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Roland D-20 Linear Arithmetic Workstation
The Roland D-20 was the second tranche of Roland D-Series synthesisers to be released in 1988. Three synthesisers were released in this year.
Roland D-20 - Linear Arithmetic Workstation
Roland D-10 - Linear Arithmetic Synthesiser
Roland D110 - Linear Arithmetic rack mount Synthesiser
The Roland D-10 and Roland D-20 were released together in 1988, both were 61 note keyboards. The Roland D-110 followed shortly after as a 19" rackmount synthesiser based on the architecture of the D-10. The D-20 continued in production until 1992, a year after the D-10 and D-110 had been discontinued.
The keyboard had the same key bed as the Roland D-50, a 61-key velocity sensitive key bed. It uses the same Linear Arithmetic (LA) method of synthesis generation as the D-50.
In theory the two synthesisers have the same configurable parameters, but to perform this configuration requires extensive knowledge of multiple sub-menus and not all the parameters from the D-50 are available on the D-20. These include parameters relating to filters and effects. The result of this difference is that the synthesiser file structure of the D-50 and D-10 are different meaning you cannot load files created on one to the other.
The Roland D-20 was the full workstation of the Roland D-Series. It also included:
a rhythm generater
an 8 part sequencer
a 3.5" floppy disk drive for saving tones and sequences
The inclusion of a 3.5" floppy drive on this synthesiser / workstation made it very useable. A pack of 10 floppy disks in 1988 would have cost the musician that owned it £10-£15 where as a Roland RAM card was nearly £100. The RAM card could back up and load the workstation almost instantly, but for about a minute for each load cycle the disks gave you far more flexibility and for the same cost 100 different workstation setups.
In my view this keyboard was aimed at the mid[tier professional musician that wanted to create sequences that could be used will on the road to support the music being played.
As I mentioned above there was another keyboard released at the same time. The D-10 Synthesiser. (And there is other pages on this website relating to this keyboard.). However in my opinion if you want a D-Series keyboard that is not the D-50. Get the D-20. I assure you it is as fun to play.
I acquired my D-20 after acquiring the D-10. I was actually looking for a D-20 when I acquired the D-10 as there wasn't at the time any good examples of the D-20 available to buy. And then shortly after buying the D-10 a D-20 came up for sale.
Both my D-20 and D-10 now require some Tender Loving Care. With the projects to progress this work scheduled for 2026.
This page covers two complementary processes for maintaining a Roland D-20 synthesiser using System Exclusive (SYSEX) data transfer.
The first demonstrates how to restore the factory sound set to a Roland D-20 that lacks an original RAM card, using a MIDIsport interface, a standard five-pin MIDI cable and the free Windows utility MIDIOX to send a SYSEX file directly into the instrument. Viewers are shown how to configure buffer settings, delay timings and colour-coded display options, along with the correct key combination for putting the synth into bulk-load mode before the roughly thirty-second transfer begins.
The second part explains how to back up custom patches created on the machine, since floppy discs have become impractical to source. It walks through setting MIDIOX to listen mode, configuring hexadecimal markers to identify data blocks, and initiating a full data dump from the synthesiser, which takes around fifteen seconds and moves approximately 43,000 bytes. Together, the two guides offer a practical, tested workflow for anyone looking to safeguard or revive the sounds programmed into their instrument, without relying on ageing storage media.
Click anywhere on the image or title to see the work undertaken on this synthesiser.
This restoration project follows a long-owned Roland D-20 as it's brought back from years spent largely tucked away in its case and into proper working order. Having settled into the studio, the Roland D-20 revealed a run of niggling faults beneath its largely unmarked casing, from a low battery warning and an uncooperative card reader through to a floppy disc drive that no longer loads reliably and keys grown sticky with age. Rather than a simple synthesiser, this workstation combines a built-in rhythm section and sequencer, letting a player build and lock together their own patterns, and the series sets out to return all of that functionality to full health.
The project opens with a thorough assessment before moving on to accessing the instrument itself, working through the bottom-loading case to reach the power supply, logic board and disc drive within. Further instalments will cover backing up and restoring the unit's data using SYSEX, rounding out a complete guide to servicing this classic workstation. Together, the videos offer a practical, step-by-step look at what it takes to bring a Roland D-20 back to full working order after decades of use.
Click anywhere on the image or title to see the work undertaken on this synthesiser.