Great sounds in a compact box.

The SC-8850 might as well have been my introduction into HW as a whole, and definitely has been my introduction to the world of MIDI modules, whether those are desktop modules like this, or rackmount devices like the JV-1080, JD-990, and so on.

It's got a ton of great sounds that I use quite a lot these days - they might be more than two decades old, but that doesn't make them unusable at all. In fact, I think a device like this really shines in a day and age like today, where a lot of video games set out to emulate an aesthetic that only devices like these can produce, in terms of music.

Even outside of that, it's got great keyboards, fantastic reeds, decent guitars, outstanding basses, decent strings, loads of synthesized sounds, and flattering flutes. It's even got a few more obscure instruments, and while a few of them don't sound great, they're usable if you think outside the box.

The effects are great too, even if a bit limiting at times. You have your standard reverb, delay and chorus that are basically effect sends, but then you also have EFX, with dozens of effects that you can just apply to any sound, like distortion, bitcrushers, compressors, limiters, choruses, flangers, and more. There's even 'combo' versions of these as a single effect. As great as that all is, you only have one EFX slot. You can route as many channels to it as you want, but you don't really get more slots. You can't have both a guitar amp sim and a bitcrusher, for example.

From Gear Setup

Dream synth for old-school MIDI enthusiasts

So let me give you the pros and the cons in a neat little list:

Pros:

-Universal switching power supply, which means you can use this module anywhere in the world without worrying about connecting to the wrong voltage.

-Fun retro sounds that'll bring you back to the early PlayStation/PlayStation 2 era

-A great machine for composing songs with appealing and bright sounds

-If you like Golden Sun or Pokémon Generation 3's soundtracks, most of those sounds are here and accounted for.

-Easy to switch between instrument maps for even more sound patches

-It can sound great with retro PC games such as Rise of the Triad and HeXen, as well as adventure games in ScummVM.

-USB-MIDI port can save you a lot of space in terms of midi ports

-4 parts available, with sixteen MIDI channels each.

-Roland still has the operating manuals and drivers for this module on their site if you're missing one from your purchase.

Cons:

-The Roland SC-55, SC-88 and SC-88 Pro maps all have inconsistencies. From different filters to wrong samples, accuracy is not something you should expect.

-While it's not a big problem, the MIDI outputs only give you access to up to 32 MIDI channels. This won't be a big bother to most users.

-The USB-MIDI port is extremely susceptible to heavy ground loop noise, but with a USB isolator like the one from Nobsound (link further down) this can be eliminated. It still doesn't happen when you use the regular MIDI ports.

-The Roland SC-8850 USB driver can be a pain in the rear to install on modern systems, but thankfully just right-clicking and selecting "Install" on one of the driver folder's files can mostly fix that.

-The General MIDI 2 map is nothing to be excited about, so initialise to GS mode instead. Be aware that some old games don't mesh well with GS, so in that case I'd suggest trying a GM reset instead.

I love this module despite some of its warts, and it's been my workhorse synth for composition since early 2018. Highly recommended for anyone into retro midi sounds.

Link for the Nobsound USB to USB isolator: https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-Audio-Eliminator-Industrial-Protection/dp/B07GB4CQQ3/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=clyfaker-20&linkId=42b1653e3f3a725644b4dadfd1afc560&language=en_US

functional GM rompler in a small form factory

I purchsed this second hand very cheaply with the thought I might use it for some extra layered textures when I ahd fewer programmable synths and no dedicated orchestral library. I believe its been recorded a few times but sparingly. Currently resides in a drawer. Its worth so little and takes up so little space being a little table top brick (somewhat taller than a TX7 or TG33 but really small) that its pointless to sell it. There are some respectable mid 90s type of JD/JX series sounds ranging from sample-based analog-alike sounds to chimey D50 and FMish tones and goofy world instrument and orchestral samples. If I recall this has some cheeseball gated drums too, but maybe not as cheesey as the yamaha SY series kits from the 35, 77 and 99... it sines most in key type sounds where its EP and piano sounds are drawn from the old roland digital piano modules (I think) like the MKS20 rack unit.

I think this is basically a rehoused SC-88 with a few more sounds. Mine says edirol on it. The Edirol brand also made a smaller one with elss controls. Those are HELLA cheap now. Skip if you insist programmability.... buy if you want some dated sounds that can't all be found in rompler plugins and sample packs for your DAW for 200 bucks or less.

Very unique sounding module.

My likes:

It has a solid build, The buttons and knobs are ideal, and I like the lighted buttons. It's very easy to access all of the sounds without having to spend a long time trying to find a specific area. It has 2 RCA stereo outputs instead of one. The two tone grey and dark grey/black design. The 3.5mm is convenient honestly compared to a 1/4 inch being the option for phones. The USB option is obviously a nice add on for a '99 instrument. The sounds scream late 20th Century, and I definitely can work with the pads and the EPs from this.

My dislikes:

The screen could be bigger and easier to read (viewing from above is partially difficult). The Roland Edirol thing is kinda weird to me but whatever. The MU2000 looks more vibrant IMO and it has more bright lights to see what's being shown.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

From Gear Setup