as expensive as the D-50.

Specifications

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Famous Users

We don’t currently have a list of famous users for the D-20.

D-5

Overview

At around half the price of the D-50 or D-20, this was a much more financially accessible synth. With a large bank of sounds, it seems to have been pushed as much as a sound module under MIDI control of an external sequencer.

The D-5 seems to have gone rather unnoticed, compared to the high-flying D-50 and other models. It isn’t considered as much of a ‘serious synth’ as the other models.

Specifications

Media

Articles

• Roland D-5 Linear Synthesizer a Hidden Gem: Jim Atwood picks up a second-hand D-5 and gives his thoughts on it (the article is from 2011, I wonder if it’s still going strong now).

Famous Users

We don’t currently have a list of famous users for the D-5.

D-70

Overview

The D-70 was a 76 key synth in the D series, featuring both touch sensitivity and aftertouch. It’s very much a high-end instrument, on a level with the original D-50, but it’s important to note that the “Super LA” moniker doesn’t really mean an enhanced synthesis engine akin to that of the D-50. In fact, it’s really more of a sample-based affair (a ROMpler), though a very powerful one at that.

Its standout, unique feature was Differential Loop Modulation (DLM) which has similarities to wavetable synthesis.

That said, some users have noted that the D-70 was originally going to be a part of the U series of keyboards — a totally different technology — but Roland changed the name at the last minute to ‘cash in’ on the D Series popularity.

It’s also been noted that, for an instrument with a high initial price tag, some of its workings are rather sluggish, including the processor — leading to slow MIDI response among other things.

Specifications

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Famous Users

We don’t currently have a list of famous users for the D-70.

MT-32

Overview

Although it doesn’t fit the D Series naming convention, the Roland MT-32 is a well-known and much-loved multi-timbral MIDI sound module which became a near standard for PC gaming music in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

It uses the same Linear Arithmetic synthesis engine as the D Series. It was embraced by a number of software creators including Sierra On-Line.

Although it was launched before the General MIDI standard was agreed, and hence uses its own proprietary sounds, it works well as the patches are still consistent across devices and so a developer can be confident end users with an MT-32 will hear an accurate version what they composed.

Over time, some of the MT-32’s features were ‘dumbed down’ by some manufacturers, who loaded their own General MIDI patches in place of Roland’s inbuilt versions, and sacrificing more advanced controller features in favour of compatibility with a wider range of other GM sound cards.

In the modern day, there have been various hardware and software recreations and emulations of the MT-32, including Munt and mt-32 pi.

Specifications

Media

Articles

• Roland MT-32 manual (at Archive.org)

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Famous Users

We don’t currently have a list of famous users for the MT-32.