All user reviews for the Roland W-30

Sampler sequencer released in late 80s. I bought it used in 1994.
Keyboard with 61 velocity and tocuhes aftertouche if I remember correctly.
16 voice polyphony.
No internal sounds: everything is stored on disk 1 .44 MB So we better sample and we met. But I think you could put only 16 sounds per disk.
Sequencer
No effect except a filter internally.
The rear of the machine is a real little cheese. XLR outputs, 8 outputs, taken 3 midi in / out / thru

UTILIZATION

The configuration is not easy especially if one starts, and it was my case. So the manual shook your best friend to understand the philosophy of the machine and the system of menus and sub-menus.
After some time past, the use becomes more clear and easy. One sample, we edit, we assign to the bank and sound playing in sequence.
The edition is the base / cut, paste, 12dB resonant filter.
As the sequencer, it is type MC with a laborious but clear edition as a whole: a line = a note, its velocity, its position, its pan.

SOUNDS

While there, ca sends. Incredible dynamics. We are dealing with sounds dated but effective and straight forward. Would that sounds EP have the potato, the bass is slamming. The sound of the instrument will depend on what you samplerez and filter change you all very efficiently.

OVERALL OPINION

The W30 has been mine for four years. It was my first pro hardware and how hard. A real tank, super heavy and sturdy with a look to flee aficionados Emulators.
But it is a machine that had its charm and held quite a candle to others (eg akai ...). She was very professional and open to the outside by its connections.
The W30 has opened me to finally sampling so playful with a sense of freedom and enormous creativity.
Now the comparison with today's gear is not more to evolution is so important. The current material gives you everything but the W30 forces you to work and think about how you compose or create. But if you want a sampler keyboard character for some live sounds, this is for you Roland.

Features found on the net:

Year of manufacture / Year of release: 1988
Polyphony: 16
Presets: 16 Programs, 96 tones ROM
Keyboard / Keyboard: 61-note
Velocity: yes
Aftertouch: yes
Sound generation method: sampling, DSP on internal waveforms
MIDI in, out, thru
Sound expansion capabilities: yes, floppies or SCSI - (SCSI Called "KW-30" kit)
Effects: no
Controls: Jog Dial
Outputs: Separate eight outputs, headphones
Display: yes, large blue LCD

Sampling 12-bit (read 16 bits) to 15kHz or 30kHz max.

Banks of its size 1.44MB floppy disk (special formatting Roland) hard to find these days, or if not compatible samplers S330 or S550.
With sampling, sounds almost endless ...

A slight lack of polyphony for my taste at the time, a fan of tablecloths and other sounds fairly "long", I had to decide my choice sometimes.

UTILIZATION

Any use of the W30 through an LCD without backlight. Two dials give the cursor position and the change in value.

Next edition of the sound / sequencer:
Simple, I started without even the doc in French, but a little heavy to go through the menus to change a value ... Inevitably, not very big screen ...

Next music game, very easy to switch instruments, arranged in order of preference of the user! To set the stage, is fast!
However, load time of a disk: to forget between two songs or so, provide a blabla singer for "bridge" the time

Manual at the time, provided paper, A4 black and white enough.

SOUNDS

Converters of time ... It is better for sure, but I have not much to complain about in terms of quality and rendering dynamic!

No reverb effect (memory) but flange, chorus customizable.

Dynamic impeccable, both in initial strike on the keyboard, in after-touch!
Little regret for the lever that makes the vibrato: on / off. To be paid before playing in the parameters of its use.

Sounds: I had in hand samples Korg M1 (big fat synth of the time) and I was very satisfied compared with listening in store Korg.

OVERALL OPINION

I still have the W30 since purchase in 1990 (I write this on 10.22.2011).
While I do not use much anymore, mainly because of time, also by replacement via computer as well.

Peculiarity: 8 mono outputs, one assignable by the output potential effects of dual mono light phase (funny) by shifting the beginning of note. Possible to assign distinct effects on a mixer, then, for each output.

Via MIDI commands easy to configure. Used with Cubase 3 at the time, Atari!

Quality / price ratio at the time, unbeatable if you take the fact that there was everything in the box (sampler, sequencer, floppy drive to copy sounds and sequencer ...), since passed, of course.

The converters are 16bit, 32kHz if I remember correctly.
Effects, y 'no.
The memory is 1 MB and the OS is on diskette.
There is a connection complte with 8 outputs (sampler), between a mono audio SETTING THE gain, and an optional SCSI interface, but in many Submitted W30 ...

UTILIZATION

Gnrale configuration is not simple. Trs difficult without the doc to navigate the menus. (Function keys yet practical).

The edition is nice sounds, thanks to large LCD (Blue and Zoli) trs intuitive but not my taste. Fortunately, there is a jog shuttle, and that's good.

The manual, I have not had ...

SOUNDS

The sound. It is the that the W30 is trs fort.
How to explain what can not be explained?

The sound samples with this sampler are cradingues. (Well, from any sound card worthy of the name ...)
But filtering derrire is terrible !!!!! (Including the filter VCF / rsons) with an impressive dynamic on keyboards, giving a touch particulire sounds.

I remember a song "house" I did 5 years ago with. The low sample and filter in the W30 is monstrous (a sample of an old piece of funk) and each time I cost you, I took a slap (especially the percussion come from my S950, since sold).

The sound is immediately identifiable, is done. (A kind of prsence, as if the sound picked up by a silent micro trs close ...)

In addition, there are many sound banks on floppies (Universal Sound Bank) really nice, with sounds still valid (I had one with a deadly Rhodes, unfortunately, is HS ..., ( )

OVERALL OPINION

I had an S1000 (yuck, Akai's at its best), an S950, a W30. I also worked with a S3200.

The W30 is a really nice keyboard, keyboard matre even in the limit. But it is also an excellent sampler booster for all those who are working in the hiphop / house / funk. (The opportunity to have both a master keyboard and a great sampler!)

The converters are 16bit, 32kHz if I remember correctly.
Effects, y 'is not.
The memory is 1 MB and the OS is on diskette.
There is a complete connection with 8 outputs (sampler), a mono audio input with adjustable gain and an optional SCSI interface but has on many W30 ...

UTILIZATION

The general configuration is not simple. Very difficult without the doc to navigate the menus. (Function keys yet practical).

Editing sounds is nice, with large LCD (blue and Zoli) but not very intuitive for me. Fortunately, there is a jog shuttle, and that's good.

The manual, I have not had ...

SOUNDS

Sound. This is where the W30 is very strong.
How to explain what can not be explained?

The sounds are sampled with this sampler cradingues. (Well, from any sound card worthy of the name ...)
But behind the filter is terrible !!!!! (Including the filter VCF / Resonant) with an impressive dynamic on keyboards, giving a special touch to sounds.

I remember a song "house" I did 5 years ago with. Samplée bass and filtered in the W30 is monstrous (a sample of an old piece of funk) and every time I listen, I took a slap (especially the percussion come from my S950, sold for).

The sound is immediately identifiable, it does. (A kind of presence, as if the sound was picked up by a microphone very close ...)

In addition, there are many sound banks on floppies (Universal Sound Bank) really nice, always with sound news (I was a Rhodes with a mortal, unfortunately it is ... HS; ()

OVERALL OPINION

I had a S1000 (yuck, Akai's at its best), an S950, a W30. I also worked with a S3200.

The W30 is a really nice keyboard, even in the master keyboard to the limit. But it is also an excellent sampler booster for all those who are working in the hiphop / house / funk. (The opportunity to have both a great master keyboard and a sampler!)

-Polyphoie of 16 votes
16-bit converter
-No effect
Pc-editor available on back: sdisk or another version that runs on windows
Midi but no full sysex
Keyboard to exelente quality with aftertouch and all the trimmings of VLOC and I 'going
The modulation and pitch-Roland (joystick)
16-bank sounds both
Squenceur-Intgr

UTILIZATION

-Not really intuitive, just load a sound bank can be painful, the wheels are good practice but is ca menus and submenus pretty painful to force
-The edition of the sounds is quite fast after that we head into the edit menu parameters etr
-The manual is rather shabby with schmas quite laborious

SOUNDS

The filters are great with great dynamic, you can super sampler quality that rivals can not be with the animals but we have a modern sound clear and very realistic for all that is acoustic instruments. For synthsc 'is great, just in 8bit sampler for "Global Warming" the sound and make the 80's.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 4 months, and I'm super bad content.Pour cot, is the modulation that I use for such hammond organ that is not practical because of joystick.16 sound that is not a bank ds and it quickly becomes obliged to use the floppy drive is long enough ... Here 's all for the bad points, let the best: the sounds! Great art! jai JX8P of the strings, one wonders, is the impression that he kind of original, they have not lost their heat. Frankly it is great for the sampler synths "vintage" kind DX7, Juno, JX10, OBxa etc ... it restores and everything grinds that are veut.Le type dailleurs Prodigy makes the lodge on a site! I have a try before Mirage of Ensoniq, s2000 one of Akai and Emax 2, but I chose the This is because m keyboard has cracked, very good, plus I have had with a hard drive that load 5x faster than the floppy floppy's, really convenient for scene.Je recommend anyone looking for a sampler full featured akai not sound like a "plastoc"

For the time a killer for the price of the Akai samplers, with a keyboard and more!
This is my first sampler ... And I always!
Bought new in France has its output (more than 10,000 bullets, a chasm in his time).
Separate outputs, making SCSI, MIDI In / Out / Thru, Audio In & Control Pedal (mono)
2 sound banks (A & B) of 7.2 sec and 14.4 @ 30khz x2 x2 sec @ 15kHz.
Uses an OS on disk (hard-drive the loading ...)
8 separate outputs (I never used because more than to buy a mixer in a time ...).
61 keys, 16 notes polyphony, sound compatibility with the series "S" Roland (eg, S50, S550, S330 sequencer ,...), type "MC".

I put a note because I'm nostalgic for that in the late 80's was the top for me.

UTILIZATION

As for the use I will be brief (quoi-que. ..).
As it was my first machine, I had no choice. I was back on!
I juggled between my cops & the W-30 ...
It's like all machines it needs to be done ...
Being new at this, I admit that the manual was a great help!
I wish to clarify that I am not a musician in (yes I admit ... LOL)
And I quickly sampled breakbeats and sounds weird old vinyl I had on hand.
What was great was to have a graphical representation of the waveform on a big LCD! I triturated already sounds a bit like in Soundforge!

SOUNDS

Ah! The sounds! A pure delight (always in the context of the time! Ed)!
Disks supplied with the machine were demos that had one simple purpose of showing the capabilities of the W-30 (I remember a piano that was eating all the memory but calling to truth).
There are no effects in the W-30!
But there is the filter (cutoff + reso), which is something crazy! With a particular grain original (I think it's typical to the series "S" of Roland.).
Keyboard sensitive to the bike and the after of course!
We can make "patches" to deploy the samples on the keyboard.
For the record I remember that I blocked the keys with small boxes to play continuous loops (because no sustain pedal)! And if it sounded good I put it all in sequence.

OVERALL OPINION

I used it long enough, until the advent of PC's.
Yep. The PC made me abandon the W-30. Thanks to an infinite memory and "multitrackers" (genre: Acid, Live, etc ...), better suited to my requirements.
I was very matter Roland machines (Juno-2, D-20, R-8 and Mc-303).

As I had no choice, yes I remake this (non) choice because I learned the basics of sampling on the W-30 and they still serve me ...

Did you know that Liam Howlett wrote the first pieces of a Prodigy using a W-30!
I, on my side I took the lead on how Future Sound Of London, Coldcut, KLF, and other "sampling artists" fesaient out a sound like that!

Now I know ...