emazamboni’s Retro Synth Adventure: The Roland E-20

The magic from the 80s and 90s video games relied on a little something called MIDI. emazamboni kicks off by explaining how these weren’t just any tunes, but symphonies composed by the humble synthesizer chips within computers. If you had just a basic setup, you were likely jamming out to a piezo speaker’s monophonic charm—pretending to do more than it was. But toss in a killer Sound Blaster card, and the audio world opened wide. Amongst the options lay the mysterious MT-32, a godsend for the few who had pockets deep enough. It was the real deal, the exact synth the original composers used. Hard not to want one after hearing those lush pads and shimmering leads!

Life throws curveballs, and sometimes it offers free synths. emazamboni tells a tale that sounds like an urban legend: discovering an MT-32 right where least expected. Hanging at a friend’s crib, a dusty keyboard caught the eye—a Roland E-20, to be precise. A dive into its DNA revealed an MT-32 chip inside, unleashing nostalgia that hits as hard as grandma’s tunes on a Sunday. Talk about a jackpot! The Roland E-20 wasn’t just an eighties synthesizer; it was a ticket to the sound of retro gaming nirvana. With its debut from Roland’s Italian lines, it’s packed with quirks and oozes vibes that make any synth-head weak in the knees.

Here’s where things get quirky and magical: emazamboni highlights how this baby can practically play itself. The Roland E-20 offers auto-arrangements—the granddaddy of all backing tracks. Programmed with 32 rhythms and their variations, it jams just as hard as any session musician. Switch on the arranger function, hit ‘Intro’, and you’re suddenly orchestrating a symphony. The neat trick? Star-level Italo disco beats that make you question why this isn’t compulsory at every retro party. The ability to manipulate volumes with the balance section adds another layer of musical wizardry to the box. It’s a synth with a mind and groove of its own, ready to transform any riff into a full-on tune.