Roland D-70 Super LA Synthesizer
76 Key Synthesiser

The Roland D-70 Super LA Synthesizer was launched in 1990 and billed as the next synthesiser in the D-Series range.

​

However, this 76-key synthesiser was really designed as the next synthesiser in the U-Series range of rompler synthesisers.  This is further confirmed from the internal circuit board that is stamped U-50.

 

The keyboard was reported by many sources after the launch rushed to market to compete with the Korg M1 which was released in 1988 and was steeling market share from the Roland D-50 which was released the year before in 1987.  The Roland D-50 was a synthesiser where as the KORG M1 was a workstation.  Roland had issued the Roland D-20 in 1988 which combined a stripped down version of the LA synthesis implementation with other features of a workstation.

​

While the Roland D-20 was functional it was not as popular as the KORG M1 and D-70 wasn't a real match either.

But it really couldn't compete on usability and capability.

 

However that did not stop the D-70 being an extremely capable synthesiser and joy to play.

 

I acquired my D-70 about 15 years ago and initially used it as a MIDI keyboard which is a role it was very good at.