D-20

Back in 1988, this synth marked Roland's bold step into the workstation era, packing Linear Arithmetic synthesis, a multitrack sequencer, and a 3.5-inch floppy drive into one sleek package—rare for the time when most gear still relied on cassettes or MIDI dumps.

It delivers 32-voice polyphony through LAS, blending digital sawtooth/square waves with 256 PCM samples across up to four partials per tone, complete with ring modulation in seven structures, a resonant lowpass filter on synth partials, and dedicated envelopes for pitch, filter, and amp. The 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard anchors a 9-part multitimbral setup (8 melodic + 1 drum with 63 sounds), switchable between Performance mode for splits/layers and Multi-Timbral for sequencer or MIDI control. Controls are straightforward with dedicated mode buttons, a single data slider, number pads, and a grippy pitch bend/mod wheel, all under a compact brushed metal panel measuring 1014 x 301 x 106 mm and weighing 10.1 kg. Onboard effects include eight reverbs and delays, while the 9-track sequencer holds about 16,000 notes, with clever muting for layering internal and external MIDI sounds.

Players appreciate its durable build, unique LA tones like shakuhachi flutes, and sequencer for quick ideas, often calling it a budget D-50 alternative with solid drum mapping. That said, the tiny LCD and single-fader editing draw gripes for deep programming, and some note aliasing or thinness in modern mixes.