The Roland D-05 Linear Synthesizer Is Here - The Iconic Digital Synth From The 80s Is Back In The Boutique Format

Happy 909 day and as usual, Roland utilise this special day to launch new products. Back on August 31, they announced a teaser “Experience the D-50” and now they revealed the news. Roland announced today in the morning the D-05 Linear Synthesizer, a recreation of the iconic digital synth D-50 from the 80s in the boutique format. To transport this iconic digital synth to the modern music world, the developers adds a 64 step polyphonic sequencer and arpeggiator to the synth. Interesting for all users of a D-50, the original presets are all compatible with the new release. On top, it comes now with 16 voice polyphony.

I have honestly a split opinion about this release. On the one hand, it’s cool to have this iconic synth back in the studio with modern features in a compact transport size. Also it’s a nice new instrument for musicians who love produced 80s & 90s oriented music. On the other hand, I must say it’s become a bit boring for me personal because a D-50 is nothing new in terms of music technology. It’s a recreation of an old synth but more not. I would be more excited about new hybrid products with analog & digital engines with new concepts. I was more excited about the Roland JD-XA because it shows me that they can produce a cool interesting new synth with analog and digital oscillators. I

t’s always nice to have back this instruments but for me it sounds like a bit the developers are out of ideas. I would be more happy with this release when they develop the concept of this synth further and gives musicians the possibility to create new samples and to work with this iconic LA synthesis technology. Nonetheless, cool to see this instrument back in the store but hopefully we will see in the future more advanced and innovative products than just emulations of old devices.

Released in 1987, the Roland D-50 Linear Synthesizer is easily one of the most influential keyboards ever made. This revolutionary instrument helped define the sound of the late ‘80s with its instantly recognizable mix of sampled attacks and synthesized sustaining waveforms, plus built-in chorus, reverb, and EQ. It’s the basis of classic tracks in a wide range of genres including synth pop, new wave, new jack, and R&B, and can be heard in countless film scores of the era. With the Roland D-05, you get the iconic sound and dedicated control of the D-50 in a modern device that perfectly recreates the legendary synth down to its finest details.

Vintage Digital

When most people think of vintage synthesizers, they think of analog beasts with lots of knobs and sliders. The 1980s ushered in something new: sleek keyboards with digital engines that brought musicians and producers a totally new palette of sounds not previously possible with analog. As Roland’s first all-digital performance keyboard, the D-50 took the world by storm with its unique mix of sampled attack transients and synthesized waveforms combined with built-in digital effects and…a joystick!

Name a famous track from the late ‘80s to early ‘90s and there’s a good chance it was built around one or more Roland D-50 sounds. Unabashedly digital, the D-50 has taken its rightful place in the hallowed halls of classic vintage synthesizers. Its sound is unique and beautiful, and it brings a certain “something” to your tracks that you just can’t get anywhere else.

New Wave. New Jack Age. And So On…

The ’80s were a dynamic period for pop music. Producers were trying new things, looking for new sounds, and new genres were being forged at a furious pace. From 1987 on, the Roland D-50 was massively influential and appeared in studios and on stages around the world. Some of the most revered recording artists in history have used the beautifully crafted presets, unaltered, as the cornerstone of huge international hits. There’s just something about the quality of its sound that grabs you. And with the Roland D-05, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of this trailblazing synthesizer by putting all the powerful beauty of the D-50 into the modern Roland Boutique format.

Samples Meet Synthesis

So, what exactly made this synth so attention-grabbing? The D-50 used an innovative mixture of short, sampled attack transient waveforms blended with digitally synthesized sustaining sounds. This technique, dubbed “Linear Arithmetic (LA) Synthesis,” offered the realism of expensive (at that time) digital samplers, the expressiveness of a synth, and the polish of a high-end studio thanks to onboard digital effects. It’s no wonder the D-50 became one of the best-selling professional keyboards in history.

But thirty years on, the combination of sampling and synthesis is as relevant today as the era in which the D-50 shined so brightly. Dig deeper into the structures of the LA Synthesis sound engine and you can create powerful percussive patches, smooth ambient pads, and staccato sequencer sounds that give you that “something new” you’ve been looking for.

LA Boutique

The compact form factor of the Roland Boutique line provides professional synthesizers designed to fit in any studio, stage, or music space. At the D-05’s core lies the first synthesizer with Digital Circuit Behavior (DCB) technology combined with the exact PCM attack and loop samples as the original D-50, precisely recreating every tonal nuance in stunning detail. The user interface is totally authentic as well, with the inclusion of plenty of direct-access controls. Even the all-important joystick is included to smoothly morph between different mixes of Upper and Lower Tones, perfect for performance and sound design.

But the D-05 also has some exciting updates. The 64-step, polyphonic sequencer is great for performance and sparking new ideas. It can store tempo and patch changes, and can sequence shuffle and gate timing. And the built-in arpeggiator adds movement to the already evocative sounds. The D-05 is rugged and compact, runs on batteries or USB power, and can go just about anywhere. You get flexible connectivity with audio and MIDI over USB, space-saving 1/8” analog jacks, and 5-pin MIDI ports. The D-05 can even be an audio interface for your computer, meaning less stuff to carry around, fewer cables, and faster setup.

And because the D-05 is compatible with Roland Boutique accessories, you can put it in the optional DK-01 Boutique Dock for a compact enclosure that offers various tilt options, or the K-25m Keyboard Unit for a fully playable D-50 that slips into a backpack. With all this power and flexibility, you may be most surprised by the D-05’s affordable price, which puts the iconic D-50 experience within reach of just about anyone.