ROLAND MC101 IN-DEPTH REVIEW 

Korg Electribe Gadget...

Leonard Petit-Breuilh This is actually brilliant and needs to be reality.

The 1010Music Blackbox (and the Akai Live) demonstrated that a hardware "groovebox" constructed around a touch screen can work. The only thing Korg should have to do is not overprice it.

YES YES AND YES. The EXS2 is great and a do-it-all box, BUT, SO MUCH MENU DIVING, it's so hard to just record a sound into the unit, chop it and use it, it practically renders the machine useless

METRONOHM 808 Yeah the way that thing handles samples is absurdly unintuitive. The primary measure of success for a groovebox should be in how few barriers to creativity there are in the workflow, IMO.

Looks very promising but build in plastic seems crappy. How is it in reality?

Yes!

Agree … esp since it now you can store samples.

It really needs an update now that you can dig into the synth engine on the device a lot more with out having to use Zenology Pro as an over glorified editor, making the MC-101 feel a hell of a lot more self contained.

Hi I’m from the future , the editor is 250.00 as a stand-alone or 20.00 per month subscription, fuck that noise Roland , you cheeky bastards

Roland MC-1

It only does cowbel.

MC-0,25

They already make that, see "SPD::ONE"

You mean the Special David Spaghetta EDM Edition? ;-)

♥️♥️

I'm not the greatest fan of small two line displays when it comes to editing; they're choc laden with acronyms galore, which you're forced to remember, and essentially develop a muscle memory for. On this box, the editing will be 4 to 10 layers deep if they're using that display and knob layout, so i suspect a standalone editor will be the order of the day. However, the editor may be portable, as to be able to run it on your apple & android smartphone, which would go with the 'let's make music on the move' theme. Via midi (or usb), there could also be direct control via an mc707 (you already mention the patches etc are the same), which would further facilitate useage if you had both devices (not unheard of, if you want to leave one in the studio and take one on the road etc).

"I will send Roland feedback that we ofc want this deeper edit on the 101 too" - Awesome, just what I'd like, and I'm sure plenty of other people would like it too. This would be even better than a separate editor app. I appreciate a different interface would need to be designed due to the smaller, more limited screen, but this should certainly be possible. -- What I love about this synth engine is the way each of the four 'partials' that make up a voice can have separate envelopes and LFOs applied. This makes the synth engine so much deeper than it first appears. I already have some idea of what this can do by playing with a PreenFM2 synth, which like early digital FM synths has a separate envelope per operator (and also allows different waveforms, unlike DX7-style FM synths). I've found you can get some very interesting sound design even without using FM at all - just by using carriers with different envelopes shaping how the sound evolves. With Roland's new synth engine, this could get even more interesting with the large variety of different waveforms available and separate filter modulation. (I've only really gotten into synth programming in the last few months, but I've rapidly turned into a synth nerd who loves exploring the sound design possibilities of complex synth engines!)

Does it have individual fx sends for each drum sound on the drum track ?

I have thought - if it's "the same sound engine"* perhaps it could play another "layer" of the 4 tracks? If it's limited by control real estate rather than the processor itself being lesser. ( *which could account for the "high" price of a small machine.)

i am not sure the chip/processing is entirely the same tho VJ

I think that’s a little too cheap

Im considering the mc101 to run next to my circuit tracks, i mainly just want more sounds and more variety because im running 2 circuits now and i feel like i am limited in new and varied sounds. Like grand piano or simple analog like synth sounds. But i am afraid that the mc101 is limited in sound design, has this improved over the later versions?

@@robert3045 you want to sound design on the actual box? Then do not buy a mc101. The design is still done on pc, then exported to the mc

@@deca5002 ahh so you do have the option to sound design and save extra presets to the 101? I remember the circuit also has this, but i never gave it a serious go

I am working on one :-)

@@BoBeats you sir are a gift from the music gods!

I own a tr6s and it’s awesome! I wanna buy the mc101 as an companion

@@huntrrams I ended up getting the 101 and love it. It's been my traveling music box and also a great sequencer to have for other gear. You won't be disappointed! Go for it!

The link directs to Sweetwater.. it is supposed to be Thomann? Thanks, Bo!

Are there any reggea man,or some one from latino origin to show how to program that thing? im a caribbean person,i play zouk,cadance, compa,salsa ,soca,reggea, pls some one,help me,

Did you get it? How is it, 3 years later? If you kept it, is everything still functional - I’m slightly concerned about build quality

Me too! Is it getting any better? Are they listening to their users?

Agree! The fm synth editing is amazing.

i had to google GOAT 🤣

@@BoBeats This made me chuckle!!

I'm pretty much in a similar boat, except I wouldn't dare sell my Volcas haha! I want to sequence them and my Minilogue so I don't have to use only their on board sequencers and actually do jams and performances, rather than make loops. Grooveboxes are awesome!

@@mikeexits I don't know that I could sell mine either! I mean for this I think it would be a worthy step up but they're still fun. I sequence mine with my Monologue. I've got the Sample & Bass and use them for drum and bass sounds while I play on the Mono.

@@Dea_Decay That sounds really fun! I'm interested in the Monologue since it's battery powered, and owning my Minilogue, I'll feel right at home on the Mono. Paired with the Circuit and a Bastl Dude, maybe a few Volcas with their onboard sequencers and clock synced, that could be a great simple (but full of wires) mobile setup right there!

@@mikeexits That's why I considered the Minilogue for my poly synth but in reverse! I was so happy and comfortable with the Mono I was looking at the Mini. Ultimately I saw a great deal on a Deepmind 12 and those 12 voices come in handy when playing bigger chords (especially as some sounds take up more than 1 voice). I'm regularly doing 3 or 4 notes with my right and 2 additional on my left for bass in my chords that sadly the Mini wouldn't have cut it. Had I gotten it I know I would have loved it, and it would certainly be easier to take places than my Deepmind. I don't have a circuit but that would be great unless I do get this 101 but my eyes are bigger than my pockets right now. I really want a Dreadbox Nyx, but practically for song writing a groovebox would make more sense atm.

@@Dea_Decay I see, good choices! I personally don't really mess with more than a triad and a bass note anyway so the Minilogue's limitation isn't an issue for me. I can layer it in my DAW for more complex stuff anyway. The 3 voice limit on the Volca FM is a little annoying to me though. But all I really do for more voices is play the same chord an octave or an octave and an inversion or two apart. Different strokes I suppose.

what do u mean freedom on circuit?

@@Handarimasta freedom for the samples on circuit... Or better the sample channels. If you use an mc101 channel as drum machine, you have the 4 circuit channels free to put whatever samples

Why would you pay 500 quid to sketch out songs it deserves more respect then that I'm pretty sure u could sketch out songs on what u make your songs on

Is this a joke or what?! The d-beam was so lame!

thanks buddy!! Appreciate you checking it out

How is it, 3 years later? If you kept it, is everything still functional - I’m slightly concerned about build quality

I think you are very correct in your assessment

haha!! good one :) in real life im closer to 5.7 feet ”tall” so in Sweden, land of tall blonde vikings, i’m considered real short

The mc101 is basically the portable extension of the 707. You can make a beat on either device and simply load it on the other. So thats the best way to use them together imo. One for portable fun and the other to finish the music

BoBeats Sounds like fun to me. The only sad thing is, I bought the Roland SP404SX and it seems that the MC101 has a little overlap with SP404SX. Is there a place for SP404SX or 404A to coexist with MC101 ?

Excellent synth for the price.

Should get a 2018 ipad pro bro

@@luxurychapters6826 I do have an ipad pro and I like using it. But I prefer the tactial feel of actual hardware and instruments so much I'm willing to pay for it. :)

I know how you feel haha

Agreed

NEXT SPRING : the BEHRINGER D101-GRVBX

Teuku Nazli kurniawan next spring: bohringerBeats

@@BoBeats Underrated comment haha!

standard shitty reply to any synth release these days

@No Comment Not that I generally disagree, but the SE-20 is awesome (though admittedly probably more Studio Electronics than Roland): I've got two of them and they are right up there with my Moogs and Dave Smiths. Anyway yeah, I've got the Behringer Model D and just put a deposit down on Pro 1 so like I said, don't generally disagree.

Looper = time stretch is available (same as 707 from what i gather) Drum track = pitch shift (coarse and fine)

tbh I tried the Blackbox and it didnt quite catch my attention. These are instruments. Not computers. Some of them feel very intuitive to me, others like Mpc Live and Blackbox are amazing value, but not for me I think. Too much ”computer in a box”

On another video, they said yes. You can load channel 1-4

No I mean the TR8S - not the MC707

I’m doing the same but with an akai force instead of the 505 !

Might do a little Mc101 as sequencer tutorial :-)

@@BoBeats That would be very welcome :)

440 euro for a fart machine ? Digital toy ? F ... off roland! Behringer win !

@@nikosrachoutis1270 Behringer will force the other " big" manufacturers to reconsider the lower-ish end market....if they continue cloning successfully ( durability and output quality)

Over 500€ in Finland

Nikos Rachoutis How does Behringer win? Where is their groove box?

Its not to high as there is no other similar as capable cheaper product..

8 measures max for audio recording and 128 steps for melodic sequences.

BoBeats thaaanks a lot _ Roland still has 64 on their infopage. Great and thanks from Sequencer.de since we all asked ourselves .. big thank you from „us“ (forum).

I don't find it in the reference manual. I think you can't loop samples in TONE section (for 101). But you can loop in looper tracks. But not short wave cycles. You can choose how many steps you want the loop.

This is my understanding too

A couple more: 5. Did you tried to control it vía CC? If yes, do you know if mutes, scatter and fx are available for MIDI control? And finally 6. You said that the synth engine is not as deeper as in the 707, but judging for the presets, do you think it’s just a case of the same 707 engine with just less onboard control? Maybe an editor could access the same decrete of complexity

i think for 1 its best to look at the reference manual. 2. It goes very quick, you can see it in my vid 3. Saves projects to sd card 4. Yes ind drum mutes 5. Fx have midi controls like on 707 as for scatter and mutes... unsure. There should be a midi implementations chart 6. Same engine. It can load 707 projects according to Roland

Thanks for the answers. The manual is VERY sketchy and I didn’t saw a reference one some days ago. maybe they uploaded it after that. I’ll check the site again

Digitakt

For live playing I’d be tempted to say the Model Samples because it’s mostly knob per function. The Digitakt is the most powerful but you’d need to learn it’s layout before playing live, imo.

V sample is nice, so easy to use and quick!

Digitone is very very different :-)

i wish i had one :-/

However, this is the best video on mc 101 on RU-vid. Good job 😊

E2s owner. I lost interest in this thing about 5 minutes in. The device, not the video.

This has real polyphony but the 2s is still better for the price.

@@HotStrange agreed that e2s polyphony is probably my biggest gripe about the machine... however unless there are several elements you need to mute/unmute/modulate independently you can work around it by resampling several elements together. I love the e2s, there's a clever workaround to almost every apparent shortcoming if you're willing to put in the dirty work. There isn't a better box at it's price point and once you know how to use it I genuinely think it outperforms boxes that are double the price.

Thanks!! 1. I dont know. I have used a fast 64 gig one. 2. I am unsure but heard 6 min stereo/12 min mono per project. 3. There is a length limit per sample loaded. I do not know exactly how long. I have tried loading a full track and it doesn’t work. 4. Yes.

BoBeats Thanks so much for the detailed reply! I’m sure the ‘Loop’ tracks come into play here somewhere but I haven’t seen them explored much online. Time to do some digging into the manual it seems! 👍

Quick update! User sample length numbers were accurate! The looper itself seems only able to hold one minute loops per track... odd that you can’t contain a “whole song” on the looper! Would be great if you could use the 4 faders like tascam tape faders! From the manual: *Available total time for User Sample: 12 minutes in mono, 6 minutes in stereo (44.1 kHz) * Available format of User Sample: WAV 32-96 kHz/16 bits, 24 bits (mono, stereo) * Available total time for Looper Sample: Approx. 60 sec (44.1 kHz) * Available format of Looper Sample: WAV 44.1 kHz/16 bits, 24 bits, 32 bits, 32 bits float (mono, stereo)

wheeere did you see this in the manual? i could have sworn it wasn’t there :-) thanks for letting me know