Roland MKS-50

This is an all-round digital/analog hybrid (meaning digitally controlled analog oscillators and analog filters) that actually is more or less an Alpha-Juno as a rack-mount.

This machine can produce very nice basses, pads, and leads. It doesn't sound as warm as the Cheetah MS6, and it isn't even multi-timbral, but it does have a much nicer user interface. I got it together with a PG-300, the optional programmer, so it's no big deal making new sounds with it. I sometimes run it through the Daddy O. overdrive pedal to get some electric guitar-like sounds out of it.

One notable feature is that the LFO can be set extremely slow, to create very nice sweeping pads and such. The resonant filters cannot self-oscillate, however, which is too bad.


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