I recently picked up an MC-909 Groovebox for really cheap. I know Peaches used the MC-505 for most of her first album and thought it could be inspiring for something. So far It's cool for some 808 and 909 drum sounds. They're actually pretty editable and there are lots of controls via front panel, probably as cool as TR-8 in certain ways for that purpose.

It takes up a ton of real estate and I'm having trouble justifying keeping it just for some decently editable electroclash 808, 909, and 303 sounds. Frankly most of it sounds really dated. I mainly use Pro Tools for years with tons of soft synths so wouldn't be using this as my main workstation, just for extra sounds and inspiring hands on hardware integration. I have a fair amount of modern and vintage synths, so it's not really hard integrating another hardware piece if I'll use it.

Are there any MC-909 lovers or tips and tricks or reasons to keep it you can think of?

i stopped reading at 'probably as cool as TR8' to be honest, because it just isnt and never will be. EVER.
sorry to sound elitist but i draw the line in the sand at grooveboxes.

Aweful poorly recorded out of time samples mixed with clunky hardware. yuk

yea I just didn't really like the TR-8 sound much to be honest. I love the JP-08 so it's not a bias against it not being real analog. The comparison was more about editing and tweakability. Sure TR-8 has attack and snappy gimmick but you can also use filtering as well as pitch slider and internal fx for some interesting tweaking on the MC-909. I'm really not trying to have this be a TR-8 vs. MC-909 Thread, just seeing if there's any cool use for this still. I agree, it is kinda clunky hardware, but something keeps intriguing me about it. I guess it's the Peaches and M.I.A. thing, I know they used the 505

I think its interesting that there are people who frequent this forum and all they want is a knob per function. Then there is this thread that calls that clunky hardware. I have an MC-909. As a groove box it is in my view the pinnacle of groove boxes. I believe you could easily make entire tracks on it. The synth engine is also similar to the JV series which is all but worshipped in another thread.

The 909 is way more than Aweful poorly recorded out of time samples mixed with clunky hardware. yuk

If you can't see the attraction then by all means part with it. I get that it is 2003 technology, and thats not very sexy these days but I'm pretty certain you can do a truckload of stuff on that alone. If you get bored with the in built sounds get busy with the sampler.

MC-909 and MV-8800: bliss.

If it has the JV engine then why can't you program some new sounds that aren't so dated? Is there a software editor?

Wouldn't be my first choice but you know you can make almost anything sound interesting with the right fx.

forget the internal sounds

its a pretty good midi sequencer

I believe it scored pretty well on the innerclock litmus test

get NI Maschine 2

Yeah, the sequencer is great, and the synth engine is quite deep.
It's like XV but with the ability to easily use your own samples.

+ Sequencer
+ Big screen
+ Effects are usable.
+ Software editor available from Roland.
+ Expansion card slot.
+ Good build quality.
+ Fully programmable arp & chord memory

- Presets are typical Roland 'dance genre' rompler stuff.
- Filter is typical harsh sounding digital Roland stuff.
- Stupid seq channel output mode bug.

Are there any particular tricks or tips you find useful? You seem to know the unit very well. I guess what I'm asking is are there things that are unique to this box that make it worth keeping? So far the knobs and sliders and turntable emulation seem fun for tweaking, the arp may be useful. I'm guessing most of the unique benefits may come from using it as the center production piece as opposed to more of a sound module which is how I would integrate. Is there anything unique about the sampler?

Other responses about anything sounds good with enough effects or digging deep into synth engines to make it sound less dated isn't particularly inspiring. I love programming Synths, but I'd rather start with something closer to what I'm looking for than trying to make a dated sound cool just because.

Yeah, using it as a sound module would be a bit of an overkill/beside the point.

I think MC-909 provides greatest value for people looking for OTB solution, and for people possessed with the (lovely) 90's/early 2000 junk.

Many people diss grooveboxes, saying they are crappy and toys etc, but the point is that you were supposed to say that back in the days when this stuff was hot and fresh - AIRA of their time.

Grooveboxes were sold as a solutions to make complete dance music tracks with a few button presses. (User manuals often suggested to take a preset pattern and tweak that to your own ) Of course that was not considered a cool thing amongst people making undergroud music with whatever junk they happened to get their hands on. Lacking soul, you now.

Now we can look at these things with a bit of nostalgia; they are no longer considered as "cheating" because making a good track with a groovebox was proven not to be just pressing few buttons, quite the opposite actually.

Nowadays you can challenge yourself to see if you have the skills to come up with anything decent with them!

I guess the keyword here is 'hipster', but in a good way.


I agree!

no such thing as an obsolete musical instrument, the mc303 has a dreadful rep, the mc909 is 10 times the beast

I was lusting after one of these not too long ago. I wanted something that I can build arrangements on to become the core of my studio to break away from arranging in the computer. This was a top contender, but I got an MPC1000. As far as advanced, feature-rich hardware sequencers go, there's not a lot out there these days. So even without considering any of its sounds, it has this value.

Bought it. Hated it. Sold it, and now I'm thinking of buying it again

I think it's good when you take it for what it is. A fairly complex workstation with the typical 90s Roland digital filters (=eeek) and sounds from an earlier incarnation of dance music. I would view it as a time capsule where you quickly can dial up a certain type of retro sounds.

I liked the drum kits. And if I would buy it again, I would buy the Don Solaris 909 Drum kits too.

/C

I'm selling mine if anyone is interested.
(PM me)

Go for it, go for the 909 if you can get it cheap.


Would I get it? Sure or Ableton Live 9.5 with Push 2

sounds pretty useful to me

If you can't be bothered to put effects on something or programming it, then maybe you should just sell it and stick to samples.

Is this one of those shreds videos?

If you can't find a way to make the extensive sample collection in the MC-909 your own in some way........... sure, feel free to blame the box, that's always the easiest thing to do.

Only problem I ever had with it, and the MV-8800, was size. They're HUGE. Then again, that was also a big plus. The pads on the MC-909 are smaller and lighter; the ones on the MV-8800 took some serious breaking in.

****ing up sounds with that combo was outer space time, for me. A parallel universe.

If it worked for Peaches, I bet you can make some cool stuff with it. Nothing inherently wrong with a groovebox.
"It's a poor man who blames his tools" yo.

XV synth engine plus the ability to load samples. If you can **** that up, better take up stamp collecting.

Eminently more usable than all of the AIRA **** put together...this is a workstation.

I saw one in my local GC for $350 and have always regretted not grabbing it


even if you use it as a obese sketchpad (ive an electribe 2 sitting on a shelf that cant manage that task) its got to be worth it.

i always wanted one. sequencer, sampler,xv engine, effects, plus that turntable stop one away feature.rza supposedly made a lot of stuff for wu tang on it.
i didnt like the mc 808 too much, but i still pound on my mc 303. both are more rewarding then the tr 8 in my eyes.
but then again if you just use it as a module then it wont be too fun. all the synth presets on the mc 808 sounded like patches rejected from a black eyed peas album.

but on paper it was the peak of grooovebox technology.
sit down with it and put in some hours and im sure youll have some results that you wouldnt come up with in youre daw

It has sampler that can auto retime samples. So as it's sampler you can do whatever with it. I almost bought one for live use in 2004 for 2k.

TBH, 2003 is still future because 90% on this forum live in the mindset of 1995.

always wanted one and recently I got one with full sample memory upgrade and memory card.
Only had time to look at the quick start guide and messed around with some sound. I wanted a desktop workstation box with no keyboard. Wanted sound editing, sampler, sequencer, hands on controls, something I could use when the rest of my kit/computer is off. Still with its digital outs, Mix L/R, Direct out 1 L/R, Direct out 2 L/R... Stereo input for sampling and MIDI IN/OUT can integrate productively with the rest of my setup.

only spent little time with it but so far it looks promising.

Exactly why I want to sell mine

What are you talking about?

<adjusts tinfoil hat>

It's 1983.