Hi everyone. My PROFUSE apologies once again for virtually abandoning this blog. As I indicated in my previous post, a few things have happened in my life that distracted me from my 307. So now that I have a few minutes, this is as good a time as any to let you know my vision for the future of 307 beats.
I managed to scrape together enough money to purchase an Elektron MachineDrum UW+ and a DAW-based recording system, all of which has opened up a lot of doors in my music-making. Accordingly, I won't be using the 307 nearly as much, and almost certainly not as the centerpiece of my studio or live performances.
Does this mean the end of 307 beats? Not at all. I still plan to keep the blog active for the benefit of anyone who has questions. As you write in with questions, I'll post them and other readers' answers (plus mine if I have any).
I intend to continue using my 307 for sample generation, so now and then, I may post with tips and tricks I discover. (And as I've said before, if you send me ideas, I'll be happy to post them as full entries and give you credit.)
In any case, posts will be irregular at best...it's probably a good idea to subscribe by RSS feed if you haven't yet.
Happy beatmaking, and I'll see you around here occasionally!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
OS updating options
Long time no posts -- my profuse apologies, life has taken some unexpected turns.
In the meantime, three readers have sent information about updating the 307's operating system (OS) that users might find helpful:
First, Roland's German site still has OS 1.03 available here as a ZIP file. Click the "M" from the orange alphabet below the image and it will take you to a list of all supported Roland devices starting with M (FYI, this includes the MC 505, 808 and 909 as well). Scroll down to the 307 entry and click the "1.03" to download the 1.5 MB of files. Instructions are available at the nearby "html" link but you'll have to copy the text into Google translator. Thanks to Anonymous for the tip!
Also, and if you have trouble at the Roland Deutschland site, Moonstarr has been kind enough to make a ZIP file of OS 1.03 available on Rapidshare here. Moonstarr says: "Can't remember where I found this but it worked for me from 1.02 to 1.03. Used midi-ox to transfer the SMF files. Instructions in the zip."
Lastly, Ovidiu Dobre has made his hard drive's copy of the OS available, which you can find here. A warning: This link opened a lot of unwanted pop-ups on my computer, so beware.
Thanks once again to all three of you for helping out! I haven't had a chance to try updating my system yet, but I feel better knowing I've got options now.
In the meantime, three readers have sent information about updating the 307's operating system (OS) that users might find helpful:
First, Roland's German site still has OS 1.03 available here as a ZIP file. Click the "M" from the orange alphabet below the image and it will take you to a list of all supported Roland devices starting with M (FYI, this includes the MC 505, 808 and 909 as well). Scroll down to the 307 entry and click the "1.03" to download the 1.5 MB of files. Instructions are available at the nearby "html" link but you'll have to copy the text into Google translator. Thanks to Anonymous for the tip!
Also, and if you have trouble at the Roland Deutschland site, Moonstarr has been kind enough to make a ZIP file of OS 1.03 available on Rapidshare here. Moonstarr says: "Can't remember where I found this but it worked for me from 1.02 to 1.03. Used midi-ox to transfer the SMF files. Instructions in the zip."
Lastly, Ovidiu Dobre has made his hard drive's copy of the OS available, which you can find here. A warning: This link opened a lot of unwanted pop-ups on my computer, so beware.
Thanks once again to all three of you for helping out! I haven't had a chance to try updating my system yet, but I feel better knowing I've got options now.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Unanswered questions
I've got a lot of questions about the 307 I can't answer yet. If you can answer any of these, please comment below.
If what you say makes sense, I'll post on the topic and give you credit for your answer. You can also contact me with your own questions. (I know this is a really top-down way to work, but until there's enough readers to start an English-language forum, it's also the simplest.)
This list will change as knowledge increases :)
1. When recording with TR-REC, why are notes automatically input with a velocity of 64? Is there any way to change the default velocity to 127 (or some other value)?
2. Is there an online version of OS 1.03 anywhere? (YES -- SEE NEXT POST FOR ANSWER.)
If what you say makes sense, I'll post on the topic and give you credit for your answer. You can also contact me with your own questions. (I know this is a really top-down way to work, but until there's enough readers to start an English-language forum, it's also the simplest.)
This list will change as knowledge increases :)
1. When recording with TR-REC, why are notes automatically input with a velocity of 64? Is there any way to change the default velocity to 127 (or some other value)?
2. Is there an online version of OS 1.03 anywhere? (YES -- SEE NEXT POST FOR ANSWER.)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Realtime vs. TR-REC recording
It took me awhile to realize the advantage of having two different ways to record on the 307: Realtime and TR-REC. Both are useful depending on what kind of sounds you envision and how you approach programming. Here are a few thoughts for anyone just getting into them:
Realtime Recording is like using a tape recorder, and it's good if you want to enter data as a live performance. In essence, you choose a part and hit Record, hit Realtime, then hit Play twice. After the countdown, whatever you play on the keys (or your attached MIDI keyboard) gets recorded into the 307's memory, and you'll hear it whenever you play back the pattern. The video I mention here shows the basic process.
TR-REC Recording is for programming individual note data values by location. While it would be difficult to enter a complex piano solo this way, it's good if you want a sound that have a lot of repetition: Either a lot of the same note coming from a synth part or a lot of the same drum hit from the rhythm part. Enter TR-REC mode and choose the note you want to enter. The red lights along the keys will show you all the points where that note will sound.
If you can divide up a measure into its 16th notes and point to the spots where those notes or drum hits fall as the sequencer runs (for example, 3, 7, 11 and 15 for every upbeat in the measure), then it might be easier to enter the notes with TR-REC rather than perform them live, because you'll be sure the timing is right for every one of them and they will all sound exactly the same.
The methods can both be used on one part to save you time. Create a drum performance in Realtime. Then edit it in TR-REC, so you can see the red lights indicating where the hits are as the pattern plays. Press the 16 buttons to turn the red lights off and on to move the hits around...this might be easier than looking for note data in Microscope mode. Or create a simple repetitive bassline in TR-REC, and then go back and give it some life by adding embellishments to it in Realtime.
Realtime Recording is like using a tape recorder, and it's good if you want to enter data as a live performance. In essence, you choose a part and hit Record, hit Realtime, then hit Play twice. After the countdown, whatever you play on the keys (or your attached MIDI keyboard) gets recorded into the 307's memory, and you'll hear it whenever you play back the pattern. The video I mention here shows the basic process.
TR-REC Recording is for programming individual note data values by location. While it would be difficult to enter a complex piano solo this way, it's good if you want a sound that have a lot of repetition: Either a lot of the same note coming from a synth part or a lot of the same drum hit from the rhythm part. Enter TR-REC mode and choose the note you want to enter. The red lights along the keys will show you all the points where that note will sound.
If you can divide up a measure into its 16th notes and point to the spots where those notes or drum hits fall as the sequencer runs (for example, 3, 7, 11 and 15 for every upbeat in the measure), then it might be easier to enter the notes with TR-REC rather than perform them live, because you'll be sure the timing is right for every one of them and they will all sound exactly the same.
The methods can both be used on one part to save you time. Create a drum performance in Realtime. Then edit it in TR-REC, so you can see the red lights indicating where the hits are as the pattern plays. Press the 16 buttons to turn the red lights off and on to move the hits around...this might be easier than looking for note data in Microscope mode. Or create a simple repetitive bassline in TR-REC, and then go back and give it some life by adding embellishments to it in Realtime.
The Pattern Save asterisk (*)
One thing I like about the 307 is the little asterisk that appears in the window whenever you've changed a pattern in some way that will be lost if you don't save it. The * reminds me to Pattern Save before doing something else.
But only some changes result in it appearing...Strangely, others do not! Before you grow dependent on this reminder, note the differences.
These actions DO make the asterisk appear:
-Entering/changing note data -- pitch, gate time, etc.
-Making changes in either EDIT mode (Track Edit or Microscope)
-Hitting REC then PLAY (even if you make no actual changes)
While these actions do NOT:
-Adjusting SETUP parameters (Part Mixer, Reverb, Delay, or M-FX settings)
-Altering BPM
-Changing the patch assigned to a part
-Modifying a patch's parameters; these include tweaking the Filter. LFO and Assignable Knobs (in these cases, the asterisk instead appears on the screen for the patch itself)
...A minor issue once you're used to it, but good to know when starting out.
But only some changes result in it appearing...Strangely, others do not! Before you grow dependent on this reminder, note the differences.
These actions DO make the asterisk appear:
-Entering/changing note data -- pitch, gate time, etc.
-Making changes in either EDIT mode (Track Edit or Microscope)
-Hitting REC then PLAY (even if you make no actual changes)
While these actions do NOT:
-Adjusting SETUP parameters (Part Mixer, Reverb, Delay, or M-FX settings)
-Altering BPM
-Changing the patch assigned to a part
-Modifying a patch's parameters; these include tweaking the Filter. LFO and Assignable Knobs (in these cases, the asterisk instead appears on the screen for the patch itself)
...A minor issue once you're used to it, but good to know when starting out.
Friday, January 8, 2010
User forum (in French)
As mentioned previously, I found a user forum for the 307 that as of this writing is fairly active. It's on a Web site called Audiofanzine, which from what I've seen covers lots of topics, EM and otherwise.
One potential linguistic issue: It's a French-language site, so you may want to use some sort of translation software. It's easy with Google translator:
Enter this word string into Google:
Forums Roland MC-307 Audiofanzine
Next to the first entry hit [Translate this page]. Voilà, you're there. (I've also posted the French version in the Useful Links at bottom.)
The current list of threads dealing with the 307 is about six pages long. I've posted questions a few times and I usually get answers within a day or so.
Google translator doesn't render the original perfectly, of course, partly because it doesn't recognize simple typos that any native speaker would gloss right over (cest rather than c'est, for example). Nor can you make an entry in another language and expect Google to translate it for you directly -- gotta go elsewhere for that.
But considering the lack of interest in the 307 in the English-speaking world, the Audiofanzine forum is probably your best bet for floating a question to a large number of users.
One potential linguistic issue: It's a French-language site, so you may want to use some sort of translation software. It's easy with Google translator:
Enter this word string into Google:
Forums Roland MC-307 Audiofanzine
Next to the first entry hit [Translate this page]. Voilà, you're there. (I've also posted the French version in the Useful Links at bottom.)
The current list of threads dealing with the 307 is about six pages long. I've posted questions a few times and I usually get answers within a day or so.
Google translator doesn't render the original perfectly, of course, partly because it doesn't recognize simple typos that any native speaker would gloss right over (cest rather than c'est, for example). Nor can you make an entry in another language and expect Google to translate it for you directly -- gotta go elsewhere for that.
But considering the lack of interest in the 307 in the English-speaking world, the Audiofanzine forum is probably your best bet for floating a question to a large number of users.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New year, new post topics
Short entry today...want to take advantage of a precious free weekend to make some new beats.
I've made a few more discoveries on the 307 that I'll post on in coming weeks. But for the moment, I realized I haven't asked for any feedback from readers since I started this blog. So I've got a few questions for you -- hit me back with comments:
-What topics can I cover that I haven't yet?
-What other information about the 307 would be useful to include?
-How else can I improve this blog?
...Till next time, good luck with your music, and I hope the new decade treats us better than the last.
I've made a few more discoveries on the 307 that I'll post on in coming weeks. But for the moment, I realized I haven't asked for any feedback from readers since I started this blog. So I've got a few questions for you -- hit me back with comments:
-What topics can I cover that I haven't yet?
-What other information about the 307 would be useful to include?
-How else can I improve this blog?
...Till next time, good luck with your music, and I hope the new decade treats us better than the last.
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