AIRA — Developing the 7X7-TR8 Drum Machine Expansion
In the mid-1980s, Roland released the now-famous TR-707 and TR-727 Rhythm Composers. Loved deeply by groove-minded musicians the world over, these machines have been the beating heart of a wide range of styles including synth pop, acid house, techno, industrial, electro and experimental. Now the sound of these classic rhythm machines, with every nuance accounted for, can be injected into your TR-8, taking the whole experience to an entirely new level.
Every sound of the TR-707 and TR-727 Rhythm Composers, faithfully reproduced using the original PCM wave data and detailed models of the original circuitry.
Analog Circuit Behavior captures the unmistakable sound of the original units – a result of lo-fi sampling and the behavior of the analog envelope and VCA circuitry design.
Newly modified TR-909 kick and snare sounds with enhanced attack characteristics.
Five new TR-808 sounds including Noise Toms, Noise Clap and Finger Snaps.
Unique flam and accent behaviors of the TR-909 and TR-707, with adjustable flam intensity and two levels of accent.
Upgrades the TR-8 to have all the sounds and articulations of four iconic TR drum machines, plus all new sounds, in one performance-ready instrument.
Even though the TR-707 and TR-727 were primarily digital devices, it would not have been possible to perfectly replicate their sound using samples. Due to the low bit-rates of the original units, quantization noise became a problem, particularly during the sound’s decay. To reduce quantization noise, a clever design was employed where PCM sound was produced using non-decaying waveforms and decay was then introduced in the analog circuitry after being converted. Also, at the time these units were developed, deviations in the clock that triggered the PCM caused differences in pitch, and deviations in the analog circuitry downstream of the D/A converter caused variances in decay characteristics.
To replicate these sounds for the TR-8, we started with the original PCM wave data found on the classic machines. We then used our ACB process to completely model the PCM output stage, carefully including all of its quirks and instabilities. Modeling the analog envelope and amplifier stages that came after the D/A converter allowed us to implement the “Tune” and “Decay” parameters that are available on the TR-8, but not present on the original units.
more information about 7X7-TR8 :
http://www.roland.com/products/en/7X7-TR8/
http://www.roland.com/aira/