Roland TR-8S - (New TR-8 with user samples and individual outs)

[rob_lee]

Roland TR-8S Techno Sound Design Tutorial

[Flood]

Is anyone else chomping at the bit for a possible update to this incredible machine this Sunday (8/8)? Personally, I would love to see:

• Probability added to steps
• The ability to lock the tune knob to chromatic pitches
• One LFO per track rather than per kit

And a host of others that I can’t recall off the top of my head… anyone else?

[mprinsen]

I’d love a tune option for all ACB drums. So for example: the 909 kick has a tune parameter, but it does not actually tune the whole drum, but rather the pitch envelope depth. I would love to actually tune the whole drum!

[Synthtastic]

These would all be great additions. Taking the tuning even further, it would be great to be able to select pitches within a scale.

I’d also like to be able to set the fill to alternate between both fill patterns.

[no-thanks]

The main thing I want is an easier way to build or upload kits with imported samples. I’ve barely spent any time building my own kits with samples because, well, I’m lazy. If it worked like the SP404 where you could import a folder and the samples were auto-assigned in order, that would be great.

[MichalHo]

All of those would be fantastic.

[Microtribe]

Some good tips in here. I was noting the key combos, I didnt know a few of those.

I liked the filter tricks, sounds pretty good actually, I havent used the filters much at all since I use mostly ACB or the FM sounds for drums, havent really tried to make synthy sounds.

[CCMP]

I’ve just picked up a TR8S and find it unbelievable that there’s no searchable term for ‘metronome’ or ‘click’ in the reference manual or owners manual, and that there’s no obvious control/label ANYWHERE for a metronome/click track on a DRUM MACHINE!!!

Apologies for the rant, but I’ve got off to the worse start with it because of this. So frustrating… still haven’t found it if anyone would be kind enough to enlighten me…

[jeffe]

There’s no metronome - like the 808 or 909, or even a machinedrum.

Use a rimshot or something.

[CCMP]

Thanks for the heads up.
Find it hard to believe there’s no click on it… having to make one is a PITA when you’ve been playing with an idea on pads… hmmm.

[Microtribe]

@CCMP

Thanks for the heads up.
Find it hard to believe there’s no click on it… having to make one is a PITA when you’ve been playing with an idea on pads… hmmm

Really? Loads of drum machines dont have a metronome. Kinda because they are a metronome I guess…
Not that hard to put four notes in on what ever spare voice until youve recorded your beat then delete the four notes.

[CCMP]

Yeah, that’s fair enough… it just makes it more of a ‘programmer’ than a ‘player’… I should have done more research and not presumed.

It also caught me out because I have an MC707 that does have a metronome… anyway… it’s back in its box for now.

[Microtribe]

@CCMP

it just makes it more of a ‘programmer’ than a ‘player’

What if you play your quarter notes in? Or eighth notes or whatever, I mean, youre gonna need them anyway right?

[CCMP]

My main units currently are an Analog Rytm and MPC Live 2. I’ll come to both of these with a kit set up and start playing pads… as soon as I get something, it’s tap tempo, metronome on, then play in what I’m doing.

Having to stop this to find a rim/hat, place in 1/4’s or 1/8’s stops that flow and I can easily forget/alter what I was playing with that delay.

I know it sounds like nitpicking and/or insignificant, but it’s important to my creative workflow.
When I come back to the TR8S, I’ll now know that that’s a factor of it I need to remember.

It’s disappointing though because I genuinely wanted the TR8S to impress me from the off, and it’s failed in that for now.
(Usual caveats for ymmv, and I’m glad if others like it as a drum machine.)

[Microtribe]

@CCMP

My main units currently are an Analog Rytm and MPC Live 2

Well if built in metronome is a deal breaker you can probably live without the TR8-S.

I like the TR8-S. Cant say I ever thought about metronome. I usually just bang in 2 snares, then play the rest in. Copy and paste to make variations after that. Super quick and easy.

Ive been considering an MPC for linear sequencing possibilities myself, not sure if i can be bothered learning another sequencer though. Got plenty of knobs to twiddle, and so little time.

[CCMP]

@Microtribe

Ive been considering an MPC for linear sequencing possibilities myself, not sure if i can be bothered learning another sequencer though. Got plenty of knobs to twiddle, and so little time.

Yes, same here… that dawned on me with the first mess with the TR8S, I haven’t got the inclination to learn another sequencer… I thought I’d be able to jump on and use my 707 knowledge, but I know it’s going to take a bit more than that.

If you did take the plunge on the MPC though, it’s a great time to do it with the recent update… it’s not without it’s own learning curve, but it is a beast.

[kryten42]

Hmmm, big update hasn’t arrived as we had hoped…but a minor update was released today (2.03), maybe paving the way for a future biggie

Roland - Support - TR-8S - Updates & Drivers

[Flood]

A couple of guys can dream, right?

[d4ydream]

Hoping they fixed the swing bug I found…just saw this and I’m going to load it up today.

Edit: Just based on the notes stating one bug being fixed it looks like they didn’t fix my bug. And Roland Support had even acknowledged it as a bug.

[d4ydream]

@d4ydream

Cause of issue found though I’m waiting for a reply from Roland. I did not do a factory reset prior to upgrading so they suggested I do a back up and start there. The default pattern did not exhibit this behavior. I restored my backup and the issue persisted.

Support also asked me to check my shuffle settings.

I checked the shuffle and there was a +30 shuffle applied. Setting it to 0 remedies the problem but I am at a loss as to why it causes the behavior it does.

If I have |----------------|---------------X| programmed and apply anything above +5 (all the from +6 to +127) shuffle it plays |---------------X|----------------|.

@d4ydream

Hopefully Roland support can reproduce it then submit it as a bug. I defaulted my machine again and tested on factory pattern that I cleared. Issue is definitely there.

Edit: Support reproduced the issue. Hopefully something addressed in a firmware fix.

Found this bug and support confirmed reproduction of it on May 19th. Sad if they didn’t fix it.

EDIT: Sweet Geebus! FIXED! Just not listed in the patch notes To clarify, bug introduced in 2.0.1 and fixed in 2.0.3. Happy times. Minor but I put hits on that step often.