TR-909 vs. TB-303

[ThatFunnyLookinGuy]

I can't decide what to buy next, a 909 or 303. On one hand, I want to have the 303 to have that acid sound and have a bass line for when my synth is doing two leads, but I also don't want it because it's so cliche and I fear that I wouldn't be able to make anything cool sounding with it. Yet on the other hand, I want a 909 because I want to have a drum machine that has that dance/house feel and is MIDI/DIN capable. Can anyone provide some good advise on what to do?

[Stab Frenzy]

Can anyone provide some good advise on what to do?

Decide if you want a drum machine or a synth? This has to be a new low for vs. threads...

[nathanscribe]

Try a sandwich.

[monolith]

They're both quite pricey machines, are you h**l bent on a 909 and 303?
I mean they are considered the definitive acid machines, but they arent mandatory to creating acid. for (less than) the price of a 303 you could get an acidlab bassline and a sampling drum machine for 909 samples, and still easily be able to make music that people would easily recognize as 'acid'. I'm no acid scholar, (at least not the musical kind ) but i find I can get some quite acid-esque sounds with my SH-101 and my TR-707 synced together. (the 707 I believe is used in a lot of the old chicago house tracks, and related to the 'acid' sound too)
You could get those two machines and still have money left over for another drum machine or a novation bass station or even sandwiches.
Another advantage to getting a sampling drum machine is that you can have all different sounds available which will mostly likely be more inspiring for you.

There's a forumite here called trondC, he's making some rad acid sounds and there's not a 909 or a 303 in sight!

At the end of the day it's your creativity and not your equipment that listeners will respond to, so save yourself some $$$ and try some other things.

Best of luck, I hope this is of help to you.

[ThatFunnyLookinGuy]

They're both quite pricey machines, are you h**l bent on a 909 and 303?
I mean they are considered the definitive acid machines, but they arent mandatory to creating acid. for (less than) the price of a 303 you could get an acidlab bassline and a sampling drum machine for 909 samples, and still easily be able to make music that people would easily recognize as 'acid'. I'm no acid scholar, (at least not the musical kind ) but i find I can get some quite acid-esque sounds with my SH-101 and my TR-707 synced together. (the 707 I believe is used in a lot of the old chicago house tracks, and related to the 'acid' sound too)
You could get those two machines and still have money left over for another drum machine or a novation bass station or even sandwiches.
Another advantage to getting a sampling drum machine is that you can have all different sounds available which will mostly likely be more inspiring for you.

There's a forumite here called trondC, he's making some rad acid sounds and there's not a 909 or a 303 in sight!

At the end of the day it's your creativity and not your equipment that listeners will respond to, so save yourself some $$$ and try some other things.

Best of luck, I hope this is of help to you.

Actually, this did help me. I think now I will try to get a 707, novation bass station and a BLT, thanks for the help!

[shaft9000]

Unless you're h**l-bent on analog, a Korg EMX will do quite a bit of both (and a lot more) for a lot less cash. Add the 707 for DIN-sync needs.

[nathanscribe]

I believe in such "vs" threads, the sandwich has to be steak.

On a more serious note, it's not hard to see that you've got to be pretty devoted to get an actual 909 and 303 for this kind of thing, neither being particularly cheap or all that common (though not as rare as plenty else). Personally, I find the cheaper digital TR sounds disappointing, and compared to your LinnDrum the TR might not cut the mustard. Though the sync is easier, and it might actually fit the genre better. Don't discount more modern MIDI machines like the Yamaha RY-30 or Roland R8 for programmability, and coupled with a MIDI-Sync24 interface you'd have a more flexible setup.

On the synth side, the MC-202 is a quirky half-way house between the 303 and 101, and isn't as expensive as either, but you don't get the flexibility in the sequencer that perhaps you'd like for live work. They can be fitted with proper CV/Gate inputs though for interfacing (the ones onboard have a slight delay and quantising, as the cv passes through the CPU on its way in). You could also use the 202 to sequence a second external synth. There are also a few old rackmount 303 clones (TeeBee, Deep Bass Nine, FAT etc). If you're into DIY, or know a man who is, there's the Oakley TM3030 (which supplants the TB3030).

Just some thoughts.

In fact, there's a DIY 909 clone called the Introspectiv 9090, which is a hefty project but has exactly the same sound. If you build it right, of course.

[JSRockit]

How about a 303 clone (x0xb0x, acidlab bassline 2, FR revo) and a Roland TR-707 / Jomox MBase01 combo?

[JSRockit]

Unless you're h**l-bent on analog, a Korg EMX will do quite a bit of both (and a lot more) for a lot less cash. Add the 707 for DIN-sync needs.

I'm going to have to disagree on this one. The EMX doesn't do the 303 right and the drum samples in the EMX aren't the best unless you effect the f**k out of them... I love the EMX, but it isn't the right substitute in this situation.

[kuroichi]

Trust me, you need to get a boss dr55 and a yamaha GX1...

Acieeeed! :happy10:

[JSRockit]

There's a forumite here called trondC, he's making some rad acid sounds and there's not a 909 or a 303 in sight!

Well, there is a 303 clone and a drum sampler...

[monolith]

There's a forumite here called trondC, he's making some rad acid sounds and there's not a 909 or a 303 in sight!

Well, there is a 303 clone and a drum sampler...

....That was my point. Not a 303, not a 909.

[JSRockit]

There's a forumite here called trondC, he's making some rad acid sounds and there's not a 909 or a 303 in sight!

Well, there is a 303 clone and a drum sampler...

....That was my point. Not a 303, not a 909.

I hear ya...but the equivilent. Some are suggesting non-equivilents.

[wiss]

oh just get a MC-09 and MC-303

[wickfut]

I can't decide what to buy next, a 909 or 303. On one hand, I want to have the 303 to have that acid sound and have a bass line for when my synth is doing two leads, but I also don't want it because it's so cliche and I fear that I wouldn't be able to make anything cool sounding with it. Yet on the other hand, I want a 909 because I want to have a drum machine that has that dance/house feel and is MIDI/DIN capable. Can anyone provide some good advise on what to do?

I would get the 909 first , you will get more milage from a drum machine in other music than you will with a 303.

If you want to save a few quid get a vermona DRM1 MK3 - it has to be the MK3 version though as they have the new special kick synth part. I did some side by side tests and could make an exact 909 kick sound and also with a bit of work, got quite a few 808 sounds to about 90%.

I'll try and post an mp3 of some loops if you want to hear it do the 909/808 emulations.