Roland MT-32 = D50?

[AvonB]

Ive recently inherited an old Roland MT-32 and have a few questions for anyone who might know about them..

I was told that whilst it cant really be programmed from the box itself, with a software editor the MT-32 basically becomes a boxed version of the D50. Is this correct?

Also if anyone has one of these old units, do you know how or where i can find a software editor?
Preferably free to download

I have a great virtual PG-300 editor for the Alpha Juno which i found on the alphadial website years ago. Anything along those lines for the MT32 would be amazing

[D-Collector]

I was told that whilst it cant really be programmed from the box itself, with a software editor the MT-32 basically becomes a boxed version of the D50. Is this correct?

Not by far. The MT-32 is related to the D-5/10/20/110 family with the cut-down LA engine. Basicly a multitimbral module for playback of computer midi files in games etc. You can achieve nice sounds though, but you can't save them. The only boxed version of the D-50 is the D-550 rack module.



http://www.deepsonic.ch/deep/htm/roland_mt-32.php

This guy has made an editor for sounddiver:

http://homepage.mac.com/synth_seal/html/mt32.html
http://homepage.mac.com/synth_seal/html/mt32c.html

[nvbrkr]

I think most people regarded those units as "sound cards" and not as synths per se. At least this was the case with the later models. The early-90s PC games supported typically the adlib / soundblaster / roland mt-32 etc. -options.

I just remember the version with the white interface had nice steel drums.

[AvonB]

Is that audio sample from a MT-32? If so very impressive considering

Im determined to find a use for the MT and enjoy the challenge of making good sounds on unlikely devices

Editor looks great but i unfortunately dont have a Mac to run it.


And also an unrelated question for D-Collector... I see you have a Roland JV1080. Is there a software editor for that? I recently bought one and although i can program it how it is, my fingers are aching A PC editor would be very helpful

[meatballfulton]

The MT32 has the basic synth engine of a D-50 but at reduced fidelity for lower cost. There were a couple of versions, the later ones sound better but only real MT-heads know how to ID them. The D-110 rack module is an improvement over the MT-32 because you can edit and save patches plus there are multiple audio outputs (6 I think) and doesn't cost much more...$100 or so.

the MT32 does have a leg up on the D-50 in a few ways:

-- 8-part multitimbral
-- a 9th timbre, some sampled drum sounds (dated) fixed to MIDI channel 10
-- patches using a single partial doubled the polyphony of the D-50

Without a software editor the MT32 is crippled because there's no way to edit the sounds (there's only 128 presets as I recall). There have been many free editors created since the days of DOS, System 6 and Atari STs.

Time changes your perspective, in 1989 when the MT32 came out there was no synth in the world that could play 32 notes at once. At $800 list, it was less than half the price of a D-50. Because it was multitimbral you could sequence entire songs on it. The on-board digital reverb was a bonus since outboard reverbs cost $400+. I was lusting for one as soon as I heard the demo song at my local dealer.

Today it sounds weak next to modern synths with their bigger sample ROMs and faster processors. But how many synths can you buy today for $25-75?

[I12]

Im determined to find a use for the MT and enjoy the challenge of making good sounds on unlikely devices

But how many synths can you buy today for $25-75?

So theres a challenge come competition, buy a mt32 cheap and make a decent song on it...

[StepLogik]

The Mt-32 was my first sound module and ROMpler. It was also the first time I used a computer for patch editing. Before it came along, I had a Poly-800, CZ-101, and a DX-100. I was completely blown away by how good it sounded compared to those synths.