<li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch0"><em>STUDIO Canvas</em> acquired</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch1">The configuration</a></li><li><ul class="tocnode"><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch2">Connection to the computer</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch3">Settings things up in Linux</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch4">Setting things up in Windows</a></li></ul></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch5">What does it sound like?</a></li><li><ul class="tocnode"><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch6">Relation to EDIROL HyperCanvas and the Cakewalk TTS-1</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch7">UPDATE: 2019-10-12</a></li></ul></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch8">Working with the SD-80</a></li><li><ul class="tocnode"><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch9">Fighting against latency</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch10">Recording</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch11">Editing the sounds</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch12">Impact on the workflow</a></li></ul></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch13">Quirks</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch14">Beneath the chassis</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch15">What the manual doesn’t tell</a></li><li><ul class="tocnode"><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch16">Testing mode</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch17">Messing around sans the chassis</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch18">Chart A</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch19">Chart B</a></li></ul></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch20">Verdict</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch21">Things to do besides imitating ZUN</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch22">Newer Roland sound modules?</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch23">Trivia</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch24">If you want to learn more …</a></li></ul>

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<li style="margin-left:-0.5em"><a id="prevp" href="2019-02-13.html">Prev post</a></li>

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<p>This article is about my hands on of the EDIROL STUDIO Canvas SD-80. Even though I’m a newcomer to the STUDIO Canvas owners community, veterans may still find something interesting here.</p>

<p><strong>UPDATE</strong>: links to board shots are fixed.</p>

<p><strong>UPDATE</strong>: <a href="https://chrisoft.org/blog/list/2020-11-20.html">A sequel</a> to this article has been posted. The sequel contains new updates, discoveries and corrections to this article.</p>

<h2 id="tocanch0" class="tvis"><em>STUDIO Canvas</em> acquired</h2>

<p>Ever since I learned that ZUN uses a SD-90 as one of his major synthesizers <a href="https://www12.atwiki.jp/touhousoundfont/pages/22.html">here</a>, I’ve always been dreaming to get my hands on one of those. But these things are not particularly easy to find in China. There are plenty of deals on ebay though. However, after a failed purchase attempt made in 2016 which also led to the ridiculous suspension of my ebay account, I left the idea alone for multiple years. Things changed earlier this month, when <a href="https://owner203.com">owner203</a> helped me acquire my very own SD-80 and kindly delivered it from Japan.</p>

<p>I did not go for a SD-90 since they are all ridiculously priced in 2019. The deal I tried to make back in 2016 would cost me around $300 (shipping included). Now they are all way beyond $400. This forced me to resort to lower-end models, namely the SD-80 and SD-20. There’s also the SD-50 which I almost bought back in 2014, before I found out it is essentially a stripped-down version of Roland SonicCell without the SRX expandability. Therefore although the SD-50 retains the compatibility with the synth engine found in SD-90 (both are from models supporting SRX, namely the XV-5080 and SonicCell), it comes with a complete new set of waveforms and patches which makes it sounds totally different. So the SD-50 is definitely a no go.</p>

<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/SD-80_label.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1536x1536_SD-80_label.jpg"></a> <br>Label with S/N removed. Visible on top left corner is a foot pad that seems to be a slice of cork.

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<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/SD-80_front.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1536x1536_SD-80_front.jpg"></a> <br>Left half of the front panel. Buttons yellowed out, showing the module’s age. Scratches and dents are visible.

<p>As most other vendors does, Roland build their audio equipment ‘like a tank’. The entire chassis is made out of aluminium and steel, and has an absolutely crazy amount of screws on it. The front panel came off after taking out 5 screws on top and bottom, after which I took out the value knob and the rubber button sheet for a cleanup.</p>

<p>The top cover was freed after taking out 11 screws. Under the top cover lies the guts of SD-80. All boards except the power supply board uses SMD components extensively. The main board is made exclusively using SMD components, which is probably quite impressive back in the early 2000s.</p>

<p>The power supply module is surrounded with thick plastic sheet presumably for insulation. Rated voltage for the module seems to be changeable by using different pin layouts on the input side. The power supply module is made of two separate boards. The two boards are connected with two wide connectors that only have a few pins on them. I would guess the pin layout on the connectors sets the rated voltage of the module but I’m not sure. I would definitely test that out someday.</p>

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