Roland D-50 Synthesizer: Famous Sounds Presets

[@GrimVoxTech]

Nice demo! I have two D-50s in addition to my D-05 and V-Synth XT that can be put in a D-50 mode. There were a couple of nice sounding patches that I have not heard before. I'll look if I can find them available on the internet. This demo gave me a spark to make some D-50 videos on my own channel too, when I find some time...

[@AndyWhitmore]

Excellent- I have subscribed to your channel- nice videos!!

[@chrismossy9774]

Wondelful presentation! Is your D50 keybed broken or why do you use another keyboard to control it? The D50 blew me away when I tried in 1988. I especially liked the "Choral" sound using the Chase effect. I still remember sound nr.65 was a nice brass sound that sounded very dynamic as aftertouch could be used to change it from mellow to bright. But I ended up buying the D10 since it was multi-timbral. ----------------------------------- But why does the D50 sound better? Some say he A/D converters play a part, but I read the synth engine has two LFOs. The D10 could only use the LFO to modulate the vibrato. What does the extra LFO do on the D50? Sometimes the LFO can modulate the filter to open and close continuously, creating that ethereal sweeping sound. But unless using aftertouch, I don't hear that sound on the D50. They both use four elements/partials to make a sound. And the samples are mostly the same. So what makes the D50 sound better? ----------------------------------- Funnily enough, the string sound with the mix of a sampled attack and synth sustain made it hard to hear the attack sample and sometimes it sounded better with the synth element muted. This can be heard at the end of "Out of blue come green" by a-ha is in this clip.kzbin.infoUgkxBbZC-_mxpnMRFf8GsS_zLu_NXmpB-5vL?si=e2VIRK4GxmUSlBy_ Maybe they muted the sustain but I believe there was another version with just the attack on a sound card for the D50. ----------------------------------- It's ironic that back then the sampled snipets were the big thing but now the synth engine seems much more interesting as it can be tweaked in much greater detail. I always thought samplers are like cameras with their realism while synths are like having a full palette at your disposal. ----------------------------------- My favorite group a-ha used the D50 extensively on the song and album "Stay on these roads". Also, Jean Michel Jarre used it on "Revolutions". He used the presets as they were and I have learned that was the case with some sounds from "Zoolook" with the Fairlight. I had always thought that he tweaked and made his own sounds and felt disappointed to learn that wasn't always the case. ----------------------------------- Sad that the era of legendary synths and gear in general is over as people do everything on their computers nowadays.

[@AndyWhitmore]

Hi @chrismossy9774 Thanks for your reply I used a mother keyboard as it shows off the D-50 with much more expression - the D50 keyboard works fine D10 vs D50 - I think whilst they can potentially sound the same - because they are set up differently - you have to program differently to get the same sound. Also - I believe that some of the loops (digital native dance) are different too Lastly - I think the D50 has fx on that need to be disabled to get closer to the D10 Lastly - D10 is 32 note polyphonic - D50 is 16 note polyphonic Synth sample eliminated - yes - then it becomes more like a digital synth pre samples like a DX7 The sample snippets were revolutionary & now have been so superceded - they are now the charm of the D50 - likewise - the synth engine is an early version of digital analog synthesis “I always thought samplers are like cameras with their realism while synths are like having a full palette at your disposal.” Completely agree - a digital synth is a photo of an analog synth - for 1 second at one time. Analog synths change constantly - as the analog oscillators warm up & cool down - & work against each other. Synths like the Jupiter 4 & CS80 have individual voices that all sound different - & lastly - each CS80 sounds different to the next one. How can you copy that with a one time snap shot for your digital copy? The D50 is hard to program - but I did master it. Re the Era being over - that’s why I have this channel Thanks for feedback!

[@huapra]

is it possible to have this sound bank? thanks!

[@AndyWhitmore]

absolutly - send me an email & I will send you the system x!

[@huapra]

hello, did you receive mom mail? Thanks so much @@AndyWhitmore

[@joaosilva1251]

@@AndyWhitmore awsome, can i get it too? been searching for spacious sweep

[@AndyWhitmore]

@@joaosilva1251 will sort- thanks

[@smartti1970]

First Patch "Digital native dance" ( you edited out the rest the sequence) a soundtrack patch in itself was played as it is in the movie "Nikita".......... I loved the movies "BIg Blue" and "Nikita" by Luc Besson. The music was composed by Eric Serra.... i used to snob digital synths when i had a Jupiter 8 and Prophet 5 (in 1998 very cheap then).... i was sure it was some exotic vintage analog synth on Nikita ... it was all the Roland D50... The patch "Pulse Pad " was copied everywhere..... i thought was maybe Prophet 5 but never could do it as it is.......... so like the Jd800 i suppose the sound on the Roland cloud doesn't have the same 3d qualities ?

[@AndyWhitmore]

Thanks for watching!🤪 I think something is lost in the digital recreations but- if u were trying to recreate the digital recreations on the analog or early digital synths- you’d have the same problem and who is to say one is better than the other!

[@smartti1970]

@@AndyWhitmore thanks for your reply... good point yes and as you said...."who is to say one is better than the other!"