Roland’s D-50 synth has been reissued with the Boutique treatment

Roland has already had plenty of success with its Boutique series, recreating the SH-101, 909 and 808 machines. Now it’s taking on the classic D-50 synth.

Released in the late 1980’s as a rival to Yamaha’s DX-7, its combination of sampling and synthesis made it an essential piece of kit for r‘n’b and pop artists of the time.

Roland boasts the new D-05 offers a “perfect sonic recreation” of the D-50, retaining all of its original presets and even the very retro joystick control on the interface. The D-05 also comes with a 64-step polyphonic sequencer and arpeggiator, features not available on the old model.

Expected to cost $349, the D-05 can be powered by USB or batteries and has an in-built speaker like the rest of the boutique series.

See a video of Legowelt putting it through its paces below.

Louis Anderson-Rich is Mixmag's Digital Producer. Follow him on Twitter

[Via The Vinyl Factory]