Roland TR - 505 - How to program beats on the weird drum machine ||| MADE ON TAPE 

505 was my first drum machine, bought it at the local pawn shop. It didn't come with the manual and at that time the Internet was not online. I learned how to program it myself with little frustration. I thought of it like a puzzle and I solved this one. This machine is fantastic!

Thanks, I'm 74 and used to use this machine on stage when I was younger. I just got it out to record some background sounds for RU-vid and I couldn't remember how to program it. Very helpful thanks again.

I have 3 of these! One for Rehearsal! One I use Live and One in Case the other one Breaks! For 30 years I have used this with my Strat and now a Harmony box! Still making Mucho Bucks and I only use Pattern Play! Thank you 505!

You are the freaking bro. I’ve owned a Tascam Porta One, Two and TR505 for years and it’s like this channel was made for me 🙌

Had one of these for YEARS and the manual was always too daunting.... played around with it but *never* figured out how to use it properly, and then in 20 mins you taught me! Used it on a sold-out gig this past weekend - thanks!

Thank you for this video, until now I hadn't explored the pattern program mode but as it's May 5th I thought today would be a good time to learn how to create your own patterns on the Roland TR-505. It's also good to know that you cannot accidentally overwrite the preset patterns in A B or C. As you may know I bought a TR-505 in November 2023.

GREAT video! Really glad I found this-this was the very first drum machine I ever owned, bought in 87 and still own it. Admittedly, I never RTFM (all the way thru, that is). The scale info certainly opens up some new ideas. Really great info-thanks!

you're a gentlemen and a scholar, sir. Thanks for the best tutorial to the most useful parts of this lovely little gem. Your passion for it shines through.

BEST 505 tutorial on RU-vid! Time to bust mine out - thank YOU!

It must be said that at the time it was a revolution to FINALLY have a `drum` available to record his little compositions, without breaking the ears of his sound neighbors ^^ Thanks to your nostalgic video, this good old TR505 retains everything its meaning and its his SOUND 👉CooôÔL👍 👍

I own one too, and I very much enjoyed it. I used it with practicing (I play bass guitar) and we used the 505 a lot too with the band, when the drummer wasn't able to play. Thanks for the nice video! I liked.

Love your Channel man, just awesome !

I attained hella value out of this ! Thank you

I just got a 505 for my birthday, I'm very excited.

Cool! many thanks for sharing this video!

Love your channel. And the way you are showing great music can be made with a simple set up.

Thanks for the video. It was easy to understand

I don't have one of there drum machines, but it is very interesting to see how these interface conventions carried on to later generations of hardware.

thanks for a wonderful video

Ahhh..got mine today. For some people maybe funny but it this little Maschine was always a dream for me. Now I have it and I’m so happy. Love it. Cheers from (near) Berlin to Detroit! Thank you for your cool video! 🥁🤙🏼🔥 Domenique Xander

really helpful . thanks !

I've had the 505 for about two years now, at first controlled it over midi with Reaper (iirc the only way to get it to respond properly was to make sure midi is on and that the midi receive channel was set to the same as on Reaper, then go into pattern play and choose an empty pattern). The level function responds to midi velocity, so you can get more dynamic hi hats etc.. If only the 505 had dynamic level and swing controls built in... Anyway you've shown me how easy it is to use standalone, and inspired me to start using it again as part of a live performance/band setup. With some effects i'm hoping it'll sound great for post-punk, indie and dream pop stuff. Many thanks for making this dope video!

I inherited my dads' 626 (505 with latin sounds) Thanks pops!!!

I was gifted one. No owners manual, thank you for the video

I have to admit, I have a love / hate relationship with my 505. I love it because I’ve had it from new since 1987. I hate it because I turned down a slightly grubby TR-909 for the same price in the same store, in favour of walking out with a brand new TR-505! Doh 😖!!

AWESOME ! thank you

Cheers my man. 👍🏻

Awesome machine

The 505 is basically the same as a 707 which is the same as a 909 and they all communicate correctly, in fact, even General MIDI's drum standard is directly modelled after how these communicate. 😀

thanks for this. I was struggling!

I got value! Thanks! Tip: in Manual Play, if you hold accent while playing you get accented (louder) sound.

Great thanks!! Awesome shades

Thanks for sharing this video

Picked up a 505 from my neighbor. I narrowly avoided RTFM because of this video... thanks.

I've bought one and waiting for it to arrive so this is just what I needed thanks.

Many thanks!!!

Great vid - I love my 505. Just a heads up - you actually can chain more than 2 patterns together - just hold the first and last pad and press enter!

Wow! It's got some pretty good sounds! They are expensive 2nd hand (I checked).

Thank you

YEA THANK YOU

I've used the BOSS DR-110, DR-220 and DR-550 quite a bit, and it's interesting to see another step in the development of the BOSS/Roland programming interface. To me, the big thing the 505 has, that the ones I've used have lacked, is the ability to chain together two patterns into a single 32 step pattern. Also: I get the sense that the 505 uses some of the same samples as the DR-220. Or, more likely, the other way around. Also also: You can use the accents the other way around, leaving it out on steps where you want more of a ghost note.

You’re a lifesaver. The manual sucks. You had me up and running in minutes!

I once had the same, lost it somewhere somehow. But yeah it was the 80's you know.

Nice video, you sound like Paul Shafer. ✌️🥁

Thx bro

Man I just found you and subbed! Loving the content. Out of curiosity you don't remember how much your Dad said that PortaTwo was new back in the 80s do you? I can't find online anywhere the original prices on them. I just bought a mint one completely gone thru & serviced by a tech guru guy and they ain't cheap these days lemme tell you! Good stuff man, thanks

🙏❤

Id be so fucked without this video lol thank u so much

thanks!

Thank, that was great, I just bought one on Reverb. I had all the same gear as your Dad, back in the 80s- still have my Tascam 4 track cassette; I had the Alesis HR 16b for drums-that was a great machine. My old band used the HR 16b for our 1st single back in the day: search THE GOLDENRODS - BARBWIRE CHAIR in YT if you want a listen ;)

How would you use post processing effects with this? Just curious thanks for the great video ! :)

Hi there. I've been inspired by your videos and have just bought a TR 505. I love it! I'm recording into a Tascam DP 008EX. Do you record your 505 in mono or stereo?

Just purchased one of these on ebay (my wife's going to kill me). Just two questions, what would I need to connect it to my and DAW (ableton), imac and focusrite? Actually, just the one question haha. Great vid by the way. This will be my reference.

i had a roland tr- 606. that was even weirder that a tr 606 i reckon. it was so much pants i should of set it alight with fire.

muy buen video

Hi, i'm just hearing You talking about this composing method and Now curious if this setup is usfull for playing live, if is possible to use midi in a drum machine. Another thing, i can't find your song thump in Bandcamp, is only the artword, thanks for your time!!!

Hey, if anyone could help me here I would be very grateful. The red dot is always on, on my TR 505. It's not blinking. So I can't play anything. I can play manually but I'cant record steps. Also the screen says MIDI SYNC and maybe it's because of that. I've tried everything but couldn't turn the MIDI SYNC off. Could you please tell me what to do?

Are you able to speak to the "modulated tone which carries the data" on the "tape interface" feature? Suffice to say if the pattern has been lost, the only recovery would be through this modulated tone and not the actual tonal quality of the pattern itself?

Thanks for the video, my 505 came in today and I was having trouble until I found this video. My only question is how can I unchain two patterns? The only way that I've been able to do it is deleting one of the patterns

Is there a way to last step the tracks? Like if I have 4 tracks instead of all 16 and let the 4 tracks play on repeat, I want to make a longer beat without have to manually press.

It's looks like a Lynndrum. Does Sangria - Thug Rap is made by 505 too?

You said , that your dad had this unit.?? that makes me feel even older. as I would say that this drum machine was my big brother's era but not so. :-(

Nice. Do you know if the TR626 operates mostly the same way? Thank

I want TR505 but I live in Thailand. what do i have to do

Runs this copy-paste procedure also by older models?

Thanks! The different "play" and "write" modes aren't super intuitive - especially that you have to press play first to start entering the sequence! For the accent - I think you can change its volume, just like other instruments. Then you can get a more subtle accent. That's how it works on other TR machines anyway.

Weird drummachine ? Try to program the Korg S3 ;)

How did you learn to use it?

How would you remove a group chain, the only way I figured it out is to clear one of the beats. Is this the only way?

I noticed when your programing thar you can't hear the sample of the sound you want. Is this done by memory of the sound?

My grandpa has one

Is there a way to add a “note repeate” to a sound on the 505?

Did I ask what the T in TR stands for? I assume R is for Rhythm.

How much is the total price of the product if sent to Thailand?

Thank you