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Average Price: $372

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$500

$1501+

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Description

Step into the realm of classic sampling with the Roland S-50, a synthesizer that shaped the sound of the late 80s and continues to inspire musicians today. As one of Roland's pioneering sampler keyboards, the S-50 offers a 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard that brings expressive power to your performances. Built for the creative mind, it allows users to sample, edit, and manipulate sounds with ease, making it a versatile tool for live performances and studio sessions alike.

The S-50's 12-bit sampler engine delivers a warm, vintage character that adds depth to any track. With a maximum sampling time of 28.8 seconds, it provides ample room to craft and layer sounds. Musicians will appreciate its intuitive interface, which incorporates a large backlit LCD screen for straightforward editing and navigation. The inclusion of a variety of onboard effects, such as chorus and reverb, allows for further sound shaping, enhancing its versatility.

Designed with connectivity in mind, the S-50 features MIDI I/O and a host of external control options, making it an excellent choice for integrating with modern setups. Whether you're a seasoned synth enthusiast or a newcomer exploring the vast world of sampling, the Roland S-50 offers a unique blend of vintage charm and modern functionality, ensuring it remains a beloved instrument in any collection.

Key Features:

  • 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard
  • 12-bit sampling engine
  • Maximum sampling time of 28.8 seconds
  • Large backlit LCD screen for easy editing
  • Onboard effects: chorus and reverb
  • MIDI I/O for seamless integration
  • External control options for versatile setups

Product specs

Brand Roland
Model S-50 61-Key Digital Sampling Keyboard
Finish Black
Year 1986 - 1990
Categories Keyboard Synths, Samplers
Analog / Digital Digital
Key Size Full Size
Keyboard Action Weighted
MIDI I/O MIDI Input, MIDI Output, MIDI Through
Number of Keys 61 Keys
Polyphony 16 Voices

FAQs

Is the Roland S-50 suitable for live performances?

Yes, the Roland S-50 is suitable for live performances due to its 61 full-size keys with weighted action, providing a responsive and expressive playing experience.

What type of sampling capabilities does the Roland S-50 offer?

The Roland S-50 features 12-bit sampling with a maximum of 8 voices, allowing for rich and detailed sound reproduction. It also includes a built-in 3.5" DSDD disk drive for sample storage.

Does the Roland S-50 have MIDI connectivity?

Yes, the Roland S-50 is equipped with MIDI Input, Output, and Through ports, making it easy to integrate with other MIDI-compatible gear in your setup.

Can I use the Roland S-50 with a computer monitor?

The Roland S-50 includes a CRT/composite video output, allowing you to connect it to a compatible computer monitor for visual editing and control of samples.

What is the polyphony of the Roland S-50?

The Roland S-50 offers 16-voice polyphony, enabling you to play multiple notes simultaneously for complex musical compositions.

peahix

peahix

Roland S-50 Sampler Demo Song - "Sunday Paper"

Video thumbnail for Roland S-50 Sampler Demo Song - "Sunday Paper" by peahix

Roland S-50 Sampler Demo Song - "Sunday Paper"

peahix

peahix

Video thumbnail for A Sampler In Time - The Roland S-50 Digital Sampler by Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

A Sampler In Time - The Roland S-50 Digital Sampler

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Video thumbnail for Roland S-50 - Gear of the Week (Junkie XL) by Junkie XL

Roland S-50 - Gear of the Week (Junkie XL)

Junkie XL

Junkie XL

Video thumbnail for Roland S-50 Sampling and Tech Overview by Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Roland S-50 Sampling and Tech Overview

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Video thumbnail for Roland S-50 RSB Sound Library - Box 1 & 2 by Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Roland S-50 RSB Sound Library - Box 1 & 2

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Video thumbnail for Roland S-50 Sampler RSB Sound Library Box 7 and Box 8 by Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Roland S-50 Sampler RSB Sound Library Box 7 and Box 8

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Video thumbnail for Roland S-50 Patch Editing by Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Roland S-50 Patch Editing

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Johnny Morgan Synth Dreams

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Roland S-50.

Features and functionality

  • The Roland S-50 includes a diskette drive for easy loading of custom patches, a unique feature compared to similar synths like the Korg M1.

    Source
  • The S-50 sampler offers 16 voices, individual outs, and a filter, providing a distinctive, crunchy sound characteristic of vintage samplers.

    Source
  • Owners appreciate the S-50's support for external display and mouse control, allowing graphic sample editing without a computer.

    Source

Mods and upgrades

  • Owners have replaced the S-50's amber monochrome display with small LCD screens intended for in-car backup cameras for a modern look.

    Source
  • Many users are upgrading from the S-50's disk drive to USB thumb drive controllers to modernize data storage and access.

    Source
  • Installing a Gotek floppy drive emulator is recommended to bypass aging floppy drives, enhancing reliability and modernizing boot processes.

    Source
  • Newer users consider modern recreations with SD card, USB, and HDMI support desirable over traditional floppies and RGB connections.

    Source

Comparisons

  • The Roland S-770 is noted as a more professional alternative with superior features compared to the S-50.

    Source

User experience

  • Some users found the memory management of the S-50 less intuitive compared to the Ensoniq ESP.

    Source
  • Some owners experience a transformative quality in sampled sounds, such as turning a basic CZ-101 string patch into a rich, full sound on the S-50.

    Source

Setup and maintenance

  • Floppy drives can fail over time due to degraded rubber drive belts; cleaning the drive or using a 3.5" floppy disk cleaning kit may resolve issues.

    Source

Software and compatibility

  • Boot disk images for the S-50 are available online, allowing users to create their own startup disks, essential for operation if the original is lost or damaged.

    Source
  • The S-50 prefers DD (720KB) floppy disks over HD (1.44MB); using HD disks can cause compatibility issues.

    Source
  • Sdisk software, originally DOS-based, now has a Windows version supporting USB floppy drives, aiding in managing disk images.

    Source

Critic Reviews

Roland S-50 Sampling Keyboard (SOS Dec 86)

muzines.co.uk

The Roland S-50 Sampling Keyboard sets itself apart with 16-note polyphony, a generous 512K memory, and a unique visual editing feature via TV monitor connectivity. Praised for its almost perfect piano sound and high-quality factory disks, it offers a user-friendly experience at an affordable price. While the sample fidelity lags slightly behind competitors like the Prophet 2000 and Akai S900, particularly with complex sounds, its performance with single instruments is commendable. The lack of real-time filter control might deter some, but future software updates promise enhancements. Overall, the S-50's blend of features and price make it a standout in its class.

positive

Roland S50 (MT Dec 86)

muzines.co.uk

The Roland S-50 impresses with its unique 16-voice capability and competitive pricing, setting it apart in an overcrowded sampler market. Its standout features include a weighted keyboard and an innovative monitor connection for visual editing, which simplifies programming significantly. The sound quality, particularly the piano disk, is highly praised, offering expressive touch responses. However, the lack of dynamic filtering and the cumbersome memory clearing process are notable drawbacks. Despite some minor software limitations, the S-50's robust build and future-proofing potential through system updates make it a formidable choice for musicians seeking a versatile sampling keyboard.

positive

5.0 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 4 Ratings

5 star
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spleentaste

un classique du sampling

un reve d'ado : mon 1er sampler en 1990 !!! en fait je l'ai eu sous la main 2 semaines à l'époque...puis je l'ai retrouvé des années plus tard...une vraie nostalgie que de retrouver cette technologie d'un autre age mais pas si dépassée !!! voir même indispensable au SOUNDESIGN à mon gout...

Artist usage

Add artist
See how A.R. Rahman uses Roland S-50

A.R. Rahman

Singer, Keyboardist

SuperHeavy

...
Verified via YouTube

In a video by Sound On Sound magazine, at 7:39, A.R. Rahman states that he purchased a Roland S-50 sampler during the early years of his professional career.

See how Vangelis uses Roland S-50

Vangelis

Keyboardist, Music Producer

Aphrodite's Child

...
Verified via Google Books

In "Vangelis: The Unknown Man," it is noted that Vangelis utilized the Roland S-50 synthesizer.

See how Junkie XL uses Roland S-50

Junkie XL

Composer, Music Producer

Tiësto vs. Junkie XL

...
Verified via YouTube

"We see the S50, Roland" at 1:45

See how Klaus Schulze uses Roland S-50

Klaus Schulze

Guitarist, Bassist

Tangerine Dream

...
Verified via Muzines

List of equipment used by Klaus Schulze, from the February 1993 issue of Sound on Sound:

4x Akai S1000PB (32MB) 2x Akai S1000KB (32MB) Akai S900 Akai S612 Akai S7000 Moog Modular CIII 2x Moog MiniMoog Studio Electronics MIDIMini Mellotron Yamaha CS80 Yamaha CP70 Yamaha TX81Z Yamaha SY99 Korg M1 Korg M1 EX Korg T1 Korg T3 Korg DVP1 Roland U110 Roland U220 Roland D50 Roland S50 sampler & monitor Roland Planet S & editor Roland Super Jupiter & editor 2 Roland TR505 Roland Octopad Roland JD800 Roland Super JX10 4x Hohner HS2/E sampler 5x Hohner HS1/E sampler Hohner HS1KB sampler Waldorf Microwave GDS computer synth Misc. Crumar keyboards Fairlight CMI Series II SCI Prophet 2000 SCI Prophet 2002 Emu Proteus/2 Emu Proteus/3 World Emu Emulator II Kurzweil K1000 Kawai K4 EMS Synthi A PPG Wave 2.2 Linn 9000 4x Oberheim DPX1 Yamaha RY30 drum machine Sonor timpanies and octo toms Paiste gongs and cymbals Martin 12-string guitar

See how Nick Rhodes uses Roland S-50

Nick Rhodes

Keyboardist

Duran Duran

...
Verified via Photo

The pictures shows Nick Rhodes with a Roland S-50.

See how Roberto Burgos uses Roland S-50

Roberto Burgos

Singer, Guitarist

Sweet Trip

...
Verified via Photo

"Sweet Trip supplies (aka my low tech unsophisticated equipt checklist for Halica, alura, VDC,live or recording)"

See how George Michael uses Roland S-50

George Michael

Singer

WHAM!

...
Verified via Gmforever

According to this Musician magazine article, the Roland S-50 was one of the synths George Michael used on the Faith album.

See how Bob Casale uses Roland S-50

Bob Casale

Guitarist, Bassist

Devo

...
Verified via Photo

A Roland S-50 can been seen on the bottom of Bob's keyboard rack in this image. Bob used this S-50 from 1988 (the year this photo was taken) to 1991 (whenever DEVO broke up). This S-50 also shows up in the "Disco Dancer" music video.

See how Stephin Merritt uses Roland S-50

Stephin Merritt

Singer, Guitarist

The Magnetic Fields

...
Verified via Discogs

Stephin is credited using this equipment in the liner notes for 69 Love Songs.

See how Eric Martin uses Roland S-50

Eric Martin

Singer

Mr. Big

...
Verified via YouTube

In the YouTube video titled "415 / Eric Martin Band Standing Ten Feet Tall" by Lostml, Eric Martin is seen using a Roland S-50 synthesizer at the 1 minute and 55 seconds mark. This performance took place during the 415 / EMB Reunion on March 31, 1989, at "The Omni" in Berkeley, California.

See how Hiroshi Yoshimura uses Roland S-50

Hiroshi Yoshimura

Composer

...
Verified via reddit

In a Reddit thread, user jellysgroove identified the gear in a photo of Hiroshi Yoshimura's studio, confirming the use of a Roland S-50 synthesizer.

See how Isaiah Ikey Owens uses Roland S-50

Isaiah Ikey Owens

Keyboardist, Music Producer

The Mars Volta

...
Verified via Photo

Featured in this February 18, 2014 Instagram post. It is the same one that was used by Sublime on 40oz. to Freedom.

This is the Roland sk1 sampler that was used on #sublimes 40oz to freedom...scarlet begonias, waiting for my ruca, etc....in other words this sampler is the sound of my youth. Hopefully we both become classics.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Roland S-50, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

Roland D-50
Roland D-50 Synthesizers
4
Yamaha TX81Z
Yamaha TX81Z Sound Modules
4
Korg M1
Korg M1 Synthesizers
3
Roland S-550 Sampler
Roland S-550 Sampler Audio Samplers
3
Roland S770
Roland S770 Audio Samplers
2
Roland D-550
Roland D-550 Synthesizers & Sound Modules
2
Oberheim OB-Xa
Oberheim OB-Xa Synthesizers
2

Community setups

Show yours
S

syndrom6667

Gear IQ 93

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