I hooked them up, then ran the audio out from the synth into the external input on the back of the TR-8S. When I first heard about this feature, I couldn’t wait to try it out with my friend’s Make Noise synth. You can access its sequencing by pushing the CC and RC pads together, which brings up a new track for just this purpose-there are no controls. This CV Gate Output is crucial for those of us who own Eurorack analog gear. This is a great alternative some people’s brains just aren’t built for performance, and this will help them get more out of the unit.Īnother cool add-on that isn’t really necessary, but still nice, is the addition of the Trigger Out on the back of the unit. If the step sequencer is not your thing, and you want to physically play your beats into the unit like an MPC, Roland have included a velocity-sensitive pad on the right side of the machine to tap out the rhythms. So, for example, your kick can be 16 steps, while your closed hat can be 12 steps.
While on the subject of the sequencer, I want to point out that if you are someone who is into polyrhythms and non-linear rhythms, Roland have added the ability for each track of a pattern loop to be set to its own length. Live musicians rejoice with all this open variety at your fingertips, you won’t have to program over a previously used pattern for a long time. That is a huge upgrade from the original TR-8. The big addition here is that, instead of 16 patterns, there are now 128, and instead of 2 variations for each pattern, there are now 8. This is as easy as popping your SD card into the slot on the back of the unit, or connecting the TR-8S to your computer directly and dragging the samples over.įor programming, you can still do it the original way via the 16-step sequencer. Not only did Roland include drum sounds, but they also have instruments like basses, lead sounds, plucks, and chords available… and they all sound good.Īnd if the onboard sounds still aren’t enough, then you can add your own samples into the mix. From DnB and Jungle, to House, Techno, and Trance, to Hip-Hop, RnB, and Soul-all the main electronic styles are there. No matter what you’re into or trying to make, there’s a sound for it. Genre-wise, Roland have got the bases covered. The TR-8S features detailed circuit models and every sound available in the most popular TR machines, including the 808, 606, 909, 707, 727. It’s a nice little touch that I didn’t expect, but I’m glad it’s there. These indicators make the process of finding the type of sound you need very easy. I was immediately blown away by the sheer number of sounds! And, as I searched through the library, I noticed that Roland have done something really clever with their labeling, by adding letters to the top of the screen to show where each sound originated.įor example, P = Analog-modeled sounds (featuring Roland’s Analog Circuit Behavior), S = Samples, L = Loops, U = User-imported samples. The first thing that I checked out upon powering up the TR-8S was its sound library. While essentially keeping the same form factor, Roland have updated and improved upon nearly every aspect of the TR-8. This updated version takes the original to a whole new level. Over the four years since its release however, users have had the chance to voice their opinions on how the TR-8 could be improved… and Roland has listened.Įarlier this year, the TR-8S was unleashed into the wild, incorporating many of the features that Roland’s users have requested. The TR-8, a drum machine which featured sounds from the classic 808 and 909 Rhythm Composers, was well-received in the music making community.
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Roland’s TR-8S is the next step in the evolution of their classic TR series drum machines, paying homage to their timeless sound while still pushing the design into new and exciting territories.Ī few years ago, Roland released the AIRA series of virtual analog synths in to the marketplace.