All Topics  
Roland TB-303

 
Roland TB 303

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Roland TB-303
 
 
  Topics Roland TB-303 Topic Home

The Roland TB-303 Bass Line is a synthesizer
Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequency....
 with built-in sequencer
Music sequencer

A music sequencer is software or hardware designed to create and manage computer-generated music.Originally, music sequencers did not include the ability to record audio....
 manufactured by the Roland corporation
Roland Corporation

is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ?33 million in capital....
 from 1982 to 1984 that had a defining role in the development of contemporary electronic music
Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology....
.

The TB-303 (named for "Transistor
Transistor

In electronics, a transistor is a semiconductor device commonly used to Electronic amplifier or switch Electronics signals. A transistor is made of a solid piece of a semiconductor material, with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit....
 Bass
Bass (musical term)

Bass , when used as an adjective, is used to describe Pitch s of low frequency or range . Played in an musical ensemble/orchestra, such notes are frequently used to provide a counterpoint or counter-melody, in a harmony context either to outline or juxtapose the progression of the chord s, or with Percussion instrument to underline the rhyth...
") was originally marketed to guitarists for bass accompaniment
Accompaniment

In music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with a solo ist or Musical ensemble, often known as the lead, in a supporting manner as well as the music thus played....
 while practicing alone. Production lasted approximately 18 months, resulting in only 10,000 units. It was not until the mid- to late-1980s that DJs
Disc jockey

A disc jockey is a person who selects and plays sound recording for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc refers to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling....
 and electronic musicians in Chicago
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
 found a use for the machine in the context of the newly developing house music
House music

House music is a style of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, USA in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discoth?ques catering to the African-American, Latino, and gay communities, first in Chicago, then in New York City and Detroit....
 genre.

Phuture
Phuture

Phuture is a Chicago-based acid house group founded in 1985 by DJ Pierre, Spanky, and Herb J.Their 12-minute track Acid Tracks is one of several recordings that lay claim to being the first-ever acid house record....
's "Acid Tracks" is widely acknowledged to have been the first Acid House
Acid house

Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance music-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics....
 recording to incorporate prototypical TB-303 sounds, but actually the 1985 recording "I've Lost Control" is the very 1st record with the TB-303 to incorporate the Acid House
Acid house

Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance music-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics....
 sound.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Roland TB-303'
Start a new discussion about 'Roland TB-303'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The Roland TB-303 Bass Line is a synthesizer
Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequency....
 with built-in sequencer
Music sequencer

A music sequencer is software or hardware designed to create and manage computer-generated music.Originally, music sequencers did not include the ability to record audio....
 manufactured by the Roland corporation
Roland Corporation

is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ?33 million in capital....
 from 1982 to 1984 that had a defining role in the development of contemporary electronic music
Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology....
.

The TB-303 (named for "Transistor
Transistor

In electronics, a transistor is a semiconductor device commonly used to Electronic amplifier or switch Electronics signals. A transistor is made of a solid piece of a semiconductor material, with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit....
 Bass
Bass (musical term)

Bass , when used as an adjective, is used to describe Pitch s of low frequency or range . Played in an musical ensemble/orchestra, such notes are frequently used to provide a counterpoint or counter-melody, in a harmony context either to outline or juxtapose the progression of the chord s, or with Percussion instrument to underline the rhyth...
") was originally marketed to guitarists for bass accompaniment
Accompaniment

In music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with a solo ist or Musical ensemble, often known as the lead, in a supporting manner as well as the music thus played....
 while practicing alone. Production lasted approximately 18 months, resulting in only 10,000 units. It was not until the mid- to late-1980s that DJs
Disc jockey

A disc jockey is a person who selects and plays sound recording for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc refers to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling....
 and electronic musicians in Chicago
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
 found a use for the machine in the context of the newly developing house music
House music

House music is a style of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, USA in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discoth?ques catering to the African-American, Latino, and gay communities, first in Chicago, then in New York City and Detroit....
 genre.

Phuture
Phuture

Phuture is a Chicago-based acid house group founded in 1985 by DJ Pierre, Spanky, and Herb J.Their 12-minute track Acid Tracks is one of several recordings that lay claim to being the first-ever acid house record....
's "Acid Tracks" is widely acknowledged to have been the first Acid House
Acid house

Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance music-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics....
 recording to incorporate prototypical TB-303 sounds, but actually the 1985 recording "I've Lost Control" is the very 1st record with the TB-303 to incorporate the Acid House
Acid house

Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance music-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics....
 sound. Chicago House Icon Adonis
Adonis (artist)

Adonis is a Chicago acid house pioneer with classic "We're Rockin Down The House" released in 1986. Also produced such pioneering works as 'No Way Back'....
 played the 303 parts of the song. There is a even a video circulating of the Adonis
Adonis (artist)

Adonis is a Chicago acid house pioneer with classic "We're Rockin Down The House" released in 1986. Also produced such pioneering works as 'No Way Back'....
 song "No Way Back" being played at the Aragon Ballroom
Aragon Ballroom

The Aragon Ballroom is the name of two historic ballrooms.*Aragon Ballroom , still in operation, is located in Chicago, Illinois.*Aragon Ballroom , now defunct, was located at Lick Pier in Venice Beach....
 in Chicago
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
 in 1985, even before "I've Lost Control" was recorded. This song is another example of Adonis
Adonis (artist)

Adonis is a Chicago acid house pioneer with classic "We're Rockin Down The House" released in 1986. Also produced such pioneering works as 'No Way Back'....
's innovative use of the TB-303. Earlier recordings featuring the TB-303 can be traced back as far as the early Electro
Electro (music)

Electro is a genre of electronic music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 and funk records. Records in the genre typically have electronic sounds and some vocals are delivered in a deadpan, mechanical manner, often through a Vocoder#Musical applications or other electronic distortion....
 scene, including artists such as Ice T
Ice T

Tracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is a Grammy Award and NAACP Image Award winning rapper, actor, and author. He is credited with helping to pioneer gangsta rap, a sub-genre of hip hop music, in the late 1980s....
, Newcleus, and Mantronix, as well as pop musicians
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 such as Heaven 17
Heaven 17

Heaven 17 are a British synthpop band originating from the city of Sheffield in the early 1980s....
 and Section 25
Section 25

Section 25 are an England post-punk band, best known for their classic Techno single "Looking from a Hilltop."Section 25 were formed in Blackpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom in November 1977 in music....
.

In the early 90's, as new Acid styles emerged, the TB-303 was often overdriven, producing a harsher sound. Examples of this technique include Hardfloor
Hardfloor

Hardfloor is a Germany techno music duo, consisting of Oliver Bondzio and Ramon Zenker. Their most famous track is "Acperience 1" .Their distinctive acid house sound is credited to their virtuoso skill at manipulating Roland TB-303 bass synthesisers, they reputedly use up to six of these machines at once....
's 1992 EP "Acperience", and Interlect 3000's 1993 EP "Volcano".

The well-known "acid
Acid house

Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance music-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics....
" sound is typically produced by playing a repeating note pattern on the TB-303, while altering the filter's cutoff frequency
Cutoff frequency

In physics and electrical engineering, a cutoff frequency, corner frequency, or break frequency is a boundary in a system's frequency response at which energy flowing through the system begins to be reduced rather than passing through....
, resonance
Resonance

In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at maximum amplitude at certain Frequency, known as the system's resonance frequencies ....
, and envelope modulation
Envelope modulation

On a subtractive synthesizer, envelope modulation is the amount that a modulation envelope effects a certain parameter Most synthesizers include an ADSR envelope, meaning:...
. The TB-303's accent control modifies a note's volume, filter resonance, and envelope modulation, allowing further variations in timbre
Timbre

In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices or musical instruments....
. A distortion effect, either by using a guitar effects pedal
Effects pedal

An effects pedal is an electronic effects unit housed in a small metal or plastic chassis used by musicians, usually electric guitar players, to modify their instrument sound....
 or overdriving the input of an audio mixer, is commonly used to give the TB-303 a denser, noisier timbre--as the resulting sound is much richer in harmonics.

The head designer of the TB-303, Tadao Kikumoto
Tadao Kikumoto

Tadao Kikumoto is the designer of the Roland TB-303 and Roland TR-909.Currently, he is an executive managing director at Roland Corporation....
, was also responsible for leading design of the TR-909
Roland TR-909

The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a partially analog , partially Sampling drum machine built by the Japanese Roland Corporation in 1984. The brainchild of Tadao Kikumoto, the engineer behind the Roland TB-303, it features a 16-step music sequencer#Step sequencers and a drum kit that, at that time, aimed for realism and cost-effectiveness....
 drum machine
Drum machine

A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums and/or other percussion instruments. Drum machines are very useful instruments for a wide variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music....
.

Features

The TB-303 has a single audio oscillator, which may be configured to produce either a sawtooth wave
Sawtooth wave

The sawtooth wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform. It is named a sawtooth based on its resemblance to the teeth on the blade of a saw.The convention is that a sawtooth wave ramps upward and then sharply drops....
 or a square wave
Square wave

A square wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform, most typically encountered in electronics and signal processing. An ideal square wave alternates regularly and instantaneously between two levels....
. The square wave is in fact created by flipping every other cycle of the sawtooth wave upside down, giving it a specific, more hollow, sound a bit different from regular square waves . It also includes a simple envelope generator, with a decay control only. A lowpass filter is also included, with -18 dB
Decibel

The decibel is a logarithmic units of measurement that expresses the magnitude of a physical quantity relative to a specified or implied reference level....
 per octave
Octave

In music, an octave The octave is occasionally referred to as a diapason.The octave above an indicated note is sometimes abbreviated 8va, and the octave below 8vb....
 attenuation, and controls for cutoff frequency, resonance, and envelope modulation parameters. Whilst not unique, the choice of a 3 pole design for the filter is somewhat uncommon, the standard configuration in analog synthesizers is almost always a 2 or 4 pole design. This, coupled with the way the filter modulations are bipolar, make the 303 sound difficult to exactly clone on hardware not specifically designed for that purpose.

The TB-303 sequencer has some unique features that contribute to its characteristic sound. During the programming of a sequence, the user can determine whether a note should be accented, and whether it should employ portamento
Portamento

Portamento is a musical term originated from Italian language primarily denoting a vocal slide between two pitch and its emulation by instruments such as the violin, and in 16th century polyphony writing refers to an ornamental figure....
, a smooth transition to the following note. The portamento circuitry employs a fixed slide time, meaning that whatever the interval between notes, the time taken to reach the correct pitch is always the same. The accent circuitry, as well as increasing the amplitude of a note, also emphasizes the filter's cutoff and resonance, resulting in a distinctive, hollow "wow" sound at higher resonance settings. Roland referred to this as "gimmick" circuitry.

The instrument also features a 'simple' step-time method for entering note data into the 16-step programmable sequencer. This was notoriously difficult to use, and would often result in entering a different sequence than the one that had been intended. Some users also take advantage of a low voltage failure mode
Failure mode

Failure causes are defects in design, process, quality, or part application, which are the underlying cause of the failure or which initiate a process which leads to failure....
, wherein patterns that are programmed in memory get completely scrambled if the batteries are removed for a time.

There have been many modifications designed for the TB-303 such as the "Devilfish", "Acidlab" and "Borg" modifications. These generally provide additional parameters to the player, or offer alterations to the overall timbre.

Clones

Around the middle of the 1990s, demand for the TB-303 surged within the electronic dance music scene. As there were never many TB-303s to begin with, many small synthesizer companies cropped up and started to develop their own TB-303 hardware clones. This new wave of TB-303 clones began with a company called Novation Electronic Music Systems, who released their portable Bass Station keyboard in 1994. Many other TB-303 "clones" followed, including Future Retro's 777, Syntecno's TeeBee, Doepfer
Doepfer

Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH is a manufacturer of audio hardware based in Gr?felfing, Germany, founded by Dieter D?pfer.The product range covers analog circuit modular synthesizer systems, MIDI controller, MIDI hardware Music sequencer, MIDI-to-CV/Gate/Sync Interfaces, MIDI master Keyboard instrument and special MIDI equipment....
's MS-404, and MAM's Freebass FB-383. As the popularity of these new TB-303 clones grew, Roland
Roland Corporation

is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ?33 million in capital....
, the original TB-303 manufacturer, finally took notice and released their own TB-303 "clone" in 1996, the MC-303 Groovebox. Despite Roland's efforts, their new "303 clone" was an entirely new product that had almost nothing to do with the original TB-303, with the exception of a few bass samples and the familiar interface design. The most obvious difference was the inclusion of an inexpensive digital synthesizer, rather than the analog circuitry of the TB-303.

By 1997, software synthesizers were beginning to take hold among electronic musicians. One notable package was made by Propellerhead Software's emulator package entitled ReBirth
Rebirth

Rebirth may refer to:* Reincarnation, belief that some essential part of a living being survives death to be reborn in a new body* Rebirth , belief that consciousness arising in the new person is neither identical to, nor different from, the old consciousness, but forms part of a causal continuum...
. The software became very popular, providing a cheap and easy way for musicians to reproduce the classic TB-303, 808
Roland TR-808

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in late 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demo s....
, and later 909
Roland TR-909

The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a partially analog , partially Sampling drum machine built by the Japanese Roland Corporation in 1984. The brainchild of Tadao Kikumoto, the engineer behind the Roland TB-303, it features a 16-step music sequencer#Step sequencers and a drum kit that, at that time, aimed for realism and cost-effectiveness....
 sounds, without the need for any synthesis hardware. Roland contacted Propellerhead to give the company an unofficial "thumbs up" which Propellerhead considered as the Roland "Seal of Approval" . As of September 2005, support for ReBirth has been discontinued by Propellerhead software, and the software is now available online as a free download.

The Roland MC-202
Roland MC-202

The Roland MC-202 is a monophonic analog synthesizer/music sequencer released by Roland Corporation in 1983. It is similar to the Roland TB-303 and Roland SH-101 synthesizers, featuring one voltage-controlled oscillator with simultaneous saw and square/pulse-width waveforms....
 MicroComposer is a monophonic
Monophonic (synthesizers)

Monophonic, with respect to synthesizers, refers to the ability to only sound one note, or voice, at a time....
 analog synthesizer
Analog synthesizer

An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog electronics and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically....
/sequencer
Music sequencer

A music sequencer is software or hardware designed to create and manage computer-generated music.Originally, music sequencers did not include the ability to record audio....
 released by Roland
Roland Corporation

is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ?33 million in capital....
 in 1983. It is perhaps the clone that most resembles the sound of the Roland TB-303. It is also similar to the SH-101
Roland SH-101

Roland SH-101 is a synthesizer from the early 1980's, manufactured by Roland Corporation. It is a small, 32 key, monophonic analog synthesizer....
 synthesizer, featuring one voltage-controlled oscillator
Voltage-controlled oscillator

A voltage-controlled oscillator or VCO is an electronic oscillator designed to be controlled in oscillation frequency by a voltage input. The frequency of oscillation is varied by the applied DC voltage, while Modulation signals may also be fed into the VCO to cause frequency modulation or phase modulation ; a VCO with digital pulse o...
 with simultaneous saw and square/pulse-width waveforms and a resonant -24db filter.

Another notable clone is the "Bass Line" plugin from AudioRealism. It supports both the VST
Virtual Studio Technology

Steinberg's Virtual Studio Technology is an interface for integrating software Sound_recording_and_reproduction synthesizer and audio effect plugins with audio editors and hard-disk recording systems....
 and AU
Audio Units

Audio Units are a system-level plug-in architecture provided by Core Audio in Mac OS X developed by Apple Computer. Audio Units are a set of application programming interface services provided by the operating system to generate, process, receive, or otherwise manipulate streams of audio in near-real-time with minimal latency....
 standards.

The most recent clone (better described as a replica rather than clone) is an open source
Open source

Open source is an approach to design, development, and distribution offering practical accessibility to a product's source . Some consider open source as one of various possible design approaches, while others consider it a critical Strategy element of their business operations....
 do-it-yourself hardware solution called the x0xb0x, using most of the original components in the synthesizer section for a very authentic sound. The sequencer section differs from the original TB-303, adding support for MIDI and USB interfaces as well as an alternate event entry interface.

Native Instrument's
Native Instruments

Native Instruments is a music software production company whose products are mainly aimed at electronic musicians. The company was founded in 1996 in Berlin by Stephan Schmitt and Volker Hinz....
 flagship softsynth Massive also contains a filter modelled after that of the TB-303, allowing users to create their own realistic-sounding acid patches.

Media


External links

  • Acid Lab Modifikation for the Tb-303
  • - An demo of an Acidlab modded TB-303 with TR-606
  • 303 in action
  • -
  • - Robin Whittle's aftermarket modification for TB-303
  • - A free downladable video documentary about the TB-303 created by Nate Harrison.
  • Note TX112 & TX113 The 1st 'Acid' Tracks
  • by Mozart - 303 version by Chris Moss Acid
  • by Bach - 303 version by Ceephax Acid Crew
  • Banging ACID
  • A short multimedia history of the early years of acid house
  • Retrofit MIDI Interface for Roland TB-303


Emulations in Software


  • - The Original 2 303s/808/909. Now discontinued and free to download.
  • - A TB-303 VST Plug-In complete with sequencer and 303-like sound.
  • - A Free Pattern Library for Roland TB-303 Bass Synthesizer
  • - A TB-303 DSSI plugin for Linux (GPL licence)
  • - Another well received plug-in emulator minus the built-in sequencer.
  • - VSTi plugin for Windows and Mac with built in sequencer and Devil Fish like filters.
  • - Flash music applet featuring simulations of the TR-808, TR-909, MC-303, and various stomp effects


Hardware synthesizers inspired by the TB-303

  • - Makers of the Bassline, similar in look & sound to a tb 303.
  • - The Revolution synthesizer, a popular acid synth
  • - Rolands MC-09 has a 303 emulation mode with 1 to 1 parameter correspondence. Select bass then hold shift & pad 16 to turn vintage mode on.
  • - An open source DIY project
  • - Audio comparison test between Future Retro Revolution, 777, Syntecno TeeBee MK III, Acidlab Bassline, Acidcode ML303, MAM MB33II, x0xb0x, Oakley TM3030 and Analogue Solution TB-X TB 303 Bassline Project.