April 4, 2018

RD-2000 Version 1.50 Update Now Available

Jim Bybee [Roland US] Product News, Tips & Tricks acoustic grand, Apple MainStage, B3, clavinet, D-50, EP, grand piano, Hammond, JUNO, jupiter, keyboard controller, keyboards, Leslie, Mainstage, MIDI Controller, Organ, Piano, recording, Rhodes, Stage Piano, Synth, Synthesizer, upright piano, Wurlitzer

New Sounds and Features Added to Roland’s Flagship Stage Piano

Roland RD-2000 Stage Piano with optional KS-G8B stand.

Roland RD-2000 Stage Piano with included damper pedal and optional KS-G8B stand.

Equipped with dual sound engines, Roland’s finest hammer-action keyboard, and a vast array of master controller features, the RD-2000 is the instrument of choice for top touring pros around the world. The recent Version 1.50 firmware update makes our flagship stage piano even more powerful, adding seven new grand piano sounds, a new rotary effect, and various performance enhancements requested by RD users. It also adds compatibility for two all-new sound expansion collections, which are available for free at Roland’s Axial website.

September 9, 2017

The 30th Anniversary of the D-50 Linear Synthesizer

Jim Bybee [Roland US] Artists, Product News #909day, 1980s, 1990s, Arco Strings, Chris Lord-Alge, D-50, Digital Native Dance, effects, Enya, Eric Persing, Fantasia, Greg Wells, Jean-Michel Jarre, Jimmy Jam, keyboards, LA Synthesis, Michael Jackson, MTV, new age, new wave, Pizzagogo, R&B, Roland Boutique, Roland Cloud, Soundtrack, Steve Levine, Synthesizer, Terry Lewis

Celebrating One of the Most Influential Electronic Musical Instruments of All Time

Roland D-50 Linear Synthesizer

Way back in 1987, Roland unleashed its very first all-digital synthesizer onto the world. That instrument was the D-50 Linear Synthesizer, and its massive impact on the music industry is still felt to this day. Powered by the groundbreaking Linear Arithmetic (LA) synthesis approach and onboard digital effects, the D-50 produced breathtaking sounds that no one had ever heard before, and musicians everywhere lined up to get their hands on this amazing new instrument. The D-50’s bold voice dominated the popular music, film soundtracks, and commercial jingles of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and its iconic, highly recognizable preset patches still sound as fresh and inspiring today as they did 30 years ago.

Starting on 909 Day (September 9, 2017), Roland is kicking off a yearlong celebration to honor the 30th anniversary of this giant in the history of synthesis. The festivities begin with the launch of the dedicated D-50 30th Anniversary web page, which features interviews with the original D-50 engineers, the sound programmers who developed the D-50’s presets, and the artists and producers who made such influential music with the legendary synth. At the same time, we’re also introducing the new D-05 Roland Boutique module, a spot-on D-50 recreation that brings the genuine D-50 experience to the music creators of today and beyond.

January 17, 2013

Classic Roland Synths

OV Valle [Roland US] Product News D-50, GAIA, JD-800, JP-8000, JUNO-106, JUNO-6, JUPISTER-50, JUPITER-4, JUPITER-8, JUPITER-80, JX-3P, keyboards, MIDI, SH-01, SH-101, SH-201, SYSTEM-100, V-SYNTH, XP-80 6 Comments

ClassicSynths_Marquee

Roland’s new JUPITER-50 was unveiled at the Frankfurt Musikmesse last year, and though it sits at the cutting-edge of new technology, it’s a synth that sits firmly in line with Roland’s synth philosophy and history.

The JUPITER-50 is a streamlined version of the flagship JUPITER-80, and both instruments fit neatly into Roland’s 40-year story of pioneering synthesizer development. As the JUPITER name suggests, these new synths are related to one of the most iconic synth lines ever created—the genre-defining JUPITER-8.

Using the most innovative analog technologies of the time, the JUPITER-8 was released in 1981 and provided musicians with a rich palette of synth textures. Its reliability and ease of use on stage made it a go-to instrument for the electro crowd of the time. Its built-in arpeggiator and deep sonic potential satisfied the synth elite and awed countless Duran Duran fans. More

November 28, 2012

Synth Legends

OV Valle [Roland US] Artists D-50, Herbie Hancock, Howard Jones, JUNO-106, juno-60, JUPITER-50, jupiter-6, JUPITER-8, JUPITER-80, keyboards, Legends, SH-101, Stevie Wonder, Synth, TB-303, Thomas Dolby 0 Comments

jupiter_synth_legends_giveaway

Published by endlessdrifter on Feb 14, 2006

In honor of the JUPITER Synth Legends, Volume 1, this post is dedicate

d to the real life legends who pioneered the movement during the golden era of synthesizers. The above video, “Synthesizer Medley” features Howard Jones, Herbie Hancock, Thomas Dolby, and Stevie Wonder during the 1985 Grammy® Award Ceremony in Los Angeles, California. We chose this video as it symbolizes the time in history that made many of these sounds legendary. More