It's so fascinating to watch videos about old gear that is nothing compared to what exists today but knowing that back then it was all the rage and people made do with what these old things were capable of. Super inspiring!
Indeed. Even there are way better songs with these humble vintage machines than a 64 GB RAM computerized studio. What a times! I'm 24 but I enjoy the good eighties disco (Italo Disco/Hi-NRG), I inherited it from my parents and I definitely don't regret it. I'm even planning to release an 80's inspired album.
THe TR-707 is very underrated!! It was my first electric musical instrument back in 1988. And guess what? I was working today with it on new music! It has a trigger out to trigger an external synth. The TR-707 sounds great! And gives you the possibility to create very nice rhythms!
Men this machine is the sound of new wave, Chicago house, and french house. I Knowles is not expensive as the 909, but this is one of my favourite drum machines of all time with the dmx
The TR-707 can be paired up with pretty much any synthesizer or keyboard. It's still an acceptable substitute substitute for a TR-909 or perfect if you want keyboardish type drums, I don't even think it sounds dated. It's never too late for a TR-707. Sometimes it's fun to go "back to basics".
@@casualintrovert207Agreed. A lot of people don't realize how dry and dull these OG boxes can sound on their own. They are so used to associating them.with what they hear on records. It takes some production effort to make them really shine.
Excellent drum machine so iconic, I think it’s very unique as unlike its predecessor the 808 and additionally like the 909, it’s sampled drums and sounds absolutely excellent.
This drum machine brings back memories. Me and my cousin used to sit around creating drum tracks and writing lyrics for hours on end back in the late 80's when we were rapping. Those were some good days.
The affordable, more easily accessible Linn Drum. ☺️ That’s why I love this thing. These kick and snare sounds are essential in the synthwave genre. I’m sure there are many 80s recordings that are commonly thought to be Linn Drum that are actually the 707.
@@RWL2012 you are so right. They both came out in 1984, first the 707,then the 909 soon after that. In 1985 I purchased the 707 brand Spanking new, here in Chicago, Illinois from a GUITAR CENTER store for $500.00, then purchased a few days later the 909, used, in mint condition from some kid for $350.00. I also picked up mint 808 and 303 drum and bassline machines shortly after that. Damn, '85 was a very good year for me musically.😏
@Donal Finn nice come back man, people that ok boomer trend is really stupid, on the other hand, did you say billie ocean is weak? come on bro. Caribbean queen?
I love the 707 samples. The kick and snare are nice and punchy, and in my opinion they always sit just right in a mix. Like I barely have to eq them at all, they just work.
I had one of these, I got one just when it was introduced and loved it. It is very versatile and has enough dynamics to make extended tracks interesting. With the memory, cartridge you can store entire sets for instant recall. Add in a bit of EQ and some Reverb and you can produce a great sounding drummer to back you up.
The great thing about drum computers in the 80's is that many of them had individual faders for each drum head, as well as individual outputs. That concept slowly disappeared.
Love mine. And there’s now a sysex librarian for the 707 and 727! Came out a couple of months ago or so. Look up DDV TR-707 sysex librarian and move your banks around over midi :) Best thing to do with the 707 or 727 if you fancy new sounds on one is get the HKA design rom expansion. Adds 808, 909, Linn, LM-1, DMX and 707 and 727 sounds to either the 707 or 727.
Wow, Dr Mix. Thank you for yet again for taking me back down memory lane. I have had the 808 (2) at a time, the 909 and the 707. One time all (3) simultaneously. The RX7, Drumulator (funny story) DX and DMX. Worked with the LinDrum and the Linn 9000, the MPC 60, 3000 and I still own both the MPC 2000 (Studio+ fully blown) and the Original SP-1200 bought new in 1988.
The 707 used digital samples - an attempt to sound more like a real drum kit. The 808 was analog and the 909 was a hybrid. The 808 and 909 weren't very popular when they first came out. They got popular in the late 80's early 90's with the Chicago house/acid scenes. I think it was the fact they 'didn't' sound like real drums which made them so unique. And of course, you cant beat their bass drums!
Easily the most underrated and still affordable machines. The sounds are great for modern genres . In fact I hear the Linndrum , 707, and 808 the most in the last 5 years if pop music . The build quality is super cheap, sound are not tuneable and workflow is nowhere near as fast as linndrum. The sounds are not as fat and iconic as Linns or 808 , but it’s phenomenal and totally usable for synthwave , pop, rock (with gated reverb) , and of course dance/house . Also : has a pretty good Midi Spec. Tight clock lock , and assignable drum Notes .
Nice video. I have most of these drum machines like the 707, 808, 909, LinnDrum, etc. on my Garageband App. I came here to learn more about what the actual machines were like.
As always, Claudio, your videos are top notch: when this was our only option, these old drum machines did their job: thankfully, today, modern workstation keyboards have incredible drum sounds, and with the onboard sequencers, it is so easy to come up with drum patterns playing live just striking the various keys. Back in the day, I would have to come up with the drum patterns for the entire song FIRST, but now, again with the sequencers, that is not necessary and I instead will record bass and rhythm first and then play drums along with it, for a more natural feel and sound.
By the way thank you for the memory lane on keyboards. I had quite a few. Between 1982 to 2000 I carry 10 at a time for live performances... Thank God for Rackmounts, DAWs and Plug-Ins, but I miss some analog hardware, but now married with digital
Why? Just get an original 707, instead of one of Roland's "boutique" (digital remake) things... Roland picks the models they remake in the "boutique" series because the originals are crazy $$$ (808, 909, 303....). The 707 is already a digital PCM based machine (with midi, DIN, separate outs, etc), i'm not sure what they'd add or change in the remake of it, other than just another chance to make some $$$. I guess they could remake it as an analogue machine? That'd be hilarious & awesome lol but for real, just get a 707, you can get one for around the price of a Roland "boutique" machine.
Thanks for your comment and I agree to a certain level. There are not so many decent ones to be found here in The Netherlands. But I just might keep my eye out for one! And an analog version would be hilarious indeed!
Another great demo. I have one sat next to me. A lot of fun, particularly if you print the different outputs to different channels in your DAW and then process them separately. Also has the RIM TRIG OUT so that it can control pre-midi synths that use CV/GATE. Still quite cheap to pick up. But, certainly no match for an 808 or even the other PCM drum machines like the Linn and DMX though.
I had a TR-505 which was the same as the 707 but without the individual volume controls & outputs. I used to run it through a large eq unit to shape the output a bit. Probably the same samples too.
Ahh...my first drum machine! Got it in 1990. It wasn't fashionable at the time but cheap. I got an 808 and 909 next when they were still very cheap! Sadly, i sold them all back in the 90's - big mistake.
I had a 707 in the 90s. Used it with a Simmons SDS 8 which was kinda fun. The kick always disappointed me though. Weak, weak, weak. What I wanted was a 909. The silder and the individual outs were the best part.
Thanks for your video. I love the 707 and the classic instruments. I miss only the chance to change the pattern when it's playing. Greats videos in your channel ;-)
I love the kick sounds and snare sounds on the 808. Yeah they don't sound realistic, but there's something about them that just catches your ear. For me at least
I think Roland may have sampled the TR-909 for the crash/ride/hi-hats/clap for this drum machine they sound almost identical in all the TR-707's 8 bit/6 bit glory, definitely still a classic used on so many early house records.
Seems a damn cool machine. Even the 909 is more iconic, and 808 is nowadays (2024) more hip, the sound is quite solid and has a nice 909ish touch. Like it
I had one of those babies back in ‘86. They sold for around $500. I make great beats with it. It had an accent button that was almost like touch sensitive back then and 8 outputs that I never came to use because I was still a new-B. I miss that toy! Sumbi
You know If I ever end up dancing alone to the singular sound of a bare bones 707 beat on an obscure dance floor some where and I actually look like I'm enjoying myself... then please just shoot me...
It's so fascinating to watch videos about old gear that is nothing compared to what exists today but knowing that back then it was all the rage and people made do with what these old things were capable of. Super inspiring!
Indeed. Even there are way better songs with these humble vintage machines than a 64 GB RAM computerized studio. What a times! I'm 24 but I enjoy the good eighties disco (Italo Disco/Hi-NRG), I inherited it from my parents and I definitely don't regret it. I'm even planning to release an 80's inspired album.
THe TR-707 is very underrated!! It was my first electric musical instrument back in 1988. And guess what? I was working today with it on new music! It has a trigger out to trigger an external synth. The TR-707 sounds great! And gives you the possibility to create very nice rhythms!
Haven’t got the machine but I love the drum sounds. Simple but effective, especially after saturation.
When you add a touch of EQ and some reverb, this machine becomes devastating.
Did the major labels use it? What do they use now?
@@RideAcrossTheRiver Don't know, don't care.
@@freewheeler8924 Yeah, must be a pro-minded thing
@@RideAcrossTheRiver Correct.
@@freewheeler8924 The pros are the ones who get the best sounds. What else is there?
Men this machine is the sound of new wave, Chicago house, and french house. I Knowles is not expensive as the 909, but this is one of my favourite drum machines of all time with the dmx
A lot of post-punk bands love the 707 and its sounds. They can sound good whether you're accompanying it with synths or with guitars, for example.
Big Black, and they also used a Tr 606
i believe that the 707 is all over jesus and mary chain's 'darklands'...most of it.
The TR-707 can be paired up with pretty much any synthesizer or keyboard. It's still an acceptable substitute substitute for a
TR-909 or perfect if you want keyboardish type drums, I don't even think it sounds dated. It's never too late for a TR-707.
Sometimes it's fun to go "back to basics".
The TR-909 is so overused that it sounds "cheesy" now. The TR-909 sounds boomy and not universal at all. I prefer the TR-707 to the TR-909.
The 707 and 727 are actually very useable with processing. Put a room reverb, some compression and EQ and it sounds great!
@@casualintrovert207Agreed. A lot of people don't realize how dry and dull these OG boxes can sound on their own.
They are so used to associating them.with what they hear on records.
It takes some production effort to make them really shine.
Doctor Mix : "Welcome to the TR-707"
His T-shirt : *TR-808*
🤣🤣🤣
lol😂
😂
Why is that a problem for you? Can you motivate so I can understand please?
Excellent drum machine so iconic, I think it’s very unique as unlike its predecessor the 808 and additionally like the 909, it’s sampled drums and sounds absolutely excellent.
This drum machine brings back memories. Me and my cousin used to sit around creating drum tracks and writing lyrics for hours on end back in the late 80's when we were rapping. Those were some good days.
The affordable, more easily accessible Linn Drum. ☺️ That’s why I love this thing. These kick and snare sounds are essential in the synthwave genre. I’m sure there are many 80s recordings that are commonly thought to be Linn Drum that are actually the 707.
This thing still sounds extremely amazing. It's just classic - forever!
707 is tight 🥁🥁 man
my personal favourite drum machine. i use the samples from it all the time, it just works incredibly well for synths and synthwave in my opinion
It's interesting how the 707 came out AFTER the 808. You'd think it would have come before lol
I think the 707 and 909 came out alongside each other after the 808
Donal Finn this has like, nothing to do with the original comment but okay boomer
@@RWL2012 you are so right. They both came out in 1984, first the 707,then the 909 soon after that. In 1985 I purchased the 707 brand Spanking new, here in Chicago, Illinois from a GUITAR CENTER store for $500.00, then purchased a few days later the 909, used, in mint condition from some kid for $350.00. I also picked up mint 808 and 303 drum and bassline machines shortly after that. Damn, '85 was a very good year for me musically.😏
@Donal Finn nice come back man, people that ok boomer trend is really stupid, on the other hand, did you say billie ocean is weak? come on bro. Caribbean queen?
@Donal Finnyou're right, every machine fit the genre of its time and technology expanded to fit the application of expanded multiple genres.
I love the 707 samples. The kick and snare are nice and punchy, and in my opinion they always sit just right in a mix. Like I barely have to eq them at all, they just work.
this is by far my favorites of all roland TR drum machines.
Your T-shirt is openly mocking this TR-707
Why? I like both drum machines.
Yeah it's "one upping" the 707 :)
😯😂
You are allowed to own multiple drum machines.
@@ericMT The people that keep commenting about the tee being different are idiots
I had one of these, I got one just when it was introduced and loved it. It is very versatile and has enough dynamics to make extended tracks interesting. With the memory, cartridge you can store entire sets for instant recall. Add in a bit of EQ and some Reverb and you can produce a great sounding drummer to back you up.
Thank you Roland for including these classic sounds on the TR-6S. That little machine is a beast (6S)!
TR-6S is what brought me here.
@@scottboyansame! I was wondering if the 6s can come close to sounding like the actually thing
@@OSKIERUSSELL I actually think that it does. The TR-6S has really impressed me.
Classic sounds
Tr707 sounds awesome! Organic, precise and powerful. 😎🔥🔥🔥
I loved this machine. It was so easy to use and program. The sounds were great too. They don't make'em like this anymore.
The great thing about drum computers in the 80's is that many of them had individual faders for each drum head, as well as individual outputs. That concept slowly disappeared.
favorite drum machine of all time
I utilized the Roland TR707 and Linn Drum on 'All Dis Music' in 1986 and it still sounds great today!!!
"Romance" 2018
I never realized how similar this sounds to a Linn Drum. 707 is cool, I’m surprised it’s not used more.
Love mine. And there’s now a sysex librarian for the 707 and 727! Came out a couple of months ago or so. Look up DDV TR-707 sysex librarian and move your banks around over midi :) Best thing to do with the 707 or 727 if you fancy new sounds on one is get the HKA design rom expansion. Adds 808, 909, Linn, LM-1, DMX and 707 and 727 sounds to either the 707 or 727.
That snare drum is so classic
Thank you for taking your time to introduce those machines. Honestly, I've never got deep into the TR-maschines ..
they are great, aren't they?
Doctor Mix definitely!
I was lucky enough to borrow a TR606 and 909 for a weekend. Owned a 505 and still have my trusty 626.
I love my Roland TR-707!!!!
Wow, Dr Mix. Thank you for yet again for taking me back down memory lane. I have had the 808 (2) at a time, the 909 and the 707. One time all (3) simultaneously. The RX7, Drumulator (funny story) DX and DMX. Worked with the LinDrum and the Linn 9000, the MPC 60, 3000 and I still own both the MPC 2000 (Studio+ fully blown) and the Original SP-1200 bought new in 1988.
Love it! I used to spend hours making beats on my Roland R-70 and then use them as exercices to play during my drum classes. A lot of fun!
Toutes ces vielles machines resteront à jamais indémodable!
The 707 used digital samples - an attempt to sound more like a real drum kit. The 808 was analog and the 909 was a hybrid. The 808 and 909 weren't very popular when they first came out. They got popular in the late 80's early 90's with the Chicago house/acid scenes. I think it was the fact they 'didn't' sound like real drums which made them so unique. And of course, you cant beat their bass drums!
The 808 wasn't popular when it came out? Hmm.
@@VitaTristis Don’t tell Planet Patrol, Egyptian Lover or Afrika Bambaataa that. Dumb statement
@@Arthur-hg7ny I was being facetious. I know it was popular when it was released. Hell even Marvin Gaye was using it.
My First Drum Machine, brings back memories.
The on board mixer on my 707 stopped working. Any suggestions?
my favourite drum machine ever
Always loved this more than the others. Acid house!!! :D
You know it!!!
727 was lots of fun.
Vangelis used it on the end titles of the bounty....cowbell and snare are unmistakeble, love this machine, lucky you!
Somebody recognised Fl Studio Step Sequencer There!
Easily the most underrated and still affordable machines. The sounds are great for modern genres . In fact I hear the Linndrum , 707, and 808 the most in the last 5 years if pop music . The build quality is super cheap, sound are not tuneable and workflow is nowhere near as fast as linndrum. The sounds are not as fat and iconic as Linns or 808 , but it’s phenomenal and totally usable for synthwave , pop, rock (with gated reverb) , and of course dance/house . Also : has a pretty good Midi Spec. Tight clock lock , and assignable drum
Notes .
The 707 has a very special and good groove.! Cool Beat!
THANK YOU! I LOVE using 707 hits on a bunch of my music, especially the cymbals
I bought a Tr-707 some months ago. Maybe the sound is a little bit cheap but I Like it. The Rim Trigger is great!
Roland TR- 707 Drum Machine /new.1985/ Excellent model Rhythm Composer....I Love.
Nice video. I have most of these drum machines like the 707, 808, 909, LinnDrum, etc. on my Garageband App. I came here to learn more about what the actual machines were like.
707 sounds snappy and sharp. Would really suit particular songs, not necessarily whole genres.
true. Same can be said for any instrument.
It could easily suit all of EBM. 80’s all day everyday
@@Schiff252 any 80s pop lol
@@FoxyChariot Yes most definitely!
Post Punk works really well with the 707
Great drum machine, one of my favourites.
As always, Claudio, your videos are top notch: when this was our only option, these old drum machines did their job: thankfully, today, modern workstation keyboards have incredible drum sounds, and with the onboard sequencers, it is so easy to come up with drum patterns playing live just striking the various keys. Back in the day, I would have to come up with the drum patterns for the entire song FIRST, but now, again with the sequencers, that is not necessary and I instead will record bass and rhythm first and then play drums along with it, for a more natural feel and sound.
By the way thank you for the memory lane on keyboards. I had quite a few. Between 1982 to 2000 I carry 10 at a time for live performances... Thank God for Rackmounts, DAWs and Plug-Ins, but I miss some analog hardware, but now married with digital
I didn't think about this until now, but there needs to be special holidays for producers/DJs.
In this case, it would be July 7th.
You have the best job in the world. Great videos, man.
I have the tr 707 and also the 727 percussion machine and they still work I bought these back in 1985
Dude, If you do the 707 you GOTTA do the 727!!!🙏🏽👍🏽
My first drum machine. Still have one.
I love the 707 and I hope Roland will release a TR-07 Boutique next year!
Why? Just get an original 707, instead of one of Roland's "boutique" (digital remake) things... Roland picks the models they remake in the "boutique" series because the originals are crazy $$$ (808, 909, 303....). The 707 is already a digital PCM based machine (with midi, DIN, separate outs, etc), i'm not sure what they'd add or change in the remake of it, other than just another chance to make some $$$.
I guess they could remake it as an analogue machine? That'd be hilarious & awesome lol but for real, just get a 707, you can get one for around the price of a Roland "boutique" machine.
Thanks for your comment and I agree to a certain level. There are not so many decent ones to be found here in The Netherlands. But I just might keep my eye out for one! And an analog version would be hilarious indeed!
Get a tr-9. The 707 is just a poor mans 909. Also the 707 isn't analog hence the cheaper price tag than the 909
I like using the 707 kit a lot of times especially the open hat, layer it with the 909 to have a new thing.
@@UncleJimima LOL...it uses pcm samples. Not an analog machine.
Only an octopus could play this pattern on a real kit! Great video. I love the 707 and 727 combination. I have all the samples in my Kronos.
Takes me back to circa 1985-1987 listening to the mixes on WBMX in Chicago.
Proud to say I own one of these 😀
YT Pewp Me too! It's been sitting in storage for a lonnnng time.
Me too and i have the first doctor rhythm in the grey box😳
@@stephenlennartz3466 still have it?
I still very much like the sound of the 707 !
707 reminds me of the Linn drum a lot
Linn knock off lol, pretty much every drum machine after 82 was one
Yamaha RX-7
Roland TR-707
Kawai’s drum machines
Oberheim DMX
The Linn was just too expensive back in days.
Doctor Mix Is The Best !
It really makes me want one!
This was the sound of INXS.
My first drum machine I got for Christmas 1987
Another great demo.
I have one sat next to me. A lot of fun, particularly if you print the different outputs to different channels in your DAW and then process them separately.
Also has the RIM TRIG OUT so that it can control pre-midi synths that use CV/GATE.
Still quite cheap to pick up. But, certainly no match for an 808 or even the other PCM drum machines like the Linn and DMX though.
I'm actually doing exactly that today :-)
Just looking on EBay and these are going for insane prices. I may have to go look for mine now!
i think it sound cool
I had a TR-505 which was the same as the 707 but without the individual volume controls & outputs. I used to run it through a large eq unit to shape the output a bit. Probably the same samples too.
Great machine, I used to own one and also its companion the 727 for percussion...
Ahh...my first drum machine! Got it in 1990. It wasn't fashionable at the time but cheap. I got an 808 and 909 next when they were still very cheap! Sadly, i sold them all back in the 90's - big mistake.
hit that cymbal, doctor! hit it like it owes you money!!
I had a 707 in the 90s. Used it with a Simmons SDS 8 which was kinda fun. The kick always disappointed me though. Weak, weak, weak. What I wanted was a 909. The silder and the individual outs were the best part.
I'd love to see a 707 and 727 in the roland cloud.
Aaaahh...
...individual outputs!!!!
A dream comes true...
Thanks for your video. I love the 707 and the classic instruments. I miss only the chance to change the pattern when it's playing. Greats videos in your channel ;-)
Sounds surprisingly good!
great machines, love Roland :)
i use the 707 kick and snare in quite a bit of my ideas. Nice and clicky, but has some Beef to it, way better than the 808 kick and snare imo.
I love the kick sounds and snare sounds on the 808. Yeah they don't sound realistic, but there's something about them that just catches your ear. For me at least
Jay big: I prefer the "heartbeat" kick drum of the 808. (The one without any vibrating 'boooom' to it. Lol)
707 snare is the tits
Kick yes but not the 808 snare
That thing sounds great.
Sounds almost like the Blue Monday Kickdrum but ich think that was a Oberheim 1:29
This machine is very popular in spanish post punk, you can hear it in songs from Luz Futuro and Depresion Sonora
I think Roland may have sampled the TR-909 for the crash/ride/hi-hats/clap for this drum machine they sound almost identical in all the TR-707's 8 bit/6 bit glory, definitely still a classic used on so many early house records.
It's 12 bit, but I think all the sounds are sampled off the 909, same thing with the 505
Great sounding drum machine. Wish I had one.
Seems a damn cool machine. Even the 909 is more iconic, and 808 is nowadays (2024) more hip, the sound is quite solid and has a nice 909ish touch. Like it
I had one of those babies back in ‘86. They sold for around $500. I make great beats with it. It had an accent button that was almost like touch sensitive back then and 8 outputs that I never came to use because I was still a new-B.
I miss that toy!
Sumbi
I enjoyed the verbatim Wikipedia quote at the beginning. Not many people would be so bold. 😂
If my memory is correct it has exactly the same "connectivety" as the 909. MIDI, DIN sync, Rim shot trigger out etc.
We used to route the bass drum out trough a distortion and compressor. And make some euro dance happy hardcore with it.
You know If I ever end up dancing alone to the singular sound of a bare bones 707 beat on an obscure dance floor some where and I actually look like I'm enjoying myself... then please just shoot me...
Love the DIY 3M hook power cable safety lock xD
An the fact that the power cable seems to be entering the machine through the plastic chassis, not the actual power input jack...
More dope moves by Doctor Mix. Dude is a pro.
Ha!
I LOVE IT
this is the best TR kick. 707>909>808
The best
Man I want one of these so bad
It was used to make UK Acid Techno in the late nineties a bit too.
EXCELENT...DRUM Machine.
I wish i thought about that diy cable saver ..very easy to damage.i love my 707🤘
808 T-shirt !!! )))