Roland announced today that their 7×7-TR8 Drum Machine Expansion has been updated to include the TR-606 kit:
The TR-8 Ver.1.20 update adds the sounds of the classic Roland TR-606 to the 7X7-TR8 Drum Machine Expansion.
The TR-606 sounds are faithfully reproduced using detailed models of its original circuitry.
In addition to the seven TR-606 sounds, the update also comes with one new FloorTom sound.
Now the 7X7-TR8 Drum Machine Expansion allows you to have all the sounds and articulations of five iconic TR drum machines in the one drum machine – the Roland TR-8.
Here’s an unofficial video, via Bonedo, that compares the Roland TR-8 with the 606 sound kit against a vintage TR-606:
The 7×7-TR8 Drum Machine Expansion is a $95 sound library for the Roland TR-8 drum machine that adds classic 7×7 and now 6×6 sounds. TR-8 System Update 1.2 is required. See the Roland site for details.
I love the new TR-8 and use it all the time. However, now it seems like $95 is pretty steep for new kits. Wish they would lower the price to something more reasonable.
Yeah… $95 it’s a lot of money… It is a little bit frustrating, paid a considerable amount of money for the machine and now having to pay again for those sounds that are available everywhere… it’s a little bit disappointing
They drive away potential customers with updates that cost money.
Very close, cymbal and the hats did not sound right though. Maybe just pitched wrong
If you ask me, the Snare didn’t sound good either.
Too much resonance or something. In the low end, you can hear the “kick” of the snare louder on the 7×7 than you can on the 606.
So if you already got the first expansion, you also have to pay for this one?
Roland page states:
Note
*If you already have 7X7-TR8, you can use the new sound preset for free by updating your firmware to Ver1.2.
So, do the new expansion packs add to the resell value?? Nah. So why burden us after we bought the TR8? You know you screwed up buy not adding them at launch now taking advantage and squeezing out a few more $$ is cool? I also want a BOUND manual not the same fold out that gets sent with manga models. Come on already. Admit you dropped the ball. Wasn’t the original 7X7’s that price or higher with no 606??? Who is running the company these days!
The 606 kit is free if you have already purchased the 7×7 expansion. Awesome!
Thanks for the tip! Looks like you just need to update firmware to v1.2 and it is included.
I like that they are offering new kits, but am disappointed they are charging for it… If you buy higher end gear, you always get these updates for free. Seems pretty steep too, they are just digital samples.
Completely false.
There is no sample playback engine whatsoever in the TR8
all circuits for each relevant machine is digitally modeled in 32-bit 96hz
Completely false
Original 707 is sample based.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-707
They’re not samples, but circuit modeling.
Ok, so it’s digital circuit modeling, not sampling. Careless of me. Still feel the same though.
The 707 / 727 do indeed play back digital samples, but in those days, if you wanted affordable sample playback you had to deal with very low fidelity. , Roland had to do some tricks on the analog side to give the sounds dynamic range. I would assume there’s analog filtering and EQ on each sound too. the machines had audible digital grit that gave them punch and character. This dirt wasn’t stored in the sounds, it is a consequence of the playback hardware.
You could dump the data from the 707/727 sound ROMS directly into your computer and play them back, but it wouldn’t sound like the original machines.
Roland claims they have modelled the electronics of those old machines to make their expansion kit sound authentic. So, no – it is not just samples. It is code.
Now whether it’s worth such trouble to emulate such crappy sounding machines is another debate. I don’t think the 707 sounds any better than the rest of the cheap sample-based drum machines that flooded the market in the mid-1980s.
But adding the 606 to that expansion kit makes it pretty tempting.
thanks roland for blessing existing 7×7 users with the 606… 95usd is harsh for new users. Sounds arent exact but hey, make them your own.
man wtf is going on with the cymbals and hats? Everything else sounds pretty decent though.
Waiting a week to update mine from the 7×7 expansion just in case there are show stopping bugs.
This update is free and sounds pretty damn good! the hats aren’t quite as crisp and present, but everything sounds pretty damn good! and we finally get shuffle on 606!
The CH/OH choke on those hats isn’t at all like… well, a 606.
But the other bells and whistles are nice and add some flavor.
Great for existing TR-8 users.
If you aren’t a TR-8 user, consider the Acidlab Drumatix instead.
acidlab drumatix is 660 euros!
um..NO !
sooner have the TR-8 thanks very much!
Drumatix is 100% analog, has two BDs, a whole new clap and has multiple outputs. I think also more pattern slots? These things matter to some people…
It has a noticeable different sound in all aspects. Especially the hats. All of the tr-8 sounds are off compared. But that being said. Programming on this looks great and the convenience of switching kits or making a kit tallered to your own sound is great. They should of just released it with all the kits. And gave kits away.
Elektron just recently added a bunch of new machines to the Rytm, for free. Of course it has a higher initial cost (and is actually analog if that matters to you) but consumers have come to expect this sort of updates to be free or at least reasonably priced.
Downloaded, updated and tested against my vintage tr-606.
It is definately ok and it is not 30 year old junk.
Love it, sounds great and I appreciate being rewarded for already buying the expansion. Exact sound repro or not, Tr8 is a lot of drum machine for the money, and ACB sounds much more organic than static unfiltered sample players. They’ve fixed the snare comp bug and added a couple of small improvements as well. Jolly good show.
Never been a fan of the 606. It’s cool they added it as an update though. CR-78 should be next imho.
OMG. I love it. We want more 🙂 Thanks Roland
Not free. From July 7 the kit price will become $110.
I think it would be better if Roland decided to open their unit so people could upload their own sample kits to their device. This is just milking on a concept.
I prefer nearly any sample over this.
I have a system 1m and find it to be an incredibly versatile and very affordable synth out of the box…I got the firmware update with the extra waveforms, but never use them, and I haven’t bothered to purchase a plugout yet, even though I like the concept. I only played with the tr-8 in a music shop and I feel like my opinion would be similar. It is already fully functional out of the box and not very expensive in the world of drum machines. Sure, I’d love to get plug outs for free, but Roland doesn’t owe it to us. And the price is comparable to bottom shelf soft synths, so what’s the real problem? I think those who are complaining of the price are just bitter that they can’t crack it. Disappointing how so many people think the world just owes them free stuff.
No, I think what people are trying to say it’s a bit steep to charge $100 for two digital drum machine replications on top of $500 for the unit itself, especially when they don’t seem to be quite as accurate as claimed.
And I’m saying the $500 drum machine should be considered for its own intrinsic value. Don’t complain that the extras aren’t free, or buy a different machine, in which case you’re pretty much stuck with the original sounds. That’s not a bad thing. I just think people are taking a lot for granted and being too hard on Roland.
Who complained that they weren’t free? $100 for two kits is just a tad overpriced for some?
There’s no real need for self-righteous comments along the lines of “disappointing how so many people think the world just owes them free stuff” when nobody is really even suggesting such a thing?
Usual idiot comments, the updated 606 sounds are superb. Best drum machine I’ve ever owned, user interface is wonderful.
If had a korg badge on it everyone would be singing its praises……
It’s wicked. Get over it.
I really hate haters complaining all the time. Stop complaining and make and release some music. How are employees able to make any money if they can’t charge for anything. If you don’t think it sounds like a 606 at 100%, well go buy a 606. I’ve owned two in my 24 years of “making” electronic music. It sounds good enough to me. Thank you Roland for making the Tr-8, and thank you for the expansion option.
When I saw the first announcement about this update I was immediately excited. Then the thought of another $95 or whatever it was for the new sounds kinda ruined it for me. Lucky for me I already own the 7×7 expansion so once I found out it was free I was happy and excited once again!! ??
I absolutely adore my Tr-8 and would have ended up buying the damned expansion anyway even if it had cost another ridiculously exorbitant amount of money. I’ll admit I felt a little violated when I got charged for the 7×7. I’m of the opinion that owners of the hardware and the original 7×7 pack should get all future updates for free. I know there’s room for a few more kits. This machine could end up being the ULTIMATE DRUM MACHINE by the time it’s filled up with classics. I’m psyched!!!!!
Ok one more comment. I love being able to alter the tune and decay on the new 606 kit, well the 707 and 727 too! The only thing I don’t like is the guitar center green screen green on this aria stuff, ha. Though with a sharpie and electric tape I blackened mine out last year when I bought it.
am i the only one that thought the TR8 snare sounded like it was muffled and wearing a wollen hat? not half as bright and vibrant as the real 606. The kick and toms sound good tho. All i can think is that there are some settings the dood got wrong with the snare, otherwise its far from good…