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Average rating:
4.2 out of 5
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For years I've read of the mystique surrounding the D70. I finally bought one four months ago in a pawn shop that still had the sales sticker on and is in almost new condition. Easy decision since I paid $250 US for it. I have owned Roland Juno 6, 60, JV-880, SH101,have two 106's now, and a JD-800, and use them in my studio. The MIDI controller stuff doesn't interest me as I manage MIDI on the computer, and I don't play live very often, and would be especially careful with this synth because of it's age, even though it is built well. The great thing about this synth is no mystery at all, it sounds clean, rich, and professional, period. Even the cheesiest sounds on this synth still sound surprisingly thick and clear, and the sounds track well sonically across the keyboard. For example, strings don't get muddy in the low registers. The best piano has that funny mod sound to it and is good for the time, but doubtless others out there that are better. The stringy pads, analog synth things, bass synth, these are very good and usable. The key action and build quality is very good. The interface is a bit stuffy, but it's not difficult to figure out. This is a professional instrument. The on-board reverb is good too.
I noticed that most of the people that wrote reviews have had theirs for a while, and I intend to keep mine strictly based on sound quality. I usually expect to see amateur musical types saying "it sucks compared to synth X" which always annoys me. Any keyboard, even the bad ones, have some musical capability if you 1) are musical, and 2) approach an instrument for what it can do. Too many kids today don't even learn how to play and yet insist on playing armchair critic with gear. It doesn't work that way because the music is not in the gear, it's in your heart.
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I remember when it was reviewed in Sound on Sound Magazine, July 1990 i think, it was on the front cover and she got reviewed center fold. Man, when I saw it i wanted it. (but couldn't afford it! dOh!, £1799.00 RRP, thou they sold for about £1,500 in the shops) I think one of the reviewers said 'It sounds like a million dollars, part due to the effects section' or something like that..Anyway, It DOES! Its bloody amazing, add a few pcm cards / rom crads and its like a 2005 synth! I got mine s/hand in 1994 for £700. It is one of the Best (romler) keyboards Roland made in the 1990's. I'd actually say the Best. The keyboard had an almost piano like feel, 76 keys & your never going back to 61, it just feels....Great. Sounds: Really really nice, the Pianos, the Strings, one preset/combi is 'Slow & Low', its really really superb. The rest are Rolands very high quailty stuff, if you compare the SY77 of the same time, the SY77 sounds dated (was dated 2 years after release) The D70, however STILL sounds Fantastic 15 YEARS!!!! After it left Japan! I will Never, Ever sell mine, & I've just bought another one! off ebay (£140, bargain of the Year??!!) this weekend as a 2nd unit to mine in case mine ever gives up.(but its Never let me down yet!) Anyway It really is a 'Players' Synth, I Love it, Buy one if you play Live, (its a great Stage keyboard) or Just buy one what ever your doing music wise and you'll be GREAT friends forever, I promise. Its A Super (LA) Keyboard :)
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I love it for what it is, and I could hate it for what it is not. The reverb and chorus sound really great, it gives the synth a very strong personality, much more beautiful sound than the later JVs. Yeah, there is that overtone in the piano samples you could never get rid of, but they may sound good within a mix. The keyboard itself plays great. Cons: the hierarchical system of tones, patches and performances being shared can become quite a nightmare if you like to create your own sounds without the help of software. Unisyn for OSX works well. The plain black design can be elegant or boring. Pros: here's a keyboard I will never part with!!! Does anybody know how compatible this is with the U10, U110, and U220?
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un copain a formaté les sons se trouvant dans son D70 ROLAND , ce dernier est connecté à 1 W30 ROLAND . Il recherche désespérément la disquette ou le fichier qui lui permettrait de réinitialiser son D70 grace à son W30; merci d'avance à amis musiciens qui pourrait les lui procurer !
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I've had the D70 for about 10 years and have found to be an excellent keyboard for live play. I've had no problems with the keys or any of the controls. It would have been nice if it were GM compatible but I was able to work around that. True piano sounds are lacking but was able to create some great patches and tweak others to my liking. A great synth if you like to be creative.
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