Roland RS-50 User Manual

Information
When you need repair service, call your nearest Roland Service Center or authorized Roland distributor in your country as
shown below.
As of November 1, 2003 (Roland)
ARGENTINA
Instrumentos Musicales S.A.
Av.Santa Fe 2055
(1123) Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA
TEL: (011) 4508-2700
BRAZIL
Roland Brasil Ltda
Rua San Jose, 780 Sala B
Parque Industrial San Jose
Cotia - Sao Paulo - SP, BRAZIL
TEL: (011) 4615 5666
MEXICO
Casa Veerkamp, s.a. de c.v.
Av. Toluca No. 323, Col. Olivar
de los Padres 01780 Mexico D.F.
MEXICO
TEL: (55) 5668-6699
PANAMA
SUPRO MUNDIAL, S.A.
Boulevard Andrews, Albrook,
Panama City, REP. DE PANAMA
TEL: 315-0101
U. S. A.
Roland Corporation U.S.
5100 S. Eastern Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90040-2938,
U. S. A.
TEL: (323) 890 3700
VENEZUELA
Musicland Digital C.A.
Av. Francisco de Miranda,
Centro Parque de Cristal, Nivel
C2 Local 20 Caracas
VENEZUELA
TEL: (212) 285-8586
AUSTRALIA
Roland Corporation
Australia Pty., Ltd.
38 Campbell Avenue
Dee Why West. NSW 2099
AUSTRALIA
TEL: (02) 9982 8266
NEW ZEALAND
Roland Corporation Ltd.
32 Shaddock Street, Mount Eden,
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
TEL: (09) 3098 715
HONG KONG
Tom Lee Music Co., Ltd.
Service Division
22-32 Pun Shan Street, Tsuen
Wan, New Territories,
HONG KONG
TEL: 2415 0911
Parsons Music Ltd.
8th Floor, Railway Plaza, 39
Chatham Road South, T.S.T,
Kowloon, HONG KONG
TEL: 2333 1863
INDIA
Rivera Digitec (India) Pvt. Ltd.
409, Nirman Kendra Mahalaxmi
Flats Compound Off. Dr. Edwin
Moses Road, Mumbai-400011,
INDIA
TEL: (022) 2493 9051
INDONESIA
PT Citra IntiRama
J1. Cideng Timur No. 15J-150
Jakarta Pusat
INDONESIA
TEL: (021) 6324170
MALAYSIA
BENTLEY MUSIC SDN BHD
140 & 142, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur,MALAYSIA
TEL: (03) 2144-3333
PHILIPPINES
G.A. Yupangco & Co. Inc.
339 Gil J. Puyat Avenue
Makati, Metro Manila 1200,
PHILIPPINES
TEL: (02) 899 9801
SINGAPORE
Swee Lee Company
150 Sims Drive,
SINGAPORE 387381
TEL: 6846-3676
TAIWAN
ROLAND TAIWAN
ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.
Room 5, 9fl. No. 112 Chung Shan
N.Road Sec.2, Taipei, TAIWAN,
R.O.C.
TEL: (02) 2561 3339
THAILAND
Theera Music Co. , Ltd.
330 Verng NakornKasem, Soi 2,
Bangkok 10100, THAILAND
TEL: (02) 2248821
BAHRAIN
Moon Stores
No.16, Bab Al Bahrain Avenue,
P.O.Box 247, Manama 304,
State of BAHRAIN
TEL: 211 005
VIETNAM
Saigon Music
Suite DP-8
40 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan Street
Hochiminh City, VIETNAM
Tel: (08) 930-1969
JORDAN
AMMAN Trading Agency
245 Prince Mohammad St.,
Amman 1118, JORDAN
TEL: (06) 464-1200
KUWAIT
Easa Husain Al Yousifi Est.
Abdullah Salem Street,
Safat, KUWAIT
TEL: 243-6399
LEBANON
Chahine S.A.L.
Gerge Zeidan St., Chahine Bldg.,
Achrafieh, P.O.Box: 16-5857
Beirut, LEBANON
TEL: (01) 20-1441
QATAR
Al Emadi Co. (Badie Studio
& Stores)
P.O. Box 62, Doha, QATAR
TEL: 4423-554
SAUDI ARABIA
aDawliah Universal
Electronics APL
Corniche Road, Aldossary Bldg.,
1st Floor, Alkhobar,
SAUDI ARABIA
P.O.Box 2154, Alkhobar 31952
SAUDI ARABIA
TEL: (03) 898 2081
TURKEY
Ant Muzik Aletleri Ithalat
Ve Ihracat Ltd Sti
Siraselviler Caddesi Siraselviler
Pasaji No:74/20
Taksim - Istanbul, TURKEY
TEL: (0212) 2499324
U.A.E.
Zak Electronics & Musical
Instruments Co. L.L.C.
Zabeel Road, Al Sherooq Bldg.,
No. 14, Grand Floor, Dubai, U.A.E.
TEL: (04) 3360715
EGYPT
Al Fanny Trading Office
9, EBN Hagar A1 Askalany Street,
ARD E1 Golf, Heliopolis,
Cairo 11341, EGYPT
TEL: 20-2-417-1828
REUNION
Maison FO - YAM Marcel
25 Rue Jules Hermann,
Chaudron - BP79 97 491
Ste Clotilde Cedex,
REUNION ISLAND
TEL: (0262) 218-429
SOUTH AFRICA
That Other Music Shop
(PTY) Ltd.
11 Melle St., Braamfontein,
Johannesbourg, SOUTH AFRICA
P.O.Box 32918, Braamfontein 2017
Johannesbourg, SOUTH AFRICA
TEL: (011) 403 4105
Paul Bothner (PTY) Ltd.
17 Werdmuller Centre,
Main Road, Claremont 7708
SOUTH AFRICA
P.O.BOX 23032, Claremont 7735,
SOUTH AFRICA
TEL: (021) 674 4030
CYPRUS
Radex Sound Equipment Ltd.
17, Diagorou Street, Nicosia,
CYPRUS
TEL: (022) 66-9426
DENMARK
Roland Scandinavia A/S
Nordhavnsvej 7, Postbox 880,
DK-2100 Copenhagen
DENMARK
TEL: 3916 6200
FRANCE
Roland France SA
4, Rue Paul Henri SPAAK,
Parc de l'Esplanade, F 77 462 St.
Thibault, Lagny Cedex FRANCE
TEL: 01 600 73 500
FINLAND
Roland Scandinavia As,
Filial Finland
Elannontie 5
FIN-01510 Vantaa, FINLAND
TEL: (0)9 68 24 020
GERMANY
Roland Elektronische
Musikinstrumente HmbH.
Oststrasse 96, 22844 Norderstedt,
GERMANY
TEL: (040) 52 60090
GREECE
STOLLAS S.A.
Music Sound Light
155, New National Road
Patras 26442, GREECE
TEL: 2610 435400
HUNGARY
Roland East Europe Ltd.
Warehouse Area ‘DEPO’ Pf.83
H-2046 Torokbalint, HUNGARY
TEL: (23) 511011
IRELAND
Roland Ireland
G2 Calmount Park, Calmount
Avenue, Dublin 12
Republic of IRELAND
TEL: (01) 4294444
ITALY
Roland Italy S. p. A.
Viale delle Industrie 8,
20020 Arese, Milano, ITALY
TEL: (02) 937-78300
NORWAY
Roland Scandinavia Avd.
Kontor Norge
Lilleakerveien 2 Postboks 95
Lilleaker N-0216 Oslo
NORWAY
TEL: 2273 0074
POLAND
MX MUSIC SP.Z.O.O.
UL. Gibraltarska 4.
PL-03664 Warszawa POLAND
TEL: (022) 679 44 19
PORTUGAL
Tecnologias Musica e Audio,
Roland Portugal, S.A.
Cais Das Pedras, 8/9-1 Dto
4050-465 PORTO
PORTUGAL
TEL: (022) 608 00 60
RUSSIA
MuTek
3-Bogatyrskaya Str. 1.k.l
107 564 Moscow, RUSSIA
TEL: (095) 169 5043
SPAIN
Roland Electronics
de España, S. A.
Calle Bolivia 239, 08020
Barcelona, SPAIN
TEL: (93) 308 1000
SWITZERLAND
Roland (Switzerland) AG
Landstrasse 5, Postfach,
CH-4452 Itingen,
SWITZERLAND
TEL: (061) 927-8383
SWEDEN
Roland Scandinavia A/S
SWEDISH SALES OFFICE
Danvik Center 28, 2 tr.
S-131 30 Nacka SWEDEN
TEL: (0)8 702 00 20
UKRAINE
TIC-TAC
Mira Str. 19/108
P.O. Box 180
295400 Munkachevo, UKRAINE
TEL: (03131) 414-40
UNITED KINGDOM
Roland (U.K.) Ltd.
Atlantic Close, Swansea
Enterprise Park, SWANSEA
SA7 9FJ,
UNITED KINGDOM
TEL: (01792) 702701
KOREA
Cosmos Corporation
1461-9, Seocho-Dong,
Seocho Ku, Seoul, KOREA
TEL: (02) 3486-8855
AUSTRIA
Roland Austria GES.M.B.H.
Siemensstrasse 4, P.O. Box 74,
A-6063 RUM, AUSTRIA
TEL: (0512) 26 44 260
BELGIUM/HOLLAND/
LUXEMBOURG
Roland Benelux N. V.
Houtstraat 3, B-2260, Oevel
(Westerlo) BELGIUM
TEL: (014) 575811
CZECH REP.
K-AUDIO
Kardasovska 626.
CZ-198 00 Praha 9,
CZECH REP.
TEL: (2) 666 10529
AFRICA
CHILE
Comercial Fancy S.A.
Rut.: 96.919.420-1
Nataniel Cox #739, 4th Floor
Santiago - Centro, CHILE
TEL: (02) 688-9540
URUGUAY
Todo Musica S.A.
Francisco Acuna de Figueroa 1771
C.P.: 11.800
Montevideo, URUGUAY
TEL: (02) 924-2335
EUROPE
AUSTRALIA/
NEW ZEALAND
ASIA
CENTRAL/LATIN
AMERICA
NORTH AMERICA
MIDDLE EAST
AFRICA
EL SALVADOR
OMNI MUSIC
75 Avenida Norte y Final
Alameda Juan Pablo ,
Edificio No.4010 San Salvador,
EL SALVADOR
TEL: 262-0788
ROMANIA
FBS LINES
Piata Libertatii 1,
535500 Gheorgheni, ROMANIA
TEL: (266) 364 609
PARAGUAY
Distribuidora De
Instrumentos Musicales
J.E. Olear y ESQ. Manduvira
Asuncion PARAGUAY
TEL: (021) 492-124
COSTA RICA
JUAN Bansbach
Instrumentos Musicales
Ave.1. Calle 11, Apartado 10237,
San Jose, COSTA RICA
TEL: 258-0211
CRISTOFORI MUSIC PTE
LTD
Blk 3014, Bedok Industrial Park E,
#02-2148, SINGAPORE 489980
TEL: 6243-9555
IRAN
MOCO, INC.
No.41 Nike St., Dr.Shariyati Ave.,
Roberoye Cerahe Mirdamad
Tehran, IRAN
TEL: (021) 285-4169
ISRAEL
Halilit P. Greenspoon &
Sons Ltd.
8 Retzif Ha'aliya Hashnya St.
Tel-Aviv-Yafo ISRAEL
TEL: (03) 6823666
SYRIA
Technical Light & Sound
Center
Khaled Ebn Al Walid St.
Bldg. No. 47, P.O.BOX 13520,
Damascus, SYRIA
TEL: (011) 223-5384
CANADA
Roland Canada Music Ltd.
(Head Office)
5480 Parkwood Way Richmond
B. C., V6V 2M4 CANADA
TEL: (604) 270 6626
Roland Canada Music Ltd.
(Toronto Office)
170 Admiral Boulevard
Mississauga On L5T 2N6
CANADA
TEL: (905) 362 9707
CHINA
Roland Shanghai Electronics
Co.,Ltd.
5F. No.1500 Pingliang Road
Shanghai 200090, CHINA
TEL: (021) 5580-0800
Roland Shanghai Electronics
Co.,Ltd.
(BEIJING OFFICE)
10F. No.18 Anhuaxili
Chaoyang District, Beijing 100011
CHINA
TEL: (010) 6426-5050
Roland Shanghai Electronics
Co.,Ltd.
(GUANGZHOU OFFICE)
2/F., No.30 Si You Nan Er Jie Yi
Xiang, Wu Yang Xin Cheng,
Guangzhou 510600, CHINA
Tel: (020) 8736-0428
Thank you, and congratulations on your choice of the Roland RS-50.
201a
202
Copyright © 2003 ROLAND CORPORATION
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without
the written permission of ROLAND CORPORATION.
Before using this unit, carefully read the sections entitled: “USING THE UNIT SAFELY” (p.
2–3) and “IMPORTANT NOTES” (p. 4–5). These sections provide important information
concerning the proper operation of the unit. Additionally, in order to feel assured that you
have gained a good grasp of every feature provided by your new unit, Owner’s manual
should be read in its entirety. The manual should be saved and kept on hand as a conve-
nient reference.
Owner’s Manual
03237767 ’03-11-3N
Owner’s Manual
To resize thickness, move all items on the front cover
and center registration marks to left or right

Roland RS-50 Specifications

General

Type	Synthesizer
Polyphony	64 voices
Multitimbral	16 parts
Oscillators	2 per voice
Effects	Chorus
Keyboard	61 keys (velocity-sensitive)
Connectivity	Audio Output, Headphones, Pedal Input

Summary

Using the Unit Safely

Safety Symbols and Warnings

Explains warning symbols (triangle, exclamation mark, forbidden) and their meanings.

General Safety Precautions

Lists essential safety guidelines for operating the unit to prevent hazards.

Important Notes

Power Supply and Placement Guidelines

Covers power circuit use, heat dissipation, and proper unit placement for safe operation.

Maintenance, Repairs, and Data Handling

Details cleaning procedures, solvent warnings, and data backup advice before repairs.

Additional Precautions and Handling CD-ROMs

Covers volume, cables, impact protection, CD-ROM care, and software handling.

Main Features

Panel Descriptions

Front Panel Controls

Identifies and explains the function of all controls on the front of the unit.

Rear Panel Connections

Identifies and explains all input/output jacks and connectors on the rear of the unit.

Getting Ready

Connecting External Equipment

Guides on connecting headphones, speakers, pedals, and power for initial setup.

Powering On and Off

Explains the correct power sequence and how to adjust LCD contrast for visibility.

Adjusting Display Contrast

Instructions for setting the LCD display's contrast level.

Reset to Default Factory Settings (Factory Reset)

Listening to Demo Songs

Quick Start

Try Out the Sounds

Selecting and Auditioning Patches

Guide to choosing, previewing, and selecting sounds (patches) by category.

Using Rhythm Sets and Arpeggios

Instructions for selecting drum patterns and using the phrase/arpeggio function.

Playing Chords with Multi-chord Memory

How to use the chord memory function for easy chord playing and creating sets.

Applying Various Effects to the Sound

Tone Modification with Panel Controls

Adjusting volume balance, envelope, brightness, and using LFOs with panel knobs.

Sound Control with Lever, Pedal, and D Beam

Using pitch bend, modulation, pedals, octave shifts, and D Beam for expressive control.

Effects Overview and Management

Turning effects on/off and managing master effect switches for the unit.

Using the Rhythm Guide

Selecting and Playing Rhythm Patterns

How to choose and play rhythm patterns for practice or performance.

Tempo and Sound Adjustment

Modifying rhythm tempo and selecting accompanying sounds.

Advanced Use

Overview of the RS-50

Instrument Organization and Sound Types

Explains the RS-50's structure, including keyboard, sound generator, tones, patches, and rhythm sets.

Effects and Memory Management

Details available effects, polyphony, and different memory types (temporary, rewritable, non-rewritable).

Basic Operation of the RS-50

Mode Switching and Parameter Editing

Navigating between Patch and Performance modes and editing parameters using the display.

Naming, Inputting Numbers, and Part Selection

Procedures for naming sounds, inputting numerical values, and selecting parts in Performance mode.

Creating a Patch (Patch Mode)

Patch Creation and Editing Basics

Starting with existing patches, editing tone parameters, and using tips for better results.

Editing Patch Common and Tone Parameters

Modifying settings that apply to the entire patch and individual tones.

Saving and Managing Patches

Procedure for saving user patches and using utility functions for copying or initializing.

Patch Editing Utilities

Functions for copying, initializing, transmitting, and erasing patch data.

Creating a Rhythm Set (Patch Mode)

Rhythm Set Creation and Editing

How to make and edit rhythm set parameters, including common and tone-specific settings.

Saving and Editing Rhythm Sets

Procedure for saving user rhythm sets and using utility functions for copying effects.

Rhythm Set Initialization and Removal

How to initialize specific rhythm tones or erase saved user rhythm sets.

Playing More Than One Sound Simultaneously (Performance Mode)

Performance Setup and Selection

Choosing parts, sounds, and selecting performances.

Editing Performance and Part Parameters

Modifying performance-wide settings and individual part settings.

Saving and Managing Performances

Procedure for saving user performances and using utility functions.

Using the Phrase/Arpeggio Function

Playing Arpeggios and Creating Templates

How to use preset arpeggio templates and create custom user templates.

Using Chord Memory Function

Chord Memory Operations and Custom Set Creation

Using multi-chord memory and creating user-defined chord sets.

Adding Effects

Effects Overview and Management

Introduction to effects, turning them on/off, and signal path overview.

Setting Multi-Effects Parameters

Detailed configuration options for the 47 multi-effects types.

Chorus and Reverb Settings

Adjusting parameters for chorus and reverb effects.

Settings Common to All Modes (System Function)

System Function Overview and General Settings

How to access and modify system-wide settings like contrast and master tune.

Controller and MIDI Settings

Configuring controller assignments and MIDI communication parameters.

Scale Tune Settings

Adjusting tuning scales for patches and parts.

Performing with an External MIDI Device

MIDI Basics and Connections

Introduction to MIDI, connectors, channels, and basic messages.

Using RS-50 with External Sound Modules

Connecting and controlling external MIDI sound modules with the RS-50.

Recording to an External Sequencer

Steps for connecting, setting up, and recording performances to a sequencer.

MIDI Data Management and Backups

Saving RS-50 settings, using it as a GM module, and managing MIDI data.

Performing with a Computer

Computer Connection and Editor Software Installation

Connecting the RS-50 to a computer via MIDI and installing the included editor software.

Appendix

Troubleshooting

Power, Sound, and Pitch Issues

Solutions for common problems like no power, no sound, or incorrect pitch.

Effects, MIDI, and Sequencer Issues

Troubleshooting problems related to effects, MIDI communication, and sequencer playback.

MIDI Message and Software Problems

Addressing issues with MIDI message reception/transmission and sequencer software control.

Error Messages and Meanings

Parameter List

Patch Parameter Details

A comprehensive list of all parameters for patches, including common, tone, and effect settings.

Rhythm Set, Performance, and System Parameters

Details on parameters for rhythm sets, performances, and system-wide settings.

Original Tone List

Patch List

Rhythm Set List

Performance, Rhythm Guide, and Arpeggio Lists

Arpeggio Template List Details

Arpeggio Style and Multi-chord Set Lists

MIDI Implementation Chart

Specifications

Index