Nice, these got just released, alongside other improvements.
thanks for the news.
it seems to cost 75 euro. 
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pay for upgrade
Kind of reminds me of people paying for 808 samples for the AR … 
i guess it qualifies as an upgrade, as you also get a feature: more “sample slots” per drum track, not just the “samples”.
i still think 75 euro is a bit much… i.e. an elektron sample pack is half that price? and elektron updates/os upgrades are free…
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seems that no one can do anything without getting criticized and everyone wants everything for free.
Given that, here’s some comments -
[ul]
[li]The upgrade is cheaper than buying a real 707 and 727.[/li]
[li]It gives you more editing/tweaking capabilities compared to the real things or to a sample pack.[/li]
[li]It’s an optional upgrade; it’s not required to fix major bugs or to implement promised but missing functionality.[/li]
[li]Every company is free to adopt a release policy that works for their business model.[/li]
[li]If Elektron had decided to charge a nominal fee for upgrades, maybe they would have been able to hire more programmers and possibly develop better products faster.[/li]
[li]If you celebrate Christmas and your family says you are hard to buy for, the TR upgrade would be a perfect gift suggestion.[/li]
[/ul]
Nothing is “for free”, the same is true for Elektron upgrades.
People work for those upgrades, they get paid, that money has to come from somewhere.
Free upgrades are usually more customer friendly though and give users the feeling of a special benefit not offered by the competition.
Certainly, but a 7x7 sample pack taken from the internet and stuck in a drum rack in ableton or bitwig is even cheaper and offers even more possibilities.
I’m pretty sure i want the upgrade anyway, just to have that 808 fingersnap…
There’s a big difference between thinking everything should be free, and thinking 95$ is pretty steep for an upgrade to a machine that costs $500.
You still can’t save more than 16 patterns, and to me that’s a big WTF?
an Elektron sample pack is cheaper, indeed. However, let’s realize that an 808 sample pack costing 15 euros is a joke, especially since they can be found online for free. I also cannot help but notice that Elektron have been quite vocal about Roland, yet they’re selling Roland sounds (?!). Sounds that have defined electronic music as we know it today. The bare minimum would be to respect Roland’s legacy, and avoid snide comments, if at all possible.
Furthermore, Elektron presents bug fixes as “upgrades”. Bug fixes should be free, and not every OS update is an actual “upgrade”. The AR is a complete mess of bugs, it can’t stay in time when switching patterns, goes out of tune in chromatic mode, the BT gets stuck in higher notes on chromatic, sample handling is a pain. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still an Elektron fan, but a bit of humility, respect, and acknowledgement go a long way towards keeping your customers happy.
It would be really helpful to see Cenk and other Elektron employees respond to threads that matter, instead of making one - line snide comments every time someone mentions Korg or Roland, 2 companies that have shaped the music we hear today, long before Elektron even existed.
Cheers !
Possibly. But the exact same could be said about an 808 sample pack into a drum rack. Yet Elektron charge 15 euros for it. Double standards ?
It’s not a required upgrade. If the price or the sounds are not to your liking, then simply don’t bother.
They have been issues bug fix/new feature updates for free.
I’d rather have the option of adding a pack of new sounds (or not) to a reasonably priced machine versus paying $1000 for one and then getting soundpacks for free. The TR-8 out of the box is an amazing value for the money. Whether you choose to add more to it is up to you.
Every company picks their own road for releasing new products, bug fixes, enhancements, and upgrades. Apparently Roland is doing OK using their current model.
Yep, but I still stand by my comment…
Gotta say I pretty much agree with SecretMusic, bashing other brands - even if only joking (which I’m sure it was) is not good karma.
I suppose if I was a TR-8 owner I’d probably buy the upgrade, although it does seem a little high in comparison to the price of the whole drum machine, but then it is a lot cheaper than buying an actual 707 or 727, so I guess it is a cheaper way of getting those sounds.
Roland could quite easily have released the 707/727 in a whole new machine, I bet it would sell because those are solid classic sounds.
Personally I feel asking for payment for his “upgrade” is a mistake. Adding this new functionality would have sold more units over time and in anticipation of future updates. Now ? Well they are making the second hand market for the tr8 weird and as for making it an item of gear lust? Not so much. I see it as short sightedness.
Releasing hardware at a low price point and then charging for upgades that add functionality is a valid business approach. It also makes sense for when the actual sound generation is mostly done in software as is clearly the case here since the additional investment is all in writing and testing the new models.
At least is shows that Roland is somewhat dedicated to these machines beyond purchase which would be a nice change from how they treated this market segment in the past.
If they bring out a CR-78 upgrade I’m going to buy a TR-8!
Slow down guys. This isn’t an upgrade. It’s an expansion pack. Like Maschine has expansion packs, but is still on version x.xx.
At least that’s my understanding. Or that’s what the link says on an American web page. Perhaps words don’t translate the same.
The upgrade to the latest version released on 12/12 appears to be free.
I’m also of the mind that little digs at Roland is a bit pathetic really. I’m a RYTM owner …& I love it. But if I had the space & the cash I’d quite happily jump on a TR-8 too - I think it’s a great machine for the cash. Hell… If they drop 606 sounds next as an expansion pack (that’s what it is btw- not an upgrade) it might be hard to resist anyhow. I’m with Daren re Korg too - I think their range of cheap little boxes are awesome vfm & exactly in the spirit of everything that makes techno & house so special.