Roland SCC-1

The Roland SCC-1 GS sound card is a sample-based synthesizer by Roland Corporation released in 1992 for IBM PC and compatible systems. The Roland SCC-1 belongs to the Roland Sound Canvas product line and is an 8-bit ISA half-size card incarnation of the Roland SC-55 sound module supporting the General MIDI System and Roland GS Format. The sound source is controlled by an on-board MIDI Processing Unit, a variant of the MPU-401 unit.
Features
The SCC-1 is 16-part multitimbral with 24-voice polyphony. Individual sounds use one or two voices. The device is compatible with the General MIDI System Level 1 Specification, Roland GS Format and can emulate Roland CM-32P and Roland MT-32 devices. The SCC-1 has 317 or 354 sounds (depending on variant), 9 drum sets and digital reverb/delay and chorus effects .
The SCC-1 features a variant of the MPU-401 as the controller for the sound source engine. The SCC-1's MPU is accessed either from the ISA bus using interrupt and I/O address switching or the MIDI In connector. SCC-1's MIDI Out connector can be configured for MIDI Thru operation by software.
The sound source output is delivered to both of the audio outputs, 2x RCA (L/R) and the 3.5 mm miniature stereo jack.
Roland SCC-1 Variants
* SCC-1: Based on the original Roland SC-55, offering 317 sounds.
* SCC-1A: Based on the improved Roland SC-55 mkII, offering 354 sounds. When bundled with the Band-in-a-Box and BalladeGS software, is known as SCC-1B.

Roland later replaced the SCC-1 with a combination of their MPU-401AT MIDI interface card and SCB-55 Wave Blaster-compatible daughterboard. Roland referred to this combination as the SCM-15AT.
CM-32P and MT-32 Emulation
Since the SCC-1 has no programmable memory, CM-32P and MT-32 emulation is done by providing the same sound arrangement as the preset sounds of actual devices. These variation banks are enabled by playing back special SysEx containing MIDI files, for example GS32.MID (included in the SCC-1 Utility Software), prior to loading a software title. These specially arranged tone tables contain the relevant SCC-1 sound mapped at either CM-32P or MT-32 program number. Pitch bend range is changed to 12 semitone from GS default 2 semitones. Master tuning and modulation depth are not altered by the emulation. Pan directions are reversed from actual CM-32P or MT-32 devices. CM-32P or MT-32 specific MIDI SysEx messages are also ignored by the SCC-1.
MT-32 Emulation Samples
The Roland SCC-1's CM-32P and MT-32 emulation is based on using preset sounds of the actual devices without utilizing programmable memory or actual device synthesis techniques. This results as poor emulation with software titles relying on programmable, custom MT-32 sounds as demonstrated with the introduction from a computer game software by Sierra On-Line Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon.
Software titles supporting the Roland MT-32 but not utilizing its memory are emulated with better results by the Roland SCC-1 as demonstrated with the introduction song from Origin Systems' Ultima VI: The False Prophet.
Hardware Configuration
As being a legacy ISA card device, the SCC-1 requires the user to alter the on-board switches and jumpers in case of other conflicting devices present in the system with the same interrupt or I/O address. Possible interrupt lines are configured by a jumper from IRQ2 to IRQ7 with IRQ2 as factory default. Possible I/O addresses are set by switch SW2 and they are ports 330H (for data and command, status at 331H), 332H, 334H and 336H. The factory default is 330H. Mainstream IBM PC compatible sound cards, for example, the Sound Blaster card feature its own MIDI processing at port 330H, so in the popular system setup (Sound Blaster for digital audio and the SCC-1 for music), the conflict must be resolved by changing either one (preferably the Sound Blaster for maximum support for the default 330H port).
Use with Modern Systems
Microsoft Windows versions up to XP (even Windows NT) have support for the MPU-401 device driver, which can be used with the SCC-1. But since the Industry Standard Architecture I/O bus is now obsolete and missing from modern IBM PC systems, the use of the SCC-1 with modern systems will require special effort. Luckily the sound source (the on-board MPU) can be controlled via the MIDI In connection in addition to the obsolete ISA bus. The MIDI In connection makes stand-alone usage possible leaving the user only to satisfy the power requirements by either using a separate legacy ISA-equipped IBM PC system just to power up the SCC-1 card or making proper electrical connections directly to the card's ISA pins.
Physical Connections and Dimensions
* MIDI In (mini-DIN)
* MIDI Out (mini-DIN)
* Audio Output (RCA jack L,R)
* Headphone Output (stereo 3.5 mm miniature jack for headphones with impedances from 8 to 150 ohms)
Dimensions are 23 (w) x 198 (d) x 126 (h) mm and weight 0.170 kg (without cable) .
Power consumption: 200 mA (DC +5 V), 20 mA (DC +12 V). Power supplied by the computer.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu