Roland TR-707
Encyclopedia
The Roland TR-707 Rhythm Composer is a programmable digital
sampling drum machine
built by the Roland Corporation
, beginning in 1984. The TR-707 was a staple in early house
music, particularly with acid house
. It is also a staple of almost all electronically produced Arabic pop music (al jeel
). Because the TR-707 offers a limited number of instruments sampled at 12 bits, its sound is considered dated by modern standards. However, it is still in use because of its versatility in synchronizing with other hardware and its fully featured interface, comparable to that of high-end Roland drum machines such as the TR-808
and TR-909
.
The TR-727 is an identical drum machine with blue highlights on the case and a Latin-inspired sample set. Similar sounds were present in the TR-505
.
sounds, which include two individual bass drum and snare sounds that cannot be triggered simultaneously. The instruments are labeled as Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Low Tom, Mid Tom, Hi Tom, Rimshot, Cowbell, Hand Clap, Tambourine, Hi-Hat (Closed or Open), Cymbal (Crash or Ride), as well as an additional function labeled accent
, which serves to modify the volume of the other instruments.
The TR-707 provides four levels of shuffle that operate globally on the rhythm, as well as flam
that can be applied to any step. The device offers 64 programmable patterns, which are editable via step-write or tap-write, that can be sequenced together into any of four different tracks. Patterns and tracks can be stored on the device (providing that two AA batteries are inserted) or onto an optional memory cartridge with twice the capacity.
The TR-707 is particularly sought after by users of Roland
gear from the same era because it can synchronize with other hardware via both MIDI and DIN sync
, although it cannot do so when controlled by other hardware. There is also an output that allows the Rimshot to trigger hardware that accepts a voltage pulse, such as the SH-101
. There are individual volume sliders and output jacks for each instrument group, which is unusual for digital drum machines.
Digital signal
A digital signal is a physical signal that is a representation of a sequence of discrete values , for example of an arbitrary bit stream, or of a digitized analog signal...
sampling drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
built 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. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
, beginning in 1984. The TR-707 was a staple in early house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
music, particularly with acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
. It is also a staple of almost all electronically produced Arabic pop music (al jeel
Al Jeel
Al Jeel, also known as Jeel, Geel or James Lee, , is an Egyptian alternative to foreign popular forms of music that developed in the 1970s. Modeled after foreign rock and roll and pop music, Al Jeel became oriented around dance/pop, and had a background similar to reggae...
). Because the TR-707 offers a limited number of instruments sampled at 12 bits, its sound is considered dated by modern standards. However, it is still in use because of its versatility in synchronizing with other hardware and its fully featured interface, comparable to that of high-end Roland drum machines such as the TR-808
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
and TR-909
Roland TR-909
The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a partially analog, partially sample-based drum machine built by the Japanese Roland Corporation in 1983. The brainchild of Tadao Kikumoto, the engineer behind the Roland TB-303, it features a 16-step step sequencer and a drum kit that aimed for realism and...
.
The TR-727 is an identical drum machine with blue highlights on the case and a Latin-inspired sample set. Similar sounds were present in the TR-505
Roland TR-505
The Roland TR-505 is a budget drum machine and MIDI sequencer from the same family as the Roland TR-909, TR-707, and TR-808. Released in 1986, the unit can be used to sequence short, punchy, 12-bit samples...
.
Features
The TR-707 has fifteen digitally sampledSampling (signal processing)
In signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a continuous signal to a discrete signal. A common example is the conversion of a sound wave to a sequence of samples ....
sounds, which include two individual bass drum and snare sounds that cannot be triggered simultaneously. The instruments are labeled as Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Low Tom, Mid Tom, Hi Tom, Rimshot, Cowbell, Hand Clap, Tambourine, Hi-Hat (Closed or Open), Cymbal (Crash or Ride), as well as an additional function labeled accent
Accent (music)
In music, an accent is an emphasis placed on a particular note,either as a result of its context or specifically indicated by an accent mark.Accents contribute to the articulation and prosody of a performance of a musical phrase....
, which serves to modify the volume of the other instruments.
The TR-707 provides four levels of shuffle that operate globally on the rhythm, as well as flam
Flåm
Flåm is a village at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the Sognefjord. The village is located in the municipality of Aurland in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway...
that can be applied to any step. The device offers 64 programmable patterns, which are editable via step-write or tap-write, that can be sequenced together into any of four different tracks. Patterns and tracks can be stored on the device (providing that two AA batteries are inserted) or onto an optional memory cartridge with twice the capacity.
The TR-707 is particularly sought after by users of 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 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
gear from the same era because it can synchronize with other hardware via both MIDI and DIN sync
DIN Sync
The SYNC standard, often called "DIN sync" or "sync24" , defines an interface for electronic music instruments. It was introduced in the 1980s by Roland Corporation for synchronization of music sequencers, drum machines, arpeggiators and similar devices. The SYNC standard uses the signals clock ...
, although it cannot do so when controlled by other hardware. There is also an output that allows the Rimshot to trigger hardware that accepts a voltage pulse, such as the SH-101
Roland SH-101
Roland SH-101 is a synthesizer from the early 1980s, manufactured by Roland. It is a small, 32 key, monophonic analog synthesizer. It features one oscillator with 3 simultaneous waveforms, an 'octave-divided' square sub-oscillator, triangle and square/pwm waveform. It has a low-pass filter/VCF...
. There are individual volume sliders and output jacks for each instrument group, which is unusual for digital drum machines.
Notable users
- Al JeelAl JeelAl Jeel, also known as Jeel, Geel or James Lee, , is an Egyptian alternative to foreign popular forms of music that developed in the 1970s. Modeled after foreign rock and roll and pop music, Al Jeel became oriented around dance/pop, and had a background similar to reggae...
music - ArmandoArmando (producer)Armando Gallop , who released material under his first name only, was an American house-music producer and DJ who was an early contributor to the development of acid house....
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- Larry HeardLarry HeardLarry Heard is a Memphis, Tennessee-based musician widely known for the Chicago-based house music he produced during the mid-1980s and continues to produce today. He was leader of the influential group Fingers Inc. and has recorded solo under various names, most notably Mr...
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