ALT Gig Run-through - Full Set - Roland MC-707 and TR8-S Jam

I'm playing at ALT Tonight at the Bird in Northbridge (Event details are here: e/1PnklFkbx) so I thought I had better do a complete play through of my set. Timing seems pretty good, and there's enough freedom in the clips and patterns to keep things interesting. I've got the MC-707 pulling synth and noise duty, and the TR8-S is doing all the drums. I'm mainly doing this to same on voices on the MC-707, as well as to get individual sample faders and easier access to the mutes. I COULD have sequenced all the drums on the 707, fired them off using scenes, and just used the TR8-S as a sound module and control surface for muting/sound design/levels but then I wouldn't be able to use any of the roll functionality (which admittedly I'm still getting a handle on, but it makes for a more fun experience).

[@augmented_fifth]

If you’re interested in seeing what this was like live, a full recording of the event can be found here: th-cam.com/video/-tO-ET2CWgA/w-d-xo.html

[@israelgarces31]

Very good, elegante

[@kneonic]

Sounds really good!!

[@johnpaullovetek1809]

Espetacular live techno!

[@thestinkyweasel6297]

Great Set!!

[@augmented_fifth]

Thanks!

[@DD-te6oj]

Great track mate!

[@Jordanchicity23]

got pretty good towards the middle and end. i guess u kinda gotta ease into the set. for a minute i thought it was gonna be 30 mins of a intro.

[@augmented_fifth]

I ended up tweaking the bassline of the first part because it doesn't resolve, and adding in some (terribly timed and super basic) builds for the actual performances (one of which you can check that out here: th-cam.com/video/-tO-ET2CWgA/w-d-xo.html ), but I definitely linger too long on the first beat for a club gig. This was for small bars and synth nerd nights where only half the crowd is dancing, so I cut myself some slack and split the thing up into three different beats and then a jam just so it sounded a little different to the people that were just there to look at flashing lights.

[@AmbientoftheFel]

Can you tell me if the play button feels different from the TR8s? Is it less firm?

[@andersb80]

Did the gig went well? Would have loved to hear this at a club!

[@augmented_fifth]

Gig went really well! Did it again on Thursday night and have just uploaded the streaming feed from the event.

[@_._minus_._]

Hey i am looking into getting these devices to make hard/acid techno. I already got the acid part (tb3) but i am not sure whether to get mc707 or tr8s or should i get both? Could you please help me out? What are the key differences and would only one of them be enough since they’re quite pricey? Thank you

[@augmented_fifth]

Are you just after drums, or are you looking to beef up the sound with additional synths? If it's just drums, the primary difference you're going to get between the two devices is that the TR8-S has individual faders for each instrument (with 11 total instruments) where as the MC-707 can have an entire kit on one channel (8 total) with a LOT more sound design options, but you can only mute/unmute individual instruments on each kit rather than have individual volume faders. You CAN do things like dedicate multiple channels if you want to be able to fade in some hi-hats and things like that, though.
The MC-707 has the potential to be the only device that you need (I've done gigs with just the MC-707). It's got a great sequencer in it, and you've got access to the entire Roland Zenology engine. Down sides of going with the 707 is that it's a lot more complicated (but more powerful) than the TR8-S and you can also run into voice stealing issues if you get really complicated.
Have you played around with the T-8 at all (I've got a video performance up of one of those if you're interested)? Are you after something a lot more complicated than that? Or perhaps the Behringer RD6 (which is a 606 clone to go with the TB3)?

[@captainbleep]

Also depends on how much you want to emphasize performance. The TR-8S has a TON of features to support doing all sorts of wild stuff while you're performing. The 707 less so. Or maybe it's just different stuff (scenes, clip launching, tons of scatter options, etc). The other big difference is that the TR-8S is limited to one bar loops. You can do a lot to change that, with variations, pattern chaining, probability, last step, etc. On the 707 you can do up to 8 bars. If you can swing both financially, I really don't think you'll regret it. :) Roland also updates both these devices regularly. Not frequently, but regularly. I love them more and more with each OS update. :)

[@augmented_fifth]

I've started looking at variations as just 128 bar patterns (with a few fancy features like the fills). Main reason for this is most of my sets need more than 16 bars per "loop"/"clip", plus more than one distinct type of beat. Given it remembers the last active variation chain, I can basically have 16 easily accessible 16-128 step clips sitting in front of me while I perform. What would be nice is a way of setting a "default" variation chain so I could do more within a particular clip without the fear that I'm going to lose the original length if I switch out and forget to reset (or can't because doing so would then trigger the original variation loop and make me have to finish it before I step out of the pattern).
The 707 has lots of performance options, too. Step length, clip launching, scenes (which I use to layout a basic structure for my sets that I can then vary from), channel mutes, instrument mutes, the short run faders which can be played DJ-style, the Sys Ctrl parameters which can manipulate multiple parameters at once, applying channel and effects master effects, changing things like filter/resonance/attack/decay, live playing, using the cue tracks to live record a new clip while the others are playing, the scatter effects and a bunch more. Plus you can obviously plug in other midi devices into it and just use it as a sound engine, or have it sequence other devices.
Big thing for me is that if you DO use it as a drum machine (so assign instruments to each individual channel so you get per instrument faders for each of your drum sounds) then it just ends up seeming like a more expensive TR8-S with fewer channels. Having both is definitely a luxury that I'm thankful for.