Samplers ⇝ Roland ⇝ Roland S-550

Memory: 1.5 megabytes.
Audio Outs: 8
Audio Ins: 1
Sample Rates: 15 KHz, 12-bit; 30 KHz, 12-bit.
Floppy Disk: 720 KB

"Hacker Mode"
- Once loaded, Press these buttons in this sequential order:
FUNC -> MENU -> [down arrow] -> EXECUTE -> MENU -> 0 -> DEC/NO
- The video monitor now shows "Hacker Mode"
- Press UTILITY, then press MENU to load the new utility menu from disk.
- Click on or cursor over to "THE TEST" and hit ENTER.
- Now you have all the test mode stuff.
- Supposedly in the HACKER mode, the S550 will support standard dump
format (SDX) sound files.

Monitor Connection Pinout
The S-550 uses an 8-pin DIN connector. Although it is similar to the Commodore Amiga video connector, it has a different pinout.
Facing the female connector, if you start numbering clockwise starting with 1 at the 12 o'clock position, the pinout is as follows:
1: Blue
2: Red
3: +5V Output
4: Horizontal Sync
5: Ground
6: Vertical Sync
7: No Connection
8: Green

Firmware: /firmware/S550CD5.ZIP

The sdisk utility is needed to copy the S-550 firmware to a floppy disk. Instructions are included in the zip file.

sdisk: /firmware/sdisk.zip

Specifications

Year Released: 1987

Polyphony: 16 notes

Multitimbral: 16 parts

Screen: 16-character LCD

Power Consumption: 32 watts

Dimensions: 482 mm x 400 mm x 88 mm

Weight: 7.7 kg

This is a 2-space rack unit.

User Demo Videos

Rating

File Downloads

Roland S-550 Manual

Roland S-550 Service Notes

Items for Sale on Reverb

Roland S-550 Original System Disks ($40)

Roland S-550 Sampler Original System & Director-S Disks Hard Disc Utility Disk ($67.50)

1987 Roland S-550 Digital 16 Voice Sampler Rackmount ($436.95)

Roland S-550 Digital Sampler ($775)

Roland S-550 Digital Sampler incl. 21 Floppy Disks ($333)

Roland Users Group Magazine - Vol 7 no 4 - Adrian Belew, D-50/550, U-220, S-550 - 1989 ($10)

Roland S-550 Digital Sampler Original Manual ($69)

3 Roland S-550 Sampler Sound Bank Floppy Disks w/ Fuji Films Plastic Case #53626 ($49)

Roland Sound Bank Disks Volumes 1-4 for S-550 Sampler Dennis Budimir #54337 ($165)

Roland S-550 OS v2.00 Firmware Upgrade EPROM Set ($24.95)

Roland S-10 / 50 / 550 / 750 / 770 Set of 10 Pushbuttons front panel Tact Switches Micro Switch ($6.57)

ROLAND S550 Firmware 2.00 Latest Os Upgrade Update Sampler S-550 Eprom Kit ($19.19)

ROLAND S550 - Full set of 25 pushbuttons tact switches - New S-550 Sampler ($14.66)

Roland S-50 Sampler RSB-508 Sound Disc Library Box Set Complete 10 Disk's s50 S-550 ($85)

New Version USB Floppy Drive Emulator for Roland S-550 plus 100's of disks & OLED Display, 16GB ($100)

Roland MU-1 Mouse Controller for Roland Samplers - S-770 S-750 S-550 S-330 S-50 ($209.95)

Power Supply, 9-volt DC, Roland TB-303, TR-505, TR-606, TR-626, MC-202, SH-101, A-500S, SBX-1, BOSS ($22.64)

Roland - Fantom FA76 , EXR-5S , MC-808 ,GW-7 ,VP-550 , Juno-D/G - Power switch ($12.90)

Roland RSP-550 Owner's Manual [Three Wave Music] ($20)