Asking for no other reason than curiosity. Are you using any of the modern emulations of the classic X0X drum boxes (or the real thing)? Which ones are your favs? Do you just hate them for whatever reasons? Do you prefer something else?
Personally, I haven’t tried too many of them. I owned a TR-6S for a short bit and thought it sounded awesome, but didn’t love the workflow and prefer my Elektrons, so I sold it recently. I’ve never tried the TR 909 or 08, or the Behringer version, but they look cool. I mostly use my RYTM mk2, Digitakt, and Syntakt, but I very much tend to favor sounds that are 808/909-ish when I’m creating my own or when layering in samples (e.g., Samples from Mars).
Your Fav 808/909/etc Hardware in 2022?
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- KVRAF
- 12265 posts since 7 Sep, 2006 from Roseville, CA
Logic Pro | LUNA Pro | OB-X8 | Prophet 6 | OB-6 | Rev2 | TEO-5 | Pro 3 | SE-1X | Minitaur | Deepmind 12D | Slim Phatty | TR-1000 | Analog RYTM mk2 | Digitakt 2 | TD-3 MO | TD-3 | Maschine+
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- KVRist
- 385 posts since 15 Jan, 2003
The Roland TR-8S is the drum machine I most favor for classic Roland TR sounds. It is not used often, as I presently lean towards the sounds and workflow of the Jomox Alpha Base and Elektron Rytm MKII.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 12265 posts since 7 Sep, 2006 from Roseville, CA
I considered a TR-8S before getting my 6S (same sound engine in a smaller box). I’d still consider it at some, particularly if they’d add a song mode or a better way of triggering loops from my DAW. This most recent update added some really nice features, but it came out about a week or so after I sold my 6S.
I’ve never owned or used a Jomox, but they really do look amazing from the various demos I’ve seen/heard.
I’ve never owned or used a Jomox, but they really do look amazing from the various demos I’ve seen/heard.
Logic Pro | LUNA Pro | OB-X8 | Prophet 6 | OB-6 | Rev2 | TEO-5 | Pro 3 | SE-1X | Minitaur | Deepmind 12D | Slim Phatty | TR-1000 | Analog RYTM mk2 | Digitakt 2 | TD-3 MO | TD-3 | Maschine+
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- KVRist
- 42 posts since 18 Jun, 2013 from Canada
I’ve had a TR-8 (with expansion) for around 18 months and love it. It’s very immediate and hands-on and enough to scratch my itch for Roland TR kit.
Lately I’ve been running the 4 audio outs into Ableton as an fx processor, along with my TD-3. Very fun for noodling and jamming. But I find it too much of a bear to do anything beyond jamming. I get stuck in my head trying to EQ and shape the sounds to be like my goto samples that I use when fleshing out a track.
I also have an MC-101 which comes with a wide range of “official” Roland samples and the ability to load your own. If used only as a sample player, you get 16 samples x 4 tracks (64 samples maxed out), each track having an insert fx, and global reverb, delay, and one open fx (there’s a “lofi compressor” that can be lots of fun). No song mode, but it does pattern chaining and you can definitely build a song that way.
If I had the money, I’d love to grab a Jomox or MFB. I’ve also thought about getting a Volca beats and modding it. And I’ve eyeing up a Korg ESX, but I feel like the MC-101 provides more.
So yeah, TR-8 and MC-101 for me.
Lately I’ve been running the 4 audio outs into Ableton as an fx processor, along with my TD-3. Very fun for noodling and jamming. But I find it too much of a bear to do anything beyond jamming. I get stuck in my head trying to EQ and shape the sounds to be like my goto samples that I use when fleshing out a track.
I also have an MC-101 which comes with a wide range of “official” Roland samples and the ability to load your own. If used only as a sample player, you get 16 samples x 4 tracks (64 samples maxed out), each track having an insert fx, and global reverb, delay, and one open fx (there’s a “lofi compressor” that can be lots of fun). No song mode, but it does pattern chaining and you can definitely build a song that way.
If I had the money, I’d love to grab a Jomox or MFB. I’ve also thought about getting a Volca beats and modding it. And I’ve eyeing up a Korg ESX, but I feel like the MC-101 provides more.
So yeah, TR-8 and MC-101 for me.
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- KVRAF
- 1863 posts since 11 Apr, 2008
RD-9.
I always wanted to have 909. I grew up with this drum machine (music).
Just recently I moved to OTB. For over 20 years I couldn't get good results with samples or emulations (d16, Roland) that would satisfy my nostalgia of the "90s sound". Roland Cloud is equivalent to their boutique hardware minus the horrible experience of working with a microscopic interface (I thought that I'll be fine with it but boutiques for me are not fun to interact with it).
RD-9 did it. Oh man it does more than I expected. This machine is "the 909". When the full section play it's a pleasure to listen. It sounds alive and organic. All drums are like one body.
For the first time I can tweak pitch in econds to get good results. I couldn't get that from samples and other emulations. It always sounded disembodied. Like separate drum sounds that don't feel comfortable to be together. Tweaking, adding effects, more effects, constant fight to get them right. With RD-9 it's a breeze to make a full section, ready to be recorded with minimum processing (effects for a personal taste, not mixing effects to make it sounds good together): classic delay/reverb on clap, saturation on snare, EQ on kick...
Yeah, Kick is the only one that can disappear under a dense bassline. I'm yet to figure out how to process it for a modern day techno and progressive house. But I have it just for about 2 weeks. EQ and compressor pedals will most likely help.
I always wanted to have 909. I grew up with this drum machine (music).
Just recently I moved to OTB. For over 20 years I couldn't get good results with samples or emulations (d16, Roland) that would satisfy my nostalgia of the "90s sound". Roland Cloud is equivalent to their boutique hardware minus the horrible experience of working with a microscopic interface (I thought that I'll be fine with it but boutiques for me are not fun to interact with it).
RD-9 did it. Oh man it does more than I expected. This machine is "the 909". When the full section play it's a pleasure to listen. It sounds alive and organic. All drums are like one body.
For the first time I can tweak pitch in econds to get good results. I couldn't get that from samples and other emulations. It always sounded disembodied. Like separate drum sounds that don't feel comfortable to be together. Tweaking, adding effects, more effects, constant fight to get them right. With RD-9 it's a breeze to make a full section, ready to be recorded with minimum processing (effects for a personal taste, not mixing effects to make it sounds good together): classic delay/reverb on clap, saturation on snare, EQ on kick...
Yeah, Kick is the only one that can disappear under a dense bassline. I'm yet to figure out how to process it for a modern day techno and progressive house. But I have it just for about 2 weeks. EQ and compressor pedals will most likely help.