Tag Archives: Roland

The Iconic 909 Techno, House & Acid (Drum) Machine

Vogue- Madonna. Girls Aint Nothing But Trouble- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Garage Palace- Gorillaz & Little Simz. Pump Up The Jam- Technotronic. Take Me Home 2016 Remaster- Phil Collins. Hunter- Bjork. Revolution 909- Daft Punk. Purple Hearts- Kendrick Lamar w Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah. What do all of these hit songs (and many more) have in common?

“The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is an iconic drum machine powerhouse that’s defined genres and ignited dance floors since its debut. Known for its instantly recognizable punchy classic drum sounds, the TR-909 delivers that quintessential rhythm that has shaped techno, house, acid, and beyond.” Tone Tweakers.

To say that the 909 is a versatile instrument is an understatement.

Creatively transformed into distinct and unique sonic identities by adding interesting studio effects to its sound samples and through different methods of programming tracks, the differences between rhythm styles and drum sounds between hit songs is amazing .

The drums in Phil Collins’s “Take Me Home” are characterized by a powerful and distinctive gated reverb effect on the snare, creating a dense, atmospheric rhythm that drives the song.

“The laid-back vibe of “Purple Hearts” compliments the snappiness of the vintage TR-909 sound. The drums help carry the smooth groove throughout the song, and the cymbals add some sparkle and shimmer to an otherwise tight percussion sound.” Native Instruments.

909 sighting. Fat Boy Slim’s “You’ve Come A Long Way Baby” liner notes.

The TR-909 drum machine was created in 1984 by the Roland Corporation. Forty years later, it is still a highly sought after drum machine commanding a serious amount of purchase money. For perspective, the cost for the 909 in 1985 was $1,095 usd ($3,502 usd allowing for inflation) but has appreciated substantially in value since then- the 909 regularly sells for double this amount or more, not surprising since it is renowned for its iconic analog drum sounds which have become staples in electronic music genres such as techno, house, and acid. The TR-909’s distinctive sound and easy-to-use interface have made it a classic piece of equipment, shaping the sound of countless tracks and influencing generations of musicians and producers.

Attack of the 500$ Clone

“Great care has been taken in designing the RD-9 to achieve new possibilities in beat creation by reviving a timeless design from one of the most classic drum machines of yesteryear. By taking a fresh and modern approach on a classic drum machine, the RD-9 gives you the power to harness the phenomenal sound of the venerable TR-909 and tap into some new features as well. Colossal bass drums through sizzling hi-hats can be manipulated to take your rhythm performance to the next level. This is an analog beat-making monster.” Behringer

How Octapadist Became an Occupation in India

Run a search for “Octapad” or “Octapadist,” and you’ll find a vast musical community. Learn how the instrument became a household word.

Minimal Logo

Run a Google search for “Octapad” or “Octapadist,” and you’ll find a vast musical community. The overwhelming majority of these players have two fundamental traits in common. They use a device with eight rubber pads, and they likely live in a specific geographic location. But more on that in a moment.

An International Debut

When the Octapad Pad-8 debuted in 1985, it was a solution for artists looking to add MIDI to live performance. 1989’s  Octapad II Pad-80 delivered enhanced patch capabilities and memory storage.

Fans could see the instrument on global stages with Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, New Order, and UB40. Soon, the SPD line arrived—with the bonus of onboard sounds—and the Octapad name all but disappeared. 

Phil Collins in an early ad for the Octapad Pad-8
The evolution of the Octapad: the SPD-30
A Specific Niche

In 2010, with the SPD-30, the Octapad returned in a big way. Still, in one populous, musically-rich region, it never went away. Thanks to a mutable layout and portable design, the Octapad captured a specific niche in India. It remains the instrument of choice for devotional musicians and Bollywood players alike.

Today, artists like Priya Shiyara Flash Octapadist and Mayuranga Octapadist maintain Facebook profiles. They represent the tip of the social media iceberg. Octapadists with large followings appear all over YouTube, sharing skills and growing audiences at the same time.

Traditional Tones to YouTube 

Take Jiten Sunil Kriplani. He’s a popular YouTuber with almost a million subscribers who goes by the name Janny Dholi. “I’ve been using the Octapad for many years,” Sunil Kriplani says. “I absolutely love the true and dynamic tones which are customized especially for Indian artists. It’s the best for live shows and recording sessions.”

It was over 20 years ago that the original SPD-20 took the world—and especially India—by storm. Nowadays, legions of Indian musicians embrace the Octapad as their primary instrument. SPD-20 sounds permeate Bollywood, folk, devotional, and other musical styles across India. 

Roland SPD-20
A Practical Tool

Musical Director Tushar Deval says, “I’ve been working in this industry for almost thirty-five years. It was 1998 or 2000 that I first tried the SPD-20, and I have been using it ever since. Great experiences come from different places.”

For Deval, the speed of creation is part of what cements the Octapad in India’s professional music world. “Making patches in SPD-20 is so easy,” he explains. “Basically, any Hindi song comes on, and we can make five of them in ten to fifteen minutes.”

“Great experiences come from different places. Any Hindi song comes on, and we can make five of them in ten to fifteen minutes.”
-Tushar Deval

The 808 of India?

With such broad appeal, it’s easy to think of the Octapad as the TR-808 of India, so far-reaching is the instrument’s influence. The original eight-pad layout—much like the 808’s drum pads—is iconic. Like the 808, the Octapad’s look is instantly recognizable.

The instrument’s latest incarnation, the SPD-20 PRO, expands on the Octapad’s legacy. Among a host of sounds, it includes the following: dholak (a two-headed hand drum with drumheads attached by ropes), mridangam (a principal rhythmic accompaniment drum for Carnatic performances), kanjira (a frame drum from the tambourine family), ghatam (one of India’s most ancient percussion instruments), the duggi (an Indian kettle drum played with the fingers and palm).

Mridangam, Photo by Thamizhpparithi Maari

“The addition of 200 kits is mind-blowing,” Sunil Kriplani says of the upgraded Octapad. “It’s my favorite feature.”

Based in Pune, Maharashtra, Ajay Artre has used the Octapad for over six years. He appreciates the instrument’s core tones and interface. Artre praises “the sounds, editing, and especially the display.”

Roland’s history boasts many instruments intended for one use that became unexpected legends for something else entirely. Initially, an accompaniment device, the TB-303 kickstarted the acid house movement. Of course, the ultimate example of this trend, the TR-808, is inexorably linked to hip-hop’s history.

An Unusual Path

By contrast, the Octapad’s ascension from MIDI device to the go-to Indian devotional music tool is less clear. It doesn’t produce a sound utterly unlike anything that came before it. Rather, the Octapad plays a practical role in the musical culture of India. 

In a blog for Roland India, Rupesh Iyar describes the Octapad as “a passionate instrument to play.” Iyar stresses that “any percussion player can switch to the Octapad from their traditional instrument.”

“It’s a passionate instrument to play. Any percussion player can switch to the Octapad from their traditional instrument.”
-Rupesh Iyar

Therein lies the essence of the Octapad’s popularity in India. The device established its place in the country’s musical culture by bridging the past and the present. Those eight pads help move traditional sounds into the future, one pattern at a time.

Original article by our friends at Roland/ Ari Rosenschein.

PUSH TURN MOVE Book Focuses On Interface Design In Electronic Music

Coming to Kickstarter April 18th. Meet the designers, makers, musicians and their instruments and learn how they have shaped the world of electronic music. Richly illustrated with a unique collection of sketches, photos and graphics and with a foreword by electronic music visionary Jean-Michel Jarre.


The book’s essence is to celebrate innovative interface designs, provide a categorization of gear and explore the functional, artistic, philosophical and aesthetic world of user interfaces in the context of making and performing of electronic music.

Featuring exclusive interviews with: Roger Linn, Dave Smith, Keith McMillen, Richard Devine, Suzanne Ciani, Olivier Gillet, Ean Golden, Brian Crabtree, Matt Moldover, Axel Hartmann, Dorit Chrysler, DiViNCi, Skinnerbox, Native Instruments, Ableton, Teenage Engineering, Roland, Elektron and many more.


A wide range of landmark pieces of equipment is featured along with chapters on design principles, interface elements, visualization of sound and instrument and controller concepts such as grids, touch and modular. PUSH TURN MOVE is the very first of its kind in both scope and depth. Please sign up on www.pushturnmove.com or follow along on http://fb.me/pushturnmove/

PUSH TURN MOVE is written by friend of The Silo-  Danish designer, author and electronic musician Kim Bjørn and edited by Mike Metlay, editor at Recording Magazine and Paul Nagle, reviewer at Sound on Sound Magazine.

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