MC 707 / 101 : New Roland Grooveboxes

If they open up the editing on this ting I think they’d sell loads more, it could be done in the sound edit menu without being too clumsy, scroll menu for each parameter group sub menu - osc, filter, env, lfo, etc.

I’d definitely buy another if they did, still might :laughing:

Naming and saving patches would be a bonus too.

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In that last insta you posted, was the 303 line a loop or was it internal sounds, just out of interest?

That was an edited internal sound, I don’t remember exactly which one it was, I think it was something like AX Synth Bass 2, but any sawtooth bass should be a good starting point for a similar sound I think.

This one has my 303 and 606/110 samples, crappy in built ipad mic recording but I tend to just use it at night on the sofa so can’t record direct.

The 303 samples are just single notes, then using the filter in the 101.

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Cheers for that, looks heaps of fun. Sofa jams ahoy!

That actually sounds pretty good, considering the built in iPad mic.

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Thanks @Synthtastic I just use a little JBL Go speaker with it.

Has anyone tried the Zen soundpacks? How much are they and are they any good? I don’t want to sign up without knowing if it is worthwhile.

not yet. The whole roland cloud site and terminology is quite confusing. And I was busy with those many sounds available. But slowly I recognize that I repeat using the same bunch of sounds over and over again. Also a lot of cheesy stuff in the factory content.
The random feature is pretty nice though.

Anyone has an idea where I can get some good Roland synth samples?
Always was using synths for synth sounds, but lately I tried some samples from mars 303 one shots on the OT and it sounded pretty cool.

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What is your needs list? I’m curious as to you, @papertiger and @Unifono taking this box to heart, and I don’t. I feel we’re generally in the same realm, so I wonder if maybe I’m missing something here.

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Ain’t that the truth, thought it was just me :laughing:

I am thinking of making and selling some sample packs, got quite a few old Roland gear plus others, it is time consuming work though so not sure how long it will take, but they will definitely be nice :wink:

For me the portability and ease of using my own samples in it, the classic Roland step sequencer with event list editing, the fact that you can use the eq and fx to make it sound release quality right inside that little box, the playability of the various pad modes like chord, scale, arp, and the fact that I can easily bring work or ideas made on it into my studio for finishing/sampling/fleshing out/jamming.
Deluge and OT aren’t going anywhere, but every Superhero needs a sidekick :laughing:

Edit:
Oh one other thing I forgot, I wanted a box with clip launching/scenes ability, where tracks contain patterns (as opposed to the other way around) so that the clips can be freely combined in any combination and launched at a button press. I wish it had more clips per track but I can forgive it since it is so small/cheap, it has plenty of scenes though.

Edit2: Some others I forgot, seq direction and first/last step play modes, the fact that each clip in a track can be from 1-128 steps and with divisions, the fact that when tracks are set to clip mode you can have different sounds and knob settings and fx in each track. Probably some other things I’m forgetting too.

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:slight_smile: thanks for the reply

Maybe I should give it another go. One thing that keeps biting me with the Deluge is the actual output quality as tracks fall into place. It doesn’t sound all that great, compared to exactly the same stuff run through the SP-16, for example, or just a beat from the Digitakt. It doesn’t quite glue it all together in ways that some other hardware do.

But I also never did much like Roland gear, for some reason they don’t attach to me (or I to them), so could be that I’m just not clicking with their approach to structure and stuff.

Yeah I think the sound quality can be shockingly good on it. Roland gear can be a bit idiosyncratic but once you roll up the sleeves and get stuck in it has some great functionality not seen much elsewhere, I’m a bit old school in preferring event lists to graphical/piano roll style so it probably explains why I like it.

Obviously though I like the Elektron, Deluge and Squarp sequencer methods too, but this is something as different to each of those as they are to each other.

Its a bit like a more user friendly MC-4/202 but with some +/-.

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I did make a few tracks on the MC-303 back in the days, when it was a new thing. I survived that. I should be able to finish at least one thing on this, before I judge it, perhaps :slight_smile:

Yeah, I think just sit with it and dive in, I’m lucky lately in that I can spend an hour or two each day exploring it, and I’d be the first to admit that it needs time or it will (in my case would have) go(ne)out the door.

Edit: Maybe load in some of your own oneshots and loops?

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well, they are.
got 9 of 36 available, but YMMV.
every pack has sound demo on description page, some of them even for every patch.

@chaocrator How much does each pack cost roughly on average?

those MC-x0x compatible are $0.99 each — which is no-brainer.
typically they have 16 or 32 patches, many also add 1 drumkit.

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It’s always 99cent/pack (~20sounds I think)

I got them all (36x 99ct…) and I think they are worth it if you like what you heard in the Sounddemo (SoundCloud).
The only annoying think is loading a sound , since the mc are not the fastest device it takes some time to open a sound pack and then load a sound to a track. (It’s not instant as with the presets)

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Yep, I know my sample library inside out, so maybe that’s the better way to go. I’m not all that much into synths lately anyway, so maybe that just makes more sense.

I will try and write a proper response later today. Slammed with work, the MC-101 is shining happily here, but the only sounds coming from the speakers are some bouncy Stimming tunes to try and keep me focused.

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Do you need a Roland Cloud subscription to buy the sounds or can you just buy the packs as a one off?