Roland 9095/30/2023 ![]() “For live shows it’s perfect,” says the producer, who has an original TR-909 in his studio. I spoke to XL Recordings artist Jack Adams aka Mumdance, who’s had the unit for several weeks to create presets for Roland, and he tells me that the benefits far outweigh any disadvantages. The knobs are tiny, and it doesn’t have individual audio outs like the original did – only four audio channels over USB. It uses Roland’s “Analog Circuit Behaviour” technology, which means the sound is not real analog but a digital emulation. It’s hard not to feel a wave of borrowed nostalgia on seeing the classic orange and grey design again, even if it’s much, much smaller than the original.įirst, the negatives. But the device itself is a thing of beauty. The company hammered the iconic nature of the original drum machine down our throats a little too hard during the new product’s reveal, showing a cringeworthy collection of recorded 909 tributes from almost exclusively male legacy techno and house producers. The main focus of 909 Day was, of course, Roland’s new TR-09. While Roland’s new products attracted the usual criticism from gear junkies – namely a lack of real analog technology, ugly design choices and the standard complaint “it looks like a toy” – there was a lot for experienced producers and casual music-makers to be excited for in the company’s line-up. It was overly long, and lacked the slick professionalism of an Apple event, but it gave fans a new 909 and much more. The Japanese company launched over 30 new products as part of an official “909 Day Celebration,” drip-feeding the announcements over a marathon 24-hour live stream event. The only catch is, the TR-909 was discontinued in 1985, meaning that 909 Day has traditionally been as much a day of mourning as jubilation. It’s not clear how 909 Day began, but like Star Wars Day (“May the 4th be with you”) the unofficial celebration has gone from an organic fan-led tribute into a marketing opportunity used by Roland to sell more gear. September 9 is the day on which Roland fans around the world celebrate one of the greatest drum machines of all time: the TR-909. Make Music is FACT’s new section devoted to making music anywhere, whether you’re a seasoned producer or a total novice, using an arsenal of analog gear or just your iPhone. ![]()
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