Roland MC-505 Tutorial Part 1 - Layout Overview

So this is the first of a number of tutorial videos for the MC-505. By the way - the arrow keys labeled Page (black) and Category (white) select a new category of sounds even without holding down the Edit button when you're in patch mode... ;) Thanks for watching!

[@stereodelay6601]

Thanks for your tutorials! The best on KZbin. Could you do one on Song Mode?

[@LousyFacelift]

I must admit so far I haven't used it so I don't know if I'll ever get to make a video. Thanks a lot for asking though! Much appreciated!

[@stereodelay6601]

@@LousyFacelift Thanks for your reply. I was able to figure it out by reading the manual, but still a Song Mode tutorials would be nice. BTW I found a cool tip yesterday. I don't know if you're aware of it... To avoid overwriting patches or patterns when saving, press the Undo/Redo button, and the name of the selected user patch will be shown.

[@LousyFacelift]

Stereo Delay Hey man, that's very good info, I didn't know that and I run into that problem all the time, thank you!!!

[@blakmartianheretic3318]

@@LousyFacelift Can you plug a keyboard into it to trigger the sounds?

[@LousyFacelift]

@@blakmartianheretic3318 Yes, no problem.

[@Modderfokker]

I bought this thing 3rd hand on an impulse from an ex-colleague. In my own predictable fashion, it's been collecting dust ever since. And now I find this. Thanks to you (and COVID), I'll finally be able to do *something* with this machine. Thanks mister sir, will be starting the tutorial tomorrow.

[@LousyFacelift]

That's a great comment, thank you and I hope you'll have lots of fun using the MC-505! It's not easy but if you keep at it you can get some amazing results from this box.

[@c-leezyrc2313]

Just purchased my 505 on ebay. I had 2 different MC303's back in the day and always wanted the 505. Thanks for these videos!!

[@AnalogFlava]

same here...not sure if to get it or not...might be more nostalgia than anything...did you get the mc505 craving released and enjoyed it for the 1 year you had it or is it collecting dust?

[@LousyFacelift]

@@AnalogFlava Don't know if this helps with the decision but the MC-505 is a HUGE step up from the MC-303! If you're worried about getting too little improvement on what you already have - you won't. I own and very much like both but the MC-505 is in a completely different league when it comes to sound design and sequencing.

[@AnalogFlava]

@@LousyFacelift Thanks for that! Well, I just bought the XP 50 from 1995, which is supposed to be a JV 1080 just in keyboard version. However, I am affraid it might be to tedious to program and i wish I had more controls. Only a few days later did I see an local MC 505 and MC 909 for sale and went to see them yesterday. If I got the 505 the Xp 50 would kinda be redundant i think...so would have to find a way to sell it fast, which might be hard as its not so known. I then thought about getting the MC 909 instead but was concerrned its too much - it seemed like a bit complex, although I am sure I can figure it all out, I just don't know how much I will use the sequencer and sampler. I mostly wanted these for the Jv 1080 sounds and pads, the arpegiator and fx and hands on controls. But the 909 is an XV 5050 if im not mistaken which is said to be more hi fi and it was also released afteer 2000 which is when melodic trance ended for me, which is what i want them for. So yeah, somehow the 505 still seems like the more appealing although the extra goodies of the mc 909 alsso seems good. The jogwheel didn't work though on the MC909. The price was almost the same. Any suggestions are welcomed :)

[@LousyFacelift]

Yes, the XP-50 and the MC-505 should be quite similar soundwise, so the MC-909 would be the better addition and yes, it does sound a lot more hifi. Broken jogwheel seems a bit problematic though and also the pads on an old MC-909 are usually another serious downside despite being (kind of) pressure sensitive. I found them just horrible to use even when brand new but they just get worse and worse, you definitely need a keyboard for the 909 imho... When it comes to workflow I enjoy the 505 the most but please check out my videos on the so called sustain bug, it could be critical for your decision (lots of babbeling in that one - sorry in advance...). It doesn't take away much of the joy for me but it's something to know about for sure. For some excellent in depth information on the MC-909 check out the channel "16 steps". The guy made a whole series of videos for the 909 like I did for the 505. Sustain bug Part 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3OpnHamebh7f68 and Part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5TQq6ihm8-FaJo

[@AnalogFlava]

@@LousyFacelift Ok thankss mate...I think I may have seen part 1 already but will check for sure as I don't remember now. My first impression was also that I eenjoyed the more simple sttraight forwad approach with the 505 and Im thinking i can always try and get rid of the XP50 even though I just got it. The hands on just makes it so much more fun. Im more into early-mid-late 90s and less hi fi sounding recrds. Im sure the 909 is fun as well, but somethiing tells me its gotta be the 505. There is a small few lines on the screen that seems missing as well from time to time, but hopefully itt wont need rreplacement any time soon. Also the jogwheel seems to jump several pages when looking forr patches, but not sure if thiis was part of the shift or function button being on or a bug?

[@jumpstar9000]

Awesome stuff. This is going to be really great for remembering how to use this crazy thing :-) 😎👍

[@LousyFacelift]

Thanks! There are some key principles when working with the 505 like always writing, naming and saving a patch before trying to write a pattern with it because when you save the pattern before storing the patch you'll end up with the unaltered preset instead, which is something that happened to me quite often. The step sequencer is also not as easy as most of the newer more simple ones but a lot more flexible than even the one in the MC-707. It's one of the best out there imho.

[@merlosisgroovebox]

Excellent tutorial I’m going to watch them all great job thankyou

[@nadavmor3645]

thanks for the video. very helpful... I own the machine now and try to learn how to use it

[@LousyFacelift]

Thanks for watching! Have fun with your MC-505, it's a great machine!

[@piggehpumped7959]

I got myself a 505 a few months ago, i have made some cool patterns the only thing i have to do now is work on my transitions !

[@Ferrichrome]

I really like you style of vid. I'm not interested in buying this synth but I just enjoy watching these. Thanks!

[@LousyFacelift]

Thanks for the nice comment!

[@jokeyman2943]

Great-just the first few minutes-grasped one of the most important functions I did not see-this is such a complex deep machine, a bit overwhelming and the detailed manual is not easy work around-unless you have alot of spare time!

[@LousyFacelift]

Absolutely! The MC-505 is criminally underrated! Thanks for watching!

[@daan3298]

Looking forward to next video, just got one of these a week ago!

[@LousyFacelift]

Daan Good choice! Have fun with the 505 and thanks for watching!

[@soundscapejourneys-wileymonroe]

Greetings! Thanks for taking the time to explain the main functions of the instrument. I have one myself. Reading the manual gives me a headache, and I need more patience I suppose to really be able to delve into it and see its full potential. I have used it in a couple of my compositions in a somewhat limited fashion, but I really need to use the sequence recording function in creating Tangerine Dream style bass sequences for instance. (Electronic musician Vanderson out of Poland, for example is another master of the Roland mc505, mc808 and the mc909 who does this quite well) If you have put together a video for this it would be much appreciated. I enjoy your videos! Very informative and made for simplicity. Subbed! -Wiley MC

[@LousyFacelift]

Thanks a lot for subbing and the nice feedback! I don't know when I will get to making another video on the MC-505. I have talked about step recording for instrument parts in one of my videos but just scratching the surface. Please have a look also into the videos Steve Traxx put out if you haven't already. There is a lot to learn and I'm open for questions. I will try to help - the more specific the question the better of course.

[@soundscapejourneys-wileymonroe]

@@LousyFacelift Okay. Many thanks! Will do

[@ryanb7074]

so excellent!

[@LousyFacelift]

ryan b Thank you! 😊

[@jonnyretro5873]

Great video bro!!! Thanks for the info :)

[@LousyFacelift]

You're welcome, thanks for watching! :)

[@musicofthe90s]

Hi, may I ask you a favour if you still have that device ? Need to listen Dream Pop factory patterns (072, 073 and 074) if you can grab an audio or video, whatever doesn't bother you.

[@tonydavidson968]

Hi lousyFacelift great video again just waiting on my 505 being delivered I meant to ask you something.I've played keyboards for over25 yr and have previously owned a Juno dbeam do you think I will be able to get to grips with the 505. I'm sure your vids will help mind thanks again 😊

[@beltranleo]

lot of great tips in this video, i just buy this machine, so i need to sync with the MPC, and them play it by the mpc, i know where is the function, but i can running, did you know how is possible ? thank you

[@LousyFacelift]

The MIDI channels for the parts of the MC-505 are fixed, they cannot be changed - part 1-7 are on MIDI channels 1-7, rhythm part is channel 10. RPS function is channel 15 and the arpeggiator is on channel 16 and these last two numbers can be changed. I made a dedicated video for the MIDI functions on the MC-505. Here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYLFdKOXhdOeicU

[@beltranleo]

@@LousyFacelift amazing... i can use the mc as i need it

[@dkysimcox5662]

Thanks!

[@MG53v8]

Anyone else's volume act a bit bizarrely seems to get stuck at times and doesn't always effect the volume, also does your d-beam get stuck at a setting one you remove your hand ? 🎉

[@LousyFacelift]

No, I haven't experienced these issues. Hope you'll figure it out! 🍀

[@earista3]

thank you

[@LousyFacelift]

Esteban Arista Thanks for watching! 😃

[@lumicon9]

thank you so much for all the great 505 tutors! i'm desperately trying to find out how to copy a part from one pattern into another ptn. is this possible? would be great if you could help..

[@LousyFacelift]

Possible yes but quite difficult to explain because the copy function consists of many pages. This is because the 505 allows you to not only copy full parts (or let's call them MIDI phrases) but also regions within these phrases that can be defined by a number of settings. So you need to go through a whole lot of steps and may still end up with something unexpected. This is because the copy function only duplicates MIDI events, not the corresponding patch you hear in the original phrase. So you need to assign that patch seperately in the destination pattern before or after the copy process. Also if the phrase you wish to copy is longer than the pattern you copy to, this will extend the length of the destination pattern and you will hear only the copied phrase alone for the last measure(s) of the pattern. And finally the copied part doesn't show up in the destination pattern right away, it's copied to the Temporary pattern first which then needs to be written to the actual destination pattern so it can be saved permanently. I can imagine how confusing this must sound to you now but it would really take a whole new video to explain everything better. Maybe I will make a video but I don't want to make promises.

[@LousyFacelift]

Here is a tutorial which explains the copy function on the MC-505 quite well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJSWdndqlKqFg6c He is demonstrating how to copy a full pattern (which can actually be done a lot easier using the write knob and selecting a different memory location) but the same applies to single parts when you deactivate all the preselected parts right after you hold EDIT and press pad 1 (COPY).

[@moralrevulsion_live]

How do I change the screen language 😂

Thanks man for your videos. I own a MC303 and i'm tempted by the MC505. I have a question regarding the PART MIXER Faders. What happens when you are in the REVERB section, you move the fade of track 2, and then you go back to the LEVEL section ? How does it work so the volume doesn't jump ? Thx :)

[@LousyFacelift]

Well, the volume does jump when you move the slider, coming from a different setting. But volume can also be changed by pressing [EDIT] and pad 6 (LEVEL) in the amp section when you're in patch mode. This way the value dial can be used to change the levels of any of the tones and pick these values up seamlessly wherever they are.

@@LousyFacelift Thanks for your answer. So, is the Part Mixer really usable ? In live conditions ?

[@LousyFacelift]

Léo Bigiaoui Yes and no, meaning some of it is, some maybe not so much but the mixer can do a lot. It can be great for improvising when you're not completely set on a very specific result. The dnb track I posted is a mixture of improvisation and preprogrammed playback. I find this "open structure" approach a lot of fun when dealing with the 505. All the different controls really come in handy but you don't want to get confused with the double functionality of the knobs, so you need to make sure you have selected the parameter you really want to mess with live. That's why the FUNCTION button is constantly blinking red when it's activated because it changes so many aspects of controlling the unit and you need to be aware of that. It takes some time getting used to the workflow but the sound quality and complexity you're getting with this machine is amazing.

@@LousyFacelift Hey man, thanks for your answer! I just got my mc505 3 days ago and I love it. Very fun, nice workflow, built like a tank. But something is confusing : when I play a pattern, and I change the cutoff of a track, each time the Pattern starts again the cutoff goes back to it's previous setting. Which is very annoying when playing live. I can't find an answer in the manual : do you know if there is a setting that forces the manual tweaking of knobs as a priority ? meaning if i manually change the sound, it will keep those changes until i play a new pattern?

[@LousyFacelift]

Léo Bigiaoui Are you sure you didn't accidentally record cutoff changes into the pattern?

[@connorqualheim]

Hey I just picked up a 505 from a friend at a decent price. I'm very much a beginner so this machine is pretty intimidating. I'm trying to write a simple 4/4 house beat, lay down the kick drum and then add other instruments but I'm having trouble getting started. Does one of your videos show how to do this? Thanks.

[@LousyFacelift]

Not really, sorry! Let me just list a few important things here - first of all: Get a manual, at least in digital form! You can download it from the Roland website and refer to it whenever you need it. Write and save your patches BEFORE writing a pattern with them and when you store them, NAME them so you know later that you've already used them (like I described in one of the videos). Fill up the user bank one slot after the other from first to last and DON'T ALTER your stored user patches if you've already used them in a pattern. It's a bit confusing that by default the preset bank and the user bank hold identical content. When writing a pattern you might want to reduce its length to one bar instead of the default four bars. To do so, right after pressing REC press the arrow key (page key) to dial in a 1 for length! If you forget to do so you need to shorten the pattern later by using the DELETE command to get rid of bars two to four, so always do this first thing before you start recording. Use the menu pages for visual feedback and better overview for all the functions. Very often there is more than one way to get to the same result, you can go "by ear" or by accessing the menu pages first but only then the display can help a great deal finding the right parameter and value settings for the sound you're looking for. Overall it's a steep learning curve but don't let that discourage you! It's such an amazing workstation and the learning process can be quite rewarding and lead to fun results once you have better control over everything.

[@andrewverran3498]

Hi , can you recommend a PC editor for the MC505? Cheers

[@LousyFacelift]

Sorry, I don't use a computer for making music at all. I doubt there is an editor program because the MC-505 doesn't have USB but I don't know.

[@shezwa]

🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 🇿🇦🔥🙏🏾

[@LousyFacelift]

Thanks for watching! 😊👍

[@DiSC0RDUK]

Great vids! Anyone out there who can help me? My outputs on my 505 always seem to pan left when using both balanced and unbalanced trs and ts phono jack cables in behringer Umc1820. Anyone know what the issue could be??

[@LousyFacelift]

I know it sounds stupid but I know it happened to me and took me scary long to figure out: The headphone jack on the back of the 505 is the first one on the left side, it can easily be mistaken for the left main out, especially if you don't use headphones. This would give you a very loud signal on the left and very low level on the right channel.

[@DiSC0RDUK]

@@LousyFacelift fair point but no that's not it. In fact that reminded me to check the headphone signal (I've come back to this problem after discovering it a cple of years back and giving up). When I pan the patch using the mixer to the right it disappears in the headphones! So this is not a cabling problem (come to think of it I did test on the other direct outs too and this was still an issue). Should I consider there to be a problem with the board? My memory tells me there was a post about similar problem somewhere and a girl had similar problem with her 505 and she discovered a loose wire causing a short maybe which she managed to fix...

[@DiSC0RDUK]

When I only insert the trs headphone jack up to the tip I can get signal in right ear but still only hard panned to the left, no r signal whatsoever, nothing when hard panned to the right...

[@DiSC0RDUK]

And thanks for quick reply!!! ✨✨✨

[@DiSC0RDUK]

Also, when I insert just the tip of headphone into either main L or R mix output (505 outputs are balanced if I remember correctly), I get signal in right ear of headphones (but only left channel audio, nothing when patch is hard panned to the right)

[@yingtianfu]

I just bought a MC-505 from a local owner. Somehow everytime I press the EVEN number key (2, 4, 6, etc.) on my MC-505, it makes this appegiated sound instead of just playing one note one time. Can someone help me? Thank you! (By the way, my appeggiator is off!)

[@LousyFacelift]

Do you have RPS turned on?

[@yingtianfu]

@@LousyFacelift What is RPS? I'm not sure. I just power off and power on my MC-505, and then it has the problem right when it is powered.

[@LousyFacelift]

@@yingtianfu Sounds really weird tbh and very difficult to say without seeing what exactly is going on... RPS is short for Rhythm Play Set, it allows you to trigger phrases with the keys (all of them though, not just the even number ones...) The button is in the lower left section (Keyboard Pad). If nothing else helps you may want to consider a full system reset but this will make you lose all user data: 1) Turn the unit off 2) While holding SHIFT turn the unit on 3) Press ENTER 4) Confirm "Are You Sure?" message by pressing ENTER again.

[@yingtianfu]

@@LousyFacelift I rubbed the motherboard last night with a q tip and rubbing alcohol. It seems like it helped! Hopefully, it would not turn bad again. Thank you so much for the help!!!

[@LousyFacelift]

@@yingtianfu Alright, good luck for that, fingers crossed!

[@guezennecflorent8831]

En français ?!

[@LousyFacelift]

Trop difficile, je suis allemand! 😉