Big on Sound
For the first time ever, an “affordable” synth doesn’t have to sound like one. The RS-9 and RS-5 are loaded with some of the best Roland sounds ever: 512 Preset Tones (including 256 GM2 Tones), to be exact. At the heart of these sounds are waveforms derived from the flagship XV-Series—including stereo grand piano, stereo strings, rock organ and rich analog synths—plus a collection of waves from the SR-JV80-Series and all-new waves like expressive drum kits and more. These professional waveforms, combined with an enhanced multi-effects section, make the RS-Series a sonic arsenal. But it doesn’t stop there. Both models also feature 24-bit D/A converters for crystal-clear sound quality
Easy to Play
With other synths, having so many sounds might be overwhelming. But the RS-Series’ Category Search function makes tonal navigation easy. Just select the type of sound you want—for example, Synths, Pads or Guitars—and scroll through the choices. You can also bookmark your favorite Performances with the Favorite Performance Bank buttons, conveniently located at the center of the front panel. Put simply, these synths are a breeze to use.
Advanced Arpeggiator and Realtime Control
The RS-Series was built with performance in mind. An onboard arpeggiator equal to that of the flagship XV-88 offers 45 variations including guitar strumming and MIDI tempo sync. Six realtime control knobs can be used for tweaking anything from filter cutoff and resonance to arpeggiator parameters like accent, shuffle, tempo and octave. And four of these knobs can be freely assigned per Performance. The RS-9 even features a dedicated Piano button—instantly transforming this 88-note synth into an expressive digital piano.
Sleek, Contemporary Style
The RS-9 and RS-5 are the only synthesizers in their class to offer a brushed aluminum front panel, giving these synths a distinguished look that stands out in a sea of “me too” keyboards. In fact, every inch of the RS-Series—from the clean front-panel layout to its smooth curves and compact, lightweight design—were carefully thought out to make these synths not just good-looking, but highly functional, too.
