Are Roland U220's still a good buy?

T

tjorenby

New member
Hey Everyone,

Im a 17 year old kid here looking to buy his first Midi Controller and sound module.

I want to spend about $500-600.
I found that i can get a 66 key midi controller for about $350. Sounds like I good buy.

but the other thing I need to get is a sound module. they can get pretty pricey. I know that the Roland U220 was pretty popular like 10 years ago.

Im not looking for any major super great sounds. i found that I could get a U220 for about $200 on Ebay.

Are they even worth buying anymore or are they a little too outdated?

thanks alot!
~Tyler Jorenby
www.garageband.com/tylerj
 
The sounds on the U220 are very, very thin compared to the quality of sounds available from other more current modules (and the number of avaliable sounds in the U220 is extremely limited - even with additional sound cards, which are hard to find).

Candidly, $200 may be too much for what a U220 can do (unless you're buying it for a specific "retro sound").

You would probably be much more satisfied with a Roland JV1010 - and while I haven't priced them I can't imagine that would be much more than $200.
 
Actually, I would say that's pretty pricey since I have a Roland U-20 (the 220 sounds/programming, but with the keyboard included) and I've seen them for sale for around $250. I'm thinking of upgrading when I can afford to, and I figure I'd sell mine for that.

FWIW, I just checked www.prepal.com, which tracks prices of goods off eBay and some other bid sites, and the U220 is going on average for $141, and it's value is going down. The U20 is going for an average of $222 and is also on the way down. SO I guess when I'm ready, if things stay the same, I'd be selling for $200 to $225 -- for the same sounds, keyboard included. EBay ain't always the best deal, but what can ya do if no good local selling forums are around.

Where do you live? Near San Francisco by any chance? [edit] Nevermind, I just saw you're in Minnesota.
 
I had a U220 back in the day. The sounds were okay, but they were strictly sample playback... no filters etc. and the effects were extremely basic. I would, if possible look into the JV line. Maybe the 1010 or 1080. Much deeper programming, effects and you can expand them.

Take care
 
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