Cult of D50 – Roland D50 sounds, manuals, patches

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🔥 Welcome – Manifiesto 🔥

CULT TO THE GREATEST SYNTH 
OF ALL TIME
THE ONE AND ONLY, THE MYSTIC…
THE ETHEREAL, THE UNIVERSAL…
THE SPIRITUAL…
THE ONE THAT PUT SOUND TO THE BEST SONGS IN THE HISTORY OF HUMAN KIND…
THE ONE THAT INSPIRED US… 
TO EXPLORE THE LINEAR UNIVERSE
DEEP INSIDE THE ABYSS OF SOUNDS… WE MEET OUR SOUL…
BETWEEN SAMPLES AND PARTIALS…
CHORUS AND REVERBS…
THERE LIES A SECRET, 
THE MISTERY…
THAT ONLY REVEALS…
TO THE CHOSEN ONES.

NEW! “D50 Notes & Soundscapes”

An ambient video-album recorded from sunrise to sunset, using only my Roland D-50 from 1987. All custom sounds, no external effects. Enjoy!

Download this album from our music section.

📁 Downloads

Sounds

The Great Cult of D50 Archive: This is the DEFINITIVE collection of Roland D50 patches. Thousands of sound banks organized by producers ready to use in SYSEX format. You´ll need a SYSEX transfer application like MIDI OX (Win) or SySex Explorer (Mac). You´ll need three lives to try all the sounds contained in this zip file. For better search, you can use Bobbyblues Guide to soundbanks.

– Roland D50 Factory Patches (sysex format)

– Voltage Drift and Descent Into Madness Soundbanks (sysex format)

– Roland D550 Factory Patches (sysex format)

Manuals

– Roland D50 User Manual
– Roland D50 Service Manual
– Roland D550 Manual
– Roland D550 Service Notes

– Roland D50 Creative Book (PDF): One of the best guides to take full advantage of your Roland D50/550.

Many thanks to Rik Vanhoenaker for providing the following files!

– Roland D50 Blank Chart(Programming Template)
– MIDI implementation
– MIDI implementation chart
– Roland PG-1000 Owners Manual
– Roland PG-1000 Service Manual
– Set-Ups Roland D50 Operating Manual by Terry Fryer (very rare)

🌎 Links / General Info

Roland D50 30th Aniversary Website

Legowelt Roland D05 Site with demos and patches.

Polynomial – Roland D50: Lot’s of technical info, pictures, manuals, links, etc. Great resource to discover the internals of your D50/550!

BobbyBlues – Roland D50: One of the best. Includes a complete list of all the commercial sound banks (complete with patch lists!) + demos, sysex files and more.

Roland D50 Users Group on Facebook

Roland D50 M.EX Expansion Board (by Musitronics): Makes your D50 multitimbral, speeds up the whole system, triples up the internal memory space and more.

Roland D50 – How it works?: Great explanation by Bobbyblues.

Recommended Commercial Banks

ULTIMATE PATCHES ROLAND D-50 Next-Level Modern Synth Sounds: 256 HIGH-QUALITY ULTIMATE PATCHES. RETRO > MODERN | ACOUSTIC > HI‑TEK

Pulsophonic’s “NEW BORN” : 64 new patches for D50/550/05: ¡An amazing collection of ambient/evolving/space sounds for your D50!

CL-Projects “Linear Galaxy”: is the follow up of Linear Universe (see below). Linear Galaxy is a sound bank for the Roland D-50 & D-550 containing 64 new and original patches (8 banks of 8 patches). Linear Galaxy focuses mainly on atmospheric and ambient pad sounds demonstrating the full potential of the Roland D-50. The sounds are very well suited to be used in ambient and new age music. 

Mark Rushbury “Sountracks” patch bank: This is a special collection of 64 sounds for the Roland D-50/D-550, particularly suited for soundtracks and ambient music, but can be used in many genres. Each sound here is an individual patch with no external effects or processing. Pads, atmospheres, analogue synths, ethnic sounds, keys, guitars and otherworldy textures – all 64 sounds are demoed! Available as a sysex midi file to load into your Roland D-50/D-550. Price is £13.99 

CL-Projects “Linear Universe”: Focuses mainly on atmospheric and ambient pad sounds demonstrating the full potential of the Roland D-50. These sounds are very well suited to be used in ambient and new age music but nothing can stop you from using these sounds in other types of music. Every musician who owns a D-50 synthesizer and plays or loves ambient, new age music, should have this sound bank. You won’t regret it.

💾 Apps

• Roland D50 Editor for CTRL (Mac / PC)
• D50Librarian (sysex librarian / editor for Windows, very good!)
• Roland D50 Editor for iPad (MidiDesigner Panel)
• Roland D50 Editor / Librarian for Patch Base (iOS)
  

📃 Related Articles

• SOS Magazine (Jul ’97) – Roland D50 “LA Synthesizer (retro”
• Roland D50 Linear Synthesizer by Jim Atwood
• Wikipedia entry with historical information and technical specs
• Recreate the LA synthesis of the classic Roland D50
• Roland D50 at Khoral café 80

🗣️ Users Space