All user reviews for the Roland D2

I play piano and keyboard instruments, i have been playing with computers and music for 5 years now, seriously for 2. I am not in a band since i make trance music. My style is uplifting and melodic, rich and sharp sounds.

I bought this unit on Ebay, i payed around £70 pounds for it.

This unit is a great groovebox, its probably not for everyone but i love it, its sequencer is tight as long as you dont have too much going on.

The sounds are interesting and varied, some of them are classic sounds that i know ive heard on older trance tunes, as well as sounds ive never heard before, the drum sounds are varied but all electronic sounding, i personally love the sounds on this box, to me there a breath of fresh air, heavy drums with deep bass and rich hi's, some of the pads are exciting and full a real joy to play.
I have much more respect for Roland after using this unit.
The basses are wonderful and varied some of them are very deep, others are just interesting, some of them sounds classic when filtered.
The filter is rich and you can make some beautiful sounds with this unit, (the fiter does step however). The D-pad is fun and really adds some excitment to the mix, you can do things like reverse the beat in real time, play arpeggiators and adlib instruments using your finger, use the filter etc. I could really go on for ages since there is so much to this unit! it does pay to read the manual and dig a littler deeper since they have put lots of interesting functions on this groovebox.

I love the effects, perhaps there not as high end as a pro would expect, they all sound pretty sweet to my ears, like the reverb is quite satisfying and it doesnt muddy up or make a big mess of sound. My favourate use of it is to make a heavy and hard beat with a strong filtering bassline accompanied by lush strings all run through the limiter.
That for me gets me going , sometimes i can just listen to a groove ive made for a good 15 minutes filtering and muting certain parts, its that satisfying for me. The sequencer is fun and easy to use.
I prefer it to software sequencers. You can record your D-pad movements (like filters, adlibing etc).

Well, The Echo isnt a left right ping pong, rather it is mono, it can be routed to the reverb though, which gives you a reverb echo, which i dont use much.
The compressor is not flexible enough for me to use it seriously plus it does not give me the sound i desire, it dulls the sound and does not give the puch that i desire.
Its a shame that the filter is not smooth but steps, however this still sounds good! the lack of any knobs can sometimes make you feel like your missing something, Also its missing a good detuned synth for main trancelines and euphoric breakdowns, although it does have a good-ish substitute which actually makes your tunes quite unique sounding.

i sometimes feel that i would like at least one more effect to be usable simultaniously ( you can use 3 at once max ) also sometimes ill just get a tune really going and realise that ive used all 8 parts, this is actually not that bad seeing that its just a groovebox, however you can make some pretty decent tunes with just 8 parts, and this also encourages you to be more creative with your actual music.

Construction is fine seeing there arent any moving parts on it, pretty solid and it feels quite satisfying to hold and move around. The quality is pretty good, perhaps not high-end or top notch, but its not bad either!

This is a great tool to have, i quite like it and i think i will always use it in someway in my setup, i havent really used much gear, namely a Mc-303, a Korg Ms2000 and a Korg Poly800, I prefer the D2 to the Mc-303, And the synth sounds of the D2 are more limited but higher quality in my opinion than the Ms2000, however they are not better than the poly800 (it is an analog synth, DCO), yet i feel the basses are stronger on the D2 than all of the above. I love it because of what it does, rather than hate it because of what it does not do. I would check out the specs first to see if its for you, it has 600 sounds, that sounds like alot but there isnt much difference between alot of the sounds and there are a few in there i would never use. I find it a big refreshment to play with this unit after using computer software which in my opinion is weak and does not make tunes like i remember hearing them when i was younger, the D2 however, does.
God bless guys, make wise decisions, enjoy the good blessings in life and take time out to make music and be Joyful what you do. Amen

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Connections:
2 RCA
Midi in - midi out
No MIDI Through

Sounds available
600 in the pRSET (not at all bad at what roland)
possibility to assign an effect (about 15 DIFFERENT effects: distortion, equa, delay, reverb ....)
possibility to assign an LFO, a filter ...
250 factory patterns (not really top, it's kitsch)

Squenceur
a song mode (which I use not personal)
a mode pattern 8 tracks available online, possible to mix multiple live pattern
You can send and receive midi file, which is not a luxury because the registration of marks is not practical.

UTILIZATION

It fairly easy to use but the menu is not accessible to the AIS (menu, submenus ...), especially since the screen is really the minimum.
Despite the surface CONTRL sensitive to touch (really nice to live), I recommend acquiring a master keyboard with knobs compltement has changed the deal: access to direct effects, the Filters ...
The manual is in French trs complete and clear enough.

I put 6 is a little rough indeed, but with a keyboard note up 8

SOUNDS

As far as sound is the quality to go roland
appearance in style cheap orange plastic, the D2 contains sounds of good quality
What surprises most non-users also.
Section trs electro battery, enough to satisfy fans of hip hop electro drum'n'bass
About 600 of its existing patch I shall mention that half which is not bad dj
Regarding the effects, there is what is needed but the quality leaves DSIR as often when there Intgr effects of a Roland synth.

I put 8 because there are much better even when synth

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for three years, the report price is unbeatable quality, the look can leave skeptical at first, but what comes out vriament is not bad. The ergonomics are not strength but the use of a keyboard with matre knob makes it fun to use trs. It really is a product made for live.

My final grade will be 9, because for that price, the quality of sound is to go.
If you want to buy a groove box you tickle Do not hesitate.

See more advice.

UTILIZATION

Use trs simple. Getting started after 10 min imdiate reading the manual is very good.
A ct of RM1X utilmisation is super easy to grip and (in 30 min I'm dja 3 patterns).
Against it by keypad is not clear that hot (although thanks to the D-Field is happening).

SOUNDS

H beh a change of Yamaha RM1X.
The sounds are more pro Carment.

It sounds good and the Hardtek a tape drive.

OVERALL OPINION

I depui 5 days and I'm crazy dja: pav the touch, the sound, the simplicity and not too many sub-menu.
It all makes a great machine.

I think for beginners it must be terrible, pask'elle is super easy to use and the instructions clear and simple trs.

It has already been mentioned, so we will not go above

UTILIZATION

The big advantage of the d2 is undoubtedly its ease of use. Personal, it was my first machine, and two hours, without a manual I was beginning to write the paterns.
the basic functions of the machine's very easily accessible and configurable ecran.par despite the small cons, if you want to really exploit the beast, will have to get in the sub menu and ca ca can quickly become penible.je got myself the manual one year after purchase and I finally find the answer to my questions that had remained in suspend.le manual could not be clearer.
nevertheless, it is the top added a MIDI controller, and c CARREMENT terrible.

SOUNDS

As for sound, then there are the pros and cons as toujours.personellement, I find the sound quite nice, some are downright monstrueux.bien kick on, there are fewer good too, it would be too good if .
effects may be the case if abused pas.le parrametrable fact that it is in real time by the d-field can be rather interresting live.
I use it primarily as a sequencer but I confess that I sometimes certain sound internal sampler for adding to my com.
I just find that the audio lacks a little punch but with a good mixer, buttocks, sending ca.
after, the tastes and colors ...............

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for over 2 years now and no worries for now. D-field is useful when you know it servir.moi I do not use that very rarement.le sequencer is simple and effective, I do not use nearly as ca.
was the first model that I buy, and I'd never try another before, but I very quickly familiar with the device. for beginners, I think it is very good.
price level, for less than 200 euro, I would say it does, more, on your way.
this machine, in its air of a good toy fischerprice fonctionnalité.avec back, I buy it back without hesitation, because I really had no trouble with the grip.
good investment

-1 Output Stereo
Midi In / Out (no thru)
-600 Sounds of factories, 256 users
-7 Shares synths, a rhythm part
-Sounds are of different type, single-phase or poly, editable through the menus and the D-Field, or by noon.
-30 Drumkits plants (each spread over five octaves, or 60 drumkit sounds), 20 users
Sequencer-really full (quantification "free", ideal for a more personal groove)
Delay-Reverb + + MFX (choose from a effect from 25)

UTILIZATION

This is the great paradox that comes to Roland, who in the D2 is pushed to the max, because there is no knob to control. Let's be clear now, this machine is virtually unusable alone, and the prospect of creating music live is just impossible with this bike, has the opposite of Korg gear.

The other aspect is that the D2 is very rich in-house, the number of parameter edited and saved in the sequencer via MIDI is impressive. At a minimum, there are 36 editable parameters per unit, therefore preset synth, or (7 +1) * 36. It can also control the selection and the parameters of the reverb, delay, the MFX.

So if used in expander (a from a soft, me c Live, its must be good as well with Cubase or Logic, the other I do not know) and that the patterns are recorded on the D2, you use it for its real possibilities.

If we look at the share mixer, this machine is fine. There is no solo function, but mutes are very intuitive and well thought out. By the way, the rhythm part, the sounds are mute-able independently according to their categories: BD, SD, HH, CLP, CYM, TOM / PERC, HIT, OTHERS. The functions of the Field D on the mix is ​​interesting, even if some are outdated after 3 hours of experimentation.

Let's talk about D Field: arrrrrrgh. C is where it begins to understand that Roland machines are really twisted, and c is a wonder how the engineers proceed to lay the bikes: absolutely useless functions are accessible with a single button, while others much more useful CALL laborious navigation. And here's another reason to say that this machine is not flexible at all live.

Re arrrrgh for recording, which need to stop the machine. Again, I'm disappointed in opposition Korg, or simply press record, and therefore, where you can type in phases "hot".

At the same time, Roland offers something that is sorely lacking from Korg, and for good reason: polyphony. This means that if you feel like it, you can type your bass line, a melodic riff in the mids, and a small acute water on one single part. This machine allows you to enter a whole orchestra!

My last concern arrrrgh use patterns: we tape all the time patterns of 158 plants not be modified patterns of 231 RPS not be modified, you will soulé after two months, against a small 100 users presets, RPS included. That's not bad, if you are a live electronica, or 20 hours if you have a trance and DnB, but it's feeble (again, thank you Korg and SmartMedia)

SOUNDS

The Roland sounds are sounds (!). That was my big discovery: roland sounds are everywhere, and now sells Roland sounds, and editing capabilities on it, has all the sauces (MC 303, 505, 307, DR, TB, TR, etc.). But the sounds in it, are the same, or very close, other machines. Basically, when we bought the Roland better be interested in the user interface, because in it, c is the same.

So we find the sounds of TB, TR, MC 303, big sound, anecdotal stuff (lines "Aoh" and whistling of birds, among others ....) and it recognizes the large tubes that have been produced with it at first listen.

The + symbol is that the sounds are real, ex officio, louse rbeaucoup styles (drum n bass, trance, electro jazz, "dance" etc.)
The rating - c is that if you are looking for sounds more personal, unconventional, bah c is messed up.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for the past four months. I rediscover it in phases. Since its use is sometimes laborious, and in any case strongly "hidden", sometimes we say it is great sometimes you wonder what it can (albeit for 150euros, we do not regret, really really) .
This is a great gear for home studio and has the advantage, as its paces "plastoc" to be solid (the idea of ​​dropping to the ground by mistake does not scare me, c is not the case from my ESX ...), then c is excellent preparation for the live at home, and the midi control live.
It is very well in Master, or remaster (thank you Roland) to solve small problems setting with a PC that can screw up everything, like its never really call (especially if you are behind with Korg, its me n ' never really was a slave in a PC)

I was used the Korg, this bike has taught me the Roland. Eventually I ladle on the MC 307, double the price.

With the experience ... I rush. A 150 euros is the cheapest all you can now buy as groovebox (MC 303 is at the same price for over knob 10 and over as well, so fewer opportunities). At that price, you will always find it useful, even for a sampler for his TB or a kick TR, and seen what's inside exploitable via Midi, it is a good many things, as long as you want do not phase pure live without computer behind.

Do not forget the cost of this machine so ...

A single effect (compression or flanger, chorus, distortion, equalizer ...)
Reverb
A delay
A lfo, 3 parameters (pitch, amp, filter) with 7 waves diffrent (tri, square, sin ...)
Part rhythm divided into 8 groups (Bd, snare, clap, hit hat, tom ...)
7 synth parts

DField and a 2D control of diffrent functions (filters, mfx, bpm, arp, rps ...) really good

Mega mix mode to pick up from other pattern being played in addition to the RPS, even though

Sounds Roland: the good old bass and percussions

The memory just is saturated quickly lgr bank of user pattern

UTILIZATION

Good for the mute shares and the mut group rhythmic
well as the dfield rps or to send arp and really great to play with the filters.

But true that with a c-type controller uc33e twelve o'clock we increase the power of control and really is at the maximum of sound possibilities of the machine

With pattern loading and really how do I get to the megamix bugg when I use the controller noon, the tempo is blocked racclre to recal really a way to live ...

Really not complicated to use, there is not much of a button then it goes through as many menus, but c is not galre once they are assimilated.

And then you can easily send the sequence of notes with arpge.

SOUNDS

I appreciate the bass and percussions roland
the LFO and the filter can well triturated sound.
MFX is a bit lightweight alone (we would like to chain 2)
the delay and reverb right

OVERALL OPINION

Good approach, sequencer reliable except when overload is not really reading block

As beginners I really pleased with this little machine I found sounds and sequences not really ridiculous.

A controller used with a noon to exploit fully.

five years of using the mute button for the rhythm part and now have a hand to perform all necessary evil. And then a little lgre in terms of audio output (stereo and a headphone). My Stereo output has only the left output, and the wheel increases and decreases when the values ​​rotates in one direction lgrement.
Anyway I have a lot left connected when I used it not true that c and I have the wrong transformer when the mine was let go when she cut all the half hour ...

I think now it reaches a price IDAL if it is in good condition of course, not more expensive because we will have a controller noon to really enjoy it.

The D2 Groovebox has some very nice features. The MEGAMIX button allows you to replace part of a pattern with that of another one, and SONG mode lets you enter patterns in a specific order, so that you dont have to always be selecting patterns all night.

$250

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use, once you read the manual, which makes perfect sense. the only part of the interface i dont like is the multifunction jog wheel. if you want to jump back and forth between lots of patterns, better use the song mode.

When i first got it, there was a stability issue (i.e. freezing up occaisionally). i called up tech support and a very helpful fellow told me how to fix it. easy as pie!

SOUNDS

I would have to say that this thing sounds great. The sounds are definately focused on techno and hip hop. The low frequencies in the presets could be a tad bassier though.

OVERALL OPINION

I love this thing so much. youd have to pry it out of my cold, dead fingers

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Unknown ( 1-, 2003)