Roland TB-3 Touch Bassline

Another AIRA component announced by Roland is the TB-3, which emulates the vaunted TB-303 bass synth.

Like the other components in the AIRA series, the TB-3 uses Roland’s new Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) modeling technology, to recreate the sounds of the the TB-303, and Roland has also duplicated the functionality of that instrument, with a lot of digital-era touches such as the Scatter feature, which allows for slicing, reverse, gating, and more, making possible the easy creation of stutter and glitch effects.

Features:

Modeled from a pristine TB-303 unit, the original spec sheets, and archival data
Roland’s ACB technology models each component and every aspect of the original TB-303 sound
Faithful recreation of the original saw and square oscillator waveforms
Attack, slide, tie, and other elements that characterize the TB-303 have been fully reproduced, including how they interact with each other
Authentic filter behavior with smooth response and classic sound
Pressure-sensitive touch pad
134 captivating sounds, including the original TB-303 tones and new four-oscillator, effects-processed basses, leads, and sound effects
Dedicated Tempo control with shuffle and tap tempo functions
Control built-in effects with smooth, responsive knobs
7-segment, 3-character LED display
Seamless switching between pattern creation and performance/
16-step indicator lights to aid in pattern creation
Pattern support for up to 32 steps
Easy access to shuffle control for bass lines that groove.
Enter steps manually or record in real time on the touch pad
Change step count during playback to alter the length of phrases
Random pattern generation and pattern modification
Pattern copy function

The TB-3 is expected to ship in March of this year. Definitive pricing hasn’t been announced, but early indications are that it will have a street price of around $299. For more information, visit RolandUS.com.