SeriesRoland MC

This obviously is the little brother of the mc-909. it combines a synth with a secuencer and a sampler. the addition of the sampler is really nice, and sets it apart from other grooveboxes. the downside is that roland really wants you to buy a mc-909 (at about 1800 euro) so the quality of the sampler is not so good. it sounds like an 8bit sampler. i think this is because the audio looper is not of good quality. whenever you put a loop in the looper, it starts to sound a bit crackily... the other downside is that it only has room for 4 audioloops. this means that you can not play more than 5 loops independently. (you can merge loops, but since this 'groups' the loops, you cannot play those loops indepently of each other anymore) The synth on the other hand does sound very FAT. it's only a monophonic sound, but it's great to make those acid sounds. the sequencer is kinda limited. but it does have tb-recording, wich basicly is the way you'd programe your tb-303 (and up) this is great for recording drum-patterns. from a drum perspective it is a 303! this is good news for all you 303 freaks out there... if you are looking for a 303, i'd say go for this little box!!!! (i probably souldn't say this but i personely think the 303 drum sound are not all that, but because it is so much reverred, i'll just keep thinking i don't know how to get those wicked sounds without any help from a compressor or something) the sequencer is very simple, and does not have a lot of features, it only allows you to programme 2 x16 steps. again, it compares with the tb-303 sequencer. the 09 also has some fx onboard, again, do not think of it as a great multi fx, it has some okay fx, that's it. anyway, a 303 with an sampler and asynth and a sequencer and fx for this price is not bad at all!!! Price paid 299 euro ($300) UTILIZATION It's ok when you get used to it (this is my first groovebox, i have played with a tb-303 in the past) when you are not familiar with the weird 3 digit abbriviations, you'll be condemmed to read the manual. wich is no fun to get throu but gets you there in the end. this box lookes and feels very solid. apart from the poor'ish sound, this is VERY MUCH groovebox for your money. SOUNDS Aside from the synth, wich i really love, the overall sound quality is not overwhelming. like i said, to me it sounds like 8bit (my old amiga500 sampler) exept form the synth, again, this sound FAT! OVERALL OPINION This is my first groovebox, and i love the 'hands on' feel, so yes, i love it a lot. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: Unknown (January 1-, 2003)

(Originally written by Libreesprit/translated from Audiofanzine FR) See Roland's website UTILIZATION Comprehensive and clear user's manual. It includes a quick start guide explaining all main functions. With lots of references to other chapters. So you'll need to make a lot of copies if you want to have everything you need without having to look it up in the user's manual. Easy configuration if you understand Roland's concept. Many button combinations (Shift + ...) but all basic functions are easily accessible from the front panel. SOUNDS The factory presets sound "modern" but I'm still looking for more authentic sounds (for Latin instruments for example). Until now I haven't found a sound bank for the 808, except for the sounds of the included and VERY intuitive software. The effects are good enough to color the sound, but if you want more accurate effects you'll have to use an external multi-effects processor. OVERALL OPINION I've been using it for six months (about 2-3 hours a day). Great product if you take the time to understand it, but it will still remain complex if you don't know music theory because it's a music instrument! I don't know much about music theory so I had to work really hard to learn how to use all functions. It's a great product that allows you to produce good music. Value for money is ok. The SD card offers enough storing capacity and the sample memory can be extended (see Roland's website). Would I buy it again? Yes because its versatility allows me to spare the use of any additional synths. The motorized faders and additional functions are a delight. If you want an easy and ready-to-use device, don't buy it! But if you like sound tweaking and creation, buy it!