Almost in tears | Roland D50 demo | Factory sounds [01]

[@nickellis9251]

I inherited "my" D-50 from my closest friend not long before he took himself from us. Every time I play it, I think of him. RIP Mark, never forgotten. x

[@anonymous_friend]

Sorry Nick. I'm wondering if this is the same Mark I knew. Did his last name start with the letter R?

[@SyncroLens]

I also inherited mine from a dear departed friend.

[@nickellis9251]

@@anonymous_friend My friend was Mr Mark L.

[@eloyex]

@@SyncroLens things inherited from close friends or family have a very powerful message. They are almost sacred. I got a lathe and a set of tools from a guy i know (not even a big friend) and feel respect for those. My dad is very old and ALREADY packed all his beloved tools in a wooden box , as he said, for "my dear son" .... and that is heavier for me than an ocean liner. Actually, just the idea scares me a lot.

[@PopeBrandonBrownson]

Your genuine love for the d-50 has been the lone ray of sunshine in a very bleak day. Shut up and take my subscription, Woody, you wonderful person!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

sorry to hear about your bleak day, glad I could do something about it and thx for the sub!

[@Hamfantasy56]

I also have bought a D05 module because of Woody and his contagious enthusiasm :-)

[@eloyex]

yes, yes he is indeed !!!

[@donerbeatrecords248]

For years I have had a special place in my heart for a certain type of pad I heard in old jungle and rave tunes. Thanks to youtube I realised that its the 'Soundtrack' patch and now my life is complete.

[@2Steppa2]

And another very nice D50 feast on this one - Michael Cooper - Shoop Shoop (Never Stop Givin' You Love)

[@Richard_P_James]

Eric Persing did a great job programming the D-50.

[@DaveDaves]

that's what I think every time I hear D-50 presets

[@subwaygaragemusic]

He also did the presets to the JX series of synthesizers. The High Strings patch on the JX8P is still the one preset I used frequently to this day.

[@perothing]

,,,and Adrian Scott as a co-designer

[@oholm09]

I can do that on my instruments

[@MusicFed]

Subway Garage really? Didn’t know

[@ladyameliecharlotte]

The D50 was the soundtrack to my youth!

[@jaggass]

The Playstation intro was done a Roland D-50. The Spacious Sweep patch was used to make it.

[@coolelectronics1759]

I think the philips CDI boot logo too and the macintosh fart crash sound from the 90s. I also think there is a sound on android that was made on a d50. Its the one he says is his favorite on any synth ever or something like that.

[@GeorgeK10gr]

16:43 the name of the legendary preset is "soundtrack" and it's in preset number 37.

[@InterplainMusic]

I love that sound.. its so inspiring..

[@gingataff]

Always reminds me of George Duke at the opening of the Jazz night of Guitar Legends in Seville, 1991.

[@afairbien]

You Guy so Happy in your world 🌍. Thanks a lot for sharing your happiness 😊.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

haha, any time my friend!

[@noahVITP]

Listening to this with good headphones is so cool. I have a really hard time finding synthesizers that I like enough to buy, but I absolutely love this thing. It sounds absurdly beautiful. Thanks for the great demo.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed the demo

[@8dioproductions]

Back when there was love in every preset ... Persing did do a beautiful job on Soundtrack!

[@DaveDaves]

Yes - in EVERY preset. I am still tryna do that, now I just have to figure out how to attract the attention of Korg & Roland so they'll have me program new presets.

[@joesarchive]

well music has changed now so some of these presets(although they do say sound beautiful) just don't really fit with modern music

[@MrLawrence0071]

Dubub: I respectfully disagree. I am sure that you can make a hit with any of the presets. It just depends on how creative you are. :-)

[@subwaygaragemusic]

Isn't Persing also the one who did the presets to the JX? I used that synthesizer to the moon and back, man.

[@YouzTube99]

@@@subwaygaragemusic - Yes. And the Jupiter, D-50, D-70, JD-800/990, R8, S-series samplers, JV-880/1080/2080, the Sound Canvas, JP-8000/8080, MC-505/909, The V-Drums, XV-5080, Fantom series, the V-Synth and many more. Safe to say he has had a hand in most Roland products since 1984. He went independent in 2005.

[@simbaking6338]

The D 50...I was blown away the first time i played one as a kid back in the 80s...still a legend in my book.

[@milowagon]

Great demo. Breaking down the patch with the joystick is very revealing. An instrument from another world, played with infectious enthusiasm. Thank you.

[@SergeGolikov]

Never apologize for getting carried away Woody! It's infectious!, I teach photography, and I am still always getting carried away, if I ever stop, then I will stop.

[@bjzq8]

I have zero musical ability, and it's a pleasure to watch someone that is such a wonderful musician. Thank you for putting all of your videos together, I'm beyond words as to my admiration of your talent.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

well that is very sweet of you, thanks! i don't believe that anybody has zero ability btw :)

[@stealthracer]

Never heard me play a keyboard then, have you!

[@CircuitBurger]

Fabulous video. I owned one of these incredible machines back in 1991. Then I met a girl and then sold it, to help pay for a deposit for a house. I’ve always been told, never to regret anything in live, but I always regret selling the D50👍

[@Raydensheraj]

Same way I sold my Yamaha Cs1x...

[@tonytemple4813]

I just love your enthusiasm over a classic synth.

[@harryt6836]

Amazing sounding synth, thanks for playing the presets and sharing your thoughts! I loved the last one as well, very beautiful demonstration!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thanks, I think I will have to do an entire video to That Preset...

[@PulseEmitter]

excellent demo, really enjoyed it. one of the best sounding synths ever.

[@submediavert]

Just acquired a D50 thanks woody love the emotion mate

[@WoodyPianoShack]

awesome pickup, congrats!

[@chrisedu]

will never forget when I touched a D50 for the first time... thanks for bringing these memories back! I can totally understand your emotion.... keep it coming, please!

[@machiwoomiapoo]

Great video! Thanks for uploading it. I enjoy your enthusiasm and thanks for going through the Roland D-50 patches! :)

[@WoodyPianoShack]

glad you enjoyed it, thx!

[@marcnelson8986]

Just found one of these and in very good condition, had to purchase and haven't regretted it all thanks to this video Woody!

[@ZyronMelancon]

The Soundtrack preset was on a cheap RadioShack keyboard I had growing up. I have to say, it was one of my favorite sounds ever, but the D-50 version blows it out of the water. Thanks for playing that beautiful progression, I was tearing up too.

[@DavidSmith-ne1zp]

Hi Woodie! I’m a 61 year old guitarist who wished I had had a synth mentor like you in my youth. I have become obsessed with synths since 2020, and the D-50 absolutely nails what I would wanted back when it was released. Now in 2024, I am torn between trying to obtain the actual synth, or be content with Roland’s cloud version. Great vids!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thank you, or compromise, get the modern d05 roland boutique hardware

[@samson8884]

Nice demo woody. love the sound of this one... truly amazing and some patches are really HUGE!

[@musicaldracula2017]

I think Roland D50 and JD800 are the finest synthesizers Roland has ever built to date. They arguably have no rivals.

[@WeekendWarrior92]

3:40 Sounds a like intro to "forever young" by alphaville

[@J._Campbell]

Awesome legendary synth! The sounds quality is so fantasic! Old school!

[@DavRBailey]

At 12:30 you demonstrated the data joystick. In my previous comment, I explained each patch is created from four separate "partials". Two partials form the Lower Tone and two for the Upper Tone. The Data joystick allows you to adjust the balance between these four "building blocks" of each patch. When you select "Upper" next to the joystick, the upper-left and right corners of the joystick travel adjust between Upper Partial 1 and 2. Pulling down on the joystick introduces the lower two partials into the mix, at their preset balance. So you pick the balance of Upper Partial 1 or 2, then add the Lower partials as desired. When you select "Lower" next to the joystick, the opposite happens. You can choose the balance between the Lower Partial 1 or 2 and then slide it up to introduce the Upper Partials. Very cool real-time stuff.

[@DavRBailey]

One final comment on the Data Joystick -- (It's been years since I've done this, so can't remember exactly which button is which) -- When you select "Value" or "Local" there's a mode where if you are in an edit window, and for example are editing the Frequency setting on a synth sound, moving the Data Joystick up and down raises and lowers the value you are editing, while moving the joystick left or right edits the setting displayed NEXT to the one you have selected. (Such as Cutoff). So, like an analog synth, you can adjust the Frequency and Cutoff settings simultaneously with the single joystick. Very fun.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

who no one tell me this earlier? but there are two buttons also that correspond to the joystick, labelled upper and lower if I recall. and you can only enable one button.

[@DavRBailey]

Woody Piano Shack You can't use the Data Joystick to select between all four partials at the same time unfortunately. When the "Upper" button is selected, the two upper corners of the joystick travel will choose between Upper Partial 1 or 2. The Lower partials are preset at this point, and you can only blend them in by pulling the joystick downward. If you set the balance of Upper Partials 1 and 2 to your liking, then select the "Lower" button to move to the lower corners of the joystick travel to do the same for the Lower Partials. It's harder to explain than to do it but you'll get the hang of it quickly. It's a faster, more "organic" way to balance all four Partials then using the nested menu settings.

[@pekkagronfors7304]

Great demo! The D50 (most of the factory presets) sounds up to date even today, 30 years later.

[@scottbeckstead33]

GREAT demo! You're very talented obviously but your passion really comes through. You also seem like a good guy to boot!

[@matthewgrant1602]

My old friend used to own a D50 and he played lots of Jean Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream style music in it. It sounds so good to hear it again!

[@cardiforia]

Woody, I'm so glad about the way you are enjoying this amazing synth! Take care! ;)

[@neilloughran4437]

I remember back in 1987 and playing this keyboard in a local shop. It was about 1400 quid and nothing else sounded like it. The reviews in SOS and MT were full of superlatives about how such sounds were sounding like classic Synclavier and Fairlight sounds. It just sounded so produced and multilayered thanks to the fx and multitimbrality. A friend of mine had one on top of his Akai AX73... and I was so envious as I only had a JX8P at the time. I never did get to own a D50 as time moved on and sampling became hot around the same time... then the D50 started to sound old hat by the 90s esp as the sounds were somewhat overused in the same way as the DX7. However, all being said (and with the passage of time), listening to this shows that the sounds do still have some utility today... thanks for the reminder of Soundtrack! :D

[@WoodyPianoShack]

yeah, all the boards you mentioned were pricey back in the day. of all the synths you mention your unloved JX8P is probably the most valuable today.

[@neilloughran4437]

Yeah I actually loved my JX8P (had 2 x JX10 since then too!) but the D50 sounded like another universe then. I remember Jarre and TD did whole CDs back then that were more or less D50 demonstrations in their own right. I totally loved stuff like Soundtrack... I guess the M1 took over the reign/reins in the following years.... it was a heck of an era to live through.... the previous generations of digital/sampling synths were completely unaffordable (PPG/Emu/Fairlight et al) and in many ways this was the beginning of the end for those machines.. :D

[@GeorgiosZaimis]

Hallo Woody! I discovered recently your channel watching those DX7 videos and I enjoyed it a lot that you present today the Roland D50. The DX7 and D50 are my favorite 80s synths, and I often play them both being linked via MIDI. Great job on your presentation!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thanks, my favs too, although I do need to find an M1 to complete the series. Must be quite a big sound when you midi them together... :)

[@savanaviolenta]

Just ordered the D05 and came here to listen to what beautiful sounds to expect.

[@shivladsky]

We need you and every single synthesizer in the world. Great video, thanks - still watching, but felt like commenting while you're playing haha

[@deejay5719]

great sounds! and enjoying all the vids.

[@Harbaksh1234]

Original Sennheiser HD 450 headphones? I own 3 pair's! My all time favourites & amazing for mixing!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

well spotted that man! just replaced them with grado after 20 years, because pads are worn out and kinda expensive.

[@MrSlimfinger]

Such a great and enjoyable demonstration! I just found your channel and I'm thrilled to go through your videos. Well done sir.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

glad to have you here, cheers.

[@ABEHR]

Thanks Woody! "Violet" by Seal is one of my favorite tracks with D-50 Soundtrack all over it.

[@JamesCorbettMusic5000]

Picking one up today! Gorgeous synth, will sit below my dx7

[@Acrimonious_Snake]

Find the M1 and you'll get the Holy Grail Trinity of the Late 80's!

[@dannydaniel8975]

Sounds like digital razor blades

[@NathanHassall]

So glad I found your channel! Enjoying the music and info very much!!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

that's awesome nathan, thx for stoppin by

[@candrabalimirage]

D50 & DX7 & M1 Korg are Legends 💗👍

[@benartee9493]

Candra Carolus picking up my DX7 tomorrow. 30 years in the making. At least.

[@djdigital3806]

I have the Holy Trinity!

[@candrabalimirage]

@@djdigital3806 Yes agree... korg trinity is best. But later came triton 😀👍

[@djdigital3806]

Candra Carolus Playing with my DX7s now

[@djdigital3806]

Candra Carolus I have a Krog M1 and a Krog Wavestation EX also.

[@sullivanradley]

Incredible! My favorite video of yours, Woody!

[@TechnoMancer7908]

Thanks for the video woody! its amazing!

[@Death_is_beginning]

fantastic sounds!!

[@Kaffeslaberas]

Nice ! A guy once told me never to sell my old keyboards. Well I had to, needed the money for new boards. I had the D50 since it came out and was part of my rig until late in the 90' . It are a board I miss. This video brought back many good memories. I remember the aftertouch as a nice feature and with fine effect for some patches, but very hard for my wrist. A company called Valhalla made some great soundcard for it, the "Screaming B3" was one of my to go organ sounds those days.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

Hi Bjorn, I understand your regret. I never owned the D50 when it came out, seriously wanted one but my budget only stretched to the D10. But now I can afford and have all those 80's digital synths, if you are patient they show up from time to time.

[@SantaNMS]

Love the Roland D50! Digital native dance is one of the effects on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle series. They used the D50 extensively on that show. Sweet Loop on C was also used as the theme for the Technodrome!!

[@computarman]

I was blown away in the 80's with songs like "Father Figure" and just had no idea what synth was being played.

[@peakfiddler]

'Pulse Pad', such a beautiful patch, not sure if anyone else has mentioned it yet, but that's the patch which I think is your favourite. The D50 sits so well in a mix with my fiddle recordings. I especially enjoy the Harp patches, they are so close to the real thing, 'My Harp2' in particular. Also, love the 'EROCS Wolkenreise' patch. Thing about the d50 is, for a few hundred pounds you are buying into a synth with thousands of brilliant patches, readily available all over the web. Enjoying your channel Woody, immensely btw.

[@peakfiddler]

oops, just loaded up 'Soundtrack' and its virtually the same as 'PulsePad'.I use the D50 librarian www.d50librarian.co.uk/ and can access 7655 patches via midi. It's very simple to use as well.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

never heard of pulse pad, don't think it's a factory preset. yeah, a lot of synth for the cash these days. i'm hoping to find some good synthetic ambient sound banks for some compositions so let me know if you find any.

[@garyking4032]

Gigged with the D50/M1 combo from '89 to '06, and even used that same brass patch to play the 'addicted to love' riff that you played in the demo. Great memories...

[@yahordzenisevich3156]

Hey, man, you are good! Like professional! Thank you very much for these nice playing and demo! I like this legendary sound!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

thanks erop, glad you enjoyed!

[@27461Andy]

Hi Woody. I could not believe it when I heard your favorite sound that brought a tear to your eye being played in ''Child's Play 1'' in 1988 and not only that, but a whole array of sounds in this machine. The scene is when Chucky comes after Andy in the home scene. It really blew my mind to know it was used in a horror movie!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

that's funny, i did not know that and would have fallen off the sofa!

[@RockLobster223]

You the man Woody, your 'Soundtrack' chord sequence is the stuff of legend!

[@paphundekel1926]

14:27 so true. It's one of the best synths from Roland ;-)

[@issiewizzie]

Thanks for demo and education ...I'm a fan

[@FrancisMaxino]

A lot of those patches were on the MT-32 and MT-100 sound module...I still have my MT-100, that cat meeowing sounding pad you are playing at the end is on my MT-100. I can't remember what it was called, I think 'Soundtrack'' ?! (do I win a prize ?). One of the coolest pads I liked on that era Roland keys/modules is called 'Echo Pan' and I even regularly performed a piece using that sound combined with a bell sounding E-piano on my KR-33 (which I still use). The Roland has a fairly generic rubber sensor system with springs on plastic levers with the keybed and is hopeless when it comes to dust on those old things. I'm forever having to isopropyl the keybed circuit board to fix bung notes. I'm getting a Korg Kross tomorrow, been playing it in a music store and was amazed to find I could make the Moog sounding preset super-polyphonic and all the organs touch sensitive. It even has a vocoder and sample pads like the FA and Juno but is really cheap in compasrison. I think Korg have made an entry level workstation with all the bells and whistles of a machine twice to three times the price with this one. Will you ever do a review of the Korg Kross 2. If you get your hands on one tell me what you think. Love your nostalgic look at old machines like the D-50. Here is a link to one of my musical creations. soundcloud.com/francismaxino/synthaesthesia-v-hi-fi-remix

[@WoodyPianoShack]

I'd love to try a Korg Kross 2, the other reviews look interesting. I don't have any plans to buy one, so if somebody would lend me one... :) It's a bit of a stretch to say the D50 sounds were on the Mt, but certainly there were D50 inspired sounds, but they were not as rich, detailed and lack some of the fx. I gotta agree with you on EchoPan though, what a classic!

[@392Firepower]

one of my fave synths of the digital era. When it came out post DX7, everyone had to have one.

[@LFOVCF]

You have fun with these great keyboards, and we get to come along for the ride!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

that's what this channel is all about, thx for visiting.

[@HOUCEMATE]

That's it, I need this synth in my life, I haven't heard a single sound I didn't like

[@WoodyPianoShack]

well these were the highlight sounds, there are some quite boring sounds too, but worth having for the good sounds. or get the vst plugin version.

[@tsangpogorge]

8:25 definitely heard that on a few song intros during the Bad Tour.

[@jackmoik4894]

I like a lot of my synthesizers. But I'm deeply in love with my D-50. This beast not only surprises me with it's huge possibilites. For my taste it's also the best looking synth of all. For a digital synth, there is a lot of life in it, I sometime hear it's breathing ;-)

[@MSHRadio-dj5zn]

17:47 a synth that makes a grown man cry - that tells me it's the best synth ever created by humans!

[@angelodomino]

*Love* your video's woody!! that one of your MODX in the garden was soooo nice, such nice atmosphere, i think i watched it allready 20 times :-)

[@nickellis9251]

I know I'm very late to the party , but the preset is "Soundtrack".

[@BreannaMae]

The preset you were playing around the 17:00 mark is similar to a sound used in a song by Clannad called "Sirius" back in the 80s. It sounds like they modified it slightly, but it's pretty close.

[@blazze2k8]

I have a Roland GR50 guitar synth from the same era. Many of these sounds are in it... excellence indeed....

[@mantelmann13]

Such a nice video, dude. A good mix of talking and playing.

[@jennytaylor3324]

I have to have one. Been weighing them up and comparing prices. Any tips for buying? I'm not new to musical performance, but I am a total synth novice, so don't really know what I'd be buying! Just very exited about potentially getting my own. i grew up in the '80s, so this is like a time machine to me.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

hi, find one in nice cosmetic shape, since that's hard to fix and may bother you when playing or admiring it. buttons tend to fail, can be fixed but hard, and check that each key responds correctly to low and high velocity, check the aftertouch. check line outs, mine was weaker on one side.

[@jennytaylor3324]

​@@WoodyPianoShack Many thanks for your input. I seem to be seeing them at around the £5-600 mark in varying states, like excellent to broken aftertouch etc. Know nothing, as I said, so resisting the temptation to impulse purchase. It'd have to be an online purchase, too, so hard to know what you're getting, but points you mention will help me choose and ask right questions. Seen an immaculate one that still has box.£600, I think.

[@ebeep]

Maybe someone else also pointed it out, but It's "co-lie-oh-pee" and not "cali-oh-pee" :) Your D-50 demos bring out the sounds that make me want one. I had previously dismissed it. Thank you Woody!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

huh! had no idea. i don't even know what the instrument looks like, let alone how to say it. cheers!

[@ebeep]

Very understandable as they are a relic: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope_(music)

[@desmoriderssthlm552]

What a nostalgic trip! I had one of these in the 80's....should have kept it! Thanks for another great review 👍

[@WoodyPianoShack]

hi! cool, your music career goes back many years then, yet you look so young! :) All the best!

[@desmoriderssthlm552]

Thanks Gareth, you´re too kind...I'm 47 :) I bought my first synthesizer 1985...My favorites were the Ensonic ESQ-1 and the D-50 👌🏼😊

[@revokdaryl1]

Eric Persing himself almost tears up at this patch, and it's his creation! While demonstrating with the D50, he mentioned how personal the patch was to him, but that so many people connected with it.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

interesting, thanks!

[@revokdaryl1]

@@WoodyPianoShack You're welcome! By the way, I just bought a Roland D-50 about 3 hours ago. It has a lot more cosmetic wear than I'd like, but functions perfectly. This video demonstrating the "soundtrack" patch is responsible! It is my favourite preset also!

[@unyu-cyberstorm64]

I have a D-5, and it sounds great for a 250 dollar synth says the guy who currently plays a Casio workstation synth (WK-1800)

[@Bluuplanet]

One thing headphones do is give you stereo. The D-50 is designed with stereo effects and sounds that decay from one channel to the other and after-touches that bloom on one channel. It can be wonderfully surprising when you're used to playing it through a monophonic keyboard amp.

[@idemditto]

I get one this weekend! Also with a working aftertouch 🙂 Such a great synthesizer.

[@eloyex]

I get one this week !!!!!! DEC 7 !!!!!!!! lets see what can i do !!! I know nothing about music .. but i plane to learn !!! I am not a KID EITHER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheDziemians]

13:08 I love how You enjoy it :D

[@vin52ny]

Wonderful Sounds on that D-50. I won't even venture to guess the name of the Mystery Patch, but I think I've heard that something like that sound on one of my keyboards, can't remember which one. None the less, great video. Waiting for the next video. Thanks, Woody

[@MusicalMissCapri]

Heh, it's called Soundtrack. And funny you should call it a mysterious patch. I like to use it for creep-out/suspense atmospheres.

[@mark12011972]

I enjoy listening to it as a musical instrument (no modern harshness it's soothing to my ears) and even the traditional sounds that I normally would pass by (thinking plink plink) are not bad. The younger generation needs a music class so they can play this keyboard and compare against modern synths and VSTs, and have a class discussion on what they like. It's very important for them (and us!) to develop artistically, culturally, and musically.

[@soundscapejourneys-wileymonroe]

Greetings! Your favorite preset at 16:50 was used on Tangerine Dream's Canyon Dreams album, Water's Gift. In fact, most of the album was recorded from the D-50. Nice sound indeed. Love the rich sounds this beast produces :)

[@curlywood]

Great video! Thanks for uploading it. I enjoy your enthusiasm and thanks for going through the Roland D-50 patches I think that last preset sound like Tangerine Dream by Edgar froese

[@gardikagigih5704]

woow, what a really wonderful demo. thank you so much!. now i plan to buy this amazing keyboard!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

good luck, hope you find a nice one!

[@linux327]

My favourite synth - I fully restored one, sold it and now wish I had one again.

[@Bundesbahnfan]

Hey Woody! Another very nice video of a legendary and beautiful sounding synth! What is nice about the D-50 is its ability to sound very colourful in a brilliant quality on almost every patch. Although my favourite synth is in fact the DX7, it finally broke up the EP-dominated era, even being equally hart to program, before high-quality samplers were accessible to general public. Jean-Michel Jarre, George Duke and also Dave and Don Grusin used those presets in a very nice. I might consider one day to put one next to my DX7 Mk1. By the way, your favourite patch is called "Soundtrack". Cheers!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

well done on nailing the patch! for me also the DX was more ground breaking, although the D50 was the first of the romplers that dominated for the next 30 years. and now FM is back in fashion again... :)

[@garys-617]

+Woody Piano Shack You're probably right in saying the DX was more ground-breaking back then.... But the D-50 has stood the test of time better, probably because it has on-board effects, splitting and layering, aftertouch and (IMO at least) is considerably easier/more intuative to program than the DX7, to make those awesome, huge sounds ! I've had mine since 1987 and it's still used regularly... The acoustic pianos are still crap (as they were on all synths back then), but if you told me to pick just one, either the DX7 or the D-50, to go make music with, it would be the D-50 every time ! :-) Loving your enthusiasm !! :-)

[@HotStrange]

Gary S That'd be a very hard choice. I have a Volca FM which is a mini DX7 and I have the Boutique D-05 which is an exact recreation of this synth. I love them both. I wish i had the space for the OG keyboards but they're too big for my 1 bedroom apartment.

[@davidryle]

I stumbled into your video here and was wanting to listen to find out what the very same patch was. I have heard this for decades on famous songs and wanted to know myself. My favorite song using this patch heavily is on Tangerine Dream's "Canyon Dreams" LP and the song "Canyon Voices". What a gorgeous synth. Your enthusiasm is shared. Thanks for the great demo.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

great comment, thanks! yeah, you can spot that sound in many songs when you know what to listen for. every synth that came after the d50 copied the sounds with patches such as "Fantasy" (fantasia) and copies of Soundtrack. cheers.

[@jackwhitenoise3943]

Thank you Woody excellent presentation as always ,my guess is that Roland D50 was made for future ,it still sounds like future to me

[@WoodyPianoShack]

it sure does!

[@peakexperience]

Your favorite preset there Woody sounds very similar to a few on Native Instruments Absynth. Another gorgeous synth

[@2steppa3]

Check the 1992 Mr Fingers album 'Introduction' - D50 all over it, blissful!

[@devingademan]

Thank you for sharing! I was recently going through some nineties records by Larry Heard. Similar sounds can be heard. I noticed a few recognisable sounds from Yamaha, Korg & Roland. Will listen to your suggestion this week and already looking forward to it (I already heard ‘Staccato Heaven’ on the third track “On My Way”. Greetings from the Netherlands!

[@2steppa3]

@@devingademan Nice one! And Michael Cooper 'Shoop Shoop' plenty of lovely 90s Stacatto Heaven too!

[@PeteMOBie1]

The D50 sounds a lot warmer hearing you play it than I remember. At the time I thought the pads were weak, but then I was comparing it to an Oberheim OB-Xa. My fave patches were Soundtack, Stacato Heaven and Star Trek Voices. Jean Michel Jarre used this synth for most of his Revolutions album.

[@tlazohtlalia]

Oh and did you know that Yamaha had a patch called sweet heaven which is on a lot of their keyboards which sounds exactly like staccato heaven on the d50

[@ilmostro749]

Is the preset called 'Soundtrack'?

[@theorgandude]

Correct. Well Done. :)

[@WoodyPianoShack]

yay!

[@ianhutty7093]

Used in the Foreigner Track at the beginning 'I don't wanna live without you'

[@fkthewhat]

My first introduction to this patch was on a Soundblaster AWE32 sound card I had in my computer as a 12 year old using its slightly advanced General Midi soundset. It has this out-the-window-gazing, melancholic and evocative sound to it that now at 32 years old I can only look back with feelings of nostalgia when I hear it!

[@ChrisNova777]

you had it as a sampled soundfont then im guessing??? i too, have a awe32 i just maxed the ram in it! :) throwing it into my 486

[@Mad4400]

What are you playing at ~8:40 (Bass Marimba + chase)? I have heard it so many times but cannot place it.

[@WoodyPianoShack]

axel f

[@Mad4400]

Thank you! I have been trying to learn that but haven't got past the intro. Keep up the good work Woody.

[@brianptguitarkeyboardcover9957]

Thanks for the the inspiration, finally found a mint D-50.

[@roel3690]

That preset is called Soundtrack. It's also available on de D-10 and D-20, these cheaper synths have lots of sounds of the D-50 that are possible with four partials. Another preset on the D-10 I like very much is called Warm Pad Fade.

[@damian-795]

My Roland E350 has that soundtract preset, it`s the same

[@benhamel6550]

7:08 was used in Give Me Back My Heart by Corina.

[@DavRBailey]

Of course, just knowing you're on preset #37 means "Soundtrack". Lol. Amazing sound. I started with a Roland Juno-6 and jumped to the D-50 next. What a leap! Bought it new from the store on Tuesday, January 26,1988. (Not that it was a memorable occasion or anything.) Lol. Grabbed Roland's sound cards 01 and 02 and the PG-1000 programmer all at the same time. Bought cards 03 + 04 a few years later when they came out. I have always loved the D-50 and now have two D-550's as well. I thought maybe I was the only one still bonkers for this synth after all these years, but your passion and excitement for this synth is really refreshing and I appreciated both parts of this demo. And yes, I also get moved to tears by various patches, so I was completely with you while demo'ing the "Soundtrack" patch. I can't say enough awesome things about Chris Nightingale's "D-50 Librarian" program if you want a great tool for organizing and loading patches into your D-50. www.d50librarian.co.uk Beautiful job on your restore job! Cheers!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

great to hear from another d50-freak, there are more of us than you might first think... :)

[@SuperMegaWoofer3000]

If you can't get your hands on the D50 for realsies, Roland offer a VST emulation (which can be programmed!) as part of their Roland Cloud, and it also sounds awesome. My god what a beast it must have been in 1987. I think in 2017 it still sounds amazing!

[@Schumanized]

Mine still rocks 30 years on!!

[@guywilkinson]

I bought a Roland D5 just for soundtrack, gotta have it. Nice when combined with a JX10 soundtrack patch 😁🎹🎶

[@srprice2383]

I'm not an actual keyboard player. I'm a guitarist but I have been using keyboards for sequencing since the 80s. Started out in school using a big Casio CZ5000 with built in sequencer, TR707 drum machine, Yamaha DX27 I think. Then my own gear. Roland MV30 (U20 sound engine) Yamaha TG77 (SY77 sound engine) Roland JX1 (used for midi controller but had a great synth stack sound used on Clapton's Bad Love intro. Korg Triton.

[@oldtimer1294]

Hi! Isn't Bad Love played on D50 preset called OK coral or something...? And what preset on JX-1 it is???