Iconic drum machines in your DAW: Roland’s Drum Machine Collection boasts the TR-808, TR-909, TR-606, TR-727 and TR-707
Five of the most legendary rhythm machines of the 1980s have been recreated as one plugin.
Image: Roland
Revered audio brand Roland has reimagined five of its TR series drum machines, including the TR-808 and TR-909, as plugins in the Drum Machine Collection.
The Drum Machine Collection software was unveiled today (14 December) and aims to present its most-revered rhythm machines in a format never seen before.
Users who purchase the single collection will have access to 1980s essentials, which include the TR-808, TR-606, TR-909 and TR-707, all carefully recreated using Analogue Circuit Behaviour (ACB). Roland’s ACB tech can be found in many of its modern digital products and involves “analysing original hardware units, circuit diagrams and other historical data” to understand their quirks and reproduce them as authentically as possible, says Roland.
Therefore, if Roland’s pitch is to be believed, you can rest assured that the plugins have been constructed to behave in the same way and sound the same as the original hardware.
“These five drum machines have served as backbones to numerous tracks over the past 40 years,” Roland says. “These recreations sound and behave just like the vintage hardware, with the addition of advanced programming features and controls fit for modern production.”
Specific features of the plugin include detailed, resizable interfaces that mimic the feel of working with vintage hardware, as well as sound-shaping options, extended parameters and onboard effects used to help shape and modernise your sound.
Advanced sequencers enable intricate patterns to be developed, while compatibility with the TR-8S Rhythm Performer lets you adjust software controls in real-time using knobs and sliders. Patterns generated here can be sent back and forth between the hardware and the plugins.
The Drum Machine Collection comes with VST3, AU, and AAX compatibility and those making the Lifetime Key purchase are also granted free access to all future updates. The plugin is available now in the USA for $500 via Roland Cloud, a free 30-day trial membership is also on offer.
Find out more at Roland.
