Roland U-220
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| W × H × D (mm) | 482(W) × 358(D) × 45(H) mm[1] |
|---|---|
| Rack units | 1U |
| Weight | 4.4kg, 9lbs 11oz [1] |
| Type | Fully-editable ROMpler sound module |
| Manufacturer | Roland |
| Release date | 1989[2] |
| Parts | 6 + 1 rhythm[3] |
| Max polyphony | 30[3] |
| Normal presets | 64 [3] |
| Drum presets | 4 [3] |
| Expansion | 2x SN-U110 |
| Effects | Reverb (8 types, with delay), Chorus (5 types) [4] |
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The Roland U-220 is a rackmount version of the Roland U-20 ROMpler keyboard, released in 1989. It is a revised version of the Roland U-110, with the same engine and all of its Tones (samples) built into its ROM. It also features two of the SN-U110 expansion cards also built into its ROM (SN-U110-08 Synthesiser and SN-U110-09 Guitar and Keyboards)[5], with only two expansion slots instead of the U-110's four. It features a less noisy DAC[6] than the U-110, and twice the front panel keys to aid in menu navigation.
Each patch features six Parts which can be assigned to any MIDI channel, with each having a Timbre, and a Rhythm Part which can be assigned any of four Rhythm Sets. Timbres consist of a Tone (sample), an ADSR volume envelope, a dedicated LFO for vibrato, level, panning, and other settings. Tones can be internal or from either installed expansion card.
The unit is notable for being one of the first Roland PCM-based units[6], with one of its primary draws being the realism of its sounds for the time. However, nowadays the unit is rather limited, featuring no filter, ROM-only samples, and only two effects.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Roland U-220 Owner's Manual, page 154.
- ↑ U-20/U-220 Specifications - geocities.restorativland.org
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Roland U-220 Owner's Manual, page 24.
- ↑ Roland U-220 Owner's Manual, page 54-56.
- ↑ Roland Sound Library SN-U110 and SN-MV30-S1 Series PCM Cards - musicstudio.bigredroo.com.au
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 U-110/U-20/U-220 Info Page - llamamusic.com