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Roland TR-707
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Roland TR-707

Drum Machine from Roland belonging to the TR series

Anonymous
Published on 10/23/08 at 09:12
Value For Money : Excellent
Well, a good old TR.
Certainly, it is neither the 909 nor the 808 or even 606. But the 707 is still a very interesting bcane.

15 figs sounds, not moldable (except volume): 2 feet, 2 snares, 3 toms, 1 clap, 1 rimshot, 1 cowbell, tambourine 1, 1 charley charley closed 1 open, 1 ride, 1 crash. With independent entrance audio output for each instrument (if my memory serves).

Squenceur 16 steps (2/2 or 4/4) or not 12 (3/4), recording in real time or not prog no.

Jurassic few KB of memory: 64 patterns and 4 songs. Very sufficient in normal use, dumping MIDI possible if need room.

Controllable by MIDI or Dinsync.

The machine is plastic from head to toe.

USE

Fairly simple machine to use, after reading the leaflet.

No noise rglage if not the volume of each instrument (some apairs), using good old knobs analos and focus (also adjustable by knob) So no for several hours making head to find her, Roland has chosen for you.

The squenceur is very simple, it Fawn matrix step sequencer program like any TR, or in real time the ear. Beat grid obtained is relayed by an ancient LCD screen fawn Game'n watch.
Each pattern has its own shuffle (modes 4 or 5 only), the flame (the same) and loop point.
A large dial to the tempo, which led some loupiottent and that's nearly all.

We can chain patterns steals or mount them to create the songs.

There's way of Building a good rhythmic base in less than 15 minutes if you are inspired. The result will not be uncommon, but may be very effective depending on the musical style for which the 707 will be used.

SONORITS

The sonority Gnrale is typically pop 80s, very open and bright, with grain of era and especially the presence ... was very nice. In fact, it sounds a bit like a "small" LinnDrum, but with a mix of GPs tend sounds (snare, toms, tambourines) and other synthetics trend (clap, rimshot, hi-hats ) .dropoff window The result remains all the same rather homogeneous enough grace to end grain typ.

The 15 instruments are not products from VCO / VCF but are all "sampls," or rather, "enregistrs lectroniquement" (which should return to the same). These "samples" are musically very good quality, not the finest and dtaills, but with a very very good fishing or hitting (notably the snares). I think that each sample is catapult to audio output by a good old juicy VCA is what gives them their presence my opinion, and that compensates a little the absence of a veritable g nration 100% analog as the TR plus (re) known.
Some sounds have also apparently does sampls on other pre-TR rules.

I would have liked to find two or three instrumentals over anyway, such as a conga or shaker, which have always failing me on this machine.

Some say gladly that 707 it sounds "kitsch" ... it is not a priori wrong, but what finally kitsch, if not what is actually ... typs sounds but good quality musically (grain and presence, as I recall), so no ridiculous that view. The rest is a matter of taste.
In short, a sonority "type" but easy to exploit if the style is CIBL electro-funk, electro-rock, italo disco, or downright "80s revival" why not ... Uses more small doses, can possibly find in Hip Hop, R'n'B and House. But for Techno, Indus, the acid, the drum'n'bass or hardcore, has less risk of being downright obvious ... but it is up to you.

NOTICE GLOBAL

One of the big advantages of the 707 is its "small" price, while remaining good vintage (admittedly not very versatile).
With this bcane, we have the possibility of gross sin, without using any compression. All instruments of 707 will place without wavering, even in the presence of a few large analog synths "bulky" the mix. The patterns are easy to program, there is no doubt that with a little creativity we can well exploit this bcane in no time. Like what, even with old pots, we can do something other than jam.

A point is note: the machine as very "rustic", it never bugged, what happiness!

She has a twin sister, the 727, which offers Latin sounds it. Both must complter marvel, but the price of the two reunited becomes substantially less interesting (the 727 is a little rarer and most expensive).