CR-80 This is a performance type unit with preset patterns using similar sounds to the R-8, geared for the live musician or someone who doesn’t want to compose.
CR-1000 This is a preset type drum machine based on the TR-505 sound set, it has programmable volume levels for each pattern.
CR-8000 An earlier analogue preset based drum machine with control over instrument levels
DR-5 This 1995 digital rhythm composer is very popular and is still currently available – As well as numerous useable and editable drum sounds, it has other sounds useful for creating rhythms/backings, like bass, piano and strings. It also has a keyboard laid out like a guitar’s fret board – This allows a guitarist to play chords with the piano sound for example, and also provides a useful chord directory via it’s LCD display for would be guitarists. This is a very well thought out unit, with good punchy useable sounds and very reliable (It’s also quite cheap to buy). Delatronics recommends this unit for the home user and composer alike. DR-202 A recent digital drum machine with good sound quality for the price, but really only geared to dance music, especially Hip hop and Techno – This unit has a lot of preset dance patterns, but not much room for user presets.
DR-550/660/670/770 Continuing in the doctor rhythm section, these units are of the more conventional drum machine type – With preset and user patterns. They are all reliable and have some very useable sounds. The 660/770 have on board effects (the DR-670 is the current model and has some useful functions for live work, but is pretty similar to the DR-770 in function except it’s £50 cheaper and looks different).
JS-5 This “Jam station” is a brand new idea, It allows guitar and bass players to Jam along with preset arrangements or create their own. Delatronics tested this product but found both its appearance ugly and not easy to use – They are very reliable though if you can live with the package and is a useful tool for rehearsing, rather than recording.
MC-303/307/505/909 These are dance orientated ‘groove boxes’ but can be used for virtually any type of music. The 303 was the first of these great sounding dynamic machines and has had it’s software heavily revised (contact Delatronics for details). The current MC-909 (best rhythm composer on the market) is a much bigger version of the 505 and 303 and has enough on board in the way of voices, sequencing and effects to produce a hit record from start to finish, it’s also a little more robust than the others as it has rubber touch sensitive key pads and lower profile knobs.. The MC-307 is a half way house between the 303 and 505 with 800 new presets (plus 256 user) and a new turntable style pitch control (this unit unlike the other two, hasn’t got a low boost control and sounded a little thin on test). All these machines are reliable, versatile, and take dynamic sound quality to a new level. Note: Important software update available for early MC-303’s.
TR-505/626 The first milestone reached in 1985, an all digital drum machine – Sold loads when released due to its realistic sounds and low price. This a good solid, reliable unit, but will never achieve the cult status of the earlier TR-808 and 909 because it doesn’t stand out for anything spectacular. However the TR-505 sound set spawned a few other models like the CR-1000 and the DR-220s.
TR-707 This was the larger, professional version of the TR-505 of around the same time, with volume sliders for each voice.
TR-808 This is a sought after analogue machine and is heavily used in dance music. The band ‘808 State’ named themselves after this classic sounding unit. The sounds are all analogue in this unit and are tuneable via pots on the top panel.
TR-909 Another highly sampled and sought after machine, which was part analogue and part digital (HI hats and cymbals) – This unit was aimed at the professional market as it had individual outputs for each voice as well as individual control over level, pitch, attack and decay for most voices. This was a fairly complex machine and when they do go wrong, can be expensive to repair (average cost £125), but they are the “Daddy” of dance orientated drum machines now days and are worth the money.
Drum pads HPD-15 This unit is intended to be played with the hand, the sounds are of very high quality (especially percussion) and it has some great drum loops to play along with and is great fun, but a sturdy professional tool at the same time. It is proving to be very reliable and is recommended to all drummers and percussionists by Delatronics. PAD-8/80 These units had eight playing plates that were hit by drumsticks but no internal sounds – They were designed to be connected to a sound module via MIDI. All the pads were individually editable for sensitivity, velocity curve, MIDI note number etc. These were very popular, reliable and versatile drum controllers. SPD-6/8/11/20 These followed the success of the PAD-8/80 range, but this time included internal sounds as well as full MIDI and gate control. They all have an impressive array of editable sounds and are often found as an accessory clamped to many a professional drum rack– The SPD-8 had a few teething problems (sorted by hardware mods.) as it was the first model. The SPD-6 is the budget model. SPD-S This unit is very popular and compact sampling drum pad; It enables you sample a real acoustic kit or a sampled loop.
Drum Kits
TD-5 Recent unit, brain behind the TD-5 kit (comprising KD-5, PD-5 etc.). Although this was the budget version of the TD-7 it replaced, it had a superior trigger response! Still plenty around second hand and very reliable, but the kit pad parts (KD-5 etc.) were not as robust as the TD-7 kit (but you can use TD-7 kit parts with this unit).
TD-6 Budget drum brain in blue plastic – Looks a little cheap but sounds are good for the money.
TD-7 The first of the range, made a huge impact (pardon the pun). The triggering was fast, but not quite fast enough for some styles that involved rapid hits in succession. But the good news is that the ‘TD-7 Turbo upgrade kit’ improves triggering slightly, allowing you to use the latest PD-120 pads, and gives you a new set of patches to boot (Update costs about £60).
TD-8 Otherwise known as ‘V Drums’, it is a more professional current version of the 5 and 7 with more features and as there have been none repaired so far by Roland or Delatronics - Completely reliable. It is also available as a kit with the new PD-80 pads, which are the most realistic and best electronic percussion pads on the market!
TD-10 This is the ultimate drum brain, with more sounds and patches than the TD-8, it is compatible with all the Roland drum pads and so far is 100% reliable.
DEP-3/5 Very good rack mount FX processors from the late eighties, reliable and well constructed but costly to repair if faulty. No major updates or common faults (Latest revisions 1.01 for DEP-3 and 2.00 for DEP-5).
E-660 Top quality delay unit as loved by the BBC, are quite noisy i.e. Hiss, and very expensive to repair (No updates for this model).
GP-8/16/100 Rack mount guitar FX processors, GP-8 and GP-16 can be a little noisy but all are very competent (Software updates GP-16 version 1.03, GP-100 version 1.05).
GT-3/GT-5 Floor type digital guitar FX unit, both current models and well specified with onboard assignable expression pedal. GT-3 has the better construction i.e. Metal jacks and sturdier pot at rear, which is a weak point of the earlier GT-5 (Software updated to version 1.07 on GT-5).
GS-6 Rack-mounted guitar pre-amp with front panel control, released in ’89 – Sounded OK but factory patches a little noisy (Not updated).
GX-700 Rack mount guitar FX processor first sold in 1996. Sound quality similar to GT range. No major faults (Current revision 1.09).
ME-5/6/8/10/30 Floor type guitar FX units. ME-6/8/30 budget models, ME-5/10 are better quality and sound different, the latter sounds more ‘produced’. All are fairly reliable.
R-880 Reverb version of E-660. Fair amount of hiss on output, some are better than others (Current revision 2.00).
RE-1000/RV-1000 Very cheaply made (and sold) rack mount echo and reverb studio FX processors. Units are both noisy, have little headroom and not recommended. However if you own one of these units, there is a modification available to improve the noise slightly.
SDE-330/SRV-330 High-end, digital delay and reverb units with some RSS patches. Latest revisions on both units 1.07.Can have boot up faults – But usually economic to repair.
SDE-1000/2000/2500/3000 Early digital rack mount delay units. Very good warm sound, reliable, but a nightmare to repair. As used by Pink Floyd and numerous studios.
SE-50/70 Half rack size digital FX units, well-built and specified for money. LCD Backlight circuit can fail and battery goes flat after 4 years. (Current update version 1.01 for SE-50 and 1.06 for SE-70).
SRV-1000/2000/3000 Early digital rack mount reverb units in same field as SDE-1000 etc. Very good warm sound, reliable but usually costly to repair.
SRV-3030 This the current rack mounted reverb processor, it was awarded by a leading magazine recently as best outboard effect.
SX-700 Studio version, and very similar to, the GX-700 (Latest revision 1.02).
VF-1 This is a current product, and is basically an updated SE-70 (Half rack-mount size) – It has 24 bit A/D and D/A converters, 400 patches – Half of them user, and COSM technology. The sound quality is very good, and it has more features than the SE-70. Also new to the VF-1 is a coax digital output. If you want a very good compact multi effects processor, at a reasonable price – This is the one to get. The only slight criticism is that, unlike most MULTI FX units, most of the patches are geared for guitar and not vocal or keyboards (but this can be remedied by reprogramming.
VG-8/88 Ultimate guitar FX processor. Uses own GK-2 pickup to simulate different guitars and amp set ups, can be upgraded by Delatronics. To ‘S1’ version. EX version still available new for about £1000 (Was £2000). Very reliable unit and now much cheaper!
Space Echoes
Roland Space Echo’s are the increasingly more popular retro tape effects units from the late 70’s early 80’s. Their unique sound is created via the medium of analogue tape; where the input signal is recorded onto a tape loop by the record head and then played back from three (or four) separate play back heads set at different spacing away from the record head. The resultant sound is warmer and has more presence and character (compared to digital equivalents), digital units can’t even come close to reproducing the space echo’s unique qualities. Today they are used by a range of artists (for vocals as well as guitars and “would be” Hank Marvin’s) like: Dub Star, Radio Head, Portishead, Roxy Music etc.
Space echoes are becoming more and more sought after, so second hand values are increasing steadily.
If you want to get hold of one, bear in mind that it may cost you quite a lot of money to get it serviced if it doesn’t come with a service history - Go for well looked after examples, as many spare parts are now unavailable. If you are able to give it a try, check that all the modes work to some degree (even if the effected signal is weak), otherwise this may indicate a nasty fault, beyond the scope of a regular service. Motors are not available to buy new anymore, so check that the motor spindle has no discernable side to side play when you rock it, and check for wow and flutter by listening to the pitch of the input signal, if it is unstable or wavering in pitch, the motor could be worn out (reconditioned motors are now available from Delatronics, but never the less, they are quite costly items to replace). Check also for any scoring or excess wear to the tape heads - tape heads are in very short supply. Pinch rollers are not available, so check that the rubber on the roller is still serviceable. No case parts are available at all, including the thumbnuts that clamp down the tape cover. If the unit has green felt pads fitted, it has never been serviced, because Roland Japan only ever supplied white felt pads with which to service the unit (and felts must be replaced during a service).
Units that are gigged on a regular basis need servicing once a year; it’s tempting to leave servicing ‘till later, but that usually costs more in the long run, due to the increased wear which will ensue on motor and heads (also a tape oxide soiled felt pad, will soil the new tape you put in) – Delatronics services more Space Echo’s than any other single product and more than anyone else in the UK. The charge for a service is highlighted in the service section, but will be less for a clean well maintained unit; for a twenty point service (1.Clean top deck. 2.Adjust deck height. 3.Replace capstan felts. 4. Clean/Reface pinch roller rubber. 5.Clean motor drive shaft. 6.Clean/Lubricate roller shaft. 7.Replace leaf spring felt. 8. Adjust pinch roller tension. 9.Adjust leaf spring tension. 10.Clean tape heads/path. 11.Adjust tape all head’s azimuth. 12.Degauss heads. 13.Remove/clean/re-install tape guide posts. 14.Adjust tape feed plates. 15.Clean/lubricate upper and lower transport bearings. 16.Check/Adjust intensity level. 17.Check/Adjust playback levels (For each head). 18.Replace echo tape. 19.Check/Adjust reverb driver level. 20.Bed in new tape/Soak test unit for at least an hour).
Use of a suitable tape loop is essential – The original RT-1L 300 hour lubricated tapes (originally made by Scotch 3M in an Italian factory which burnt down) are no longer available, so a good equivalent needs to be used and it is essential that the tape used is hard wearing and well lubricated: The kind of tape you need is the type that radio stations use for jingles (a short loop designed to be used over and over again). Most ¼” reel to reel tape is not tough enough for continuous use within a short loop, and is quite thin; the tape used must also have a wide bias to allow for the different tape speeds set by the repeat rate. If you wish to make your own loops - The loops should be 10 feet in length; splicing kits can be obtained from places like Tandy (Radio shack). The type of tape that Delatronics uses is of very high quality; it is quite thick and very well lubricated (this means it can last up to 500 hours!!), but sadly, it’s not commercially available and is now in limited supply. The search for a suitable equivalent tape is a long one, as most tapes out there are simply not up to the job – Cheap tapes will either shed oxide (brown powdery deposits), stick to the heads when warm (stopping the tape from going round) or snap!! My advice is to try a few brands until you find one with reasonable results. Out of the makes of tape we have tested, certain types of Ampex tape are a definite No, as the abrasive qualities found in some of these tapes can actually wear grooves in your heads, also Agfa, Sony, Fuji all shed oxides and stick to the heads. Best look for jingle tape or try Maxell - the better quality Maxell tape will give you reasonable results and 50 hours use (which is quite economical if you buy a reel of it, as you’d get at least 50 ten foot loops out of one reel).
RE-101 Rare units,as not imported into the UK by Roland – They have echo modes only (No chorus or spring reverb) – They are less well set up, and considered to be ‘the budget model’.
RE-150 Like the 101 they were not generally imported, so are rare in the UK – They have a non adjustable swell function as well as echo modes, but again no reverb.
RE-201 Very popular entry level unit imported to the UK – Equipped with echo and spring reverb, sound quite muddy as the head positioning was less accurate than later models and electronics were less advanced and a little more hissy. When the intensity is wound up on these units, it goes into a lovely distorted sound – I prefer these units to all the others now days (they have more character).
RE-301 This is the best all rounder, as the sound was not too dull and not too crisp (Hank Marvin owned one). They have Echo, adjustable chorus, spring reverb (this is adjustable on the front panel and via a pot in the mains lead hatch) and sound on sound that works like a rehearsal function (the recorded signal goes round the entire length of the tape before being erased).
RE-501/SRE-555 Very well set up units with better reproduction (But some think, too crisp and digital sounding), with all the features of the 301 plus balanced inputs/outputs. But the sound on sound function doesn’t work in the same way as the 301 (More like a forth head). The SRE-555 is the rack-mounted version of the RE-501.
RE-3 This was the last of the space echoes and totally digital (so requires no servicing) – These units emulate the real thing very well (except they don’t hiss or glitch on the splice), but they are very rare as the retail cost was relatively high and they didn’t sell as a consequence.!
Controllers
Midi control keyboards for use with separate sound module
A-30/33 [‘92/’96] Lightweight, Italian made budget range GS controller – It has a piano weighted (Fatar) keyboard (Not recommended for gigging, but OK for entry level home use).
A-70 [1997] Fully featured, Italian made, expandable (with sound) - Equivalent to the A-90 but cheaper construction with Fatar keyboard (Good, lower cost, lighter option to the A-90).
A-50//80 [1989] Professional quality Japanese made controllers that are fully featured. The ‘Synth’ weighted A-50 and Piano weighted A-80, are available on the second hand market. They are heavily featured (though pre GM), and feature both channel and polyphonic after touch (These are good quality models but are not GS/GM compatible).
A-90 [1996] The A-90 is a Roland flagship controller and that is reflected in the superb build quality and ability of this unit. It also can be expanded to, or bought as the ‘EX’ version: which has onboard quality Piano sounds (these keyboards are highly recommended, and are suitable for gigging, but they are very heavy).
AX-1 Italian made GS controller which was designed to be played guitar style i.e. slung across the shoulder (Can have intermittent problems with pitch bend, but look good on stage and work well, they’re also inexpensive to buy).
PC-100/160/180/200/300 [1990 on] Similar range as the A-30, designed for home use with computers and GM/GS modules. Edirol now sell these keyboards directly to the public at very low prices. Note: Can have MIDI problems with the Soundblaster AWE-64 sound card (Cheap but well worth the money for what they are – Home use).
Synthesizers
D-5/10/20/50/70 [’87 to’90] Japanese made Roland ‘LA sound chip’ synthesizer family - They are a bit dated sound wise now, and second hand values are low: The D-5 is the low range model here, used a lot in schools. The D-10 and 20 are the same except for the D-20’s on board sequencer (which has a format of it’s own). These models are good enough for budget minded buyers starting out. The D-50 was Roland’s flagship synth and was very popular with professional players; it was very well made and had a good effects section (Chorus and Reverb), which enhanced the overall sound, which came across well live (the D-50 is still used today especially in Indian Bollywood music). The D-70 has a very unique ‘clean and spacious’ sound quality and had the most realistic sounds in the LA family (they are still in professional use today - Jethro Tull still currently own two!).
Discover 5 [2003] Italian built keyboard with on board Harmonisers and Vocoder – Don’t know where the market is for this unit and personally I think it’s ill conceived – The sounds are similar to that of the Fantom (just short of the XV sound modules), build quality is better than other Italian models (If you need a good keyboard with a harmoniser, buy this one).
EG-101 [1998] This is a dance product from Italy, it combines dance rhythm styles (as found on the DR-202), with MC-303 sound sources, and, in addition, has an on board sampler based on the SP-202 (which is useless as it has no memory to speak of). It also has a bass reflex speaker system and ‘D Beam’ controller from the MC-505. This unit didn’t sell well as it wasn’t great at doing anything! (If you’re into Dance, don’t go for this one is my recommendation; Try the JX-305).
FA-76 [2001] This workstation has the latest XV sound set on board, it is well constructed and minimalistic in appearance; but I didn’t like it – The sounds fall short of the XV modules and somehow lack dynamics, you also need to work the menus to get to the function you want (they are reliable however, and may appeal to some).
JD-800 [1991] This was the digital version of the early analogue synths, with an array of sliders to edit the sounds. Still very much in use today by Dance music artists, they are quite reliable but can suffer with ‘self editing’ through dodgy sliders (They look lovely, and are already becoming classic synths).
JP-8000 [1997] An update of the JD-800 but with smaller keyboard and fewer sliders: This one’s a true synthesizer - It has some useful features like a ribbon controller and an arpeggiator: The sounds are very spacious and wide ranging, so it would be ideally suited for Dance, Ambient or Electronic style music (top case is easily marked, but no problems).
Juno-1/2/6/60 [’85/’83] Analogue synths with digital controlled DCOs instead of voltage controlled VCO’s (so kept in tune better). Fairly cheap to obtain second hand, and very reliable. The 6 and 60 were out first, the 60 had a programmable user memory but otherwise the same as the 6 – both were pre MIDI and used DCB (can be retrofitted by Kenton Electronics), not as popular as the MIDI equipped Juno 106, and sound doesn’t have as good a ‘bottom end’. The later Juno1/2 were both MIDI keyboards, and virtually all digital: They are more compact in size - the Juno 2 has the longer keyboard and also has after touch (these keyboards represent a lower cost entry into the world of Analogue synthesis).
Juno-106 [1984] Still very popular: Digitally controlled analogue synthesizer with MIDI control, plenty sold and plenty still out there. Reliable and well built, but VCA/VCF custom chips do fail due to their hybrid design characteristics - typical fault symptom is: Every sixth note not sounding (these VCF/VCA ICs have been discontinued by Roland Japan, and there are no more components left in circulation!! – repair will be difficult in the very near future, without obtaining parts from scrapped units).
Jupiter-4/6/8 [‘80/’83] The classic four, six and eight note polyphonic analogue synthesisers (VCO/VCF/VCA) – Reliable, but very complex to work on if they do fail. Oscillators are self tuning (so if the unit won’t auto tune, it usually means the unit has a component failing). When buying, check that all keys respond from low C to top C in poly 1 mode – If there is a pattern to the notes missing (ie. Every eighth note on the Jupiter 8), it’s not usually due to dirty keyboard contacts: It’s a fault, which can cost on average £150 to repair (The Jupiter 6/8’s are highly recommended, while the JP-4 is a little limited as far as sound creation is concerned and also doesn’t like being moved about as the voice boards are plugged into a Mother board and do come loose).
JV-30/35/50/80/90/1000 [‘92/’94] The JV family are well-constructed expandable synthesizers with very useable sounds. The JV30/35 were very popular in schools and use an external power adaptor. The JV-50 is similar to the W-50, and has a GS sequencer on board. The JV-80/90 are both aimed at the professional end of the market, and without sequencers. While the JV-1000, is more of a studio workstation; with a longer 76 note keyboard. (these are recommended as a cheap second hand bargain or first keyboard).
JX-1 [1991] The JX-1 performance synth looks like a toy with it’s odd triangular shape; it was cheaply made and cheap to buy. The keyboard actions are known to stick (can be cured). This keyboard is one of only a few to incorporate different tunings, and because of it’s crudely designed D to A circuits, It actually sounded quite good - Almost analogue in its roughness (this keyboard is a little crude and ugly, but its cheap and sounds different).
JX-3P/8P [c1985] These were popular in the mid eighties, they were analogue synths with digitally controlled oscillators (3P with six note, 8P with eight note polyphony). They featured: an on board sequencer, MIDI, and could be programmed from the front panel (though not that conveniently) or via an external programmer. They sound quite ‘bright’, similar to the Juno 6/60; except with MIDI (but for the absence of front panel sliders, they would be as popular today as the Juno-106).
JX-305 [1998] This ‘groove synth’ has very useable sounds and features functions based on the MC-303 groove box (these units are well built and reliable but only really suited to dance music).
Model-660/760 [1989] Two keyboards under the Rhodes name (came out just after Roland took over Rhodes) – They are both based on the U-20, with RS PCM sounds. The 660 is the 61 note version, the 760 has 76 notes. Both units are reliable except for their keyboards; which require periodic overhauling (See U-20).
RS-09 [c1978] This is a very early analogue organ/strings synthesizer – It was fully polyphonic but was pre MIDI and CV/Gate. On the organ side it had two tones with 8’, 4’, 2’ and 1’ pipe settings plus 8’ and 4’ strings. One could add ensemble effect (Chorus) to the tones and also Vibrato but little else. Not really any amazing sounds from this unit and they are quite rare now.
RS-5/9 [2001] These are XV based ‘sound set’ performance keyboards with smart gold brushed aluminium top panels. They are very well constructed and should be up to gigging. Both have assignable control knobs (for resonance, envelopes etc), plenty of good sounds and other features. The RS-5 (6Kg) has a 61 note keyboard, while the RS-9 (10.8Kg) has a larger weighted 88 note type (although they are not expandable, they are recommended and worth the money).
SH-5/101/1000/2000 [c1976] The SH-5 is a very old and rare analogue monophonic keyboard, the SH-1000 was the first Japanese synthesizer followed by the SH-2000 (Both of little value due to lack of sound variations and MIDI). The SH-101 however sold by the bucket load – It was a monophonic analogue synth with a source mixer (mixing square, saw and sine waves together giving a richer sound), had an onboard sequencer, and originally sold for £250 (which was affordable), now sells second hand for at least the original new price. Reliable, robust and came in original grey, red and blue (the MG-1 modulation/bender grips were an accessory and now are hard to come by).
U-20 [1989] The first and only RS PCM synthesizer with realistic sounds. The internal sounds cannot be edited very much (being sample based), but can be layered. There are also modules – U-110/U-220 available (Many U-20’s are still being used, despite their age; their weak point is the keyboard contacts which need overhauling every two years or so at a cost of about £100).
W-50 [1994] This is the same as the JV-50 except with Church organ presets built in - Badged up as a Rodgers synthesizer.
XP-10/30/50/60/80 [’95 to’99] The XP range of Roland synthesizers would make a good second hand buy at the moment, as they are being fazed out, to make way for the latest and slightly better XV range. Because they are expandable (except for the budget XP-10) they will have a long lived appeal to all users. The expansion boards offer high quality realistic sounds (particularly the Piano, Orchestral and Vintage synth expansion boards) and can be used with the latest XV range too. As a workhorse, they are very reliable and well made. The last model was the XP-30 and is highly recommended by Delatronics in terms of performance, construction and value (It doesn’t have an on-board disk drive though). The early XP-50 model, did have problems reading SMF data – So would benefit from an update (all these units are good buys, but the XP-10 is outclassed by the newer RS-5).
XV-88 [2000] A high quality hammer action 88-note keyboard with superb XV-3080 sounds onboard. The unit features a massive 128-note polyphony, studio quality effects with RSS lifted from the award winning SRV-3030 and a powerful ‘Matrix’ control to alter tone nuance. This keyboard is well constructed, so is up to gigging, the XV drum kits sound superb – The only slight criticism is that some of the internal piano patches sound a little muffled (like they’re in a can) – This could be remedied by fitting a JV piano expansion board though.
DJ-70 [1996] First sampling keyboard aimed at the DJ market with short keyboard and scratching turntable (more toy than tool). Made in Italy, it was compatible with, and based on, the more professional S-750/770 formats, had SCSI and was expandable in memory size. Also released was a mark two version, but neither had a huge market in the first place.
JS-30 [c1996] Budget Italian made sampling module, never that popular and awful sound quality unless fully expanded by one Mb SIMMs.
MS-1 Pocket sized phrase sampler, a little noisy on playback but otherwise OK. The unit’s internals were not made by Roland, so not really economically repairable (unless unit has locked up on the ‘Roland banner’ (a common problem).
MKS-100 [c1987] Rack mount version of S-10. Like the S-10 the fitted Quick disk drives are no longer available but can usually be repaired for £80
S-10/50/220/330/550 [c1987] The S-10 was a well made user friendly sampling keyboard using quick diskettes to store samples on (early form of floppy disk - this format is no longer in use and the drives are no longer available, however repairs to old drive are possible in 90% of cases but repair cost about £80, which isn’t far off their second hand value). The S-50 was the superbly made bigger brother of the S-10 (but this time with a proper floppy disk drive) and is still good as a master controller (quality keyboard action with after touch), a sequencer package was also available at the time and it had a video interface – Mind you it did retail for over £2000 at the time! The S-220 rack mount is similar to the MKS-100 except it had simulated stereo outputs and again used those obsolete quick disks. The S-330 was a 1U, the S-550 a 2U rack mount version of the S-50.
S-750/760/770 [‘91/’93] Excellent range of rack mount samplers still in use – Very reliable and sonically far superior to, any other product on the market at the time. The earlier models being the S-750/770 sounded better than the later S-760 due to the fact that they were over engineered (but were not the fastest option timing wise – A ‘Turbo kit’ was available to speed them up, but is now unobtainable (all are good choices on the second hand market, the S-760 has better timing and is a mere1U in size, but loses the edge on sound quality and also features).
SP-202/303/505/808 [’97 to 2000] The major drawback with the SP-202 is it’s ridiculously small sample memory, the SP-808 on the other hand is superb: Using an on board Zip drive to store samples, it sounds great and even has a four track sequencer on board! The current SP-808EX has the larger 250Mb Zip
VP-9000 [2000] The latest rack-mount high end 20 bit/48KHz sampler with on board effects. Sampler is perhaps too basic a term for this unit, Roland call it “elastic audio”: Usually you’ll need to sample one tone every octave for it to sound good all the way up the scale, but thanks to the VP you don’t need to do that – One sample of an instrument can be stretched along the keyboard and not sound artificial. The VP-9000 has built in Zip drive for sample storage, two SCSI ports, optical and Coax ins and outs, plus six audio outs – So it can be used in studios and professional set ups. The internal memory can easily be upgraded via 16 or 32Mb SIMMs, sound quality and build quality are good, the Variphrase controls are fun too – Pitch, Time and Formant are all real time controllable. This unit is the best sampler on the market and does things that no other ordinary sampler can!
W-30 [1989] Excellent and long running sampling workstation, as used by the Prodigy. This unit had everything you could need except memory expandability (so your stuck with just 22 seconds!) – Reliable unit with good performance for the time.
Modules
D-110 [1988] Rack mount version of the D-10
D-550 [1987] Rack mount version of the D-50
JD-990 [1993] Rack mount version of the JD-800 more or less, but had better sound quality.
JP-8080 [1998] Named ‘The analogue modelling Synth’, it’s basically a rack mounted JP-8000 with as many sliders.
JV-880 [1992] Rack mounted JV-80, not in the same range or to be confused with the later JV-1010/1080/2080.
JV-1010 [1999] Half size rack mount based on the XP range with two expansion slots – Does the job well and cheaply.
JV-1080 [1994] First of the rack mountable XP based 64 voice synth modules, with four expansion slots.
JV-2080 [1997] Last version of the JVs,, with eight slots and more sounds – Now being phased out by the XV range (The JV Expansion boards are compatible with the XV range).
M-GS64/VS1/DC1/SE1/OC1 [c1995] These were 1U rack mounts, based on the JV series expansion boards: GS-64 sound canvas style, VS1 was Vintage synth, DC1 was the dance collection, SE1 was String ensemble and OC1 was orchestral collection. Their appeal was limited, as it would have been cheaper to buy a JV-1080 with the expansion boards of your choice installed rather than several of these units. The internals of these five units were very similar so a service engineer could in theory change a M-VS1 into a M-DC1 quite easily.
MKS-30/50/70/80 Rack mount versions of vintage synths.
MV-30 [1990] Music production workstation with D-70 sounds – its onboard sequencer was also expandable and compatible with the MRC sequencers.
P-55/330 Rack mounted piano modules
TB-303 [1982] Analogue synth bass line, originally intended for partnership with the TR-606 drum machine – These units reached cult status and were extensively used in Acid house music. Released in the early eighties selling for £250; by 1997 their value had risen to nearly £1000!! Values have more than halved now, due to the many attempts to simulate it’s sound, by Roland themselves as well as all the other manufacturers.
U-110/220 [1989] The U-20 was the keyboard inspired by these rack mounts – The U-110 was very noisy and prone to locking up (easily fixable), while the U-220 was far quieter and very reliable.
XV-2020 This module replaces the JV-1010, it is also of half rack size and both build quality and sound quality are second to none
XV-5050 The big brother to the 2020, it’s a 1U rack mount with multi outputs and USB – As with the 2020, the built quality and sound quality are spot on.
XV-3080/XV-5080 These are the current 128 note polyphonic sound modules, which are set to supersede the JV range, they will take the new SRX expansion boards and also the old JV style boards. The sound quality is generally a little better than the JV-2080 but the new XV drum voices are far superior!! (the Snares and Toms are vastly improved). The XV-5080 also is a sample playback machine and can use Roland and Akai files inputted via the SCSI interface. The XV-5080 also has eight analogue and one digital output.
SMF Players/Arrangers
E-5/10/15/20/30/35/70/86/96/500/600 [c1992 on] Roland’s answer to cheap Yamaha and Casio home keyboards with auto accompaniments. Made by Roland Italy, the first model was the E-20 – A pile of unreliable, poorly made rubbish, but sold quite a few, as it was more intelligent and sounded better than it’s rivals. The E-5/10/15/30 arrived soon after, and improved on the reliability front. Italy got better and better on their quality control side – The E-70 was the first descent model to arrive, and was extensively used by live performers. Today, these units are very popular indeed with the ‘one man band’ or home musician, and now they are fairly reliable and robust.
G-600/800/1000 [c1997] Similar to the E series, but without built in speakers. The G-1000 is the largest and best featured, and has a built in zip drive as well as a floppy.
KR-350/500/3000 Japanese made quality pianos for home use, similar to the HP pianos but with arranger features – Still going strong and also now made in Italy.
JW-50 Much anticipated keyboard which allowed the user to make their own arrangements – Never took off as it wasn’t all that user friendly and it also looked ugly.
MT-80/100/120/200/300 [1994 on] These are SMF players that are all GS compatible; put in the disk and away you go – Popular with schools and Churches (and reliable).
RA-50/70/95/800 These ‘Real time arranger’ sound modules were based on the E series keyboards.
SC-33/50/55/88/880 [c1993 on] The very popular ‘Sound Canvas’ range of GS compatible sound modules are here. The SC-33 (or DS-330) is the budget pocket size version, while the SC-88/880 were designed for professional use.
SD-35 [1993] Very popular sound canvas based module with built in SMF player/recorder, used live by performing artists still. They are quite sort after, as they do the job very well.
VA-3/5/7/76 [2000 on] These are the best keyboards to buy if you want an on board arranger with superb sound quality (as the XV series) – They are in our opinion the best keyboards of this type on the market from any manufacturer. The VA-3 is the basic model which offers outstanding sound quality and a good arranger, the VA-7 has extra features including aftertouch, an on board 100Mb Zip drive for storage of about 300 MIDI file songs, It also has a sampler on board with VP-9000 technology. They all have touch screens and built in sound systems with quite good speakers (except the VA-76 which uses line outs). Highly recommended!!
Pianos
C-50/70/90 Few sold due to a small market place, but these are excellent digital harpsichords with adjustable temperaments - The C-90 is still available.
EP-3/5/7/9 [1991 on] Budget range of digital pianos – Have a very realistic sound for the low price (not in the same league as the FPs or HPs). These sold in large quantities and were aimed at people learning to play. If an ‘e’ follows the model (eg. EP-7e), it is made in Italy and is cheaper in terms of price and quality (The EP-3 is SO budget it’s a joke!!).
FP-1/3/8/9 [1991 on] First stage pianos to use the keyboard weighted ‘hammer action’ design – Very popular, but the early gel filled felts on the FP-8’s keyboard action, used to cause keys to stick down (now been updated). All 4 are Japanese made, and have a very high build quality. The newer FP-3/9 are the most recent models, and they would look very nice in a living room or studio.
HP Series Too many models spanning over too many years to list! First made in the early eighties and still running! Always ahead of the field in terms of reliability, feel and sound quality. The ‘e’ models (e.g. HP-1300e) are made in Italy, are cheaper and nowhere near the overall quality of the non ‘e’ Japanese models. These digital pianos were designed for home use, and are generally too heavy to transport (Delatronics will call out to these), they are extremely reliable and very hard wearing. The RD series is the portable stage version of these units.
MK-60/80 Released when Roland took over Rhodes, made with Roland parts – They are electric pianos encompassing that famous Rhodes sound. The MK-80 especially, is in many people’s view, the most expressive keyboard ever made. Both are very well built and reliable, but don’t offer a very realistic acoustic piano sound.
RD-100/150/200/250S/300S/500/600/1000 These are essentially the stage versions of the HP range, the 200 (early eighties) was spring weighted, the 250s/300s (mid to late eighties) had a superior weighted action, the 500/600 (mid to late nineties) use the later ‘hammer action’ weighting and have quite a few other sounds besides the basics (the RD-600 is very popular with Pro session musicians). The massively heavy Elton John endorsed RD-1000 (mid eighties) had an 88 note real wooden key keyboard!! The latest offerings from Roland; the RD100/150, are made at Roland Italy (rather than Japan) and more budget models.
Digital Recorders
DM-80 The first of Roland’s hard disk recorders, available in four and eight track versions. Originally retailing for more than £5000, it was aimed at the pro user. It comprised of a 4U rack mount business end, with LED bar graph metering for each channel. And a separate remote unit to control everything – Including ‘Compu-mixing” and full editing facilities. The units were eventually sold off at a discount, due to the massive pace of technology (making these units old) and problems with backing up the internal drives over SCSI. If you do purchase this unit, take care in the choice of back up drive, as the interface is a little noisy (digitally) and therefore fussy about the drive in use (Current revision 2.23 for unit and 2.07 for the remote).
DM-800 The follow up to the DM-80, the DM-800 was a professional 8 track fully integrated unit, using two internal SCSI laptop size drives (one for each four tracks). Also using the compu-mixing of the DM-80, the unit could also be connected to two external SCSI drives, so back up was possible – But again the unit was sold off at a loss as it was tarred with the same brush as it’s big brother the DM-80 (Current revision 2.10).
VS-880/VS-880EX/VS-890 The VS-880 8 track could be readily backed up via a single SCSI interface or to DAT via a digital output, it incorporated dual digital effects (with SE-70 technology), and a digital mixer section (but alas, no compumixer). This unit is much more user friendly than it’s old counter parts, and it costs much less money. Currently sold as the EX version with backlit LCD, 20 bit internal processing and more effects (rack mount version of VS-880 is the VSR-880). These units are strongly recommended by Delatronics and loved by everyone who owns them (including myself). There have been many software updates to this machine; Early units would not work with certain SCSI drives (an update cures this) and the latest update not only increases the number of effects patches, but also means the unit can be expanded to write directly to CDRW (contact Delatronics for details). The original VS-880s had some reliability problems with their Hitachi 810Mb hard drives, they were replaced with more reliable Toshiba equivalents – The main problem was the error message ‘drive too slow’, an access time of 13mS or better is quite important for these units. The VS is currently sold with 1.2Gb drives, but can utilize drives of up to 4Gb. Apart from the early drive problems, they are very reliable – But they must be shut down after use (and not left on all the time), as the internal switch mode power supply can burn out and fail. The new VS-890 is based on the EX, but features 24 bit processing and has a new VSR 24 bit recording mode to utilize the improved processing (Current VS-880 revision 3.104).
VS-840/VS-840EX/VS-840GX This is the budget unit in the range, using a 100Mb Zip disk drive instead of hard disk, for storage. Because of the more limited storage medium, the data uses compression, which does detract from the overall sound quality compared to the VS-880 – But it still wipes the floor with it’s competitors in the same price range. The VS-840 is currently sold as the EX version which has been expanded to use a 250Mb Zip drive and has a backlit LCD display. The original unit can also be upgraded to take the 250Mb Zip (Note: This mod can only be performed by Roland or Delatronics and is a fixed price of just under two hundred pounds) – The modification also adds more effects patches. Further more, both units can be expanded to utilize a SCSI interface. The GX is brand new and has the larger 250Mb drive built in, more effects and COSM technology (Current EX revision 1.02).
VS-1680 This superb recorder has just been superceded by the 1880, so look out for new bargains! It sounds slightly better than the VS-880, has 16 tracks, a larger clearer display and has the option of adding a further effects board. The 1680 also has the addition of a fan to cool the power supply, thus making it more reliable when switched on for longer periods (Current revision 1.025).
VS-1880/2480 These are new models which will replace the 1680 and have extra tracks, they also boast 24 bit processing throughout and also come bundled with E Magic and Liquid Audio software.
BR-8 It’s an eight track recorder for guitarists based on the VS-840 with a on-board 100Mb Zip drive, 200 COSM effects, two track simultaneous recording and 44.1KHz/20 bit processing. The sound quality is on a par with the VS-840 range (sounds quite compressed) however, due to the simple design, the unit is easier to get around and use.
BR-532 This is the latest in digital recording and comes highly recommended by Delatronics! It uses Smart media to record onto and is far less compressed. Although this model is only a four track it takes the simple BR-8 much further – It too has a built in rhythm guide for playing along to, but also it’s smaller and truly portable because it’s battery as well as mains powered!! The general construction looks good as well. We believe Roland may bring out larger versions of this unit in due course, as, we believe this is the perfect digital recording launch pad.
Digital Mixers and Miscellaneous items
DJ-1000/2000 These two and four channel DJ mixers with on-board digital effects processor, are current products. The early DJ-2000s suffered with cross talk, but this can be cured by a modification. The DJ-2000 can be a little puzzling to get to grips with at first, but it works well, if not out standingly.
SRA-200E The latest in a long line of power amplifiers – This is a 1U rack-mounted 100W (into 8 ohms) power amp, and like all of the SRA range is superbly reliable and well specified. The earlier SRAs were brilliant, but a little costly, and that is why Roland are not especially known for power amps – But this model is just £449 RRP and I’m tempted!
VM-3100 This a new 20 track digital mixing desk with full 24 bit resolution, which is compact and well built. Also comes in the Pro version with a DIF-AT interface for use with ADATs. Reliability 100% so far - The standard model retails for £752.
VM-7100/7200 These are the professional versions of the VM-3100. Sorry, no experience of these units yet.