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The manuals are in .pdf format and contain all the documentation for each device. One minor problem in the D110 manual: It includes all the refferences cards except the "Preset Tone" list. They put the "Play Mode" card in twice. Fortunately the "Preset Tone" list can be found on page 101 of the manual.
Intro and Purpose
I was first introduced to the D-110 at a local community college in an intro to MIDI class. We had access to Korg M1s also and if you wanted a sound similar to actual acoustic instruments that was what you used. The D-110s (which our instructor affectionately called "The Synth From Hell") were for those of us who wanted something different. It was hard to get a good acoustic sound out of a D-110 but they where pretty good for electronic keyboard (like organs) and analog synth sounds, and wonderful for oddball sounds and sound FX. And I loved all the loops and JamLoops so, the first synth I bought when I got some money was a used Roland D-110. It was difficult using it without a keyboard but I had a Mac with a sequencer and an interface and I occasionally borrowed my friend's Casio MT-540 (No Velocity) to control it. I soon bought a used D-10 which finally gave me a complete MIDI setup "From Hell".
The Purpose of this page is to help people who have these instruments to understand them more fully and take full advantage of their capabilities. I will be covering the differences and similarities of these two synths as well as info that is not covered in any of the manuals. Therefore if anyone has any information they would like to add or correct or any questions please contact me (the9thdr@yahoo.com) and I will add or correct or try and answer it. I will also mention the source of whatever info I receive. Hopefully this document will grow and we will all learn something.
I believe most of the info regarding the D-10 also applies to the D-20. As far as I know a D-20 is a D-10 with a sequencer and floppy disk drive. I don't know if you can save tones on a floppy disk. I have never even seen a D-20 so I cannot be sure.
Synth From Hell?
How did the D-110 get this reputation?
Here are some of my theories:
1. Programmability: The D-110 is extremely hard to edit without a software editor. there is no TONE button. If you want to edit a TONE you hit TIMBRE and then hit EDIT twice. navigating the endless pages of parameters is confusing at best. There are plenty of examples were you could be changing a parameter that doesn't appear to do anything and later find out that another parameter has to be set a certain way for the other to be effective. You can't use any filtering on the PCM waveforms (only the synth wave forms), yet the filtering parameters are still available for tweaking. I like how some synths only display parameters that actually do something!(Korg M1)
Programming the D-10 is some what easier. Hit EDIT (in SYNTH mode) and it asks you if you if you want to edit Timbre or Tone (Patch or Tone in PERFORMANCE mode), throughout the TONE editing process you can mute and un-mute any PARTIAL using the PARTIAL MUTE buttons, and printed right on the key board is info regarding STRUCTURE, REVERB TYPE, and envelopes. Apparently there is (was) a hardware programmer available for the D-10/110. I have never seen it. Any info on this device would be appreciated.
2. Display: The D-110 has a 2 line by 16 character LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a MIDI MESSAGE LED. That is all you get to know what is going on with your synth. The D-10 has the same size LCD but also has several LEDs to tell you various things such as which PARTS are receiving note data.
3. Sounds: Of the preset sounds that imitate acoustic instruments, Hardly any sound very good. This most likely has to do with the sound sources themselves:
4. Noise: The D-110 has a very high noise floor. The D-10 is a little better but still pretty bad. This is not based on technical specs but on personal experience and compared to newer synths but is said to be quieter than older synths like the D-50. I couldn't find these specs in the manuals.
5. Volume Knob and Power Cord: The D-110 has only one thing sticking out from it's face, the VOLUME knob, that can be broken off if bumped. I have seen a couple with broken knobs. The power cords on both the D-110 and D-10 are two prong (unsafe) and permanently attached which makes it difficult to replace if damaged but I guess it makes it hard to lose.
6. Manual and Documentation: The manuals, as with most Roland products, are translated from Japanese which makes them somewhat hard to read (if you don't know Japanese). My D-10 manual has no index. My D-110 manual does have an index and edge markers (or thumb index) which is quite useful.There are no descriptions in the manual or on the reference cards for the Spectrum, Shot, Loop, and Jam Loop PCM waves.
Worth its weight in gold?
With all the problems why buy a D-110 (or D-10)?
1. Low Price: I bought my D-110 and D-10 each for $250 (used). They do sell for $200 quite often and I've heard of at least one for $100. $3.13 to $7.81 per voice is a good deal.
2. Sounds: While these synths are pretty bad at imatating accoustic intruments they are not to bad at electronic sounds like organs and other synths. Though you can't filter the PCM sounds you can ring modulate any two sources and get a straight sound of either source. The envelope control is excelent. You get 5 stage[ADDSR] (6- stage [ADDDSR] on D110) pitch, amplitude & filter(not on PCM) envelopes with time and level seting for most stages, and there is a NO SUS mode [ADDR] to eliminat the sustain for drum sounds.
3. Parts and Polyphony: 9 parts is enough to get stared and it doesn't hog all 16 channels. 32 voices is a good amount for the number of parts (I like having 4 voices per part and this is pretty close).
4. Processing: internally you get 1 of 8 different effects(5 reverbs & 3 delays) with adjustable Time and level and you can switch effects in a sequence (D-110 only) but the real processing power comes from the 8 outputs (D-110 only). You can send a different part to each output and process each separately. The drawback is that if the internal effect is on you lose 2 outputs. The D-110 (and D-10) also responds to a good range of controllers though they do get a bit tricky to work with.
6. Manual and Documentation:Though the manuals are hard to read they are easier than others. They are also very thorough, including synthesis theory and extensive information on sysex messages and MIDI Implementation (more than just a chart) which is very useful if you know what to do with it.