Roland SC-55

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Roland SC-55 Sound Canvas

The Roland SC-55 (Sound Canvas) is a MIDI synthesizer sound module released in 1991 by Roland Corporation.

The SC-55 was the first sound module to incorporate the new General MIDI standard, which was expanded with GS drum kits and additional controllers. The synth used both PCM and the cut-down version of LA synthesis engine and had an Roland MT-32 variation bank, although it lacked programmability of the MT-32. The module was clearly aimed at PC music enthusiasts. It featured 317 instrument patches and 9 drum kits, and had 16-part multitimbrality and 24-voice polyphony. The selection of effects includes reverb and chorus.

Alongside the SC-55, Roland released the SB-55 (Sound Brush), an inexpensive MIDI sequencer module the same size as the Sound Canvas. Both the Sound Canvas and Sound Brush could be rackmounted alongside each other.

Roland also released a Roland SCC-1 sound card that essentially combined the SC-55 module with the MPU-401 in a single 8-bit ISA card. The card featured MIDI in/out/thru, as well as left/right RCA and 1/8th-inch line-level output jacks.

Other models with comparable tone generators include Roland CM-300, Roland CM-500 and Roland SC-155 sound modules. CM-300 and CM-500 models miss the LCD screen and extended controls of SC-55. Both models have external appearance nearly identical to Roland's earlier CM-32/64-series modules. SC-155 adds additional slider controls for master and channel level and panning. Additionally, CM-500 includes fully SysEx compatible LA tone generator similar to CM-32L's.

Further development led to Roland SC-55mkII sound module that features additional patches, raising the total number to 354 and extended polyphony of 28 voices. In addition, it also offered improved sound circuitry in the form of 18-bit audio (versus 16-bit in the original SC 55) and added a serial port for universal connection to any standard computer.