Roland PMA-5

has some useful presets that can be copied into user styles for editing, the manual is readily available at the roland website under support/product manuals. its a neat little band-in-a-box that also serves as a sound module for MIDI controllers.

you can type in any chord progression/polychord and it will play according to whatever preset style you choose, you can mute any of the 4 tracks it creates with that information, and use it as a jam track.
you can also create your own styles and enter a MIDI input using a MIDI instrument/drum machine/computer if you know how to hook it up to those devices as well as dump its data to MIDI librarian

it's useful with a BOSS loop station and as the sound module for my Roland PK-5A. Runs on 6 AA batteries (9 volt adapter). for what it is, it's amazing.

it will never fail if used well.

they honour their warranties any everything they make is built like a tank. the pleather cover it a bit cheesy but its necessary. i bought mine used for $100 with no maunual/stylus, i use a guitar pick to edit things.

it's a useful gadget to own, glad i bought it, i own lots of roland/boss equipment and instruments. everything i ever bought that bore those names was good.

Its easy, the menu system is not that bad. Holding the stylus on peramiters gives an up/down function. Working with a keyboard/Midi input is easier than trying to enter notes and sequences on the keypad.

Step time is not bad - standard roland/Boss type *---*---*---*--- grid shows where you are. Real time is record is standard type.

I think Roland always do well with user interfaces. It took me a couple of hours with this to know my way around it, there are not many menus and its kept simple

Midi is fairly standard, in/out the box is portable and can be run on batteries and put in a coat pocket, so that has to be a feature in itself.

Its got a sequencer, a drum pattern editor, and poly/multi - so sort of walkstation. The problem is that it does all of these things but doesn't do any of them particularly well, but bearing in mind its size what can you expect?


My main grumble is that the synth sounds and effects are preset and press, I wouldn't say they give much scope for editing,so you are stuck with what they thought sounded good back in the day of the sound canvas. They are a good bunch of bread-and-butter sounds granted, but if they could be edited I'd score this higher.

If you like to tweak and twiddle with sounds, the PMA will disapoint.If you like to construct songs and arrangements while on the move, it probably doesn't have many rivals

The song feature allows you to construct drum patterns, with chordal riffs, so you can say record the patern in C-Major, then when it is carried over to the song mode there is a nifty "chord track". This can be thought of like an arpegiator, or similar to el cheapo casiotone acompaniement track - but on the PMA-5 you program the pattern you want. This feature is superb, and works really well.

As above, the sounds are soundcanvas. Slightly dated, and a tad lacklustre. The "real" instruments are not terrible but lack presence,e.g. the Piano sounds, which the machine tries to compensate for by cloaking with a dose of rather nasty digital reverb.

The basses on the whole are quite good as are the strings and pads. The analogue/synth samples don't do the machines that they have been sampled from any justice whatsoever.

The drum kits are reasonable, you get quite a few of them, including 3x room kits and some FX.

Great sound is not the point of the PMA. Its not bad - just slightly mediocre.

Yes, Its been through a lot. I've owned it 3years, dropped it several times, stood on it once (not the screen thankfully) and generally given it a hard time. It travels with me frequently on holidays etc.

The only signs of wear are that the "filofax leather" case sheds black bits all over anyone that touches it. I have since unscrewed the leatherette case and may one day send it away for re-upholstering.

Apart from that, typically Roland. They don't seem to do flimsy, Unlike lesser instrument makers.

Never tried, the manual is OK though

If I lost it or it was stolen, I'd be annoyed but I'd get over it I'd probably add some of my own cash to the insurance claim, and get a cheapy sound module for pads and an alesis MMT8 for sequencing.

Its a cool bit of kit, I mostly use it as a sequencer and to pad the mix out, and it does a fine job. I also like to take it on walkabouts, I'd miss being able to do that.

It is easy, but if you have the manual, better.

Is the strong point.
It is what it is, the best travel sequencer. 20 songs. This is a creative tool for composing and practicing.
You can choose a lot of chords and song parts.
Really the best portable tool for the musician.

It is what it is. It is not for a Gold CD. Not for recording.
It sound well. The best for portable Arranging and composing.

I had not problems.
It is like a book. Well protected.

I would buy other.

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OK Roland, I have been a staunch supporter of Roland Australia's customer support up until now. I bought this unit from Mall Music at Waringah Mall as an ex-demonstrator. They told me that it had a battery leak which I figured would be cheap enough to fix (it was...Thanks Graham at Centauri Music, Tamworth (10 bucks you legend)). They did NOT tell me it did not come with a manual or stylus...so I guess that gives you an insight into the Ethics of Mall Music, Waringah Mall....unscrupulous bastards which trade off the ignorance of poor little rich kids on the north shore...shame!!!!!.

Now, when I rang Roland Aus, I had a great chat with Justin, nice bloke who like me was stunned at the asking price of $180 for the manual and quickly agreed to sell it to me at cost $70 !!!! still not cheap. Then when it arrives I find this pissyt little 142 pages of toilet paper. Roland....your attitude to manuals is a complete and utter fucking disgrace...check out your competitors websites to see what I mean.

I don't really care, I'm going to flog thiis thing on Ebay.

most of the basic function are intuitive...Clear manual

4 editable midi track ...very fragile midi in/out...

good sounds ....for the size.standard effects..(echo/delay)

Could be usefull for emergency back up but it's too fragile...would'nt recommend it for main gear for gig/club.

Never had to deal with the company.....

I would recommend it for composing on thew road ..or rapidly put a song together......Excellent and practicle composing/back-up tool!!

Yes, it has an extensive manual.
But I've never had to read it. You turn it on and poke and
realize you have a good thing.

Lotsa stuff, some of it could be better but c'mon.
Midi is sufficient for a WX11, so I'm happy.

Sound Canvas based. Does most I want.

It has nearly as many flyer points as me! Very reliable.
(Hint: writing songs on a PMA in a plane is fun.)
Of course I wouldn't go to a gig with one of anything.
Tho' I did do two gigs and a vid in Paris with just a PMA
and bad french, go figure.

Roland are never friendly. If you are having customer-support
problems then call technical service and chat a bit and ask
to be transferred :)
Then again I've never needed support on this device.

I think it's a great thing. Certainly the best travel device
I have (airlines get annoyed if you wanta bring a hammond as
carry on - they certainly won't let you play it ...).
I like my PMA.

No problems here. I've used it in live performances with over 50 of my song structures. I created a way to store up to the 200 songs

Features are easy to use. The como to the computer allows me to use my computer program to create full sequences to use on the pma5. I like the sound generator on the pma so I use it when recording.

All sounds are cd quality

Bought it when it first came out and have never had a problem with it. Its amazing that a company can produce such a fine instrument then in the name of improvement kill a perfectly good instrument. As a former reliability engineer for a major company I can honestly say that this pma5 probably exceeded all it expectations. Probably thats the reason for discontinueing it. Can make no more money off of it.

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8 sounds are alot better than i expected,the last machine i used was a yamaha drum machine in the 80s,so i was impressed.

10 this unit seems very study and im hard on my equipment.

the problem is if you own a regular pc you have to find a cable,i bought a hosea off the web,another problem is figuing out how to get songs onto the computer or songs from the computer into the sequencer.

The reason i wrote this is because the main reason why i bought the pma was to download a midi song off the web put it onto the pma and use it for my backing band.Someone in here said they have yet to stump it,i did int the first 10 minutes of owning it.if anyone has figured out how to do what im trying to do email marshalljcm2000@msn.com.The GS mode seems useless because you cant record in that mode.

Packed with nice features, I'm in a Prog band and we find all kinds of uses for this little blighter. Its a little dated now (ten years old) i wish it took memory cards and had usb interface but I can't complain really. (i have lost my manual please can anyone help me?)

the pianos sound great, very real, although I never use them. But I do find use for a whole range of the other sounds from 80s style synths to ethnic kotos and violins. I never use the drum sounds but they all sound very good (no velocity)

I seems very reliable, I have never used it at a gig but I know you can get a footswitch to trigger it so it could become very usefull.
I got mine from a traveller in India so it has been all over the world and still looks new and works fine.

I CAN'T GET A MANUAL..... Roland no longer have the manual, If anyone out there is willing to scan/photocopy me theirs I will find some way of rewarding you and covering all your costs..... PLEASE HELP ME... email: hellsengineer@yahoo.co.uk

If I lost it, I would get a new one. I have a portable studio for travelling (laptop, mbox, rode nt5s, zoom pfx 9003, sm58,) and what else could supply me with loads of synth and instrument sounds?
PLEASE CAN SOMEONE HELP WITH A COPY OF THE MANUAL

If you can imagine it, you can do it with the Pma-5..I've yet to stump it!..

I need a new touch screen, mine was damaged,any info would be greatly appriciated

All you could ever need, a portable symphony!..

I need a new touch screen, mine was damaged,any info would be greatly appriciated

very realistic drums and keyboard instruments..sounds like an authentic Grand piano

I need a new touch screen, mine was damaged,any info would be greatly appriciated

I need a new touch screen, mine was cracked damaged I have had a hard time finding out how to replace it..Any Info would be greatly appriciated..

Well, this will be my first test on the company itself and its support of its customers..I hope you can help..I love your products..

I love it and adore my Pma-5..It is the must musical assistant that anyone could ever ask for..It has never musically failed me, Ive yet to come up with something that the Pma-5 cannot do..I love it and miss it..All i need is a new touch screen panel, and my life would have piece and creativity again...