Ways to improve the sound of a roland TR626 drum machine ???

KBD_TRACKER · Post by **KBD_TRACKER** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:59 pm

first, i need to be clear, i don't want (or do not care) to MOD the TR626 itself.

so i figured i could try to improve the sound (which is very 80s, and a bit thin) by plugging it to an effects box. particularly because the 626 has separate drum outputs...

could anybody recommend a good, but fairly inexpensive effects unit to complement the drum sound of the TR626 ?? i mean no effects will transform the 626 in a 808/909. that's ok. but then effects might do a good thing to that drum machine... which i really like for its interface.

i was thinking of the alesis midiverb4 as a possible effects box for that purpose, it has apparently a fairly good ratio performance/price. any body uses the midiverb4 ??? is it decent ??

Soundwave · Post by **Soundwave** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 9:02 pm

Kaoss pad?

KBD_TRACKER · Post by **KBD_TRACKER** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 9:09 pm

Soundwave wrote:Kaoss pad?

this would be a very good idea, but i am looking at something with no or less "hands on " real time control, something that i can set in a reproducible way, and do something else after. ( besides my kaoss pad is already used else where...)

Z · Post by Z » Mon Dec 03, 2007 9:26 pm

Back in the late 80's, my buddies & I had a 626 & a MicroVerb II. One thing I would recommend is utilizing the 626's individual outputs. If you're going to 'verb the drums, you almost always want the kick to be dry. You can then run the snare in another channel and douse it with as much 'verb that suits your taste. Then you can run the rest of the drums through the stereo outs and put a light amount of 'verb. If your mixer has EQ, play with that too. Later you can experiment with other FX. I used to love to run hi-hats through phasers.

Forward your email address and I'll send you a mp3 of a little track we did with the 626 back in '89.

Z

stalla · Post by **stalla** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 4:03 am

Z wrote:Back in the late 80's, my buddies & I had a 626 & a MicroVerb II. Z

Hahaha, we did have exactly the same setup ! mighty late 80's.
I remember we were often running the snares through a flanger pedal too.

justinvm · Post by **justinvm** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 5:39 am

I bought a tr-626 about 8 months ago but didn't really use it.

When one of my analog drum machines broke down, i was stuck with it.

It has actually really grown on me. With correct tuning it can hold its own. I quite like it.

I often run it through logic, adding eq and reverb where appropriate.

My only real issue is that it HUMS. I had a 505 which did the same thing, 50hz hums when connected to a powersupply.

Eq and reverb will probably be your best friends. Delay can be interesting as well. Maybe try a kaoss pad (you'll be limited to a stereo input, i believe).

- J[/url]

Post by **nathanscribe** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 12:02 pm

If you have access to filtering, try running the kick through a resonant high-pass filter with low cut-off and lifting the resonance a little to give some bottom-end welly. Same trick can be used on other percussion sounds, and I find that filters give something straightforward EQ doesn't, depending on taste. And I second treating each sound separately.

JSRockit · Post by **JSRockit** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:37 pm

I'd recommend a frostwave sonic alienator... or a Metasonix TM-6....maybe a Jomox M-Resonator for distortion / color. Then a delay like the EH Memory Man.

memedesigner · Post by **memedesigner** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:14 pm

Anything that has a preamp (mixer, many a outboard box such as a DI box, compressor, ... preamp): plug the 626 in and turn gain knob clockwise until the sound saturates and gets more thick and gooey. With some preamps the sound will get all grim transistory distorted, but that might work even better.

Henners · Post by **Henners** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 5:56 pm

This thing kicks. I run it through a limiter to start with then eq a bit and compress/verb. Thumping electro!

p.s. hum comes from wrong psu - i think it runs 12volts??

justinvm · Post by **justinvm** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:10 am

Power supply.. should be 9v dc 50ma.. i've used multiple psu with all having currents that exceed that rating easily. Not sure why they hum, but the 505 and 626 do.

oberheim · Post by **oberheim** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 3:02 pm

I recently recorded my Boss Dr-110 and put it through Ohm Force's Ohmicide plug-in and it was amazing. YOu could try doing the same thing with your '626' and making some loops up?

kyodai · Post by **kyodai** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 12:29 am

this isn't exactally an answer to your question but I've been debating doing one of 2 things with my TR-626 (and My TR-727). Either selling them or sending them to alien devices to get modded http://www.alien-devices.com/drums.html you can buy modded machines here or send them your and have them mod it. for less money.

Post by **wiss** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 6:19 pm

get a nice filter for it and bring that puppy to life.

Sealed · Post by **Sealed** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 5:45 am

Any effectors will do the job.
I used TR-626 with SONY DPS-V55. I like the reverse pitch-shift.
http://deepsynthesis.net