Roland D-05 Linear Synthesiser (Archived)

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The Roland D-05 linear synthesiser is a remake of one of the most influential keyboards ever made, the D-50 polyphonic linear synth. The D-50 is a revolutionary synthesiser that helped define the sound of the late 80’s thanks to its instantly recognisable collection of sampled attacks and sustained synthesised waveforms as well as built-in effects including chorus, reverb, and EQ. The D-50 can be heard in classic tracks in a wide range of genres such as synth pop, new wave, new jack and even R&B and can be heard in countless film scores of the era. Using the Roland D-05, you get this iconic sound and dedicated control of the D-50 in a contemporary unit that perfectly reproduces the legendary synthesiser down to the finest detail.

The D-50 was Roland’s first all-digital performance keyboard and took the world by storm thanks to the eclectic mix of sharp attack transients and synthesised waveforms that combine together to deliver bright, sweeping sounds while built-in digital effects and a joystick allow you to get ultra-creative. If you were to name a song from the late 80’s and early 90’s, there is a massive chance that it was built around the sounds of the D-50. The D-50 has deservedly taken a place in the halls of classic vintage synthesisers thanks to the unique and beautiful sounds that bring a certain ‘something’ to your tracks that can’t be re-created anywhere else.

The compact form of the Roland Boutique range provides you with professional synthesisers that have been designed to fit in any studio, stage, or music space. At the core of the D-05 is the first synthesiser with Digital Circuit Behaviour (DCB) technology that combines with the PCM attack and loop samples as the original D-50, and works to precisely re-create all the tonal nuances in excellent detail. The D-05 has inherited the original user interface of the D-50 with the inclusion of plenty of directly accessible controls. There is even the all-important joystick that allows you to smoothly morph between different mixes of upper and lower tones which makes it the perfect tool for performance and sound design.

The D-05 comes with some brilliant updates that bring the D-50 into the 21st century; these improvements include a 64-step polyphonic sequencer that is perfect for live performances and getting inspired. The D-05 can store tempo and patch changes as well as sequence shuffling and gate timing while the integrated arpeggiator adds movement to the evocative sounds. This synthesiser uses a technique called ‘Linear Arithmetic Synthesis’ to produce sounds, this offers the realism of digital samplers, the expressiveness of a synthesiser, and the polish of a high-end studio thanks to the onboard digital effects.

This synthesiser is compact yet super-robust and can be powered via four AA batteries or USB bus powering and can be taken just about anywhere allowing you to get creative whenever inspiration arises. There are flexible connectivity options providing you with a micro USB port, 3.5mm TRS jacks, and 5-pin MIDI ports. The D-05 can even be used as an audio interface for your computer; this gives you a faster setup and means you use fewer cables.

Thanks to the compatibility with all Roland Boutique accessories you can place it in the DK-01 Boutique Dock giving you a compact enclosure with various tilt options, or make use of the K-25m keyboard for a fully playable compact D-50 that can be slipped into a backpack. With all this power and versatility you might be surprised by the D-05’s affordable price, giving you the iconic D-50 experience in a wallet-friendly unit.