Roland D-110

Typical Roland... if you're used to it, it's okay.
Having purchased it when it first came out, it took me more than
6 months to get used to this thing. After that though, things were
smooth.

For its time, certainly shocking.
Pretty rudimentary from today's standards.

From a 2003 standpoint, there are some points that make this machine
useful still:

1. Alias noise! Recent machines seems to have rid of this.
2. A less-than-stellar pitch shifting of samples can be used as a plus. It sounds great transposed low (>1 oct.) To get this character from modern equipment, I'd be reaching for distortion, compression, a bit-cruncher plug-in, an EQ etc... you get the point: the D110 definitely has character. A simple test would be drum samples tuned low, with short envelopes.
3. The envelopes applied to pitch cover a wide range, and can be
very fast. I can do superfast 2-octave sweeps on a Tone and emulate resonance.
4. Parallel outputs make for outboard fun.

Yeah, it's fine.

Never contacted them for this machine.

I pre-ordered this machine back when it first came out.

Back then I was disappointed that it sounded nothing like the D-50
whose heritage it was supposed to possess, but I've learned to find its own strengths.

If one has the patience to find how this gear can be of interest, it can pay off (a poor-man sensibility). If one is interested in pristine sounds or efficiency, or has a very concrete idea of how one wants a synth to sound, forget it... from today's standards, I think the presets are substandard to the Sound Canvas in almost every way. If you're ready to tweak and tweak until it can generate a sound with character, the experience may expose more treasures than one originally expects.

Absolutly an underestimated mashine. When using all 8 parts to create one sound - it's really dancing.

It can be a little bit hard to edit the patches. But I bought a PG-10 programmer(second hand for $50 on second hand) that is very helpful for editing.

Yhe built in effects is nothing to bounce for, but better than nothing (like in D5)

Not special realistic instruments. But its old LA synthesis

Some time it can detune all parts - not so funny

As ever with Roland - pay and be happy

It's belongs to my synth collection and will stay

Please visit my D-110 & PG-10 page on www.soundofmusic.se

Dat Ding is very worse to handle without Editorsoftware.
The whole User Interface must have been developed on a drunken Monday
by the Roland staff.
Not really a nice machine to edit sounds on it directly.Intuitive
programming can be forgotten.Before you programm a new sound,you must
already know what you want get out of it.A pre-planning is recommended.
If you know this machine,it is is OK,for a beginner a pure nightmare.
But also for the skilled one,there is waiting a big way of button
dancing ! Ouch !
Get an Editorsoftware,and this thing will make you not tired.

Multitimbral,simple Fx,6 Outs(!),LA synthesis.32 polyphony with a
rudimentary sound.PCM and Analog twin.Ringmodulation.
Has no portamento function.Boo.....

Produces a little noise,but this is acceptable and more as OK for a
device of that age.
Reproduces typical LA sounds,but can also do analog and mixtures of
both worlds.This thing has enough options,to create some individual
sounds.Thanks to RM,analog and PCM section.A big minus is the missing
of a Filter in the PCM section.
The Modulation Matrix is a little poor.To fixed.And also the depth of
modulations are mostly to smooth.

I never bought a synth,to create with "realistic" sounds.From a synth
I expect new sounddimensions.It is of course fun to "clone" a real
instrument on a synth.But I trace it more as gimmick.
The D110 is a kind of schizophrenic synth.Not really a synth,but also
not really a Rompler.A hybrid piece.
Don't expect really strange Sounds,like with FM or PD.But therefore
it can sound sometimes very realistic.And also it can do some pretty
weird sounds.
As synth,it is a little to underrated.And it has still a lot of fresh
sounds to offer.

The EGs are very flexible,but not as flexible,like in the Casio CZ/VZ
series.But much better as Yamahas EGs.

At least a cool and inspiring machine.(If it had not this worse
User Interface)

Solid work ! By normal usage made for Milleniums.

Roland has usually a good service.Also for older productionlines.

If lost,then would try to get another one.I needed weeks to work
with this thing "on the fly".
It has also still some good sounds to offer.And is a welcome guest in my
setup for additional voices.
Soundprogramming without Editor is a horror with it.Except you like
button dancing.
Not a must have.Really not.But can be a helpful tool for someone who
needs such a machine.
It lacks of a to rudimentary modulation matrix.Why not route the
PWM Modultaion to the Modulation Wheel ? Or the Filter freq/resonance
to the Modulation Wheel or Expression Pedal ?
Midi definable controlers wouldn't be bad.

Anyway,you can make a lot of sounds with it.At least a very fat
analog MONO synth ! Yoow.....

Not so easy to use.The D110 lacks in a small Button field,wich
controls all functions.I hated already the U110 for this "dance"
on the buttons.But the U110 had not so much functions,so it was
acceptable(a Romplayer like the U110 needs not so much as a synth).
The manual describes all a little to short.Such a User Interface,
needs a better explanation.And Roland had not the best day,when they
wrote this manual.It confuses more at its helps.And a lot of topics
are missing.The manual is to thin.
It would have been a great thing,if the manual had a function index
like the Casio VZ1 in its manual.Each parameter was described there.
The User Interface on the D110 is really not the best,without a good
manual.
After a trial and error show,I know now how to handle fast with this
device.Without Editorsoftware or the optional PG10 Programmer.(This
thing must be very rare !)
An Editorsoftware is recommended.
The synthesis itself is very easy,but this parameterfrenzy makes
it worse.

32 Polyphony.Sounds good ? Not at all.32 voices only,if using one
partial of a Tone(Patch?).Here we have it again.Rolands confusing
description of Tones,Partials,Parts and Patches.Maybe a disease of the
D series(Disease Series).
8*Multitimbral plus a Rhythm Track.A very simple Reverb/Delay FX.
Six individual Outs(!),plus Stereo-Outs,flexibility in panning.
A PCM and "analog" thing.Ringmodulation.MIDI is OK,but could have been
better.Why not make a flexible routing for parameters like PWM or
Filter parameters ?
Also it would have been fine,if PCM sounds also could have Filtering.
But when the D110 was released,it was the not the best time for
Filtering.

The D110 is very expressive in sounds.A little to unflexible in
synthesis.But you will find compromises.
The "analog" section has all what analog needs.But it sounds a little
to "clean".The PCM section is OK and the samples are of their time.
You can like them or not.In the PCM section is missing the Filter.
The great thing is the Ringmodulation.Here you can produce really
sick sounds.But also you can give the PCMs a "second" hand filtering.
Use a "analog" Partial to RM a PCM sound.The Filtering of the
"analog" one,will also effect the PCM sound.It is a kind of strange
Filter.RM adds usually harmonics(odd and even),the filtering via
RM will have a special effect.Not like average filtering.
Helpful can also be this quartersized version of microtuning.In RM
a special gift.At least the RM brings the D110 to live.The Rest is OK,
this analog section is not a killer,but usable.The PCM-section is like
it is.
The D110 is underrated in its flexibility of sounds.It can produce
really sweet Teletubbies sounds,but also harsh and odd Metalsounds.
Plus an easy Analog type sound.The sounds are not bad for a device
of that age.And there are still many options to create some new
sounds.Soundquality is OK.

Still living.

Roland has usually a good service.

An intersting synth,if there were not this dammned User Interface
and unlucky handling of sounds.
The synthesis itself is pretty easy.A flexible machine.

If lost,I would try to get another one.Pure nostalgica.But still a
useful synth.It should be used more as a synth and not as a Romplayer.
For this we have Rolands U110/220.

I purchased it when it first came out (stupidly thinking it was a multi-timbral version the D-50).

I guess people must be used to Roland multi-timbral synths by now... myself, I never really liked the Tones vs Patches thing in Rolands, but I did get used to it enough to get by.

As a bread-and-butter multitibral synth, I guess it was really very flexible back when it came out. One can edit the volumes/panning/MIDI ch. etc. of all the Parts, and the individual outs are definitely a plus for something in this price range.

The waveforms are definitely dated. So getting much use of this unit now would depend on editing...

First, no filter on samples. EG's can sweep pitch by 2 octaves, and they're pretty fast, actually... One can get the unit to generate some alias noises with pitches way high for grit -- a plus for me :-)

Shifting sample pitches dramatically creates artifacts that you wouldn't get on later, "cleaner" units, so I find that the D110 can still create a sound of its own... this is even if 90% of its samples are carried over in higher resolution on later models.

The rather complex EG is a nice touch, since pitch and EG are the about the only things one can control on samples.

The so-called "raw" waveforms have filters, but I don't find them very useful.

Still works! (Battery ran out before)

Never used it...

Doubt I'd buy it again if it were lost. I do use the drum samples, change the pitch dramatically and mess with the envelope (making them much shorter) for an artificial percussion kit, still.

Just switch on and use. It's up to you to put the right sounds in the right place. Dance users used to packet-soup sounds with no effort on their part will be very disappointed. Once programmed (dance users get permission from an adult) it works out of the box.

The FX are very smooth, but I would have liked the option of a little more level available. Editing is strange but yields excellent results (think s1000) once your used to it you're away. Good multiple outputs, something these cup-a-soup machines neglect. I like to USE the desk for each sound, not use someone elses idea of a noise.

Great for aggressive industrial sounds. If you like thin, unchallenging dance sounds this is not really your machine. You'll need a Casio VL-Tone for your stuff. If you get under the bonnet (as one has to do on any instrument if one wants to get the most out of it) agressive "leap-out-of-the-speakers" bass sounds can be wrought. Depends on the effort. I have a baby grand piano and still use the factory preset "acoustic piano" sound for 50% of things that need piano.

It would take some beating to get this to stop working. I used one on 2 world tours and it is one of the most reliable units I have ever worked with. Full stop. I was so impressed I bought another onesecondhand. I got a set of GM sounds for it to use as a failover in case I was left on stage with my cock in the wind. Just in case everything else failed. I don't know what they made them of, but....

Roland seem OK. Since I've never had a problem with them....

If it blew up, I'd have to get another. The drum sounds are good - not in individual audition, but as useable sounds I.E. ones that will work in a mix. I have Moogs, ARPs racks of samplers, and this machine is a good friend. Don't know why people think it's noisy. They probably have poor mixers with noisy front-ends. If the sound needs more top - make it toppier, dullard. My Minimoogs are a bit noisy, but everyone spunks about the bass, except dance-limps, who like lame 1-osc 303 poof-squelches.

This machine is shit, when it comes to editing: there are four 'voices', each having a thousand things to edit. But you can only see one (or very few) parameter(s) at a time in the tiny display.
I don't edit: I download patches :-)

Although editing is hard, there are quite a lot of parameters and the sounds have a maximum of vour voices, which makes some of them quite nice.

Sounds are terrible; if you're looking for bass, go look somewhere else. If you want realistic sounds, don't pick up a D-110. If you want strange fantasy-like sounds in the mid frequencies, yes, then you could use a D-110. Also the drum are dodgy (except for the bongos; those are great), but they have some character.

Never crashed... well... that is for the machine. I cracked a memory-card. They can have the amount of stress a footswitch can handle ;-)
Never had any MIDI problems, but two audio outputs were already dead when I bought the machine.

Don't know. Didn't need any.

Nice piece of equipment for it's time. Quite out of date for today (August 2001)

Very difficult.......
A typical digital synth module.
You need a editor(i have synthworks for atari) to "see" the whole picture. And know what you are doing. Those few buttons on the front panel won't give any pleasure.

It's a versatile instrument (all the sounds are there....)
A bit low budget, if you're planning to make music with this thing only! I only use this machine for bass and strings and noise!
A bit noisy indeed, and when programming in the lower freq. you can here a "click".
The built in effects are not very usefull for serious recording.

I think this one is versatile but its soundquality make's it less allround! (thus only for bass and strings)

I use this thing for strings and bass and bleeps.
It's great in this scene...the perfect 80's are in here.
Disco machine! It's in there. Even certain drumsounds, some electric toms and snare....very old skool!

Try to get a valhala soundcard or voice chrystal, you will be amazed with the difference...
I have a valhala analog card...sounds great!

Oh yeah, you CAN depend on this machine.(never crashed here)

But....there is something with the power-switch...
I have seen different machine's (second-hands) and some of them had the power switch broken.
The green led is going with the switch....backwards!
Had to screw mine, dril some holes in the front panel, and had to place some screws in there!

I don't know this one...
Never had to call a service center for my D-100

So my overall rating about this machine is that this machine is usefull in only a little part of certain music.
It also depends on what kind of music you're into....
Use this instrument only for bass or strings.(or effects)
It's is limited, 30 voice polyphony anyway, so a few chords and....

But I think it's great, especially for it's dump-price today...
(And I don't think it sounds low budget, it still surprises)

The presets in this module are pretty dissapointing, especially the Acoustic Pianos and strings patches. I have one of the expansion cards (the Ambient / Trance one), and the sounds on that are far more interesting. Having spent ages learning this thing without a manual, I have finally cracked its editing structure and got some cracking sounds, especially harmonised Perc. Organs (great for garage) a brilliant Acoustic Piano (which puts roland programmers to shame) and more earth shaking bass than a TX81Z could muster! A patch editor is great for this synth (one available on my site www.systemstudio.co.uk). I can't comment on the manual cos i don't have it!!!

Polyphony 32 I think, but each sound can be made from more partials. The partials used is inversely proportional to the poly available. Expansion capabilities - see above.

Instruments are NOT realistic (although organs and my piano is damn good!!), best for analogue sounds, but don't expect the analogue warmth too, cos the filters are weak and PCM samples can't be filtered! This module is good for dance - but not anything a bit more hardcore, definately not Drum n Bass.

Dead reliable, taken (chucked?) everywhere, never broken. DID use it in a gig without backup!

Can't comment.

If it were stolen - i might go for something a little later, maybe a D550 or a U220, but it is good. I've used it in my studio mor 6 months now with loads of other gear - see www.systemstudio.co.uk.

1 Gripe about it ------- NO FILTERS ON PCM Sounds!!!!

The Roland D-110 is known for its not so very user friendly layout. From the unit itself you have to go through a lot of pages to get the function you want, but that doesen?t make it difficult to use; only a bit fiddly. When you know where to find the functions you want, editing is not that frustrating, although I really recommend using a PC/Mac editor (especially for making your own sounds). There are a handful of editors out there, and they are mostly very good. You get a much better picture of what?s going on with your synth, and you don?t need to press all those small black buttons all the time.
I don't have the manual and can't therefore comment it, but the data sheets that came with it is enough to understand what you must press to get what menu, so it's ok.

This flat little thingy has turned 12 years now, and it?s not one of those make-instant-Gr00vEy-tunes-on-just-one-unit-and-become-famous-thingies, which I am by the way very glad it isn?t. What it is is a little 1U rack which has got 8 part + 1 rythm part multitimbrality, and 32 note polyphony. The polyphony is sadly referring to the numbers of partials you use, and as one sound can use up to four partials, you can run out of polyphony fast considering the 8 parts of multitimbrality. One partial consists of one synth waveform (you can choose between saw wave and square wave) or a PCM sample. You can edit each partial of the sound with things like
*PWM (Pulse With Modulation - synth waveforms only), which is very useful for fattening up the sound.
*Ring modulator - You can ring modulate two and two partials together (the output configuration blocks work in pairs). Personally I really like ring modulators. RM can make your synth bite :)
*Filter section - Low Pass filter with resonance. I don?t know how many decibels the filters are, but they don?t exactly ?bite?, although they are very useful for softer filter usages (with 5 step envelopes - synth waveforms only, you cannot filter the PCMs).
*Pitch section (with 5 step envelopes)
*Amplifier section (with 5 step envelopes)
*De-tuning (now I have listed so many obvious things that I think it?s time to just move on)

Effects include 5 reverbs and 3 delays (only one effect at a time since there is only one effect processor) which can be edited by level and time, and only set globally for all parts.

You can buy additional PCM cards for this synth, but as I haven't got any (and I'm not planning on buying any either) I can't comment that.

You can save up to 64 multitimbral setups (patches) on this synth, containing all the information you need for every part, and that is very useful as you don't need to write sysx from an external sequencer to control it.

I don?t find many downpoints in the features of this synth, but one downpoint must be the midi. The synth only sends midi for controllers like notes, volume, velocity, modulation, expression, hold and pan pot. This means that you can?t tweak the filters realtime using another controller, or through a sequencer. Maybe you can do this through sysx, I don?t know, but one solution tho is to set the filter?s velocity sensitiveness on maximum, and turn off the Vel sense on the amplifier section. This way you can get filtered bass-lines by changing the velocity output of your controller/sequencer during playing. Note that this won?t work for pad sweeps and such as you must re-trigger the note to get the new velocity level (then again you can make pad sweeps using the filter envelopes, so it?s not a big problem really).

Another downpoint is that some of the parametres have too little steps. Ie the reconance which has got 30 steps, and the panning which has got only +/- 7 steps. Another downpoint is that the panning is too weak. You cannot do extreme panning effects as the other side will always be heard, something that is a shame considering FX usage and so on.

The presets on this synth are pretty awful IMHO (Rumours say that the Roland crew rushed them out, although a -very- few numbers of the "acoustic" instruments -can- sound alright in an arrangement). But on the net you can find sysx?es with new sound configurations, and there are some very good programmers out there who have made some more up to date sounds for it. Since I got this synth for a very low price I was schocked by hearing all those wonderful sounds coming out from it. It sure is some steps above all those PCM playback synths when it comes to synth sounds which are not too complex. It has not got the warmth of an analog synth, but is more sharp in its sound, something that can be very useful sometimes. You should also note that this synth is not very good for very clean or complex sounds, and it has got some minor noise in it's oscillators too, athough that doesen't seem as a problem.

(If you want to hear examples on how this synth sounds, you can mail me at zepsi@hotmail.com, and do specify what kind of sounds you want to hear)

I bought mine not very long ago from a person who bought it second hand from another person (yea). The only problems i had was that it locked up in the very begiining without any obvious reason (that hasn't happened since), and that the midi in port has some minor contact problem (all I have to do to fix it is to move on the cable a bit, so it's probably not that hard to fix).

Haven't dealt with them

I would buy it again if it got lost or stolen (in fact I'm planning on getting a 2nd one as i want 16 channels of D-110 sound). I have been into sequencing myself for less than 1 year, and have a Yamaha CS2x in addition to this (although I have experience with other synths).
It sure is very inspiring to work with, and I recommend it to beginners (don't we all love that word? :P ) as well as pros, as I can imagine this synth being useful in any setup. The only thing I really wish it had is more midi possibilities, but it's old cheap, sounds good and so on, so it's not really a big problem.