Added: 3 years ago
From: retrosound72
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  • Great drum machine back in the day. But was terrible for hip hop though!

  • GRANDE!!!

  • @sofuckinndope What made you think I was wrong and you hadn't been singing the wrong lyrics? Google it, and feel like a jackass :)

  • Lotta guys used this machine. . . Aphex Twin, Massive Attack to name a couple.

  • @kunstssst aphex twin has that song were he use the 727 bell. love that sound, not sure why

  • Around The World - Daft Punk

  • Ahhhh, so The Weeknd was saying "Bring the 707 out" in Glass Table Girls

  • @wcenk "turn the 707 up" he said

  • I have a 707 and I don't know how can I measure my ryhtm in bpm...anyone could help me? thanks! keep going producing as our fathers did!

  • This could easily have taken the 909's spot during the dance music explosion. But just luck of the draw I guess. And lets face it the sounds are very similiar. But whats interesting is that bass drum and kik and clap would have easily fit on thousands of dance records

  • I love the flams the sequencers on these machines make.

  • fuck i want this!!!

  • IS there anything else like the 707 sound?

  • Mr oizzoooo

  • this drum machine had Dune in his video ,,Hardcore Vibes" :-DDD

  • mind blown kudos :)

  • face to face lol

  • listening to this is like listening to old vinyl! i love the 707.

  • Do they have anything like this that can be programmed with ones own sounds?

  • @TheEndOfMyBoi I'm not sure what you mean exactly but maybe you're looking for a sampler with a step sequencer. Try the Korg Electribe series, like the ES-1 or ESX.

  • @TheEndOfMyBoi yeah you want a sampler like an akai MPC

  • daft punk and mstrkrft used this..and i cant find one :(

  • THE PRODIGY USE ONE OF THIS

  • me and the crew, we crunched out a bunch of beats on that thing...

  • HPF-High Pass filter

  • I just found out that the prodigy uses this drum machine

  • are there grooves in 707?

  • this demo leaves me thoroughly convinced that it is extremly necessary for me to own the TR-707.

  • @lesscunning Actually its extremely UNnecessary to own one of these. Not only are they rare and expensive, but unlike the 808 and 909 the 707s sounds are hardly iconic or unique and you can just download a sample library of the sounds

  • what would you recommend using to clean the surfaces of this thing? and would an air duster be okay for the individual volume switches?

  • i dont have a real 707, but i often use one its one-shots in my music

  • 3:28 and you get a hint why this machine is underrated.

    Klingt doch gut.

  • i need these snare drums

  • I think a lot of the drums on this unit sound quite similar to the LinnDrum LM1....could be a budget way of getting some LM1 sounds!

  • i had this too, i found a few in used shops recently. one guy told me people like them because they can trigger the clap with a pedal.

  • do you guys think a tr 707 would be good for goa trance?

  • @vulturedot3x3 I do, I use 707 samples and I think it sounds great in electronic music.

  • @vulturedot3x3 as layer yeah but just by itself nah you need a little more punch try a tr 707 with HPF and a 909 you should get i nice little pnuch. now if you want thump and bang add an 808. but they all have to be processed to sound swell and phat and meaty.

  • @vulturedot3x3 

    Kind of a stupid question, but what's HPF?

  • @vulturedot3x3 high pass filter

  • aphex twin uses this 

  • looks much like the 909

  • can it do odd time signatures, like 7/8 or 5/4?

  • @TheMilford 7/8 - Imagine the 16 buttons across the bottom as 16th notes. Designating the 14th as the "last step" would give you a 7/8 measure. 5/4 - harder (if you want 16th notes), you'd have to chain two patterns together to create the longer measure. What can't be done easily is poly-rhythms.

  • I believe this rhythm composer was very popular throughout the second half of the '80's. And it seems it was used by various electronic muscians for its time, most notably traditional electronica bands around that time.

  • hey man, what speakers have u connected it too? just wanna know how that works :)

  • i got one thursday . it was at the pawn shop for 239 dollars.

    i was patient and used my jedi mind trick to get it for 169 i basically convinced them that it WASNT one of the "good ones" like a 909 or 808, but in a nice way that they took seriously. so i got the cheap, but nostalgic sounds of my old long lost tr 505 and it's incredible brain .simply triggering the juno 60 arp with it is SOOO much fun !

    "

  • If you search for NOVA OPALEN 1986 on Youtube you'll find me and my friends, a live performance with my tr 707 (still in new condition...), two synths (my jx8p for example), recorded in the town , Sundsvall, Sweden, spring 1986. No sequencers and software...Will probably buy a new synth soon...I have to compose again...I think I paid 5000 SEK (in Euro: 450) for the Roland TR 707 in 1985!

  • hmm.

    just for the sake of it i might go get one of these at a pawn shop nearby. it's only 230 bucks and they'll probabally take 200, but even 200 seems too high . i mean , do i "need it " that bad? lol .still great sounding machine, does it send midi data to something like a dr 550?

  • do you know if you can sync this to a moog source using rim shot trigger out on 707 to moogs s-trig? i have a pre din sync source.

    always enjoy the vids.

    thx

  • nice i like

  • hi mate bit of advise i like techno house edm and 909 808 sounds but my money wont stretch that far so what do you think is best between 606 and 707 its not for computer recording just playing with hardware cheers ross ps videos are still rockin

  • Nice. I had the Roland TR-626 for many years. I loved it back in the day, 8 individual outputs and a card reader were the bizz.

  • beat it!

  • nice.i prefer the crisp digital sounds on 80s models such as this and the tr626, also linn dmx etc.when is somebody gonna bring out a a dedecated modern drum machine with these digi retro sounds but with 8 OUTPUTS and better memory .it always seems to be the muffled over bassy 808 909 606 type samples that dominate and with just a stereo out.you can still get an alesis sr 16 but the sounds are just too real for a drum box.

  • @djpio707

    :))

    the 707 is great too

  • @retrosound72 TR727 is also great! Goes well with this machine.

  • @retrosound72

    Love 707 sequencer!

    a question: Can i use it as a sequencer of any external drum module? I mean, can i send midi signals of dfferent channels to other drum machines/modules?

  • @djpio707 this was the model Phil Collins used all of the time. He especially loved the toms.

  • @djpio707 then do the video FFS and then start to put down others uploads.

  • @djpio707 tr-707 is pretty good too. and you can get it for a lot cheaper.

  • @djpio707 I would have to ask, what is "good" I would say the the 808 and 909 are more desirable, but I would rather have a 707 over a 606 because of MIDI alone. I own an 808 and have to sync it with my Futureretro Revolution with DIN. The 606 has to be a master or just stand alone. Kind of a pain in a modern set up. I would love to have a 606 and 303 running together one day..

  • @djpio707 hmmmm... A professor who makes an unsupported claim, lacking correct syntax, spelling, or grammar. Somehow, I doubt it. And, by the way, the 707 is a great machine.

  • @djpio707 cool. I'm a track runner, I must be a shoe specialist.

  • @djpio707

    707 had some great sounds too though.

  • Why does this look more badass than the 808?

  • what is that grey strip undernieth the roland logo? ribbon controller?

  • @colorform2113

    card-slot

  • @colorform2113 haha ribbon controller u crack me up. this is the 80s man barely even color tv! ahaha

  • @hunnedeep hey my 1976 micromoog has a ribbon controller. there may not have been many on drum machines but there were ribbon controllers long before the 80s

  • @hunnedeep I'm gonna guess you're not very old...

  • @colorform2113 LOL Ribbon controller? This was 1986 ....its a slot of a RAM card.

  • @colorform2113 The memory cartridges that could be used were the M-16C and M-64C

  • These sounds sound very familier,

  • i think daft punk used this for crenscendolls i think. correct me if i'm wrong

  • Sybil - Falling In Love 1986

    C-Bank - Perfect 1987

    any various Chicago house songs from Traxx Records.

    classic sounds for a classy end of the decade

  • I've always been a Korg guy, but recently I got my hands on a Roland MC-303 and since I'm getting the hold of these puppies I'm turning more and more a Roland kind of person, yeah!

  • Can you play both closed and open high hats in a pattern?

  • Love the sound of this box, fits always....

  • love the claps and that fat snare sound

  • the look of TR 707 is awesome !

  • This is my favorite drum machine ever. I just wish i could find one to buy. Good job!

  • This one came out in 1984. Cool! Seems to have some pretty generic drum sounds though. hehe

  • I owned this machine when it was brand-new, along with the companion TR-727 percussion drum machine. It was fun as hell, but sounded VERY thin and wimpy. You really need to doctor the sounds come mix time.

  • God I love these things! :-)

  • It suited the 80's funk / soul sound rather than olskool hiphop, that was definitely the 606, 808, 909, and DMX

  • I have one still boxed, never used, just played around with it a few times. Actually dead easy to use as you can watch the beat on the leds as it loops. If someone really wants one let know, I'll come back here to read any messages. Tex.

  • @texbyrnes how much?

  • @marchofflamesgmail Sorry for delay in replying, been away, [not in gaol], a mate borrowed the unit, and is wanting to keep it, so can't give a price at the moment. I don't have a clue on value anyway! Regards, Tex in Stockport, Ches.

  • sounds better then the 808 imo! love the kick & snare sound :)

  • hello

    how can i find it to buy?

    i love this drum machine, how can i buy one like that?

    thanks a lot!!!

  • I think TR-707 is best out of all of them.

  • I want these but vst can do this just as good if not better for free.

  • aaah back in the days when drum machines used to look like hospital monitoring equipment

  • @minichuaman2 Funny, I always thought hospital monitoring equipment looked like it was from the 80s!

  • @minichuaman2 i LOLd :D

  • pretty good actually

  • so glad i got this one recently. i love ebay.

  • also used by the belgian EBM underground formation 'the klinik'

  • nice grooves man ;D

    Jack would be proud of!!!

  • How I miss my 707. Mine was stolen and I bought it when she just came out. Still hurt me to this day... doesn't matter how dated it sounds.

  • I had one and sold it for around $200. I don't miss it. I liked the kicks but the toms sound dated in a bad way and the high percussion (hat/snare/cymbol/clap) sound weak without external effects. Which IS THE NICE THING ABOUT THE 707...ALL PARTS HAVE INDIVIDUAL OUTPUTS, MAKING EFFECTS SENDS VERY EASY FOR EACH PART, AND I LOVED THE VOLUME SLIDERS FOR EACH PART AS WELL. Roland nearly made a great machine here. But they came up short. I'm happier with my Korg Electribes.

  • @shazzbutter That is a good feature to have individual outputs. I owned a TR 707 and a TR 727. The 727 still works.

  • Chris and Cosey used one of these, it's all over their Techno Primitiv album. Nice and solid...

  • can you only make it run over 1 bar for a single beat, or can you make it run over 2 say?

  • You can create patterns that run over up to 16 bars without even entering track mode... Great sequencer!

  • Four patterns(measures) can be strung into a bar, which can be strung together in a song. If you take the time to program it you can write a beat that's upwards of 64 bars long.

  • Used on Les Rythmes Digitales 1st album.

  • Used by Blancmange on "Believe You Me"?

  • what is one of these things worth? a cheaper alternative?

  • @josephmarion34

    To be honest they aren't that expensive, around maybe 250-300 dollars used

  • Even less, usually.

  • go for a korg er1, more versatile- same step sequencer.

  • can u add fx like reverb on this machine ..amongst others?? cheers

  • With an outboard fx unit, you can add fx. No internal fx, if that's what you're asking.

  • got the option of pickingone of these up for pretty cheap, just wanted to know how easy it is to program syncopated beats on it?

  • Sounds like the same drum sounds like New Order used in the start of "Blue Monday". Listen to the song and tell me it's not! LOL

  • hehe it's not! :P

    Blue Monday came out 3 years before the 707 :D

    in the song you hear an oberheim DMX

  • The Oberheim DMX was the drum machine used on Blue Monday :)

  • Wow!

    My first drum machine, then I had a commodore 64.

    since then I've about 15 drum machine and now

    I'm trying to sync with Logic Pro 9.

  • to bad they stopped making it for windows.

  • I bought one of these from a pawn shop for $50 in the 90's, but when I got it home and found it was sampled sounds I took it back! I was so set on the analog sound that I blinded myself to the great sounds it had.

  • lol it reminds me of Scarface... nice beatz, dude

  • Does anybody know if this machine only does 4/4 time? Or can you program in any time signatures? I heard there were four kinds on this machine maybe - does anybody know what they are?

  • look at the area directly above the step sequencer. it displays which time signature you are using depending on which light is lit (far left side). The different options are 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, and 6/8 i believe.

  • damn, we need 5/4!

  • 15 step ;)

  • a 909 is good 2

  • if your selling how much would be

  • 200-250 €

  • ill take it off your hands for €200. Pm me

  • @retrosound72 and for an original TR-808 ? 2000-2500 €?

  • 808 beats both... but it's too damn expensive! 707 is priced most reasonably in comparison.

  • 707 is THE sound of early house music! Peace.

  • Plus, it has that lovely pattern window. Unfortunately, you can't tweak any of the sounds, a major flaw to many.

  • @NakedEar the 808 sounds really thin and metallic to me, i much prefer this, though if i had no appreciation for 80s music i would like the cheesyness

  • Great bit of kit...I have one and it is boxed......anybody wanna buy it?

  • PM me

  • how much are you asking?

  • im tired of all the new stuff, you never can beat a good old roland drum machine

  • damn ... i want this so much

  • This is a vintage.

    Awsome!!!

  • HOLA GHOST!

  • chicago house!!!

  • this or the 909  i am liking the 707's sound more

  • All this beats is form Mich Jack 1984

  • Doesn't this have some digitized samples in it?

  • nice ring!

  • it sounds like calvin harris ;D

  • Die hab ich mir 1984 als Alternative zu der damals unerschwinglichen Linn gekauft. Die Programmierung war dank des Displays super einfach, der Sound sehr druckvoll und das Timing sehr thight.

  • Hi

    this unit has individual outputs for each of its drum tones?

  • Yep it does, very handy when mixing or like i did, use guitar pedals like distortion for the bass drum etc. :-)

  • What will you have to pay for these things nowdays?

  • ~200 EUR

  • @retrosound72 ive seen them for 700-800 sterling over hear and the 909 and 303 top a grand each

  • Hopefully not too much as its "just" sample based beatbox, i saw one at $300 at ebay today.

    Id say unless u want one to fool around with the hardware itself, u r better off downloading the samples from the internet and use them with your favorite sampler, that way u can combine it with the 727 sounds at no xtra cost. :-D

    However the 707 is a fun toy to play with and easy to use due to its huge display. :-)

  • Wauw what a vocabulary, its impressive u havent become anything with the skills u obviously master. LMAO

  • GENIAL!!

  • hey me again .. sorry for using this for asking questions:

    I just found out that my problem only accures in every second pattern (1,3,5,7 etc). In all those patterns the drumcomputer doesnt play the 16th note, if I change the last step to 12 it only plays 11, if 8 is the last step it only plays 7 etc .. is it supposed to be like that ?! .. because if I select 6 as last step it stays at 6.

    thanks for any help!!

  • just got this one and totally love it .. only got one problem. as soon as I start playing it it wont play the "16th note" .. it always stops at the 15th and then repeats, no matter whether I use "last step 16" .

    can anybody help ?

    within all the original pattern it works without problem. only when I start creating something by my own. weird.

  • hm that is strange , must be a flaw in the machine , im sure that can easily be fixed , one question , the sounds shown on this video , are they already uplaoded onto the tr 707 or would i hae to do some tweaking to get these sounds ?

  • I had one of those about 10 yrs ago, the sounds u hear in this vid is the actual sounds as they are out of the "box".

    However its samplebased afaik and u cant tweak the sounds in it.

    The 707 is really easy to program and sounds pretty good, but its 'as is' no special treats.

    A cheap alternative is to google 707 samples, easy to find and use them in your sampler, be it a softsampler or whatever.

    The drum mappings of this device are as it is in GM.

  • oh kool thanks for that ! so that screen on the 707 is where u program the samples into right ?

  • Yeah the screen is a great tool as it shows all events and other stuff, it kinda makes the 707 easy to make good and swinging grooves as u got a graphical overview of whats going on. :-)

    Id say the machine was great for its time because it has features like the large display and built-in mixer.

    Compared to a modern soft sampler its just a piece of nostalgia and collectors item. ;-)

  • thanks for clearing that up !i really want one now ;p it seems these rolands were all way ahed of thier time and still sound great today :D i dont know if you are familiar with the elctro music duo MSTRKRFT but thye used thr 707 in thier work alot , especially thier first album :)

  • Im not familiar with the band u mention.. :-(

    However the 707 soundwise is cool, however u may want to run it thru an equalizer as it lacks a great deal on the high frequencies or maybe an exciter that compress the high freq area and boost it a little. :-)

    I used mine along with a Korg M1 which actually sounded pretty cool together for techno as the M1 has some neat sounds but its drums are a bit rock 'n' roomy sounding.

    Especially for 80s techno sound the 707 is a great machine!! :-)

  • nice i might try that :P any place where i can obtain an equalizer ?

  • EQ's u can get everywherew, depending on how much u wanna spend on it, u can get it from ebay as used goods or new ones.

    For this id gor for something around 5 or 7 bands, but yet again, the cheapest way is to use on on your computer.

    Do your tune and sample each track, on the 707 u have seperate outputs for each drum sound, which is handy if used on stage because u can easy put a distortion pedal in between the BD out and maybe a delay for the snare or whatever. :-)

  • im s getting one of these :P

  • how did you get it to go real fast @ 2:56?

  • He just added more kicks, it sounds like.

  • thats how fruityloops works

  • i remember it from new order s blue monday

  • I with you the funky it now big happy sound get numer for disco music but must get the midis