Roland TR8s

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Mon Mar 05, 2018 1:09 pm

This time they made it as it should be, with single outs and user samples, at a very attractive prace tag of around 700 bucks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WDFJyc ... e=youtu.be

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Tue Mar 06, 2018 9:36 pm

Not sure there's widespread agreement with you on that. I'm seeing a lot of complaints across the web that it's too expensive.

And - it's $699 and 699 Euro - but $699 is only 560 Euro - so in Europe we feel we're being fleeced.

I'm also seeing a lot of TR-8s being off loaded on classified ads sites!

For me, this range seems a little uninspiring and 699 Euro is just far too expensive for what you get.

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:30 am

I still think it has an excellent price value relation, with a lot of enhancements over the TR8 (not just leaving the most ugly green I can imagine behind). It does not just have the additional outs and samples. It offers a significant amount of new functionality/UI. And most of all, it offers enhanced ACB modelling of the classic Roland x0x machines, with all of the major ones on board.

After watching a handful of videos, especially this one:
https://youtu.be/-IJGTMUcaWU
I would even go as far and say
- to me this is not just Rolands best sounding ACB effort so far (inlcuding all their synths and drum boxes), really nailing the original x0x sound with all its punch and warm presence VERY close
- it also looks like Roland's most consequent and least flawed dsign over a whole decade: this thing looks to me like immediate, uncomplicated, great sounding fun, and I guess it will sell like sliced bread.

Mind you: this is the first time I'm really impressed by a new Roland product since selling my Fantom G!

megamarkd · Post by **megamarkd** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:53 am

I really liked the TR8 but was put off by the limited kit size. This likes like it's bringing the machine closer to what I fell in love with when I bought my R-70, which is still the best drum machine I've ever owned. My RY-30 died last year and I've been wanting to replace it with a comparable sample-based drum machine.
The price puts the machine in the same price bracket as a Digitakt. The interface and output count of the TR-8s does trump the Elektron machine, but I'd like to think the Roland's production power would bring the cost down some especially as it's coming close to double the cost of the first TR-8.
MIDI implementation is better than usual for Roland. A bit let-down is one wave-per-instrument, which means basic percussion synthesis with only one timbre to each. Aside that the menus and instrument parameters are all very familiar to anyone who's used to Roland digital drum machines (ie not as complex as a Yamaha

)

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 6:34 am

Kevin Nolan wrote:Not sure there's widespread agreement with you on that. I'm seeing a lot of complaints across the web that it's too expensive.

And - it's $699 and 699 Euro - but $699 is only 560 Euro - so in Europe we feel we're being fleeced.

I'm also seeing a lot of TR-8s being off loaded on classified ads sites!

For me, this range seems a little uninspiring and 699 Euro is just far too expensive for what you get.

Price in europe are including sales tax...
in the US not so...
Which tells you where the difference comes fro ...

699 euro..
Thats a lot of money..
But if this is what someone has been looking for
(It als makes an interesting midi comtroller)
Then i guess they will pay..

If not, then they will probably stick to the TR-8

Personally i think the price isnt that bad when you realise how many things are hugely improved above the TR8.

megamarkd · Post by **megamarkd** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 8:15 am

Bachus wrote:
Kevin Nolan wrote:Not sure there's widespread agreement with you on that. I'm seeing a lot of complaints across the web that it's too expensive.

And - it's $699 and 699 Euro - but $699 is only 560 Euro - so in Europe we feel we're being fleeced.

I'm also seeing a lot of TR-8s being off loaded on classified ads sites!

For me, this range seems a little uninspiring and 699 Euro is just far too expensive for what you get.
Price in europe are including sales tax...
in the US not so...
Which tells you where the difference comes fro ...

699 euro..
Thats a lot of money..
But if this is what someone has been looking for
(It als makes an interesting midi comtroller)
Then i guess they will pay..

If not, then they will probably stick to the TR-8

Personally i think the price isnt that bad when you realise how many things are hugely improved above the TR8.

Good point about the tax.

The TR-8 is overpriced (or I'd have one by now) for what it is. If the TR-8s was the same price then I already have one on preorder. Of course it should be more than the original, but the original shouldn't have been so expensive to start with.

Although the MIDI implementation of the TR-8s is finally half-good, it's still really limited for acting as a controller for anything other than itself. Every parameter that can be addressed with it's dials and sliders can be address via MIDI, but those controllers aren't programmable, so the user is stuck with the hard-set CC's. Makes it a bit hard to control anything but another TR-8s, which would have it's own set of controls anyway....

On a good note, the instrument MIDI note numbers are reassignable, meaning you can edit the note numbers as to fit those of a drum module or other drum machines you may already own.

Joe Gerardi · Post by **Joe Gerardi** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:32 pm

Per the video...

How can it look "modern," and "timeless" at the same time???

..Joe

Jan1 · Post by **Jan1** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:23 pm

Roland did this one right, and considering what you get I don't think the price is high at all.
The color coding option is a very welcome addition.

Considering that various product demonstrations were recorded in different locations/stores prior to the official release date I'm surprised Roland managed to keep this so well under wraps.
And yes, I'm kind of baffled Roland did not hold back and really came up with such a well designed unit. They should let that team work on the next Fantom.

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Wed Mar 07, 2018 3:37 pm

The video link above stopped working, so here a new try:

https://youtu.be/muYfmB3782M

Jan1 wrote:Roland did this one right, and considering what you get I don't think the price is high at all.

+1

megamarkd · Post by **megamarkd** » Thu Mar 08, 2018 5:20 am

When you consider Roland's ability to mass-produce, the price is exorbitant. Most of the design already existed. Adding a sampler to a sample playback machine isn't that much extra that it should cost almost twice as much. An Electribe 2s is close to half the price and does the same thing minus the sliders and on-board drum sample rom, but has a more flexible synth engine. Perhaps I'm missing something that adds more than user samples/sampling to the machine?

BobTheDog · Post by **BobTheDog** » Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:28 pm

Kevin Nolan wrote:Not sure there's widespread agreement with you on that. I'm seeing a lot of complaints across the web that it's too expensive.

And - it's $699 and 699 Euro - but $699 is only 560 Euro - so in Europe we feel we're being fleeced.

I'm also seeing a lot of TR-8s being off loaded on classified ads sites!

For me, this range seems a little uninspiring and 699 Euro is just far too expensive for what you get.

Its mostly the pesky VAT though, with todays rate: (564.38/100)*120) = 677.25.

Then they cheat us a bit by rounding it up to 699

thehighesttree · Post by **thehighesttree** » Wed Mar 14, 2018 1:38 am

It's exciting because this is a well-rounded device with no glaring omissions from a company that's been whiffing turds at us for the last 15 years or so (barring V-Synth and maybe the JD-Xi).

I agree with megamarkd in that the original was a horrible ripoff for what it was/offered, especially in terms of onboard sequencer space! This one is more-on-less what it always should have been: a sample-based system which allows sample uploading, features motion sequencing (welcome to the 21st century, Roland), a generous 128 patterns with 8 variations EACH plus fills (NICE!), individual outs, and up-to 96kHz sampling!

Aside from not being able to (re)sample natively (no biggie since you can import with SD), this thing is chicken dinner. Sucks when they ripoff our EU buddies though

As far as the value goes though, this is surely a least twice as useful as an original TR-8.

megamarkd · Post by **megamarkd** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:17 am

thehighesttree wrote:It's exciting because this is a well-rounded device with no glaring omissions from a company that's been whiffing turds at us for the last 15 years or so (barring V-Synth and maybe the JD-Xi).

I agree with megamarkd in that the original was a horrible ripoff for what it was/offered, especially in terms of onboard sequencer space! This one is more-on-less what it always should have been: a sample-based system which allows sample uploading, features motion sequencing (welcome to the 21st century, Roland), a generous 128 patterns with 8 variations EACH plus fills (NICE!), individual outs, and up-to 96kHz sampling!

Aside from not being able to (re)sample natively (no biggie since you can import with SD), this thing is chicken dinner. Sucks when they ripoff our EU buddies though As far as the value goes though, this is surely a least twice as useful as an original TR-8.

Okay when you put it like that, yeah it maybe worth the 99 dollars more than 1000aud I'm seeing it advertised at. I'm pretty keen on getting one, but I'm waiting for the price drop that should occur locally after they hit the soil. Thousand bucks for a drum machine is stretching my suspension of disbelief.

It's about time the Roland branded drum machines became as powerful as the Boss branded beatboxes as far as libraries are concerned. My only disliking of that old Roland/Boss R/DR family is they have a shortish life span. Plenty of MC grooveboxes still kicking though.

thehighesttree · Post by **thehighesttree** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 10:44 pm

...ANNNNNND there's universal early-adopter reports of timing hiccups when using 5 or more of the sliders at once, worse with more controls active. This is apparently independent of whether you're using internal or external clock. I should've known they'd Roland it up.

So why do people revere Roland again? It's really pathological: people are saying stuff like, "well, I'll still buy it, but only to use it as a module" (this use is still apparently impacted BTW). If I had to guess, I'd blame hard-coded ROM preset slots that created 'defining sounds' for different pieces of gear...it's good branding, I'll admit, but this was 30 years ago when Roland had a ****ing clue, it's time to stop pretending they're the same company. How many times are people gonna keep supporting a company that's constantly screwing them over?

megamarkd · Post by **megamarkd** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 4:55 am

Heheh, the CC map was too good so they had to sabotage their MIDI some other way maybe? Being optimistic, it might be a firmware hitch that can be addressed....