“Vintage Charm” – with modern technology
It was only a matter of time, until the incribley popular TR-Series from Roland was resurrected. Numerous clones have been developed and yet no device has managed to even test the ranks of a TR-909 or TR-808. As a result of huge demand, the prices of used TRs on the second-hand market are sky high and continue to rise, no doubt also driven by their authentic ‘retro’ aesthetic.
The TR-8 offers next to the legendary sounds, an improved sequencer which gives the user faster access to all of the most important parameters without having to stop the instrument. The integrated compressor crowns the package. The days of investing an additional budget into expensive outboard equipment are in teh past. The TR-8 already has everything onboard. Every single track is transmitted via USB, making it easier to record and edit them individually with your favourite DAW.
For the transfer of the once analog circuits onto a DSP computational algorithm, the engineers have taken into account the characterisitcs of the original components to the most minute detail inorder to incorporate them into the formula as these fundamently affect the behaviour of the processed sound.
The sequencer is the heart of this piece of equipment. In the TR-REC mode, driving grooves can be created based on the running light programming in a very short time after selecting the desired instrument. And it can do all this without prior knowledge of rhythms.Alternativley in the INST-REC mode, notes can be played in real-time.
Via the back-lit faders, the volume can be changed in no time at all. The sooud characteristics are changed with the dedicated paramtmers, which are available for every instrument.
Dry sounds can be given more spatiality with the very good sounding reverb. Especially attractive is the fact that reverb effectsd can be applied to individual steps, allowing the production of new, rhythmic movements – an incredibley creative tool!
A compressor is simply indispensable for the production of electronic music. Thankfully the TR-8 possesses a great sounding compressor, which is applied and controlled with its own knobs over the Bass Drum and Snare respectively.
The compressor gives the desired sound more punch and a powerful character. After being passed through a compressor, an instrument is typically better suited for the mix, without losing volume.
External singalns (e.g. Roland TB-3 Touch Bassline) also profit from the compressor integrated into the TR-8. The dynamic influence of the input signal to be processed is aimed at applying the sidechain compression after the TR-8, whereby the mix sounds more homogenous and balanced. The bass always dominates the mix. Therefore the sidechain compressor is very interesting and practical in this situation. The put it simply; the mix of both devices are “stuck together” through the use of the compressor. Even this application is realized by a dedicated knob “External In”.
Dubstep is becoming an increbiley popular music style, which gets its charm from the use of crazy effects. The same effects can be created with the “Scatter” effect, whereby the rythms of the TR-8 are practically hacked into small pieces and are then looped at an incredible tempo. The intensity of this effect is controllable and there a numerous algorithms are available. Even input signals are run through the Scatter effect, as soon as it is activated.
Rolands new TR-8 is a great drum machine that can reproduce quite remarcably the classic 808 and 909 sounds. I miss the individual outputs for every sound though. Also, it doenst look so good as the older ones, I must say...
I was in a rather strange mental state when I entered a Kopenhagen music shop at mid-day. I played on a TR-8 and got kicked out when they shut at 6...
I fell in love. On paper its a Midi-controller loaded up with the most commonly used samples in the world right?
No, you just don't get it! This thing is alive, and just one of the most brilliant interfaces for creating a beat on.
The way it integrates with a computer is just magic. Sometimes I don't really understand how it does it, because most things are really complex. But I set it up in ableton as a sound device, and the audio in even comes through. You can even use the line out to snip out the cool "Scatter" sounds, which are just amazing. (I like making stupid noises).
If you chain a synth through it, the scatter combines both. You can take the midi out and mess with it and send it back,..
If only it had some kind of parameter locking it would be amazing. But forget that, do that in a DAW if you need to and get hands on and HAVE FUN.
THE MOST FUN IVE HAD FOR LONG TIME! Fall in love with life again (Y)
Don't follow your head. This is a machine with a soul, just as unque as what came before. Trust in it! I really don't understand the dislike for it, because everyone I know who has one and spent some time to learn it loves it
And follow me on instagram for examples! @noiseventures
Either if you're a DJ or a producer, you can use this machine in your setup with ease. As a Dj you can add elements to make your dj set come alive as almost a live act, as a producer, you get the sound of two of the most iconic drum machines ever and still can tweak it even more in your own DAW. Definitely worth it.
It sounds great, its fairly easy to use and you can have fun for days. Its meant to be played.
Its a revival of the most used sequencer of all time and the sound of the foundational machines of electronic music. It sounds right. OK its not analogue but it does a very good job at emulating the real deal. If you are doing electronic styles IMO this will easily beat using TR samples due to the flexibility on offer.
It has some limitations but then again the limitations were also part of the magic of the original boxes... Besides Roland keeps upgrading the OS and new features keep being introduced so thats another plus!