Synopsis

Roland Sampler Comparisons

Synopsis	Media	Physical	Interface	Architecture	Components	Resource

Sampler Family Picture

Released	MSRP	Synopsis	Ebay Description
1986	?	A very basic sampler. Filter is not realtime (i.e. sample processing only). As with Korg and Yamaha, Roland breaks into the sampling business as a precursor to building romplers. However, Roland continues to develop their sampling line, instead of focusing strictly on romplers.	The Roland S-10 is a 49 key (velocity sensitive), 8 voice, 12 bit, sampler, featuring a 4 stage envelope, vibrato, 2.8" Quick Disk drive, arpeggiator, auto-bend, and MIDI. Four samples can be recorded at 15\|30kHz (32kB per sample). Sample editing includes auto-loop, combine, mix, reverse, level-adjust, and resonant low\|high pass filter.
1986	$1195US	Rack version of MKS-100, with guitar mode	The Roland MKS-100 is a 2U rack (velocity sensitive), 8 voice, 12 bit, sampler, featuring a 4 stage envelope, vibrato, 2.8" Quick Disk drive, guitar mode, arpeggiator, auto-bend, and MIDI. Four samples can be recorded at 15\|30kHz (32kB per sample). Sample editing includes auto-loop, combine, mix, reverse, level-adjust, and resonant low\|high pass filter.
1987	$1195US	Expanded (IO, polyphony, aftertouch, MIDI multitimbral) MKS-100	The Roland S-220 is a 2U rack (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 8 voice, 12 bit, sampler, featuring a 4 stage envelope, vibrato, 2.8" Quick Disk drive, guitar mode, arpeggiator, auto-bend, mic and line inputs, 4 individual outputs, and MIDI. Four samples can be recorded at 15\|30kHz (32kB per sample). Sample editing includes auto-loop, combine, mix, reverse, level-adjust, and resonant low\|high pass filter.
1987	$2695US	Expanded (memory, control, disk drive) S-220.	The Roland S-50 is a 61 key (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 8 voice, 12 bit, sampler, featuring a 8 stage envelope, vibrato, 3.5" DSDD Disk drive, mic and line inputs, 4 individual outputs, CRT/composite video output, and MIDI. Up to 32 samples can be recorded at 15\|30kHz (512kW memory) and combined into 8 presets. Sample editing includes auto-loop (forward/reverse), combine, mix, truncate, and resonant low\|high pass filter.
1987	$3295US	16 bit rack version of S-50 with expanded memory and D family processing.	The Roland S-550 is a 2U rack (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 16 voice (8 part multitimbral), 16 bit, sampler, featuring a digital resonant low-pass filter, dedicated filter and amp 8 stage envelopes, LFO (sine or peak-hold waveforms with delay, polarity and sync), 3.5" DSDD Disk drive, mic and line inputs, 8 individual outputs, CRT/composite video output, and MIDI. Up to 32 samples can be recorded at 15\|30kHz (1MW memory) and combined into 32 presets. Sample editing includes auto-loop (forward/reverse), combine, mix, truncate, and resonant low\|high pass filter.
1988	$2295US	S-550 with editing via CRT only and half the memory (patch and sample, similar to S-50)	The Roland S-330 is a 1U rack (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 16 voice (8 part multitimbral), 16 bit, sampler, featuring a digital resonant low-pass filter, dedicated filter and amp 8 stage envelopes, LFO (sine or peak-hold waveforms with delay, polarity and sync), 3.5" DSDD Disk drive, mic and line inputs, 8 individual outputs, CRT/composite video output, and MIDI. Up to 32 samples can be recorded at 15\|30kHz (1MW memory) and combined into 16 presets. Sample editing includes auto-loop (forward/reverse), combine, mix, truncate, and resonant low\|high pass filter.
1989	?	Similar to a keyboard version of the S-330 swapping video out with a sequencer and optional SCSI	The Roland W-30 is a 61 key (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 16 voice (8 part multitimbral), 16 bit, sampler, featuring a digital resonant low-pass filter, dedicated filter and amp 8 stage envelopes, LFO (sine or peak-hold waveforms with delay, polarity and sync), 3.5" DSDD Disk drive, mic and line inputs, 8 individual outputs, 16 track phrase sequencer (15k events, 20 songs), and MIDI. Up to 32 samples can be recorded at 15\|30kHz (512kW memory) and (along with 32 preset samples) combined into 16 presets. Sample editing includes auto-loop (forward/reverse), combine, mix, truncate, and resonant low\|high pass filter.
1991	$4995US	Updated S-550 with JV family processing, SCSI, stereo sampling, and advanced sample editing	The Roland S-750 is a 3U rack (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 24 voice multitimbral, 16 bit, sampler, featuring a digital resonant low\|band\|high pass filter, dedicated filter and amp 4 stage envelopes, LFO (sine, triangle, saw-up\|down, square, random, peak-hold waveforms with delay, polarity and sync), 3.5" DSHD Disk drive, stereo mic and line inputs, 8 individual outputs, SCSI, CRT/composite video, and MIDI (including SDS). Up to 32 samples can be recorded at 22.05\|24\|44.1\|48kHz (18MW max memory) and combined into a preset (128 presets). Sample editing includes auto-loop (forward/reverse, sustain/release, cross-fade), combine, mix, truncate, resonant low\|high pass filter, reverse, normalize, cut/splice, compress/expand, time-stretch, resample, draw.
1993	?	Digital and video interfaces moved to optional board. Adds SP-700 output EQ.	The Roland S-760 is a 1U rack (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 24 voice multitimbral, 16 bit, sampler, featuring a digital resonant low\|band\|high pass filter, dedicated filter and amp 4 stage envelopes, LFO (sine, triangle, saw-up\|down, square, random, peak-hold waveforms with delay, polarity and sync), 3.5" DSHD Disk drive, stereo mic and line inputs, 8 individual outputs (with dedicated 2 band semi-parametric EQ), SCSI, and MIDI (including SDS). Up to 32 samples can be recorded at 16\|22.05\|24\|32\|44.1\|48kHz (32MW max memory) and combined into a preset (128 presets). Sample editing includes auto-loop (forward/reverse, sustain/release, cross-fade), combine, mix, truncate, resonant low\|high pass filter, reverse, normalize, cut/splice, compress/expand, time-stretch, resample, draw.
1990	$6995US	Adds digital IO and an internal hard drive to the S-750. Version 2.0 enhances UI.	The Roland S-770 is a 3U rack (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 24 voice multitimbral, 16 bit, sampler, featuring a digital resonant low\|band\|high pass filter, dedicated filter and amp 4 stage envelopes, LFO (sine, triangle, saw-up\|down, square, random, peak-hold waveforms with delay, polarity and sync), 3.5" DSHD Disk drive, stereo XLR inputs, 8 individual outputs, S/PDIF I/O, SCSI, 40MB HD, CRT/composite video, and MIDI (including SDS). Up to 32 samples can be recorded at 22.05\|24\|44.1\|48kHz (18MW max memory) and combined into a preset (128 presets). Sample editing includes auto-loop (forward/reverse, sustain/release, cross-fade), combine, mix, truncate, resonant low\|high pass filter, reverse, normalize, cut/splice, compress/expand, time-stretch, resample, draw.
1992	$2895	Sample player (rompler with no sampling or sample editing) based on S-760 architecture. Adds pan LFO modulation and output EQ.	The Roland SP-700 is a 2U rack (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 24 voice multitimbral, 16 bit, sample player, featuring a digital resonant low\|band\|high pass filter, dedicated filter and amp 4 stage envelopes, LFO (sine, triangle, saw-up\|down, square, random, peak-hold waveforms with delay, polarity and sync), 3.5" DSHD Disk drive, 8 individual outputs (with dedicated 2 band semi-parametric EQ), SCSI, and MIDI (including SDS).
1992	$?	Simplified S-770 based sampler marketed to DJ's.	The Roland DJ-70 is a 37 key (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 24 voice multitimbral, 16 bit, sampler, featuring a digital resonant low\|band\|high pass filter, dedicated filter and amp 4 stage envelopes, LFO (sine, triangle, saw-up\|down, square, random, peak-hold waveforms with delay, polarity and sync), 3.5" DSHD Disk drive, stereo I/O, 8-track sequencer, and MIDI (including SDS). Up to 32 samples can be recorded at 22.05\|44.1kHz (4MW max memory) and combined into a preset (128 presets). Sample editing includes auto-loop (forward/reverse, sustain/release, cross-fade), truncate, normalize, time-stretch, resample.
1996	$?	Adds SCSI and larger max sample memory to.	The Roland DJ-70MKII is a 37 key (velocity and aftertouch sensitive), 24 voice multitimbral, 16 bit, sampler, featuring a digital resonant low\|band\|high pass filter, dedicated filter and amp 4 stage envelopes, LFO (sine, triangle, saw-up\|down, square, random, peak-hold waveforms with delay, polarity and sync), 3.5" DSHD Disk drive, stereo I/O, 8-track sequencer, SCSI, and MIDI (including SDS). Up to 32 samples can be recorded at 22.05\|44.1kHz (32MW max memory) and combined into a preset (128 presets). Sample editing includes auto-loop (forward/reverse, sustain/release, cross-fade), truncate, normalize, time-stretch, resample.
1994	$?	Very basic DJ oriented sampler with limited editing.	The Roland JS-30 is a desktop (velocity sensitive), 8 voice, 16 bit, sampler, featuring ADSR envelope, mic and mix inputs, 4 presets (1 editable), 4-track sequencer, SCSI, tape interface, and MIDI (including SDS). Up to 12 samples can be recorded at 22.05\|44.1kHz (4MW max memory) and combined into a preset. Sample editing includes loop, truncate and normalize (compatible with Akai samples).
1995	$?	Very basic DJ oriented sampler with very limited editing.	The Roland MS-1 is a desktop (velocity sensitive), 4 voice, 16 bit, sampler, featuring mic and mix inputs, 5 presets (2 editable), sequencer (900 events, 4 songs), FlashDisk card slot, and MIDI. Up to 8 samples can be recorded at 16\|22.05\|32\|44.1kHz and combined into a preset. Sample editing is limited to loop and truncate.
1998	$?	MS-1 swapping the sequencer for effects.	The Roland SP-202 is a desktop (velocity sensitive), 4 voice, 16 bit, sampler, featuring mic and mix inputs, 2 presets, SmartMedia card slot, effects (pitch, time, delay, resonant filter, ring-mod), and MIDI. Up to 8 samples can be recorded at 3.91\|7.81\|15.63\|31.25kHz and combined into a preset. Sample editing is limited to loop, truncate and reverse.
1998	$?	Adds mixer, sequencer, Zip drive, and more effects (including a virtual-analog synth) to the SP-202.	The Roland SP-808 is a desktop (velocity sensitive), 4 voice, 20 bit, sampler, featuring mic input, mix/aux I/O, 64 presets, effects (2-band EQ, muti-effects, VA synth), 4-track sequencer (2k event), 16 step analog-style sequencer, D-beam controller, Zip drive, and MIDI. Up to 8 samples can be recorded at 32\|44.1kHz and combined into a preset. Sample editing includes loop, truncate, time-stretch, and reverse. Virtual-analog synth "effect" features dual oscillators (saw, square, pulse waveforms with PWM and FM), noise, ring-mod, 12\|24DB low\|high\|band-pass or notch filter, dedicated amp and filter ADSR envelopes, LFO (saw, square, triangle, S/H waveforms with delay).