S-50

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Sampler
photo
General
Surname S-50
Manufacturer Roland
Sound synthesis digital, sample
Period 1986 - 1988
Price (year of publication)
properties
Polyphonic 16
Multitimbral fourfold
Effects -
Keys 61, velocity sensitive, aftertouch
Game aids Pitch, modulation stick
Ext. Controller -
Interface (noun) MIDI (In, Out, Through)
Sequencer as a software update
D / A converter 16 bit
Samples 12 bit, 30 kHz or 15 kHz
Storage spaces 8 patches, 32 tones (sample)
ROME -
R.A.M. 756 KB, 14.4 seconds
Ext. Memory 3.5 "floppy disks

The S-50 is manufactured by Roland called "Digital Sampling Keyboard". It was Roland's first sampler and, as a 12-bit sampler and a memory for 14.4 seconds of sample time, offered powerful possibilities for its time. Due to the 16-bit converter, the sampler still sounds amazingly good and can still be used today.

The single-line display offers little space for information, so for comfortable work an RGB monitor (the RGB-25N monitor cable is required) or a TV or B / W monitor must be connected to the video output . The S-50 is quadruple multitimbral and therefore also has four outputs, another output is provided as a mix. The 16 notes that can be played simultaneously can be distributed to the four outputs in 8 different combinations. The recording takes place via a mono input with adjustable sensitivity.

As a special feature, it was planned from the start that different operating systems could be reloaded via diskette.

  • SYS-501: Version 1.00 of the operating system
  • SYS-502: Version 2.00 of the operating system, this enabled u. a. the connection of a "Digitizer Tablet" (DT-100) and the storage of 32 instead of 16 individual samples.
  • SYS-503: The "Director-S" software transformed the S-50 into a sequencer .
  • SYS-505: “Library Converter”, this operating system enables the sound libraries of the S-550 and W-30 samplers to be read in and saved. So z. B. from one floppy disk for the S-550 sampler two floppy disks for the S-50.
S-50 sound library disk
DT-100 Digitizer Tablet for S-Series and W-30 samplers

The L-500 series floppy disks were offered as a sound library. The floppy disk images are available as a Roland sound library (RSB) for download from the Internet and must first be written to floppy disks with the MS-DOS program “sdisk”.

The scope of delivery included:

  • System disk
  • four sound disks (L-51 – L-54)
  • Disk box, can be attached to the back of the S-50
  • in Germany a 120-page manual
  • PJ-1 audio cable, 2 × 2.5 m
  • Mains cable (2-pin, IEC C9; not the more common C13 power cord)

The rack version (S-550) was possibly a. used by Vangelis , Duran Duran and Jimi tenor .

Connections (on the back):

  • DT-100 digitizing tablet
  • Video output ( cinch )
  • RGB monitor (8-pin Din socket)
  • Midi (In, Out, Through)
  • Express pedal EV-5
  • Pedal switch DP-2
  • Sustain pedal or start pedal for recording
  • Recording input (mono jack)
  • four individual outputs
  • Mono output
  • headphone

Web links