Have you tried googling for the manual and threads on pro-audio forums?

Also, Japanese recycling and second hand stores should have tons of old professional audio equipment (just be prepared to Google type numbers a lot and be aware that Japan uses 100V current...)

It seems it's the same as SC-8820 but with the digital output parts added and more controls on it. Sadly it does not have the MAP button like the SC-8820 and you need to send SysEx messages to change between 8820/88pro/88/55 maps. Have a look at page 37 at the manual: http://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SC-D70_OM.pdf

I think it's better than all SC modules except for the SC-8850. It has samples for, and can "emulate," the SC-55/mkII, SC-88, SC-88Pro, SC-8820. If I remember correctly, the internal mixing rate is higher than the SC-8850's 32khz for cleaner sound. And it has USB audio and SPDIF & toslink in/out.

The only downside is no LCD screen; I use mine daily.

yawetaG wrote:

Have you tried googling for the manual and threads on pro-audio forums?

Also, Japanese recycling and second hand stores should have tons of old professional audio equipment (just be prepared to Google type numbers a lot and be aware that Japan uses 100V current...)

I have checked several places in DenDen Town in Osaka, and a few places around Tokyo. I've found some MIDI gear, but almost nothing of the older GM/GS/XG type.

Keropi, thank you for finding that. It looks like it should be pretty close or exactly as good.

I've made contact with an eBay seller so that I can meet up and see an FB-01, MU-2000, and an MU-80.

It's turning out to be a nice little pilgrimage!

FuzzyLogic wrote:

I think it's better than all SC modules except for the SC-8850. It has samples for, and can "emulate," the SC-55/mkII, SC-88, SC-88Pro, SC-8820. If I remember correctly, the internal mixing rate is higher than the SC-8850's 32khz for cleaner sound. And it has USB audio and SPDIF & toslink in/out.

The only downside is no LCD screen; I use mine daily.

Thank you! It wasn't in the best cosmetic condition, so if I can talk them down, I might go for it.

Thank you for the advice. I ended up meeting up with an eBay seller and acquired several things! A Yamaha MU-2000EX, a Roland SC-D70, and an unexpected CM-500 GM/GS.

I was hoping for an FB-01, but the one that he has was rough, and it's really more of a curiosity than a necessity.

The SC-D70 is an upgrade over the SC-88Pro. It basically gives the same samples but with digital output, which upgrades the quality a bit.

I have had one for about 9 years now. In all the recordings I used the 8850 for, I used actually a D70 (except one or two patches which sound different like the stereo piano).

One other super useful feature is the digital sound card on board. Used that a lot also.

Finally, you don't have to use SysEx to change maps, for gaming you do, but in MIDI-land you can use controller 32 to change maps (I believe values between 0 and 3).

It does not emulate the SC-55 and mk II properly, so be aware of that. I forget the specifics, but I remember the patch "Saw Wave" is an example, and the track "Battle of the Badders" from QFG4 also.

Spikey wrote:

Finally, you don't have to use SysEx to change maps, for gaming you do, but in MIDI-land you can use controller 32 to change maps (I believe values between 0 and 3).

Of course, that should be valid for any GM-compatible module...

Why would it be? I can't think of any other module that has 4 maps that represent different synths.. I'm not talking about variation tones.

Spikey wrote:

The SC-D70 is an upgrade over the SC-88Pro. It basically gives the same samples but with digital output, which upgrades the qual […]
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The SC-D70 is an upgrade over the SC-88Pro. It basically gives the same samples but with digital output, which upgrades the quality a bit.

I have had one for about 9 years now. In all the recordings I used the 8850 for, I used actually a D70 (except one or two patches which sound different like the stereo piano).

One other super useful feature is the digital sound card on board. Used that a lot also.

Finally, you don't have to use SysEx to change maps, for gaming you do, but in MIDI-land you can use controller 32 to change maps (I believe values between 0 and 3).

It does not emulate the SC-55 and mk II properly, so be aware of that. I forget the specifics, but I remember the patch "Saw Wave" is an example, and the track "Battle of the Badders" from QFG4 also.

I was intending it, at least for now, as a gaming device, and I did find the information in the manual to adjust which maps to use. I'm sure that SysEx files already exist, but I need to stretch my programming muscles and write them myself.

Thank you for the information.

Spikey wrote:

Why would it be? I can't think of any other module that has 4 maps that represent different synths..

Because Control number 32 (CC 32) is used as the map select message according to the MIDI standard (this comes straight out of my Roland PC-70 MIDI controller and SC-88VL manuals). Any module that has more than one map will react to that...

I just tried it with my SC-88VL, and the SC-55 map can be selected from my MIDI keyboard by sending CC 32 = 1 (whereas CC 32 = 0 selects the SC-88 map).

The MIDI standard would never have supported map select for just one module brought out way later than the standard's creation, that's nonsensical.

Edit: I just won an auction for an effects module that has more than 128 internal patches available (in a single map). Since that would be incompatible with the MIDI standard, the module allows the user to freely split the internal patches over two software-defined maps...each of which can then be selected using CC 32.

I'm not talking about variation tones.

Nor was I.