Roland-ED SC-8850 - Revision history

MutedTrampet: /* Bugs in early units */ Added more details on the hi-hat note cutoff bug

2026-02-14T20:13:28Z

Bugs in early units: Added more details on the hi-hat note cutoff bug

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:13, 14 February 2026
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	Early SC-8850s with ZM1**, ZM2, ZM3 and ZM4** serial numbers are known to have the following bugs:		Early SC-8850s with ZM1**, ZM2, ZM3 and ZM4** serial numbers are known to have the following bugs:
	<ref name=roland-sc-8850-statement>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000126064021/http://www.roland.co.jp/cs/SC-8850.html Roland Japan statement on SC-8850 bugs]</ref>		<ref name=roland-sc-8850-statement>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000126064021/http://www.roland.co.jp/cs/SC-8850.html Roland Japan statement on SC-8850 bugs]</ref>
	* If hi-hat notes are pressed repeatedly, previously playing notes will cut off		* If hi-hat notes are pressed repeatedly, previously playing notes will cut off. In testing, this applies to any set of drums that are part of an assign group, such as the short and long Güiro, mute and open Cuíca, etc.
	* If portamento is applied to certain tones in mono mode, the sound may become quieter		* If portamento is applied to certain tones in mono mode, the sound may become quieter
	* String notes may be dropped during trills or tremolos		* String notes may be dropped during trills or tremolos

MutedTrampet: Added a new section on bugs in early SC-8850s

2026-02-12T22:30:00Z

Added a new section on bugs in early SC-8850s

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:30, 12 February 2026
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	=== Saving and loading ===		=== Saving and loading ===
	Prior Sound Canvas devices would save your settings when power was disconnected via the use of a CR2032 battery inside the unit. The SC-8850 no longer features this battery, instead opting to use flash memory. This means that you need to explicitly save your part settings before turning the device off, and explicitly loading them when resuming song making. Another way to do this is to transmit a bulk dump via SysEX. This can be set to load from the user memory instead, making it behave more like original units.<ref name=sc8850-loading>Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 64 & 134-138.</ref>		Prior Sound Canvas devices would save your settings when power was disconnected via the use of a CR2032 battery inside the unit. The SC-8850 no longer features this battery, instead opting to use flash memory. This means that you need to explicitly save your part settings before turning the device off, and explicitly loading them when resuming song making. Another way to do this is to transmit a bulk dump via SysEX. This can be set to load from the user memory instead, making it behave more like original units.<ref name=sc8850-loading>Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 64 & 134-138.</ref>

			==Bugs in early units ==
			Early SC-8850s with ZM1**, ZM2, ZM3 and ZM4** serial numbers are known to have the following bugs:
			<ref name=roland-sc-8850-statement>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000126064021/http://www.roland.co.jp/cs/SC-8850.html Roland Japan statement on SC-8850 bugs]</ref>
			* If hi-hat notes are pressed repeatedly, previously playing notes will cut off
			* If portamento is applied to certain tones in mono mode, the sound may become quieter
			* String notes may be dropped during trills or tremolos

			While a fix for these issues was offered for free by Roland at the time, it was noted that strings may still cut off even after the fix. It is unknown if Roland still repairs this issue in 2026.

	== References ==		== References ==

MutedTrampet: /* Filter and map compatiblity issues */ Removed claim that SC-55 note choking doesn't work. This appears to have been an assumption based on Sound Canvas VA, and was not confirmed on actual hardware. Also fixed compatiblity typo.

2025-11-20T19:53:18Z

Filter and map compatiblity issues: Removed claim that SC-55 note choking doesn't work. This appears to have been an assumption based on Sound Canvas VA, and was not confirmed on actual hardware. Also fixed compatiblity typo.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:53, 20 November 2025
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	If using the SC-8850 via USB, then one will need to install a special set of drivers on Windows. The last official drivers provided by Roland are designed for Windows Vista and will not work out of the box. Using compatibility settings should get the driver installer working just fine. MacOS users will need to instead rely on a MIDI interface, and reportedly Linux users get to enjoy native implementation of the protocols used for Roland's MIDI via USB drivers.		If using the SC-8850 via USB, then one will need to install a special set of drivers on Windows. The last official drivers provided by Roland are designed for Windows Vista and will not work out of the box. Using compatibility settings should get the driver installer working just fine. MacOS users will need to instead rely on a MIDI interface, and reportedly Linux users get to enjoy native implementation of the protocols used for Roland's MIDI via USB drivers.

	=== Filter and map ~~compatiblity~~ issues ===		=== Filter and map compatibility issues ===
	The SC-8850 is a completely new iteration on the Sound Canvas, much like how the [[Roland SC-88\|SC-88]] was to the [[Roland SC-55\|SC-55]] - this means that while MIDIs designed for prior iterations should work fine, the new engine will mean that aspects, notably the cutoff and resonance controls can be very off. The samples used for the [[Roland SC-55\|SC-55]] map can also be completely wrong at times, not matching the samples used on the actual unit, despite the real samples being present and used in other patches and kits~~. Note choking (used for effects like choked cymbals in DOOM's "At Doom's Gate", for example) will also not work~~.		The SC-8850 is a completely new iteration on the Sound Canvas, much like how the [[Roland SC-88\|SC-88]] was to the [[Roland SC-55\|SC-55]] - this means that while MIDIs designed for prior iterations should work fine, the new engine will mean that aspects, notably the cutoff and resonance controls can be very off. The samples used for the [[Roland SC-55\|SC-55]] map can also be completely wrong at times, not matching the samples used on the actual unit, despite the real samples being present and used in other patches and kits.

	=== USB Ground noise ===		=== USB Ground noise ===

Aroelina: Added year category.

2025-10-13T23:41:57Z

Added year category.

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:41, 13 October 2025
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	[[Category:General MIDI devices]]		[[Category:General MIDI devices]]
	[[Category:General MIDI 2 devices]]		[[Category:General MIDI 2 devices]]
			[[Category:Released in 1999]]

MelonadeM at 21:13, 12 October 2025

2025-10-12T21:13:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:13, 12 October 2025
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	\| effects = 1× Reverb,<br>1× Chorus,<br>1× Delay,<br>1× Two-band EQ,<br>1× EFX unit.		\| effects = 1× Reverb,<br>1× Chorus,<br>1× Delay,<br>1× Two-band EQ,<br>1× EFX unit.
	\| predecessor = [[Roland SC-88 Pro]]		\| predecessor = [[Roland SC-88 Pro]]
			\| power = Figure-8 connector {{Figure8Icon}}<br>Universal power<br>11-watt power draw.<ref name=og-manual-specs />
	\| notes = <references group="infobox" />		\| notes = <references group="infobox" />
	}}		}}

Hikari no yume: Add link to manual

2024-11-08T08:44:40Z

Add link to manual

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:44, 8 November 2024
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	\| releasedate = 1999		\| releasedate = 1999
	\| standards = [[General MIDI]]<br>[[General MIDI 2]]<br>[[Roland GS]]		\| standards = [[General MIDI]]<br>[[General MIDI 2]]<br>[[Roland GS]]
	\| maxpoly = 128<ref name=og-manual-specs>~~[https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-8850_OM.pdf#~~ Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 247.]</ref>		\| maxpoly = 128<ref name=og-manual-specs>Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 247.</ref>
	\| numparts = 64<ref group="infobox">64 parts only available via USB or serial, 32 parts available via MIDI DIN</ref><ref name=og-manual-midi-specs>~~[https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-8850_OM.pdf#~~ Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 12.]</ref>		\| numparts = 64<ref group="infobox">64 parts only available via USB or serial, 32 parts available via MIDI DIN</ref><ref name=og-manual-midi-specs>Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 12.</ref>
	\| numpresets = 1640 + 256 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />		\| numpresets = 1640 + 256 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />
	\| drumpresets = 63 + 2 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />		\| drumpresets = 63 + 2 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />
Line 40:		Line 40:

	=== Saving and loading ===		=== Saving and loading ===
	Prior Sound Canvas devices would save your settings when power was disconnected via the use of a CR2032 battery inside the unit. The SC-8850 no longer features this battery, instead opting to use flash memory. This means that you need to explicitly save your part settings before turning the device off, and explicitly loading them when resuming song making. Another way to do this is to transmit a bulk dump via SysEX. This can be set to load from the user memory instead, making it behave more like original units.<ref name=sc8850-loading>~~[https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-8850_OM.pdf#~~ Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 64 & 134-138.]</ref>		Prior Sound Canvas devices would save your settings when power was disconnected via the use of a CR2032 battery inside the unit. The SC-8850 no longer features this battery, instead opting to use flash memory. This means that you need to explicitly save your part settings before turning the device off, and explicitly loading them when resuming song making. Another way to do this is to transmit a bulk dump via SysEX. This can be set to load from the user memory instead, making it behave more like original units.<ref name=sc8850-loading>Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 64 & 134-138.</ref>

	== References ==		== References ==
	<references />		<references />

			== External links ==
			* [https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-8850_OM.pdf Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual]

	[[Category:Roland Sound Canvas devices]]		[[Category:Roland Sound Canvas devices]]

MelonadeM: rewrote parts for added clarity, added driver issues

2024-09-25T21:40:01Z

rewrote parts for added clarity, added driver issues

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:40, 25 September 2024
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	\| manufacturer = Roland-ED		\| manufacturer = Roland-ED
	\| releasedate = 1999		\| releasedate = 1999
	\| standards = [[General MIDI]]<br>[[~~General MIDI System Level 2\|~~General MIDI 2]]<br>[[Roland GS]]		\| standards = [[General MIDI]]<br>[[General MIDI 2]]<br>[[Roland GS]]
	\| maxpoly = 128<ref name=og-manual-specs>[https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-8850_OM.pdf# Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 247.]</ref>		\| maxpoly = 128<ref name=og-manual-specs>[https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-8850_OM.pdf# Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 247.]</ref>
	\| numparts = 64<ref group="infobox">64 parts only available via USB or serial, 32 parts available via MIDI DIN</ref><ref name=og-manual-midi-specs>[https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-8850_OM.pdf# Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 12.]</ref>		\| numparts = 64<ref group="infobox">64 parts only available via USB or serial, 32 parts available via MIDI DIN</ref><ref name=og-manual-midi-specs>[https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-8850_OM.pdf# Roland-ED SC-8850 Owner's Manual, page 12.]</ref>
	\| numpresets = 1640 + 256 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />		\| numpresets = 1640 + 256 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />
	\| drumpresets = 63 + 2 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />		\| drumpresets = 63 + 2 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />
	\| effects = Reverb, Delay, ~~Chorus,~~ Two-~~Band global~~ EQ, ~~Global insertion FX based on BOSS effect units~~.		\| effects = 1× Reverb,<br>1× Chorus,<br>1× Delay,<br>1× Two-band EQ,<br>1× EFX unit.
	\| predecessor = [[Roland SC-88 Pro]]		\| predecessor = [[Roland SC-88 Pro]]
	\| notes = <references group="infobox" />		\| notes = <references group="infobox" />
	}}		}}
	The '''Roland-ED SC-8850''' is a [[Roland Sound Canvas\|Sound Canvas]] unit released in 1999, notable for being the first synthesizer to support the [[General MIDI System Level 2\|General MIDI 2]] standard as well as MIDI via USB.<ref name=first-gm2-usb>[https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/roland-ed-sc8850-sound-canvas# Sound on Sound magazine, October 1999 issue]</ref> It is the successor to the [[Roland SC-88 Pro]]. It is also the first Sound Canvas device to feature up to 4 voices per note, 64 individual parts (grouped in 4 pairs of 16), as well as 128 voice polyphony. It can channel 32khz 24bit sound to two separate sets of RCA outputs (selectable per MIDI channel via the onboard panel and SysEX), and has a pair of RCA inputs as well for passing through computer audio.		The '''Roland-ED SC-8850''' is a [[Roland Sound Canvas\|Sound Canvas]] unit released in 1999, notable for being the first synthesizer to support the [[General MIDI System Level 2\|General MIDI 2]] standard, as well as being the first synthesizer to use MIDI via USB.<ref name=first-gm2-usb>[https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/roland-ed-sc8850-sound-canvas# Sound on Sound magazine, October 1999 issue]</ref> It is the successor to the [[Roland SC-88 Pro]]. It is also the first Sound Canvas device to feature up to 4 voices per note, 64 individual parts (grouped in 4 pairs of 16), as well as 128 voice polyphony. It can channel 32khz 24bit sound to two separate sets of RCA outputs (selectable per MIDI channel via the onboard panel and SysEX), and has a pair of RCA inputs as well for passing through computer audio.

	When connected to USB, the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ~~jacks~~ act as a MIDI Interface for other instruments.		When connected via USB, the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports act as a MIDI Interface for other instruments.

	Two later versions based on this were made, the [[Roland-ED SC-8820]] and the [[~~Roland-ED SC-8820#SC-D70\|~~Roland-ED SC-D70]] - they feature the same sample map as the 8850, but with a smaller sample ROM, up to 32 parts, up to 2 voices per note, and only 64 voice polyphony - all similar to the [[Roland SC-88]] and [[Roland ~~SC-88 Pro\|~~SC-88 Pro]] that came before.		Two later versions based on this model were made, the [[Roland-ED SC-8820]] and the [[Roland-ED SC-D70]] - they feature the same sample map as the 8850, but with a smaller sample ROM, up to 32 parts, up to 2 voices per note, and only 64 voice polyphony - all similar to the [[Roland SC-88]] and [[Roland SC-88 Pro]] that came before.

	A VST ~~version,~~ called [[~~Roland Sound Canvas VA\|~~Sound Canvas VA]] was released in 2015 - based on the SC-8820. This version was first released standalone, then included with the Roland Cloud ~~software-as-a-~~service ~~subscription~~. This iteration is further limited to only 16 parts. This was discontinued on the 1st of September 2024, where it was no longer available for purchase.		A VST instrument called [[Sound Canvas VA]] was released in 2015, it was based on the SC-8820. This version was first released standalone, then included with the Roland Cloud subscription service. This iteration is further limited to only 16 parts. This was discontinued on the 1st of September 2024, where it was officially no longer available for purchase.

	== Power requirements ==		== Power requirements ==
	The SC-8850 is unique in that it has a built-in transformer that supports voltages from 100 V to 240 V, 50~60 hz. This makes the device universal, meaning it can be powered in any territory straight from mains. The connector on the unit is a figure-8 type, found on other electronics ~~like~~ TVs, printers, ~~Sony PlayStation and Microsoft XBOX~~ consoles, ~~and more~~.		The SC-8850 is unique in that it has a built-in transformer that supports voltages from 100 V to 240 V, 50~60 hz. This makes the device universal, meaning it can be powered in any territory straight from mains. The connector on the unit is a figure-8 type found on many other electronics (TVs, printers, gaming consoles, etc.).

	== Oddities ==		== Oddities ==

			=== Driver issues ===
			If using the SC-8850 via USB, then one will need to install a special set of drivers on Windows. The last official drivers provided by Roland are designed for Windows Vista and will not work out of the box. Using compatibility settings should get the driver installer working just fine. MacOS users will need to instead rely on a MIDI interface, and reportedly Linux users get to enjoy native implementation of the protocols used for Roland's MIDI via USB drivers.

	=== Filter and map compatiblity issues ===		=== Filter and map compatiblity issues ===

Hikari no yume: Add comment about comparison table

2024-09-11T19:07:32Z

Add comment about comparison table

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:07, 11 September 2024
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			<!-- If you add or change something in this infobox, consider updating the Sound Canvas article's comparison table also. -->
	{{Infobox module		{{Infobox module
	\| name = Roland-ED SC-8850		\| name = Roland-ED SC-8850

Hikari no yume: add pred link

2024-08-26T23:45:02Z

add pred link

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:45, 26 August 2024
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	\| drumpresets = 63 + 2 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />		\| drumpresets = 63 + 2 user presets<ref name=og-manual-specs />
	\| effects = Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Two-Band global EQ, Global insertion FX based on BOSS effect units.		\| effects = Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Two-Band global EQ, Global insertion FX based on BOSS effect units.
			\| predecessor = [[Roland SC-88 Pro]]
	\| notes = <references group="infobox" />		\| notes = <references group="infobox" />
	}}		}}

Hikari no yume: fix link

2024-08-26T23:08:44Z

fix link

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:08, 26 August 2024
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	\| notes = <references group="infobox" />		\| notes = <references group="infobox" />
	}}		}}
	The '''Roland-ED SC-8850''' is a [[Roland Sound Canvas\|Sound Canvas]] unit released in 1999, notable for being the first synthesizer to support the [[General MIDI System Level 2\|General MIDI 2]] standard as well as MIDI via USB.<ref name=first-gm2-usb>[https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/roland-ed-sc8850-sound-canvas# Sound on Sound magazine, October 1999 issue]</ref> It is the successor to the [[Roland SC-~~88Pro~~]]. It is also the first Sound Canvas device to feature up to 4 voices per note, 64 individual parts (grouped in 4 pairs of 16), as well as 128 voice polyphony. It can channel 32khz 24bit sound to two separate sets of RCA outputs (selectable per MIDI channel via the onboard panel and SysEX), and has a pair of RCA inputs as well for passing through computer audio.		The '''Roland-ED SC-8850''' is a [[Roland Sound Canvas\|Sound Canvas]] unit released in 1999, notable for being the first synthesizer to support the [[General MIDI System Level 2\|General MIDI 2]] standard as well as MIDI via USB.<ref name=first-gm2-usb>[https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/roland-ed-sc8850-sound-canvas# Sound on Sound magazine, October 1999 issue]</ref> It is the successor to the [[Roland SC-88 Pro]]. It is also the first Sound Canvas device to feature up to 4 voices per note, 64 individual parts (grouped in 4 pairs of 16), as well as 128 voice polyphony. It can channel 32khz 24bit sound to two separate sets of RCA outputs (selectable per MIDI channel via the onboard panel and SysEX), and has a pair of RCA inputs as well for passing through computer audio.

	When connected to USB, the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT jacks act as a MIDI Interface for other instruments.		When connected to USB, the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT jacks act as a MIDI Interface for other instruments.