One of the most underrated machines today especially for its punchy drums and flexible sequencer with an incredible arpeggiator. The synth part lacks depth but is still capable if you know what (and what not) to expect from it. Great video!
The workflow gives me headache, but I love many of the sounds. I use it as a soundmodule with Octatrack and Digitakt. Add some modern (external) effects and you have a great system already.
I've had mine since the late 90's also, absolutely great and under rated machine. Straight forward workflow, great arpeggiator and never had an issue with it. In fact the battery in it is original and still working. Highly recommended if you can find one.
The sad thing is, all I NOT wanted to do as a kid, was trance music! But very time I sat down to make some music, half an hour later, something like U36 had happened. And it doesn't even stop there. When I took up making music again a few years ago, basically the first thing that happened was this: soundcloud.com/colinslair/cheesy-trance-epic I'm cursed by some ancient trance natives or something :(
From all the commercially successful dance acts that had videos on TV back in the day, RMB really stood out for me, as beeing way cooler than the rest, so your comment really makes me blush ☺️
While the days of cheap are deifinitely over, everything even remotely vintage synth mostly catches crazy prices on ebay, I'm sure you can't find a more complete package than the mc303 at a relatively cheap price. Sure you can get a volca or two for the same price but the 303 is a much more versatile machine than a single volca.
@@rejectedsynths one thing that still puts me off of the MC-303 is that I heard it has not so many editable patches, and a mountain of patches you can't touch. besides that, I am on board and I still think these can go for a good price.
Good video which accurately mentions some pros and cons of the MC-303. I recently took my Groovebox out of storage after years and am quite happy with it. Although I don't play hip-hop, dub, straight ahead dance beats or the styles the unit was marketed for, I still find it very useful for creating some great funk bass grooves, ambient synth pads and swells, as well as some great drum/percussion grooves. A very handy piece of gear for sure! Also excellent for adding some tones to my electric piano via midi. Thanks for sharing your overview on the MC-303 Groovebox.... well done!!!👏🙏🎼🎶
@@rejectedsynths Absolutely!!! Great for jamming with live, recording or when coming up with parts for writing and arranging. I bought mine in the late 90's, but it was put away for at least the last 5 years. Took it out just a few days ago... it's working fine and is reinvigorating my playing. Thanks again for the great video 🙏✌😉
Nice box. If you are using it as a sequencer will it not play internal sounds for the tracks you are sending via midi? I like the idea that you can use the mute buttons on this for external gear but if some of the internal sounds are useable I would like to use both but without any doubling up. Not sure if that makes sense?
You should be able to set the volumes of the individual parts in the machine itself, so if you set a channel volume to zero, it should still play the notes via midi. I'm not entirely sure (you can check that in the manual available on the net) but I think changing the part volume is not transmitted via midi so you won't also accidentally change the volume of the external synth. But even if midi volume cc is sent, you can work around that by first setting the volume of the part to zero and then connecting it via midi
I used to use mine mainly as a sound module, with midi coming from a QY700 sequencer. You have to get your head round sending various and quite complex nrpn commands, but it’s quite amazing what it can do when parameters are automated 😀
Brilliant video and sounds. Thanks. I'm tempted to purchase one of these. I use model cycles and am wondering if I'll be able to create something as good as you create? Is it hard to learn? Thanks
I have one, and while it has some strong sides it has some weak sides too. Weak sides * It is not a very user friendly machine. Its not necessarily a hard machine to use, but there is a learning curve and it will take some time wrapping your head around it. * Putting in notes one by one is tedious. Hook it up to a MIDI keyboard. Or a regular synth. Its a must. * It is powered by a processor from the 90s. It cant churn out a gazillion of notes per second, all drenched in a massive reverb with a delay and what have you. The processor will most likely crap out if you try that. * There isnt a lot of storage for user patterns. * In a regular synth you create patches, but here you have Tones and Performances. Tones are stock waveforms that comes with the machine, and Performance is a modified Tone that is stored in a pattern. I dont think you can move different Performances between patterns easily. Strong sides. * I think it is based on the JV sound engine, so it sounds good if you learn your way around it. * The sequencer is powerful once you can wrap your head around it. It can do all sorts of stuff that a lot of sequencers cant. Even modern sequencers. * They are dirt cheap today. * Boatloads and boatloads of sounds included. Probably the cheapest way of getting okay Roland X0X drum sounds in hardware form these days. * I havent played around much with the arpeggiator, but people like it. Also decent built in effects. While not quite as bad as its reputation, it is nevertheless a mixed bag. How well it suits you most likely depends on how well you get along with the sequencer and the workflow of it. Buy one and try it, and if you dont like it sell it for roughly the same price you bought it for?
![[TH] FS vs BME - VCT Ascension Pacific - Lower Bracket Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wnygqsR2Fig/mqdefault.jpg)
One of the most underrated machines today especially for its punchy drums and flexible sequencer with an incredible arpeggiator. The synth part lacks depth but is still capable if you know what (and what not) to expect from it. Great video!
93BPM 808 Beat IS DOOOPE!
Frankfort 90s, Pascal FEOS, Gabriel LeMar, Aural Float, Insect Jazz...I can't remember who had more delay variations per measure. Good times.
The workflow gives me headache, but I love many of the sounds. I use it as a soundmodule with Octatrack and Digitakt. Add some modern (external) effects and you have a great system already.
I've had mine since the late 90's also, absolutely great and under rated machine. Straight forward workflow, great arpeggiator and never had an issue with it. In fact the battery in it is original and still working. Highly recommended if you can find one.
Neat little gadget from the 90’s. This and vinyl and you are rocking like a real DJ should!
thanks for reminding me, i am really glad i sold this 20 years ago :D
U36 pretty nice nostalgic 90s trance sound ;)
The sad thing is, all I NOT wanted to do as a kid, was trance music! But very time I sat down to make some music, half an hour later, something like U36 had happened.
And it doesn't even stop there. When I took up making music again a few years ago, basically the first thing that happened was this:
soundcloud.com/colinslair/cheesy-trance-epic
I'm cursed by some ancient trance natives or something :(
U36 definetly has got an RMB vibe to it, a bit "Deep Down Below"-ish. I like it!
From all the commercially successful dance acts that had videos on TV back in the day, RMB really stood out for me, as beeing way cooler than the rest, so your comment really makes me blush ☺️
These days which cheap old boxes are the best value? If I am on ebay is the MC-303 the best choice or are slightly better ones cheaper?
While the days of cheap are deifinitely over, everything even remotely vintage synth mostly catches crazy prices on ebay, I'm sure you can't find a more complete package than the mc303 at a relatively cheap price. Sure you can get a volca or two for the same price but the 303 is a much more versatile machine than a single volca.
@@rejectedsynths one thing that still puts me off of the MC-303 is that I heard it has not so many editable patches, and a mountain of patches you can't touch. besides that, I am on board and I still think these can go for a good price.
All the patches are basically presets, but you can 'record' and therefore save modfied settings of each patch with the current track.
Great sounds. Behringer, you see this?
A digital analog hybrid groovebox with included sampler and fx unit designed and build by behringer at a behringer pricepoint would be 🤯
Plus more outs usb and sd card👍
@@rejectedsynths its impossible. They are copycats, nothing more.
@lcaise My deepmind 12 strongly disagrees 😉
Also I wish I had a WING Mixer to disagree to this too
@@rejectedsynths ???? DM is copy of Roland Juno serie, less or more.
Not bad at all!
Good video which accurately mentions some pros and cons of the MC-303. I recently took my Groovebox out of storage after years and am quite happy with it. Although I don't play hip-hop, dub, straight ahead dance beats or the styles the unit was marketed for, I still find it very useful for creating some great funk bass grooves, ambient synth pads and swells, as well as some great drum/percussion grooves. A very handy piece of gear for sure! Also excellent for adding some tones to my electric piano via midi. Thanks for sharing your overview on the MC-303 Groovebox.... well done!!!👏🙏🎼🎶
Glad you like it, the mc 303 sure packs some mighty funk
@@rejectedsynths
Absolutely!!! Great for jamming with live, recording or when coming up with parts for writing and arranging. I bought mine in the late 90's, but it was put away for at least the last 5 years. Took it out just a few days ago... it's working fine and is reinvigorating my playing. Thanks again for the great video 🙏✌😉
Nice box. If you are using it as a sequencer will it not play internal sounds for the tracks you are sending via midi? I like the idea that you can use the mute buttons on this for external gear but if some of the internal sounds are useable I would like to use both but without any doubling up. Not sure if that makes sense?
You should be able to set the volumes of the individual parts in the machine itself, so if you set a channel volume to zero, it should still play the notes via midi. I'm not entirely sure (you can check that in the manual available on the net) but I think changing the part volume is not transmitted via midi so you won't also accidentally change the volume of the external synth. But even if midi volume cc is sent, you can work around that by first setting the volume of the part to zero and then connecting it via midi
@@rejectedsynths OK that makes sense. I might go and have a look at the manual.
I used to use mine mainly as a sound module, with midi coming from a QY700 sequencer. You have to get your head round sending various and quite complex nrpn commands, but it’s quite amazing what it can do when parameters are automated 😀
Das Teil hat gute Sounds aber zu wenig freien Speicher und user pattern. Sequenzer hat auch schon mal n paar Aussetzer
Sadly that's very true. Back in the day I often ran out of pattern memory, the sequencer was pretty stable for me though 🤔
Brilliant video and sounds. Thanks. I'm tempted to purchase one of these. I use model cycles and am wondering if I'll be able to create something as good as you create? Is it hard to learn? Thanks
It's mainly down to play to the machine's strengths. There are many things that will never sound good, but some things it can do very well 😍
this is what the roland mc303 can do th-cam.com/video/cLXOuVoS9ag/w-d-xo.html
Nice tune man!
I have one, and while it has some strong sides it has some weak sides too.
Weak sides
* It is not a very user friendly machine. Its not necessarily a hard machine to use, but there is a learning curve and it will take some time wrapping your head around it.
* Putting in notes one by one is tedious. Hook it up to a MIDI keyboard. Or a regular synth. Its a must.
* It is powered by a processor from the 90s. It cant churn out a gazillion of notes per second, all drenched in a massive reverb with a delay and what have you. The processor will most likely crap out if you try that.
* There isnt a lot of storage for user patterns.
* In a regular synth you create patches, but here you have Tones and Performances. Tones are stock waveforms that comes with the machine, and Performance is a modified Tone that is stored in a pattern. I dont think you can move different Performances between patterns easily.
Strong sides.
* I think it is based on the JV sound engine, so it sounds good if you learn your way around it.
* The sequencer is powerful once you can wrap your head around it. It can do all sorts of stuff that a lot of sequencers cant. Even modern sequencers.
* They are dirt cheap today.
* Boatloads and boatloads of sounds included. Probably the cheapest way of getting okay Roland X0X drum sounds in hardware form these days.
* I havent played around much with the arpeggiator, but people like it. Also decent built in effects.
While not quite as bad as its reputation, it is nevertheless a mixed bag. How well it suits you most likely depends on how well you get along with the sequencer and the workflow of it. Buy one and try it, and if you dont like it sell it for roughly the same price you bought it for?
The Korg PSS-50 is the Grandaddy of groove boxes.
MC202*
the sound is bad, couldnt hear nothing :(
Sorry to hear that Douglas, I really struggled with balancing the volumes of the mic and the machine in this video, also I know my mic sucks 😝