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Average Price: $372
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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
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Is the Roland S-50 suitable for live performances?
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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.
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What type of sampling capabilities does the Roland S-50 offer?
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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.
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Does the Roland S-50 have MIDI connectivity?
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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.
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Can I use the Roland S-50 with a computer monitor?
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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.
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What is the polyphony of the Roland S-50?
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The Roland S-50 offers 16-voice polyphony, enabling you to play multiple notes simultaneously for complex musical compositions.
Videos
peahix
Roland S-50 Sampler Demo Song - "Sunday Paper"
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
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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.
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The S-50 sampler offers 16 voices, individual outs, and a filter, providing a distinctive, crunchy sound characteristic of vintage samplers.
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Owners appreciate the S-50's support for external display and mouse control, allowing graphic sample editing without a computer.
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Mods and upgrades
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Owners have replaced the S-50's amber monochrome display with small LCD screens intended for in-car backup cameras for a modern look.
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Many users are upgrading from the S-50's disk drive to USB thumb drive controllers to modernize data storage and access.
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Installing a Gotek floppy drive emulator is recommended to bypass aging floppy drives, enhancing reliability and modernizing boot processes.
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Newer users consider modern recreations with SD card, USB, and HDMI support desirable over traditional floppies and RGB connections.
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Comparisons
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The Roland S-770 is noted as a more professional alternative with superior features compared to the S-50.
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User experience
Setup and maintenance
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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.
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Software and compatibility
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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.
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The S-50 prefers DD (720KB) floppy disks over HD (1.44MB); using HD disks can cause compatibility issues.
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Sdisk software, originally DOS-based, now has a Windows version supporting USB floppy drives, aiding in managing disk images.
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Critic Reviews
5.0 out of 5
Based on 1 Review and 4 Ratings
1151
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
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.
In "Vangelis: The Unknown Man," it is noted that Vangelis utilized the Roland S-50 synthesizer.
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
"Sweet Trip supplies (aka my low tech unsophisticated equipt checklist for Halica, alura, VDC,live or recording)"
According to this Musician magazine article, the Roland S-50 was one of the synths George Michael used on the Faith album.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Album Usage
The Roland S-50 has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Roland S-50, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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