Roland MC, TB Series TB303, MC909, MC303, etc.

Roland TB303 Bassline and Roland mc303, mc307, mc505, mc909 grooveboxes – ML303 clone the bassline and the new „incarnation“.. DIY ml303

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Roland tb303

ehm this one very often used.. ;-) by Rob Acid.. so you may excuse the „shape“ ;)#
tb303 – need a say something on it? a very simple analogue synth with sequencer.. you know it!more: the tb303 section..

roland tb303
roland tb 303
acidcode.de
the tb303 mod project – this project may be found on another site sooner or later..
Acidcode TB-303 CPU!
get more on the tb303 section..
mr mathias märkers roland tb303 mod
the older project:
ML-303 DIY Board – Midi Version
see more on the tb303 section..
ml303
Roland MC machines
roland mc202<– thx for mc202 pic mikesonic
mc202? this is basically the sh101 with sequencer.. so have a look on it here..
in deutsch auch hier..
roland mc303
the mc303.. ok this needs not to be mentioned.. just a joke.. they tried to re-invent the tb303.. but it was „just“ a sample player and a step sequencer (lots of things seem not to be „brained out“ because the step mode can only be entered in a special „record“ mode and there is only ONE temporary buffer for edits!!! same on newer mc grooveboxes (mc505 , mc307, mc909 all do not provide real time edit of steps.. so you need to get a korg electribe .. strange, huh?) .. so they had to make some more MCs lateron.. most is not really perfect.. and its not analogue sounding.) anyway the beginning of very good composition tools like the korg electribes etc..keep on reading in the SEQ section!!

the mc505 is/has been a quite good extension to the mc303, usable sequencer and jv sound generation (means the standard roland rompler sound – no meant any bad here.. see roland) TR mode and a pattern can be up to 31 measures long.. very good so far and 16 tracks – but even the new mc909 is NOT able to be edited while it runs in play mode.. so: this is designed for „input“ only. not for changing on stage any steps as possible in the TR808 or jomox xbase or abnove mentioned electribe..

so this the odd point on the mc303 ,too..

it had a quite interesting and not-so limitied- successor: mc307 (of course same problem see above) but has all nice stuff in for sequencing!..

the mc307 is a „betweener“ mc303 and mc505.. the mc909 has samples, velocity sensitve pads (16) and a complete JV section incl USB interface.. very good.. they all seem to have no cool „roll“ funtionality.. as seen on electribe.. but beside the obove problems the mc series is very good to use.. the sound is average or jv-like. so expect to go along with a nice analogue synth or something.. (nord modular or what you like).. ah: the mc303 is not sounding like a tb303 – but you didn’t expect it to sound like it,do you? *g*

MC909 machines
roland mc909 groovebox
a little larger? this pic? click on it!!

the mc-909
is not bad, but has a major problem: no mc machine still can be used to edit any step in TR-mode live or in play mode!! (just like the TR909 or korg electribe).. that is still a big minus – good: velo pads!
complete JV synthesizer on board
die mc909 ,welche bisher immernoch nicht richtig getestet wurde, besonders bezüglich sequencer hat sich meine vorinfo bestätigt: der sequencer und die bedienung sind gut, aaaber: es ist NUR in einem speziellen rec-mode eingebbar, auch das velocityproblem ist GUT gelöst,aber das live-maleben-ändern ist nahezu unmöglich,da man dies NUR im rec-mode kann (TR mode oder realtime oder step ist dabei egal, geht NUR im rec mode und nirgendwo anders..)
man fischt also schonmal ein bisschen im trüben,wenn man TR-lauflicht und co will kann man haben, aber nicht so,wie dies übglicherweise verstanden wird: nämlich live änderbar und editierbar beim spielen..
richtig genial ist das anschlagfähige pads einfach im lauflichtmode durch entsprechendes anshclagen die velocity bestimmen!! spitze!! kompletter JV synthesizer an bord (also rom basierter synthesizer mit mehreren strängen „structures“ von OSC mit FXM (eine art FM dreckmacher) filter (multimode) und ringmodulation.. 2 LFOs mit mengen von wellenformen
sampling: leider keine echten multimodesamples,aber dafür gibt es für eine groovebox immernoch genug möglichkeiten – samples können per USB umgescchaufelt werden ! so und nicht anders!!! SCSI ist nämlich over! danke roland!
16 spur sequencer, mutebar, die „rhythmusspur“ ist dabei eigentlich mehrere spuren pro instrument.. wer die mc505 und mc307 kennt ,kennt auch diese maschine im handling. ausser genannte pluspunkte. und das ist positiv gemeint. FX und mastering sind nette dreingaben, dbeeam ist allerdings klasse und trackt besser als zB alesis airFX ,welche bei termischer einwirkung auch teilweise schwierig reagieren.. die mc909 folgt sehr exakt und schnell den handbewegungen beim d-beam.

btw: GROOVEBOX ™ is a trademark of roland! so it’s the same with walkman and sony ;)

D-Beam: it has 2 of them, like the Vsynth has..

roland mc909 black
the black mc909.. enlarge? click the pic!

mc909 board
mc909 board
enlarge this board? click on the image!

mc202:
deutsch / german: bitte hier lang..
english: please check the sh101 / mc202 info!ROLAND SP606

rolands new sp-606 allows control of software, the software is some sort of loop generator like the.. hmm, mc505.. very easy transfer of patterns by one button press
the sequencer did not improve here, but the concept is not bad.. the software is made by cakewalk, it has some pads to be controlled by the sp606’s pads as track mutes or track/pattern select or mutes.. quite mpc’ish!
this one is for LOOP based sequencing!!.. the internal sequencer is the only weak thing, so if placed by hand the sp606 is a cool tool for loops.. including a good integration of even slower pcs, because you can exactly import a loop by one button, cool & easy.. but ,hmm.. why no slicer?.. the new recordings can be used as soon as they’re recorded..
of course this is the predecessor of the sp505.. the sequencer is not the best but the rest is quite interesting incl synchro start of recordings etc.. so it will be quite easy to record loops without the need of truncating it …

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