Really would love a modern take on these or the Yamaha QY. (portable midi sequencer with a sound engine of some kind). I know ipad app blah blah but, dedicated boxes are just nice.
I had this unit back in the mid 90s, and it was not so straight forward as my MC50 microcomposer sequencer BUT it had built in sounds, beats, and sequencer! The touch screen was a pain and the note capacity was only 28,000 but you can record one full song straight through or assemble one using the "phrase" recorder function which you then "assemble" a song thus using far less notes as you are just copy pasting repeating phrases for most of your song. I bought mine NEW so I had, and I think still HAVE the manual. You need to read that sucker.. Oh, the phrase is called patterns. It has been a while since I used this so I may be off on the term for THIS unit. The sounds are 28 note poly and is the same sound set of the Sound canvas SC55mkII.
I still have mine, along with a Boss DR-5. Got them when they were new and just came out. I had a Roland XP-10, and my suspicions is that they both have the same sound engine...
The dude in the shop was back in '96 said "Yeah man it's got the same synth engine as the...." but I don't remember the end of that sentence because I knew nothing of the higher-end synths at the time...
@@gearfacts The XP-10 I had was the entry level synth with a cheaper plastic enclosure for the more expensive versions. I believe the XP-80, XP-50, and I think there was an XP-30. I believe they were kind of like a follow up to the D50 of the mid 80's that followed the release of the Yamaha DX7, but landmark historic synths, with more flexibility, such as General MIDI. I guess it's best to get a good actual Roland keyboard controller with assignable controllers instead of using another keyboard synth for hooking up with the PMA-5.
@@gearfacts Yes, I saw it again, and remember it was you that posted it. It was a decent keyboard, just cheap construction, but you can get so much more for less money today, like the Roland Go:Keys for about $300. I think my JX-3P was $1300 in 1983, and the XP-10 was $900. I have had a Fantom X6 with the whatever you call in addon, I forgot how much that was in 2006, but sold it, along with lots of other things. I plan to get the Go:Keys, and maybe later get a Casio Privia PX-S3000, or Roland FP90, but I also want to get the Yamaha Reface CP, YC, and maybe DX later...
@@jjacob25101, I had a PMA 5 back in the day & around the same time I had an even older Roland Sound Canvass SC155, which had 8 assignable Sliders to control the volume or pan of the 16 channels, (these sliders were switchable to control Tracks 1-8 or 9-16!), as it only had 24 note polyphony, this facility was somewhat wasted on it, BUT, these sliders also transmit midi data so I used to hook it up to the PMA-5 to control it's respective channels. If anyone finds one of these old Roland SC 155s in a junk shop etc, they are well worth saving as although the internal sounds are now very old hat, you can Midi out the device to a state of the art modern Synth or keyboard, assuming it's got a proper Midi in socket & not just that bloody useless ( to a gigging musician!) USB Midi, (incidentally you can get around this annoying 'modern scourge' by using a Kenton USB to 5pin Midi interface box) & 'wallah' 16 track on the fly mixing of your various 2020 sounds at your fingertips on a gig without having to wade through pages of on screen menus!!
This is one very interesting device, reminds me of spending a lot of time looking stuff up on PalmSounds, discovering all about Chocopoolp's Microbe and Bhajis Loops.
Oooh ok. I'm a SoundCanvas junkie. Do you know if this device is completely GS spec? I need to grab the manual on this thing. Thanks for the meaty demo, sweet tracks, and inspiration! It needed a speaker, even a tiny speaker. A pocket-sized, battery-powered SoundCanvas with an onboard sequencer is pretty mind-blowing!
Looks like Roland reverse engineered a palm pilot and added a rudimentary eeprom flashed with decent samples. Pretty impressive for the time, and just as impressive some 1/4 century later !
Wow thanks. Kinda looks fiddly but like most hardware if you persevere you can learn its quirks. I guess the screen isnt backlit. Runs on batteries too? Most of my kit even my usb audio interface can run on batts🤣 What did you make of the Tascam PocketStudio 5 and its Midi sound set? I really must try to use and learn mine properly. I was thinking as a sort of tapeloop ambient drone backing machine as i cant see it locks to or sends midi time code? Hmmm Lol I sense another revisit vid from you👍 Jb x
Hey JB, yeah no backlight on the PMA-5 sadly. I waited for years for an updated version but now of course we have i-devices so there's no way Roland is going to try to compete with that. Oh and yep it runs on batteries - 6 x AA. The Packet Studio's midi sounds (if I remember rightly) was just the absolute baseline 128 sounds, nothing special at all. I guess you have all those effects in it though which could provide a lot of enhancement. There won't be any revisit to that device for some time I'm afraid, I sold mine about 4 years ago. DEFINITELY a manual-reader that one :)
darwiniandude Mmmmmaybe he removed it due to a distinct lack of bids! Haha - feel free to make an offer, but bear in mind that the midi i/o isn’t working ;)
There’s now a PMA-5 dedicated facebook group, join the discussion!
facebook.com/groups/524300471837527/?ref=share
Cool, have joined :)
I love a good bulk dump.
Really would love a modern take on these or the Yamaha QY. (portable midi sequencer with a sound engine of some kind). I know ipad app blah blah but, dedicated boxes are just nice.
100% agree. And a new version of the PMA with sampling :) GF
@@gearfacts Yes! Make it a DAW in pocket, like the zoom but with a full synth onboard. I hope Roland watches you...
The fruity loops mobile is great
I had this unit back in the mid 90s, and it was not so straight forward as my MC50 microcomposer sequencer BUT it had built in sounds, beats, and sequencer! The touch screen was a pain and the note capacity was only 28,000 but you can record one full song straight through or assemble one using the "phrase" recorder function which you then "assemble" a song thus using far less notes as you are just copy pasting repeating phrases for most of your song. I bought mine NEW so I had, and I think still HAVE the manual. You need to read that sucker.. Oh, the phrase is called patterns. It has been a while since I used this so I may be off on the term for THIS unit. The sounds are 28 note poly and is the same sound set of the Sound canvas SC55mkII.
One of the few devices I've always kept and never been without :)
I still have mine lol
I've got 2 of these! Check out some songs I've made with it! Just type Roland PMA-5 MUZICIAN in the searchbar! GREAT MACHINE!
I still have mine, along with a Boss DR-5. Got them when they were new and just came out. I had a Roland XP-10, and my suspicions is that they both have the same sound engine...
The dude in the shop was back in '96 said "Yeah man it's got the same synth engine as the...." but I don't remember the end of that sentence because I knew nothing of the higher-end synths at the time...
@@gearfacts The XP-10 I had was the entry level synth with a cheaper plastic enclosure for the more expensive versions. I believe the XP-80, XP-50, and I think there was an XP-30. I believe they were kind of like a follow up to the D50 of the mid 80's that followed the release of the Yamaha DX7, but landmark historic synths, with more flexibility, such as General MIDI.
I guess it's best to get a good actual Roland keyboard controller with assignable controllers instead of using another keyboard synth for hooking up with the PMA-5.
I made a review of the XP10 a few months back I think
@@gearfacts Yes, I saw it again, and remember it was you that posted it. It was a decent keyboard, just cheap construction, but you can get so much more for less money today, like the Roland Go:Keys for about $300. I think my JX-3P was $1300 in 1983, and the XP-10 was $900. I have had a Fantom X6 with the whatever you call in addon, I forgot how much that was in 2006, but sold it, along with lots of other things. I plan to get the Go:Keys, and maybe later get a Casio Privia PX-S3000, or Roland FP90, but I also want to get the Yamaha Reface CP, YC, and maybe DX later...
@@jjacob25101, I had a PMA 5 back in the day & around the same time I had an even older Roland Sound Canvass SC155, which had 8 assignable Sliders to control the volume or pan of the 16 channels, (these sliders were switchable to control Tracks 1-8 or 9-16!), as it only had 24 note polyphony, this facility was somewhat wasted on it, BUT, these sliders also transmit midi data so I used to hook it up to the PMA-5 to control it's respective channels. If anyone finds one of these old Roland SC 155s in a junk shop etc, they are well worth saving as although the internal sounds are now very old hat, you can Midi out the device to a state of the art modern Synth or keyboard, assuming it's got a proper Midi in socket & not just that bloody useless ( to a gigging musician!) USB Midi, (incidentally you can get around this annoying 'modern scourge' by using a Kenton USB to 5pin Midi interface box) & 'wallah' 16 track on the fly mixing of your various 2020 sounds at your fingertips on a gig without having to wade through pages of on screen menus!!
This is one very interesting device, reminds me of spending a lot of time looking stuff up on PalmSounds, discovering all about Chocopoolp's Microbe and Bhajis Loops.
I have similar memories
I love all those palm sequencers. I wonder why the big companies never jumped in on PalmOS stuff.
Pretty cool !
Got two of them and having fun.
Awesome setup there
Oooh ok. I'm a SoundCanvas junkie. Do you know if this device is completely GS spec? I need to grab the manual on this thing. Thanks for the meaty demo, sweet tracks, and inspiration! It needed a speaker, even a tiny speaker. A pocket-sized, battery-powered SoundCanvas with an onboard sequencer is pretty mind-blowing!
100% agreed!
Thank you for this, particularly the diagram shown at 1:00 to 1:30, etc.
Thank YOU for noticing!
Looks like Roland reverse engineered a palm pilot and added a rudimentary eeprom flashed with decent samples. Pretty impressive for the time, and just as impressive some 1/4 century later !
Yep, I admit it's showing its age but it still outclasses i-devices in some respects! :) #gearfacts
Read my mind!!!
Interesting bit of kit
Even if for a master midi clock?
Indispensable item for me :)
Wow thanks. Kinda looks fiddly but like most hardware if you persevere you can learn its quirks.
I guess the screen isnt backlit.
Runs on batteries too?
Most of my kit even my usb audio interface can run on batts🤣
What did you make of the Tascam PocketStudio 5 and its Midi sound set?
I really must try to use and learn mine properly. I was thinking as a sort of tapeloop ambient drone backing machine as i cant see it locks to or sends midi time code?
Hmmm
Lol
I sense another revisit vid from you👍
Jb x
Hey JB, yeah no backlight on the PMA-5 sadly. I waited for years for an updated version but now of course we have i-devices so there's no way Roland is going to try to compete with that. Oh and yep it runs on batteries - 6 x AA. The Packet Studio's midi sounds (if I remember rightly) was just the absolute baseline 128 sounds, nothing special at all. I guess you have all those effects in it though which could provide a lot of enhancement. There won't be any revisit to that device for some time I'm afraid, I sold mine about 4 years ago. DEFINITELY a manual-reader that one :)
Gearfacts oh yes. I need to RTFM🤣🤣
Was looking forward to getting one of these on eBay, had been thinking about it all week. But today the seller ended the auction early :(
darwiniandude Mmmmmaybe he removed it due to a distinct lack of bids! Haha - feel free to make an offer, but bear in mind that the midi i/o isn’t working ;)
@@gearfacts Awesome :) I’ve sent you an email I think, let me know if it doesn’t appear. :)
THERES POO POO ON THE UPPER RIGHT SIDE OF ITS SCREEN 0:43
Years of human skin build-up. Improves the tone ;) #gearfacts