Roland D2 Groovebox

[Terina]

IkutaroKakehashi is the man behind the Roland brand and many of the early Roland drum machines we have come to know. Armed with a passion for experimenting with electronics, Kakehashi started a company called Ace Electronics. It was there that he developed a number of the ideas that would eventually lead to the more modern designs we know today.

Without going too far into detail on the boxes Kakehashi created with Ace, it's important to mention a couple that stood out as predecessors to the more modern Roland machines. After all, these are the beginnings of the early Roland drum machines.

CR-78 CompuRhythm: 1978 saw the creation of the first absolute classic Roland drum machine: the CR-78. The CR-78 was a groundbreaking machine due to its use of a microprocessor for program storage. This was a new and revolutionary technology at the time, and obviously program storage would become the norm going forward. From Blondie to Phil Collins to Hall and Oats, the CR-78 made it into all sorts of hit records and for good reason...it just sounded cool.

Hip-hop and rap from the '80s to the current day would not be the same without the sound of the 808 rattling our speakers and blowing out our subwoofers. From its early days with Afrika Bambaataa to Kanye West naming an album after it, the 808 is a monster among monsters in the Roland timeline.

TR-606 Drumatix: The 606 was like the more portable and cheaper little brother of the 808 without some of the editable bells and whistles on individual sounds. It could store up to 32 patterns and 8 songs, and patterns could be chained together. The TR-606 was meant to be used in conjunction with the TB-303 Bass line synthesizer (synced via DIN on the back), but it certainly works just fine on its own.

TR-909 Rhythm Composer: The next bonafide classic to come around was the TR-909. The 909 was to dance music what the 808 was to hip hop. It was also notable for being the first analog/digital hybrid machine in the Roland line. The Hats and Cymbals were sample-based, where the rest was analog.

SH-101: The SH-101 is another classic in the early Roland line. It is a single-oscillator synthesizer with some neat additions for user control over it live; and it was available in some zippy colors! Instead of a mod wheel which would normally accompany a keyboard based synthesizer, it has a strange little pitch bender that could control not only pitch bending but also filter cutoff and even the amount of the LFO being applied if the bender is pushed up rather than left or right.

Before going any further, let's briefly discuss the idea of the groovebox and what it means. A groovebox is a portable, self-contained instrument that is meant for the creation of live, typically loop-based music. In the modern day, the idea of the all-in-one workstation is one that we take for granted. In fact, most electronic music creators have something that can fill this role in some form or another at home. However, when Roland coined the term "groovebox," this was not the case.

MC-303: The MC-303 is the first of the MC series, and draws on the sampled sounds of a number of past machines. The MC-303 also has a low pass filter and a set of basic digital effects. Perhaps the greatest draw of the MC-303 though came in the form of its eight-track sequencer, which allowed the user to send MIDI out to control other machines or have other machines control the internal sound engine of the 303.

MC-505: The 505 was the successor of the 303 and added a few notable features. First off was the D-Beam controller, which allowed for hands-free modulation. Second was the MEGAMix function which allowed for mixing of different beats and patterns in real time. This added a dynamic in live situations that was previously unattainable.

MC-909: In 2002, Roland introduced the MC-909. The MC-909 has a number of upgrades from the MC-505, including a better and broader range of effects and a larger selection of available sounds. However, the biggest difference here is the ability of the user to add samples. Samples can be recorded directly into the machine or added via USB. This obviously contributes to a more personalized experience when using the groovebox.

MC-808: The MC-808 arrived in 2006, and would be the last of the Roland MC grooveboxes for a while to come. This model included double the polyphony from the MC-909 (now 128 note) and motorized faders. The 808 was actually cheaper than the 909, but did have a couple of features that were recognized as downgrades. In particular, it had a less flexible LCD display, and required USB connection to a computer for full patch editing.

MC-707: With the MC-707, Roland introduces the Zen-Core Synthesis System. This system combines Roland's work in virtual analog and modeling with modern PCM. One interesting feature of the Zen-Core System is that the user can now actually share sounds across multiple instruments or even with a friend. This allows for an ever evolving palette of sound.

The MC-707 includes tons of sounds from vintage Roland gear and a nice selection of effects to make them jump. The model includes bigger playable pads, knobs, faders and a friendly interface to navigate all the goodies inside. The sampling is also more in depth, with the ability to thoroughly edit in the box. The 707 is leaps and bounds closer to the idea of the production one stop the MC series was created to be.

MC-101: The 101 is undoubtedly the smaller sibling of the 707. The full scope of sounds and effects that are on the MC-707 are also on the MC-101 but with half the tracks. So what is the point of the 101 then? Portability! The MC-101 can operate on four AA batteries and is much smaller, so those looking to travel but still create can easily slip the 101 in a bag and go.

Obviously this means there are a few compromises, and these mostly come in the form of simultaneous controls available on the front. The 101s front panel either gives you access to one parameter from each track at a time, or is focussed on the parameters from a single track. A number of the deeper functions will also undoubtedly be a little more menu intensive than on the 707 but are still available.

With all the advancements of technology and updated interfaces, we live in a new golden age for music equipment. The creative possibility in the modern Roland grooveboxes is staggering, and the uses are only limited by the imagination of the person using them. After all, you can have the sounds from ten Roland machines in one small box that fits in a backpack. Crazy! However, even with all of that considered, the prices and desire for vintage Roland gear are still climbing year by year.

There is also something to be said for the simple and immediately playable layouts on those old machines. Familiarity with an old TR series machine is like sitting around with an old friend and having a connection that is at once deeply personal and in the moment.

The Roland MC-303 is the first of a series of musical instruments known as a groovebox. It combines a simple sound module with a sequencer to record and store notation, along with controls aimed at encouraging the musician to improvise the music while it is playing. Despite the number in its name and the attention it received at its launch, the MC-303 has more in common with other MC prefixed synthesizers (such as the Roland MC-202), which contain built-in sequencers, than it does with the famous Roland TB-303. As the first Groovebox, the MC-303 was the first in a line of inexpensive products specifically targeted towards house DJs and amateur home musicians rather than professional producers. It was superseded by the Roland MC-505. It is the predecessor to the Roland JX-305, Roland D2, Roland MC-307, Roland EG-101, Roland MC-09, Roland MC-909, Roland MC-808, and most recently the Roland MC-707 in 2019, along with its more portable sibling, the Roland MC-101.

The synthesizer built into the Roland MC-303 is a rompler which contains sounds largely drawn from classic Roland synths and drum machines such as the TB-303, TR-808 and TR-909 along with the Juno series and various other dance themed sounds such as pads, pianos, strings and vinyl scratches. The sounds can be manipulated with a low-pass filter, various modulation capabilities and some simple DSP effects. It doesn't have a sampler, although the instruction book contains instructions for getting it to control an external sampler.

The most important part of the MC-303 is its built-in pattern based 8 track sequencer. Each pattern can contain up to 32 bars. It can record and send MIDI data via the MIDI jacks on the rear panel, enabling its internal sequencer to control other sound modules, or its internal sound module to be controlled by an external sequencer. Although communication with other devices is possible, the main advantage to the MC-303 with its small form factor and all-in-one design is the ability to use it as a self-contained studio, albeit an amateur one. Featuring a micro-keyboard that can also be used as a drum sequencer, the MC-303 imitates the handling as well as the look and feel of other famous Roland synthesizers and drum machines such as the MC-202, TB-303, TR-808 and TR-909.

One criticism made of the machine in various reviews, including the August 1996 issue of Sound on Sound magazine,[1] was that the sound module was essentially limited to only playing built-in preset sounds, discouraging innovation. From a more technical perspective, a major concern was that any knob tweaks made during real time recording were not transmitted via MIDI. The number of preset patterns (mostly aimed for Trance and Techno music) outweighed the number of programmable user patterns which also discouraged innovation. Roland responded in part to these criticisms in its later grooveboxes by solving the MIDI problem, increasing the synthesis capabilities and user pattern storage and adding a sampler section.[citation needed]

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