Roland MC-303 Groovebox Tutorial 

Awesome tutorial! I am watching this while I wait for my MC-303 to arrive by mail. Bought it second hand for $176. I remember back in the days when this was released in 1996. I was 17 years old and wanted this so bad, but didn´t had the money! Now I am 42, I have the money, but not the time :P I try to fit in some time to make music in between work and family though. :) I love the 90s sound from this machine. I can´t wait to get my hands on it! :)

Picked one of these up for $30. It's a little rough, and has some dead switches but so far nothing I haven't been able to replace. Really an awesome little synth! Great video! It's been really helpful!

Just pulled my 303 out of storage after 18 years and your tutorial just threw me right back into the mix. Thank you so much for such an informative and solid video. I will be using this to score a documentary this year and you just opened up my creative juices for this amazing tool. Much appreciated!

I've owned one for years and was always overwhelmed by the complexity of the manual and always just used the parts and recorded into my DAW , this tutorial has made sense of the manual so thanks for posting:)

really solid thank you so much. it's people like you that make youtube the invaluable resource that it is

The "Loop On" function is to save realtime modifiers, like filter adjustments, carrying over on to the beginning of your sequence, and so you don't play over your first steps.

Best and relevant MC-303 tutorial I've seen. I just got one recently and this video is an immense help. Please do more.

Thanks for a great walk-through! I bought mine brand new back in 1998, and I still have it. It's been a while, but I am pretty sure that while recording rythm parts, you can select the drum instrument without having to stop the sequencer in between. You do this by pressing SHIFT and the instrument key to preview the sound and select it for editing, or something like that. Thanks again for sharing!

I love my mc-303. Sure, some of the sounds are dated, but, the sequencer, arpeggio and drum kits really do kick ass. When I put my Blofeld through it is sonic heaven. Also, the manual is very comprehensive which is rare in today's systems/devices.

I chuckle every time I hear the demo.

Fantastic. I've been hunting for a tutorial like this for a while - I have a 303 and have had terrible luck figuring it out, thanks so much!

crazy ! 17 minutes and i know about the machine which is hanging around untouched for years. yesterday, i ask myself how to combine a 303 with abelton and a korg ms 20 emulator :-) and traktor. you make me happy, thanks a lot!

probably the most helpful mc 303 tutorial out there. thank you very much!

Clear, concise and to the point great tutorial!

Excellent stuff! Very clear and good oversight on your teachings!! More please! Enjoying my instrument so much more after seeing your tutorial!

This tutorial has just helped me make the most of this bad boy!!! Thanks 🙏🏼

You just convinced me to buy one of these SH. Thanks a bunch for making this, mate.

Amazing tutorial, very well put together!

Thanks for the tutorial. I got bored using DAW so picked one of these up. Was great to follow your instructions as I had loops up and running in no time 👍🏻 It seems like a fun box and can't wait to learn it inside out. I hear memory is quite limited but I'll use it as much as I can for what I'll need.

Great video! just got my 303 back, great to see a refresher course on using it! thanks!

Love this video. I used a 303 first r many years and you got right into the important functions. It is a really great machine !! I made a few albums with it !!

Hey! Now everything becomes clear to me on the MC303. I can see that you've been using this groove box for reel. Thanks A LOT!!

i've just got one and this video is really helpful. tnx! keep it coming.

Been looking for a relevant tute for ages thanks best one

Super well thought out tutorial - most helpful. Kudos!

This is awesome and thank you very much for such great effort!

Thank you very much indeed. An excellent tutorial and just what I needed!!

Just going to buy one of this. This video was very insightful. Nice job. :)

Thé best tuto I never seen, u go directly to the goal, tks Man U give me keys 🔐

Excellent tutorial, thanks for explaining, especially the midi function its all new to me and this really helped

Love the 303. Great Tutorial

Best vid out there still! Thanks!

Excellent stuff. My 303 arrives this weekend (hopefully), can't wait to get stuck in.

Such a great demo. Really nice editing. Thanks

Seriously...massive tut here! Thank you for posting.

very useful tutorial - thank you!

This is a great tutorial for the 303!

very well explained. brilliant!

This video helped me so much on getting started witht the machine thnx alot !

Had one of these in the late 90s. Also did some finished tracks on it. Nowadays I do miss it! There's a weird shortage of good all-in-one grooveboxes these days.

I used to know how to do all of this - 19 years of collecting dust hasn't been kind to me - but it still works

Great video, thanks for the info!

Interesting video. I have an MC-808 and never thought of using it to sequence my other synths through midi. Thanks for this video, I'm sure the basics are the same for midi control.

My compliments on pacing and clarity as well :) Ideal teachings according to my standards :)

beautifully done!

great tutorial AA2, many thanks. Factory Reset = Hold Shift + Power On, then press Enter.

Thank you thank you. I've had a 303 for years n haven't had the time or place to play with it ( I live in a van ). Decided to figure it out n thanks to you I'm sure I'll learn something lol hahahaha

Hahaha! I used to have one of these things a while ago. My biggest gripe, and what led me to ditch it, was because there was hardly any memory space on it. It was mostly used up by those GAWD AWFUL preset patterns! When I recorded my User Patterns, I would also program knob movements which would eat up all of the "User" space allowed. By the time I'd make a few patterns loaded with knob movements and other effects, I'd be out of space...which totally sucked!!! But anyway, this video was pretty nostalgic...especially when you played that A01 Pattern!!!!! It reminded me of the first time I used it back in 1997!!!!

Start up tunz banging lad! 🤙🏻

Thank you. Very good tutorial. You helped me well👍

Thanks for this great tutorial :)

nice one, make me wanna dive back into it

Nice video! I never knew about the velocity selection part, i've only had this for 15years... haha (although maybe in my defence I never got/read the manual and got at time before RU-vid etc existed lol) And the Record / Rehearse mode in live record mode is a neat feature, thanks for sharing. :)

Haha never knew u could sequence external gear! All this time I've had one in the cupboard and been gnashing my teeth on the laptop. Should have read the manual but that thing is horrible. Great vid thanks so much

Great video! The MC-303 is a cool machine especially its sequencer. The examples you're playing in the video demonstrate its capability of producing triplets within a four fourth scale which is something not too many modern sequencers do anymore for some strange reason. The setting for the MIDI function is "slv" (for slave) btw, not slu but that's because of the cryptic display. Ironically the MC-303 produces 808 and 909 style drums a lot better than 303 basslines in my experience. That's because many of the waveforms of the TB-303 that it holds as presets were sampled with weird envelope settings not neutral positions. The punch of the drums is incredible, so its even an alternative to a TR 8, especially if you're more into 909 style beats.

Great tutorial mate thanks

this was so helpful thank you

Great thanks. Would love more!

eye love this machine.. i have had 4 of them and have one still and use it on the regular.

LIFESAVER Tutorial!

great vid! i got my mc303 last year for a little less than $100 and i'm still learning how to program it. this is my go-to video for when i'm too lazy to RTFM :D

Boom! Such a classic

Wat een goede uitleg gewoon rustig en niet schreewen TOP

Nice, very informative!

Thank you 😊!! Gonna get a mc303

Thanks for demystifying this machine with a propper tutorial

Great tutorial. I'd love to see more.

Very good video - thanks

Very good tutorial 👍.

I had my Roland for 4years until Now this Video helped me Out A lot. Thanks Bro! $YpC$

We'll be sure to update this tutorial soon. We want to address all the questions that you guys have. Stay tuned!

a very well done tutorial on a much maligned drum box. i will sell the mc 909, i will keep the 303 thanks

Great usefull video!

Cool beans. Just got hold of a 303, forgot how pants are Roland manuals from that era. Good vid :D

Nice video. Very Helpful.

Thanks for the video, this is AWESOME!

very helpful!

great tutorial

excelente I have one of those good will work on it good advices.

i love the video and it has been a lot of help for me!! maybe its a pity you didnt do step record for melody/notes, thats whats i was searching for the most

cool sounds.

Thanks for the tips, I'm just about to wipe mine and start again, and this is so easy to follow when you know the machine, but not the manual.

Hi, I just picked up one of these and this tutorial has been a big help, so thanks! I'm getting to grips with it more now but I still get the blank bar after creating a drum pattern if its more than 1 bar, how do you get a drum loop to be more than 1 bar so you have differing melodics etc? I though you may do this in the scale bit but I can't figure it out, cheers!

That's dope

That was good 👍

Thank you!

nice, thanks!.

Thank you!!!! Please do more!!!

Thanks man.

I like the default pattern sounds very 90s trance. I need this.

thank you!!

wow great video! could you maybe do a video about achieving tb303 sounds with the MC303? How to edit and space notes out. Again great video!

Hey! At first, really nice Tutorial :) I have one Question: I have problems with my MC303, I cant change the Octave Page :/

Great tutorial.. I’m gonna plug my 303 up to my jv1010 via midi and record the arpeggios into my ciat Lombard cocoquantus 2

Thank's from germany

muchas gracias, desde Argentina!

Hi! First of all, thanks for the video, really useful! I have a problem with my mc303... Im using the mc to send midi to my Blofeld synth, so I choose a channel and configure it in "external mode", but when i change the pattern, the channels with the external mode are in "internal mode" again. There is any way to keep the configuration in external mode? Im new with this machine, just learning! Thanks again! cheers!

Thanks dude.

Thanks for the video. Do you know how to save tempo information for the user patterns? I was expecting that info to be automatically saved in the way that the tones are saved, but it doesn't seem to be the case... Am i missing something obvious?

hi. thank you for your tutorial man! helped me alot...but is it possible to use different drummachines in the same Pattern? (exp.: hihat from 808, kick from 909 and so one..)???? didnt worked...cheers