Dear Ksetlist members and browsers,

Here are two programs which recreate some famous D50 patches. No samples or recordings are in the file; everything is recreated using VAST within the Kurzweil PC3. Should work on PC3, K, Artis, hopefully LE and Forte. Sorry, demos in 2019!

How to download - just join ksetlist! See the FAQ how to download stuff.

The original D50 released in 1987 was a brilliant, futuristic sounding synth, capable of making beautiful swooping pads and sparkly exotic chimes. It’s ground-breaking sound came from the combination of built-in samples, a very digital synth engine, Eric Persing & Adrian Scott’s famous presets, and the digital effects. When I first heard it it immediately sounded richer than everything else at the time. For me it’s greatest asset was the effects engine, particularly the pair of chorus units, which elevated everything to the realm of wonder.

Can the PC3 sound like a D50?
I first levelled this question at the K2000 which I got in 1993. On that synth I couldnt replicate the double chorus, but in 2012 when I got my PC3 I wanted to see if the uprated VAST and effects could do it. I tried to recreate some of the D50 presets, one of which was “Staccato Heaven”. My first effort was terrible, nothing like a D50.

Synthesis detail
Overcoming lazyness, I used Layer Effects, setting up two separate chorus units; the four PC3 layers (the equivalent of the four ‘D50 partials’) were split, so that two layers would go through one chorus, and two through the other. To get the organ partial right, I added a sinewave to an organ keymap (1 layer), and to get the weird lo-fi digital ‘chip’ sound I mixed a distorted sound into a sawtooth (1 layer). The metal hit was a standard ROM keymap mixed with another sine (1 layer), but the most unusual trick was reserved for the D50 spectra.

The spectra is a bit like a looping cymbal sound. It’s very hard to recreate unless you have a sample, but: a) thats not ethical, b) not allowed by Roland and c) not possible on PC3 and lower. My solution is not perfect but I had a go.
I had already recreated metal kitchen whisks in my Shine75 set of programs, by using 4 detuned sinewaves put through xGain. I use this whenever I need high up metallic parts. (This is yet another example of how good VAST is; you can have 4 spare oscillators, also doing Amplitude Modulation, all fitting within 1 layer of polyphony). I added a deliberate “looping” character; the movement coming from one of the sines driving the speed of xGain. It sounded a bit thick compared to the thin D50 spectra so I cascaded it into a 2nd layer with a hipass filter. I always try to use the minimum no. of layers.

The result is not 100%, but see what you think of the two programs. My Stuck O Heathen program is a bit more accurate than my Fabulasia one, but when I get time & space I will dig out my old D50 from storage and try to make improvements to both. Feedback welcome (here, sby PM, or by email).

Merry Christmas!

Malc