Roland TB 303 Effects

[dj-enzo-ch]

Hello,
I'm still looking for a good effects chain for the Roland TB 303. I've tried so many plugins, including distortion and Oberdrive, but none have convinced me. Do you have any recommendations for properly tweaking the Roland TB 303's effects?

Thanks.

[Winstontaneous]

What exactly are you going for (either conceptually or audio examples)?

I don't have the Roland 303 plugin, but I have AudioRealism ABL3 (very close 303 clone) and D16 Phoscyon 2 (adds quite a few features) and D16 Devastor 2 (3-band diode-modeled distortion). I find the Devastor distortion sounds very similar in basic character to the distortion on ABL3 and Phoscyon. Cytomic's The Scream plugin - while modeled on a different distortion circuit (Ibanez Tube Screamer) - sounds utterly great with whatever synths I've run through it.

[SamDi]

I am not a 303 expert, but according to my experience:

1.) most important effects for 303 are delay, compressor and distortion (am I influenced from Rebirth?)
2.) square wave is better for distortion than saw wave, because in saw wave all overtones are already there, so it's easier to get messy
3.) distortion sounds best, when not the whole frequency spectrum is distorted, but rather a small frequncy band. I get best results, when emphasizing a frequency peak between 400 and 800 Hz. You can try a multiband-distortion like Saturn from Fabfilter or you can EQ it in a way that you have a peak there.
4.) dependent on 303 settings you can get the peak also from there from cutoff frequency combined with high resonance settings
5.) I personally find it more useful with the compressor before the distortion, because with the dynamic behaviour of the signal, you can control the way it is distorted afterwards

[osiris]

AudioThing has a Valve Filter that can make a bass sound like a 303 if you tweak it right.

[Vortifex]

Stick a Disperser on it for some extra juice.

[oscillik]

I am not a 303 expert, but according to my experience:

1.) most important effects for 303 are delay, compressor and distortion (am I influenced from Rebirth?)
2.) square wave is better for distortion than saw wave, because in saw wave all overtones are already there, so it's easier to get messy
3.) distortion sounds best, when not the whole frequency spectrum is distorted, but rather a small frequncy band. I get best results, when emphasizing a frequency peak between 400 and 800 Hz. You can try a multiband-distortion like Saturn from Fabfilter or you can EQ it in a way that you have a peak there.
4.) dependent on 303 settings you can get the peak also from there from cutoff frequency combined with high resonance settings
5.) I personally find it more useful with the compressor before the distortion, because with the dynamic behaviour of the signal, you can control the way it is distorted afterwards

I appreciate the insights here, thank you.

[Music Engineer]

I typically use: (1) distortion (e.g. hard-clipper). (2) stereo delay (e.g. tempo-synced ping-pong, 8th notes). In many tracks, I hear reverb on the 303 but I tend to think, you can get away without reverb when you have the right delay settings. But in one way or the other, a 303 needs (after the distortion) some sort of spaciousness and stereoization. Stereo delay can do this job just fine, in my humble opinion. I tend to stay away from "muddying" effects like chorus, flanger, doubling, etc. - a 303 needs to remain clear, crisp and focused. It needs to keep its "bite" which shouldn't be washed out too much by effects - but it should also sound spacious and have some decent stereo width. These are two somewhat conflicting requirements and a reason why I tend to prefer delay over reverb. It gives the sound the desired space and width without muddying it too much. Also, for the distortion, I really tend to prefer a simple hard clipper over softer curves like tanh and co. This is what creates the aggressiveness and "bite" in the first place. Softer "overdrive" or "saturation" like settings do not typically work as well even if you drive them harder. A moderately driven hard clipping curve tends to work better than a hard driven soft clipping curve. ...of course - all according to my personal taste - your mileage may vary

[Audiority]

Try our Pyros. I designed the first algorithm (A Rebus) back in 2008/2009 specifically for my acid basslines

[_leras]

One thing is the accent. Accent gives a louder output on some notes, some of the classic 303 riffs utilise this by the levels that go into a distortion pedal.

Like a guitarist can setup so louder notes crunch and distortion more, so you can set this up on a 303.

This is one way to level up a 303 riff.