The Roland TR-707 Rhythm Composer is a drum machine released by the Roland Corporation in 1985.

Features

The TR-707 has fifteen digitally sampled sounds. The instrument is capable of 10-voice

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. The alternate bass drum,

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, and hi-hat sounds cannot be triggered simultaneously. The instruments are labeled as Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Low Tom, Mid Tom, Hi Tom, Rimshot, Cowbell, Hand Clap, Tambourine, Hi-Hat (Closed or Open), Cymbal (Crash or Ride), as well as an additional function labeled accent, which serves to rhythmically modify the volume of the other instruments. The instruments on the TR-707 are samples of recordings of actual acoustic instruments, and not synthesized individually like the instruments on the TR-808.https://www.synthxl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Roland-tr-707-service-notes.pdf#page5
/ref> The TR-707 provides four levels of

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that operate globally on the rhythm, as well as flam that can be applied to any step. The device offers 64 programmable patterns, which are editable via step-write or tap-write, that can be sequenced together into any of four different tracks. Patterns and tracks can be stored on the device (providing that two AA batteries are inserted) or onto an optional memory cartridge with twice the capacity. The TR-707 is particularly sought after by users of Roland gear from the same era because it can synchronize with other hardware via both

MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and ...

and

DIN sync DIN sync, also called Sync24, is a synchronization interface for electronic musical instruments. It was introduced in the early 1980s by Roland Corporation and has been superseded by MIDI. Definition and history DIN sync was introduced in t ...

, although it cannot do so when controlled by other hardware. There is also an output that allows the Rimshot to trigger hardware that accepts a voltage pulse. There are individual volume sliders and output jacks for each instrument group.

Architecture

While the TR-707 is a primarily digital device, it still employs some

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circuitry like

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and amplifiers. The sounds where envelope circuits are used to contour the sounds are the Crash and Ride Cymbal, and the Hi-Hats. The Crash and Ride Cymbals are stored and replayed at 6-bit resolution whereas the other sounds are 8-bit samples. This low bit resolution significantly alters the dynamics of the original sounds resulting in very compressed sounds with an unnaturally long sustain. Envelope circuits were used here in an attempt to recreate an approximation the original dynamics of the sounds recorded. These envelopes also play a role in reducing the

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introduced by the low bit-rate used in the TR-707's circuits, particularly during the decay portion of sounds. Both the open and closed Hi-Hat sounds are generated by the same sample stored in the

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. When you trigger the closed Hi-Hat you actually trigger the open Hi-Hat sound that is then enveloped to sound like a short, closed cymbal hit. This approach eliminated the need to store two different Hi-Hat samples on individual EEPROMs. This was a smart and economical move by Roland as digital storage was very expensive at the time, thus allowing them to keep manufacturing costs down. With the introduction of a 707/727 sound set for the Roland TR-8, Roland published an in-depth explanation of what causes a TR-707 unit to behave differently than a set of sampled sounds from the machine.

Legacy

The TR-707 was a staple in early house music, particularly with acid house. It is also a staple of almost all electronic Arabic pop music ( al jeel). Because the TR-707 offers a limited number of instruments sampled at 8 bits, its sound is considered dated by modern standards. However, it is still in use because of its versatility in synchronizing with other hardware and its fully featured interface, comparable to that of high-end Roland drum machines such as the TR-808 and

TR-909 The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a drum machine introduced by Roland Corporation in 1983, succeeding the TR-808. It was the first Roland drum machine to use samples for some sounds, and the first with MIDI functionality, allowing it to syn ...

. The TR-727 is visually identical aside from having blue highlights on the case, but it contains a different,

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-inspired sample set. The TR-505 contains a subset of samples selected from the 707 and 727. Songs that use the 707 include "

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" by INXS, ''Move Your Body" by

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and "Washing Machine" by Mr. Fingers.

References

External links

Roland TR-707 Owner's Manual

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roland TR-707 Drum machines TR-707 Grooveboxes TR-707 Musical instruments invented in the 1980s Japanese inventions