CS_TBL wrote:I don't see any advantages compared to later synths which could do the same.
As a "sound designer" you should have known by now that you can NOT recreate the SOUND of D-50 (you can just nail some patches, but that's it.). Because you 1) do not have the same synth engine 2) effect processors 3) DACs - no synth was ever released after D-50 that had such unique crystal/glass sounding converters 4) PWM - no digital synth offers this.
I was wondering are you aware how limited the technology was in 1987 compared to today? Do you know how limited the waveforms, effect processors and D/A converters in D-50 are? You know what is the result of all this? Unique SOUND!
You should also know that todays D/A converters / samples / bit depths / efx processors and other components are superior to those 20 years ago. As a result majority of these new digital synths "sound" just the same. They might have different waveforms and different patches, but there is no sound coloring of any kind. Because new D/A converters are almost transparent. They are too perfect! This is where the problem is!
CS_TBL wrote:Sorry to disrupt the party: but I'd say it's outdated.
I didn't know a synth be outdated. Do you judge a synth by presets or by your own sounds? If you were playing those crappy preset patches, i think you just wasted time with it. They show absolutely NOTHING of what this synth is capable to do. First thing to do with D-50 is to completely erase its memory and program your own patches. Soon you will realize no other digital synth sounds even remotely close to it! This is where the treasure starts to reveal itself.
BTW, this "outdated synth" reminds me of a guy who sold a couple of minty looking MiniMoogs back in 1991 for $150 a piece, because they were "outdated".