It does not have operators in a DX way, but it have oscillators. As with the D-50 the D-20 sound is made of 1 to 4 parts and you can choose if you want to use oscillator waves only and/or samples for creating attacks mainly. D-20 has ringmod and other effects built-in, very digital though, so I would prefer using external effects.
The D50 has upper 2 oscillators and lower 2 oscillators, that has been streamlined in the D20 to 4 oscillators per voice. But in the D20 U can stack voices on the same midi channel. So U can create then a mono sound with up to 32 oscillators, which is mind-blowing. For that extra fat bassline. The D20 has more "algorithms" than the D50 to combine virtual analog saw and pwm with samples and ring modulation.
@@oupahens9219 Thanks for these insights! I have to admit, I actually did not think about stacking several sounds to the same midi channel and using them for mono bass. I think as a user you should really make your own sounds on the D-20 because the first impression a little bit disappointing, when just playing presets. Many Roland synths have this problem with not so great factory presets. However, the D-50 has great presets and that is probably the reason why there were so much (over) used on albums in the end of 80s
@@doordedeur but these waves can only be altered with "velocity", which is a total bummer. Who the heck wants to do that with velocity. MV1, aftertouch, LFO are the tools to control PWM, like in the D50. D10 made a sacrifice to maybe accommodate the then Multies on the same chip.
I did all my composing back in the day on the D-20, and used D-50 for performance. Great synths!
Nice! During which years did you use them and did you also make recordings with them?
Performed between 1987 and 1994, and then did session work until around 2000.
It sounds that D-20 has lesser number of operators and no delay. Does it have ringmod?
It does not have operators in a DX way, but it have oscillators. As with the D-50 the D-20 sound is made of 1 to 4 parts and you can choose if you want to use oscillator waves only and/or samples for creating attacks mainly. D-20 has ringmod and other effects built-in, very digital though, so I would prefer using external effects.
The D50 has upper 2 oscillators and lower 2 oscillators, that has been streamlined in the D20 to 4 oscillators per voice. But in the D20 U can stack voices on the same midi channel. So U can create then a mono sound with up to 32 oscillators, which is mind-blowing. For that extra fat bassline. The D20 has more "algorithms" than the D50 to combine virtual analog saw and pwm with samples and ring modulation.
@@oupahens9219 Thanks for these insights! I have to admit, I actually did not think about stacking several sounds to the same midi channel and using them for mono bass. I think as a user you should really make your own sounds on the D-20 because the first impression a little bit disappointing, when just playing presets.
Many Roland synths have this problem with not so great factory presets. However, the D-50 has great presets and that is probably the reason why there were so much (over) used on albums in the end of 80s
The saw wave of the D-10/20 is also a pulse wave, but modulated.
@@doordedeur but these waves can only be altered with "velocity", which is a total bummer. Who the heck wants to do that with velocity. MV1, aftertouch, LFO are the tools to control PWM, like in the D50.
D10 made a sacrifice to maybe accommodate the then Multies on the same chip.