Roland D-50
The Roland D-50 is a digital synthesizer used by Prince in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was acquired by Prince in 1987 and went on to become the main keyboard on Lovesexy and Batman. Songs that feature sounds from the D-50 include Eye No (Soundtrack), Alphabet Street (Steel Pick), Glam Slam (Arco Strings, Jete Strings), Positivity (Syn Marimba, DigitalNativeDance, Soundtrack), The Future (Gamelan Bell), Scandalous (Oriental Bell, Jete Strings, Arco Strings). It was still Prince's main studio keyboard on the Love Symbol album.
The D-50 was also used live by Dr Fink, Boni Boyer and Rosie Gaines. Dr Fink also used a Roland D-550, which is a rack version of the D-50. He layered the two units to create a bigger sound.
| Song | Part | Patch Name | Patch Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye No | (0:00, Intro) | Soundtrack | A-37 |
| Alphabet Street | (4:39, Solo) | Steel Pick | A-82 |
| Alphabet Street | (4:57, Pad) | Future Pad | A-87 |
| Alphabet Street | (5:10, Outro) | Rock Organ | A-58 |
| Glam Slam | (0:06, Verse) | Arco Strings | A-14 |
| Glam Slam | (4:18, Outro) | Jete Strings | A-54 |
| Anna Stesia | (0:43, Bassline) | Stereo Polysynth | A-55 |
| Anna Stesia | (1:49, Fill) | Metal Harp | A-12 |
| Anna Stesia | (2:17, Arpeggios) | Breathy Chiffer | A-31 |
| Anna Stesia | (3:00, Lead Synth) | Flute-Piano Duo | A-23 |
| Anna Stesia | (3:08, Strings) | Jete Strings | A-54 |
| Lovesexy | (0:09, Intro) | Pizzagogo | A-44 |
| Lovesexy | (0:20, Main Riff) | Horn Section | A-15 |
| Lovesexy | (0:40, Bassline) | Slap Brass | A-33 |
| Positivity | (0:10, Riff) | Syn Marimba | A-72 |
| Positivity | (6:30, Ascending Riff) | DigitalNativeDance | A-21 |
| Positivity | (6:40, Outro) | Soundtrack | A-37 |
| The Future | (0:09, Intro) | Gamelan Bell | A-32 |
| Arms Of Orion | (0:00, Intro) | Synthetic Electric | A-28 |
| Arms Of Orion | (1:19, Second Verse) | Digital Cello | A-76 |
| Arms Of Orion | (4:08, Outro) | Arco Strings | A-14 |
| Vicki Waiting | (0:09, Intro) | Slow Rotor | A-18 |
| Vicki Waiting | (0:18, Intro) | Picked Guitar Duo | A-68 |
| Vicki Waiting | (0:18, Intro) | Nylon Atmosphere | A-27 |
| Lemon Crush | (0:18, Intro) | Syn Marimba | A-72 |
| Scandalous | (0:00, Intro) | Oriental Bells | A-62 |
| Scandalous | (0:05, Intro) | Jete Strings | A-54 |
| Scandalous | (0:07, Intro) | Arco Strings | A-14 |
| Scandalous | (2:03, Verse 2) | Metal Harp | A-12 |
Specifications
| Synthesis | Digital sample-based subtractive (Linear Arhithmetic) |
|---|---|
| Polyphony | 16 voices, 8 voices (dual or split mode) |
| Oscillators | Two partials per voice (four in dual or split mode) |
| Samples | 100 PCM samples |
| LFOs | 3 x Triangle, square, sawtooth, sample and hold |
| Filter | Low pass |
| Envelope | 2 x ADSR |
| Keyboard | 61 keys with velocity and aftertouch |
| Controls | Pitch and modulation lever |
| Memory | 64 patches |
| Effects | Chorus, reverb, EQ |
