Comments on: Roland TB-03 Recreates Classic Acid Bassline Sound

By: cemego

cemego — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 15:16:39 +0000

All these Roland boutiques and reissues just make me so happy I bought Korg products. They are cheaper and simply better sounding and more accessible. There’s nothing that Roland has done in the past 3 years that Korg didn’t do better years before. It just proves once again that Roland is desperately trying to play catch up and their price points are completely overblown to the same if not more powerful Korg product. Roland, I turn my back on you. Not impressed at all. It took Roland THIS LONG to invent something close to the Volca line. Nice try. FAIL!

By: draeger

draeger — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 20:21:00 +0000

1989 called, they want their music back

By: Ross de Baas

Ross de Baas — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 09:12:25 +0000

Can’t guarantee I won’t go for the TB-03, but after Roland’s foray back into analogue with the JD-Xa & JD-Xi, I’m surprised they did the 303 as VA. Actually, both JD’s have digital sound-sets of all the classic drum machines, including 909… Roland, please do more real analogue! my (real) Juno won’t live forever!!

By: yesthisisdog

yesthisisdog — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 06:55:49 +0000

In reply to Fizmo. Elektron Overbridge maybe?

By: SynthGuru

SynthGuru — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 05:40:03 +0000

I’ve lost respect for Roland. VA wimps.

Long live Korg, the new champions of affordable awesome analog. And Behringer.

By: caligari

caligari — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 02:07:51 +0000

In reply to Xtopher. I must have missed all the "acceptance" on here somewhere.

By: Math Debator

Math Debator — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 00:37:38 +0000

In reply to Donut Dude.

Aside from all those assumptions you made about buying habits and Roland’s development cycle, you raised a fair point about the economy of reissues.
– Where’s the saturation point?
– How many times is one person willing to buy updates of the same thing?
– Will splitting the market across Aira and Boutique buyers lead to an irreconcilable difference in Roland’s customer’s expectations?

This kind of release cycle did no favours for the music industry and its retailers (too many Led Zep & Marley reissues across CD, vinyl, MP3 and tape plus not enough new music). Hope it doesn’t lead to a race to the bottom starting with Roland & Yamaha’s reissued synths.

At least the TR8 & boutiques are fun to use as well as sounding good & being reliable. Can’t ask for much more than that without being greedy. Haters- don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it. That Aira euro modular set is underrated AF for newbs.

Still waiting on a new Roland sampler though.

By: Xtopher

Xtopher — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 00:13:44 +0000

People have been recreating these sounds in software for years, and getting bagged on for not being authentic and analog. But Roland does it in software, and somehow people accept it.

By: DW

DW — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 22:52:37 +0000

In reply to Alastair. Congratulations on missing the point.

By: Donut Dude

Donut Dude — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 22:25:13 +0000

Just a thought:
Roland started selling the Aira line and plugin stuff to manipulate and control our buying habits to make more money in the long term, rather than giving us exactly what we are asking for, now. “It’s not the original, but it sounds pretty close.” Then they release the boutique line. “It kind of looks like the originals as well, here’s my money.” Now they release this new line of boutiques. “Well, now that’s as close as I’m going to get to the real thing, so I better buy that as well.” “Here’s some more of my money.”

In a year or two, after they’ve sold all of this Aira/boutique crap to us because we long for the old days, they will release real analog, full size versions of their 30 year old designs and then we will have to buy them because that’s what we wanted in the first place…. even though the pricing will be ridiculously outrageous. “Finally, that’s what I wanted, here’s my money, and thank you Roland, we knew you could do it”

By: spenik

spenik — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 21:36:30 +0000

In reply to Stains. ? Is 3x more than this one here "a little more expensive" to you? I envy you

By: Lowendtheory

Lowendtheory — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 19:31:02 +0000

Please let that acid sound die.

By: RolandTheArtist

RolandTheArtist — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 17:41:28 +0000

100% Pure EarCandy!

By: Stains

Stains — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 16:42:36 +0000

For a real 303 check out Avalon Bassline. Based on the original circuit with more functions. Proper 303 sound, bit more expensive

By: Alastair

Alastair — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 15:54:39 +0000

In reply to Garak. Uh... women or men, pretty sure none of those people were actually playing those instruments.