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MKS-50

Roland MKS-50

MKS-50
MKS-50 (copyright 2012)

Released: 1985

MSRP: $695US

Synopsis:

Rack Alpha Juno, with guitar mode. Architecture Class: Conventional (subtractive).

Ebay Description:

The Roland MKS-50 is a 1U rack (aftertouch sensitive), 6 voice polyphonic hybrid (digital/analog) synthesizer, featuring a single oscillator (saw/pulse/square waveforms with PWM and sub-oscillator), noise, high-pass and resonant low-pass filters, 4-stage envelope, LFO, portamento, chorus, 128 presets (64 editable), guitar mode, and MIDI.

Physical

Form Factor Dimensions Weight Audio Input Audio Output Communication Port Control Input Control Output Switch Input Power
1U rack W:480mm(18.875in) D:290mm(11.4375in) H:44mm(1.75in) 3.5kg(7.75lbs) no stereo MIDI IN/OUT/THRU MIDI MIDI sustain program-inc/chord/portamento 16W AC

Interface

Compatibility Multitimbral Memory Program Memory External Storage External Programming UI Input UI Output
Juno-1 HS-10 Juno-2 HS-80 MKS-50 N/A preset:64 user:64 MIDI SysEx tape MIDI menu based LCD

Architecture

Multitimbral Polyphony Unison Architecture
no 6 no DCO->HPF->VCF->VCA

Output

Effects Pan Modulator Volume Modulator Headphone
chorus no EG aftertouch MIDI-CC7 yes

Control

Arpeggiator Arpeggiator External Sequencer Sequencer Memory Sequencer External Continuous Program Change
no N/A No N/A N/A MIDI-CC1 MIDI-CC5 MIDI-CC6 MIDI-CC7 MIDI-CC100 MIDI-CC101 MIDI

Keyboard

Key Pressure Chord Memory External Control External Sustain Key Scaling Velocity Curves
MIDI RX yes MIDI MIDI yes 1

Source

Name Signal Class Waveform Octave Range Amplitude Modulator Harmonics Modulator Pitch Modulator Wave Assign Modulator
DCO digital noise pulse square saw:5 sub:square/pulse 4-32' HASH(0x5c81d30) PWM LFO portamento MIDI-PitchBend HASH(0x53f9750)

Filter

Name Signal Class IC Resonant Shape Frequency Modulator Resonance Modulator Shape Modulator
HPF analog opamp no high pass no no no
VCF analog IR3R05 yes low pass LFO key aftertouch no no

Envelope

Name Level Rate Loop Polarity Trigger Level Modulator Rate Modulator
EG 3 4 no DCO VCF no no key

LFO

Name Waveform Delay Polarity Sync Delay Modulator Level Modulator Rate Modulator
LFO triangle? yes no no no aftertouch MIDI-CC1 no
Conventional Models
RS-101 RS-202 RS-505 RS-09 SA-09 VP-330 SH-3 SH-5
SH-1000 SH-2000 SH-7 SH-1 SH-2 SH-09 SH-101 MC-202
CMU-810 TB-303 CMU-800 Juno-6 Juno-60 MKS-10 Juno-106 Juno-106s
HS-60 MKS-7 Juno-1 HS-10 Juno-2 HS-80 MKS-50 Jupiter-4
MRS-2 Jupiter-8 Jupiter-6 MKS-80 JX-3P MKS-30 GR-700 JX-8P
JX-10 MKS-70