Roland M-DC1
Dance Module (1995)

 

The sound expansion series were budget version of SR-JV cards fitted into expanders like JV1080 or 2080 but also workstations like XP50.

The MDC1 is a 90' dance oriented rompler with an interesting story : the internal sample table is partially based on the original Srjv-06 boards that has been retired from market for copyright infrigment, the incriminated samples were removed for the module.

RACKMOUNT Single unit module, basic design with 11 buttons and a 7-segments display.

Rear panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
- main output
- signal line input (signal not processed)


Front panel terminal connectors:
- headphones.

 

 

VOICE core 16 bits microcontroller HF6415108F (part of HD6415 / h8 family) manages 28 voices polyphony.
Synthesis based on subtractive synthesis: each patch is composed by 1, 2, 3 or 4 PCM samples layers. The module is more like a preset machine since all sounds are ready to go and it not possible to edit from direct panel - most parameters can be changes only using an external Midi SYSEX strings generator.

WAVETABLE contains 8 MB ROM, 255 PCM samples focuses on electro sounds dirty samples from vinyls, analog brass, drum machines precussions and a big section of useless outdated drum loops and "yeahh ohhh baby". The only worth samples are perfect string and pads, mixed with resonant filter- check out the demos and some Roland TR909 and TR707 kits.

PERFORMANCE MVS1 handles up to 7 parts + 1 drum.
Each part can be set with a single patch with variable multitimbral parameters:
- reverb and chorus level
- volume / panning
- pitch detune
- Midi channel.

 

FILTER section is based on digital TVF Time-Variant-Filter and 3 modes:
- lowpass
- bandpass
- highpass.

 

LFO 2 modulators each features 7 shapes (- triangle, sinewave, sawtooth, trapezoidal, random, sample & hold, chaos random).
- LFO 1: amplitude
- LFO 2: filter.

ENVELOPE each layer features 3 EGs:
- EG1 amplitude: 4 stages ADSR
- EG2 filter: 4 stages ADSR
- EG3 pitch: 4 stages ADSR.

EFFECTS the Roland MDC1 manages:
- 3 choruses
- 8 reverbs
- 2 delays
TECH: This section also cannot be edited or applied to a specific multitimbral part but to master out.

MEMORY:
- 18 performances
- 226 patches
- 16 rhythm sets
- 1 global setup
There is no patch RAM slots for save and performance can bulk dumps data to Midi.

Bending and hacking the MDC1

RELATED FAMILY:

	M-bd1 BASS DRUM - Drum kits M-oc1 ORCHESTRA - strings and brass M-se1 STRINGS - orchestral strings M-vs1 VINTAGE - analog synth Mgs64 CANVAS - GSmidi module
	SRJV DANCE 06 the original expansion board: a Roland-AMG cooperation, removed from the market for copyrighted samples from artists like Kraftwerk and Telex - hear the infamous samples in the demo section below.

 

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

	name	price	link	demo
	polynominal.com	FREE MDC1: the full 909 kit sampled! A MDC1 sample pack FROM US!!		n/a

 

AUDIO DEMO

my 100% MDC1 mix (overdub, no fx) pad 1 pad 2 pad 3 removed copyrighted samples : kraftwerk/ telex :) All demo factory 1-2-3-4

 

YOUTUBE VIDEO CLIP SELECTION MDC1 full track