Roland’s Cloud subscription service has got even better for beatmakers thanks to the addition of authentic emulations of the TR-707 and TR-727 Rhythm Composers. Joining the likes of the Roland TR-909 and TR-808, Roland’s TR-707 and TR-727 plugins bring authentic 1980s drum machine samples to your DAW of choice.
Roland’s TR-707, and the closely related TR-727, both launched in 1985 and have featured on countless records since and now you can run authentic emulations of both hardware units in your DAW in VST, AAX or AU plugin formats.
The first Roland All-Digital Drum Machines!
The TR-707 was actually the first all-digital drum machine from Roland and it has been used for drum track duties across a range of fashionable music genres over the years including synth pop, acid house, electro, techno, indie and more.
The TR-727 featured a different drum sample set to the TR-707, with a focus on Latin percussion sounds.
Both the TR-707 and TR-727 featured a 25 kHz, 8-bit (or 6-bit for some tones) sample playback engine. These low bit rates caused quantization noise during the sound’s decay, so non-decaying PCM waveforms were used, with decay introduced later in the analog circuitry.
Deviations in the clock and the analog circuitry downstream of the D/A converter lead to variances in the pitch and decay characteristics giving both drum machines a distinctive and pleasing (to some) lo-fi ‘punch’.
It is these unique sound characteristics that Roland have emulated in their cloud based instruments, using their ACB ( Analog Circuit Behaviour) technology.
As well as the sound, Roland’s Cloud based TR-707 and TR-727 emulate the looks with realistic new and aged skins match your vibe, and both models give you instant access to the original
Adding extra value and bringing the machines up to date for the modern VST and DAW era, Roland have added all new patterns based on modern electronic music genres, new sound-shaping options, powerful sequencing, drag and drop audio/MIDI to your DAW, multi-out, and more.
You can use the 707 and 727 together as a unit with matching kits and patterns that perfectly complement each other- something that most cash strapped musicians would have found impossible, back in the day!
New TR-707 and TR-727 plugin sound shaping tools:
You can adjust the ‘Attack’ of the Bass Drum and the ‘Snap’ of the Snare, and every sound has ultra-smooth tuning and decay. You can overdrive the internal circuitry, tweak how each PCM waveform behaves and adjust the PCM clock from 6.25 kHz to 100 kHz.
Improved sequencing options:
Roland have also updated the original sequencer with new advanced features. Open the sequencer’s edit panel to gain access to individual sequencer lanes with mute, solo, and adjustable shuffle for each instrument. There is also Per-step accent and each step can trigger hard or weak hits, alternate sounds, three types of sub-steps and nine different types of flams.
12 great features of the Roland Cloud TR-707 and TR-727
- The Roland Cloud TR-707 and TR-727 feature Roland’s advanced ACB modeling which captures every detail of the original drum machines
- Uses the original TR-707 and TR-727 sample ROMs
- Instant access to all sounds and patterns from the original units
- New patterns and kits covering modern music styles
- Get modern sounds with tuning, decay, gain, sample rate adjustment, and more
- Powerful sequencer with flams, sub-steps, last-step, and per-instrument shuffle
- Drag and drop audio or MIDI patterns directly to your DAW tracks
- Original and aged skins along with LCD-style sequencer windows
- Multiple outputs for flexible effects processing with plugins like ZENOLOGY FX
- VST3, AU, and AAX support for popular DAWs
- Native support for Apple silicon
- User interfaces are fully resizable for any display setup
What is Roland’s ACB modeling technology?
Roland’s Analog Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology is the digital software code behind the authentic sounds heard in Roland’s AIRA range of products.
With their ACB technology, Roland’s developers attempt to emulate the much sought after sound of some of Roland’s most popular drum machines and instruments including the TR-808, TR-909, TB-303, and SH-10.
Roland’s software attempts to model the way traditional analog circuits were used to generate sounds, right down to the way the individual circuitry and components behaves and reacts with each other.
What is Roland Cloud?
Roland Cloud is Roland’s monthly/annual plugin and sounds subscription service. Roland Cloud subscribers get access to a library of over 50 software instruments and effects plus genre-specific patches, patterns, and sound packs.
How much does Roland Cloud cost?
Prices start at $2.99 per month for ‘Core’ membership and increase to $19.99 per month (or $199 annually) for ‘Ultimate’ membership
How to get TR-707 and TR-727 for free?
Roland’s TR-707 and TR-727 plugins are free as part of a 30-day trial of Roland Cloud Ultimate membership.
Can I own the TR-707 and TR-727 plugins without subscribing to Roland Cloud?
If you would prefer to purchase the TR-707 and/or TR-727 outright rather than subscribe to Roland Cloud you can purchase Lifetime Keys for $149 each. Lifetime Keys are available for purchase from the Library section of the Roland Cloud Manager app.
TR-707 Synthwave Patch Collection:
Looking to make ’80s beats and synthwave tracks? You can get your projects off to a flying start with Roland’s TR-707 Synthwave patch collection. This colection of authentic 1980s drum grooves was created for the TR-707 plugin by synth king Espen Kraft.
These kits and patterns are a great way to infuse your tracks with synthwave tones and chilled retro beats and they’re great for musicians and composers who are creating scores for 1980s set video games or movies.
TR-707 Synthwave patch collection comes with Roland Cloud Ultimate and Pro memberships or a Lifetime Key purchase.
You can read more about the Roland Cloub subsciptions and the Roland Cloud TR-707/TR-727 instruments here.