Roland TR-707 vs Sequential Circuits Drumtraks

[we_squirm]

What are your thoughts?

[pflosi]

Both rock.

[we_squirm]

Yes, they do.

BUT if you only had to pick one, which one would it be?

Does the Drumtraks do anything the 707 can't?

[Z]

Personally, I'd go with the TR-707 since it has more sounds and I like x0x / grid style programming.

One thing the DrumTraks can do that the 707 won't is tunable drums.

[pflosi]

BUT if you only had to pick one, which one would it be?

If it's either one or the other, I'm absolutely with Z on this one...:

Personally, I'd go with the TR-707 since it has more sounds and I like x0x / grid style programming.

[we_squirm]

I actually have both. Had the Drumtraks for a while but just got a 707 for the midi and interfacing with my sh-101 and juno 60. just wondering if I should hold on to the drumtraks for any reason but looks like I can just go ahead and sell it!

[hyphen nation]

Yeah, I am opposite everyone so far, but i kept the drumtraks and traded the 707. I like the 707, but tunable drums was more fun to me. When it was my only drum machine, I really enjoyed the quantized programming on the drumtraks, also the ability to just plug in any time signature super easily was fun too.

[ninja6485]

I can't imagine two machines with more polorized toms. The 707's are static, dated and campy, while the drumtrax are deep and powerful, almost tribal. The 707's high hats, ride and crash are vastly superior, even if you can't tune them, not to understate the drumtrax ride. The Drumtrax has some great percussion sounds though, but this is vs. the iconic rimshot and tamb. The drumtrax is great for more complex rhythms, and you have access to finer quantization without using up multiple patterns for one rhythm. The 707 is much more useful for syncing with other rolands, and it can send dinsync while slaved if it's slaved via tape sync. And like others pointed out, you have the linear programing vs. only tap edit, but on the drumtrax you have the erase feature which i don't think you have on the 707, so you could potentially have little jams just in record mode only, which is a lot of fun. (maybe you can erase in tap edit mode on the 707, I forget) And, the drumtrax is 8 bit while the 707 is 12. And you can hear the difference: the drumtrax has a little bit of a mirage duskiness to it, especially when you bring out the aliasing by pitching sounds.

[pflosi]

...but on the drumtrax you have the erase feature which i don't think you have on the 707, so you could potentially have little jams just in record mode only, which is a lot of fun. (maybe you can erase in tap edit mode on the 707, I forget)

Yeah you can do that on the 707 in tap edit mode as well - hold "clear" and the respective instrument button.

[Sir Ruff]

I can't imagine two machines with more polorized toms. The 707's are static, dated and campy, while the drumtrax are deep and powerful, almost tribal. The 707's high hats, ride and crash are vastly superior, even if you can't tune them, not to understate the drumtrax ride. The Drumtrax has some great percussion sounds though, but this is vs. the iconic rimshot and tamb. The drumtrax is great for more complex rhythms, and you have access to finer quantization without using up multiple patterns for one rhythm. The 707 is much more useful for syncing with other rolands, and it can send dinsync while slaved if it's slaved via tape sync. And like others pointed out, you have the linear programing vs. only tap edit, but on the drumtrax you have the erase feature which i don't think you have on the 707, so you could potentially have little jams just in record mode only, which is a lot of fun. (maybe you can erase in tap edit mode on the 707, I forget) And, the drumtrax is 8 bit while the 707 is 12. And you can hear the difference: the drumtrax has a little bit of a mirage duskiness to it, especially when you bring out the aliasing by pitching sounds.

well said... I think the main consideration is if you're going to use these live or not. 707 is awesome for live stuff; SCI not really. But ignoring that, in terms of sound, the DT wins out... It just has that solid mid-80s funk.

[walkathon]

Partly depends if you wanna sync that 707 w/ anything, ala a 101, etc.

Also, keep me honest, but you can swap chips w/ the DT, right?

[tomorrowstops]

The 707 is a great, easy to use machine, but I got super bored of its sound super quick. I then went to the Linndrum, which was absolutely fantastic. I had a couple of those before going drum machine-less altogether. Right now, I'm using (and really digging) this iPad app called Funk Box - its a bunch samples of all of the old vintage drum machines. The interface is pretty solid (although a couple features are missing), but the ability to create patterns with Linndrum sounds AND CR78 (or 808, 909, maestro, etc) - is pretty f**k awesome. If you have an iPad, definitely spend $5 and check it out....

Anyways, my next hardware box will definitely be the Drumtraks. The price is right (the Linndrum is fetching too much for what it is). You can still switch out eproms for different sounds. The only thing to worry about is the membrane pad going south, but other than that it seems like a fairly reliable machine.

Sound/ability wise (for what I do), this is the video that sold me:

[ColorForm2113]

I regret getting rid of my drumtrax but I just picked up an rx5 that I am in love with

[walkathon]

I regret getting rid of my drumtrax but I just picked up an rx5 that I am in love with

+1 this as well. Prefer my TOM to the RX5 these days but the RX5 is ridiculously underrated and neglected these days, due for a minor comeback at least.

[2manydrummachines]

The TR707 has a SLOT for a memory cartridge. That Sequential Circuits though break the functional conditioning get BOTH and more. You need an E-MU Drumulator too!