Roland XP-50 (1995)
Music Workstation

Workstation for mid-user range with internal sequencer and a standard canvas GM General Midi soundset.

Relative rackmount version is the famous module JV-1080

KEYBOARD 61 velocity keys with aftertouch.
Main panel features a 40 x 2 lines display, 58 buttons and a data encoder wheel. On the left side there is a modulation-pitchbender joystick, 3 sliders for volume and expressions.

Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
- main signal out
- headphones out
- pedalswitch input for damper
- 2 assignable pedal inputs.

 

 

TECH main core is a RISC 32 bits (Reduced Instruction Set Computer HD6477034F20C) manages 64 voices polyphony or TONES, DAC is a 16/18 bits UPD63200GS-E2.
STRUCTURE a basic patch is composed by 4 tones or PCM samples with indipendent parameters:

- keyzone assignment - pitch tuning - panning position - delay start time - FXM oscillator (crossmodulation)

WAVETABLE is a 8 Mb ROM (2x IC at 25 + 26) 448 PCM sampled at 44,1 kHz / 16-bits.

The internal wave XP ROM is split into 2 macro families: - 193 PCM percussive + one-shot chromatic - 255 PCM instruments More PCM can be added installing expansion cards

EXPANSION the XP-50 is expandable using SRJ-V board (usual size is 4 or 8 MB) fitted in 1 of the 4 available slots. There are 21 SR-JV available with different instrument styles, here is the list:

SR-JV80-01 POP   SR-JV80-02 ORCHESTRAL   SR-JV80-03 PIANO   SR-JV80-04 VINTAGE SYNTH   SR-JV80-05 WORLD   SR-JV80-06 DANCE   SR-JV80-07 SUPER SOUND SET   SR-JV80-08 KEYBOARDS OF THE 60's & 70's   SR-JV80-09 SESSION   SR-JV80-10 BASS AND DRUM   SR-JV80-11 TECHNO COLLECTION   SR-JV80-12 HIP HOP   SR-JV80-13 VOCAL COLLECTION   SR-JV80-14 ASIAN   SR-JV80-15 SPECIAL FX Collection   SR-JV80-16 ORCHESTRAL II   SR-JV80-17 COUNTRY Collection   SR-JV80-18 LATIN Collection   SR-JV80-19 HOUSE Collection   SR-JV80-98 EXPERIENCE promotional board. SR-JV80-99 EXPERIENCE2 promotional board.

ALGORITHMS the tones can be combined in 10 structures, partially inspired from prievious cult synthesizer Roland D50.

These are pre-fixed audio patch that connects the 2 pair of tones into variable setups mixed with audio elements such as amplifier / filter and 2 digital processes: - Booster amplifies the signal causing a distortion with new harmonics 18 levels of effectiveness - Ring modulator. TIP: click on LEFT for structure list diagram

 

PERFORMANCE the XP engine manages up 16 parts each with assignable parameters:

- Midi channel assign - zone assign - stereo panning - volume gain - effect amount - tuning pitch TIP: A special GM (General MIDI) bank reads SMF Midi ensuring a total compatibility.

 

FILTER the TVF Time-Variant Filter offers 4 modes, in addition a filter keytrack function with +/- 200% harmonic content cutoff over octaves-

- lowpass - bandpass - highpass - peaking: PKG emphasizes frequencies around cutoff value. HEAR filter cutoff

LFO up to 2 delayed and syncalble modulators, they do provide 7 shapes (triangle, sinewave, sawtooth, trapezoidal, 2 random modes and sample-hold) with adjustable symmetry.

HEAR LFO sample and hold

ENVELOPE each TONE features 3 EGs:
- EG amplitude: 4 segments + 3 times, 8 velocity curves + key follows option
- EG filter : 4 segments + 4 times
- EG pitch 4 segments + 4 times, keyfollow + random pitch

SEQUENCER quite similar to hardware MC-50 MkII, the xp50 manages up to 16 tracks at 96 clocks resolution per quarter note. Standard functions such as Overdub, Punch In-Out , Loop Parts, Quantizes and Copy-Paste.

TIP: Internal tool load function imports old format from MRC sequencers such as MC-500/ 300/ 50/ 50mkII and Midi files in format SMF 0 or 1. HEAR internal sequence

EFFECTS the DSP is split in 3 sections:
- EFX: 40 inserts algorithms e.g distortion, overdrive, phaser, EQ, Leslie, tremolo, delay, pitch-shifter...
- reverb: 7 classic algorithms (Hall, Room, delay, stage) with adjustable damp time
- chorus: digital chorus with variable rate, pre-delay, feedback and depth.
HEAR internal reverb

 

MEMORY:
- 640 ROM patches (including GS MIDI kit)
- 96 ROM performances
- 128 RAM performances
- 32 RAM performances
- 100 patterns
- 20.000 notes
- 99 measures

STORAGE whole data memory can be saved to built-in 3.5" Disk drive Teac FD-235HF to either 720 Kb or 1.44 Mb density

TIP: It is also possible to store SONGS made by sequencer for a maximum of 99 Songs (or 180.000 notes) on a single 1.44 Mb.

MAINTENANCE there are 2 common issues:

- LCD is well-known to have some technical troubles as the display writings disappear from the display, and this problem just get worst after a while! generally the nearby capacitors could have leaked and need replacement..

There is a TUTORIAL about display, but I did personally replaced relative capacitors and it worked.

 

- BUTTONS another frequent issues are contacts on the mainboard, tact switches need to be replaced soon or later as they get difficult to push.

 

EDITORS some computer-based patch softwares:
- Soundquest (MAC/PC $$)
- JV-1080 editor (MAX MSP beta)
- Changeit (old PC OS free)

 

 

RELATED FAMILY:

	JV-1080 is more or less the Xp-50 rackmount version
	XP-80 flagship 76 keys- enhanced version with bigger display and better control functions
	XP-60 same as xp80 but with 61 keys
	XP-30 no more sequencer but 2 built-in srjv ROM
	XP-10 older budget version, less features and 28 voices

 

 

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION there are some free and commercial samples set:

XP-50 kontakt

Should be a free release but I cannot figure this out. Surely NOT approved by Roland anyway, so it cannot be legally sold.

AUDIO DEMO

factory demo 1 factory demo 2 factory demo 3 factory demo 4 factory demo 5 factory demo 6 Full demo 1 * Full demo 2 * Full demo 3 * Full demo 4 * Full demo 5 * Full demo 6 * Organ: weird Organ: Hammond Guitar: acoustic Guitar: ambient EP: Rhodes 1 EP: Rhodes 2 EP: Rhodes 3 EP: Rhodes 4

synth: sample and hold synth: magic choir synth: m1 lore synth; nineties synth: bassliner synth: bassliner cutoff synth: bassliner 303 synth: eighties synth: bells Bass: Moog D FX pad 1 pad 2 pad 3 pad 4 pad 5 pad 6 pad 7   *kindly sent by Federico Pasiecznik

do you have some nice XP50 demos you want to share in this page? Upload'em!

 

VIDEO SELECTION Sounds demo Sequencer tutorial

SPECIAL AWARDS: