What do Chicago house, Detroit techno, Hi-NRG, Egyptian Al Jeel, industrial/EBM, and alternative acts like INXS and The Jesus And Mary Chain all have in common? They all made use of Roland’s TR-707 and TR-727, twin rhythm boxes that fully ushered Roland into the era of PCM samples. Compared to the TR-808, which was entirely analog, and the TR-909, which combined analog synthesis and samples, the 707 and 727 were fully digital in sound. Top producers like Stock Aitken Waterman readily adopted their punchy drums. The sounds even found their way into underground dance hits. They’ve also been given new life by circuit benders, with unique modifications that vastly extend their functionality.
Twin Releases
Released simultaneously in 1985, the orange-accented TR-707 was chock full of acoustic drum samples like kicks, snares, hi-hats, and toms. By contrast, the blue-emblazoned TR-727 came loaded with Latin percussion sounds—think bongos, congas, agogos, and maracas. Each features fifteen PCM percussion samples and is capable of playing ten simultaneously.
There was also an accent function to emphasize certain beats plus shuffle and flam. Each unit holds 64 patterns and four songs, and the optional M-64C memory cartridge could store double that. Each sound (as well as accent) had its own volume slider—perfect for live performance—as well as dedicated audio outs. MIDI in/out, DIN sync, and a trigger pulse completed the package.
With the gates blown wide by Roger Linn and his immensely popular LinnDrum, the digital writing was on the wall. Soon everyone was releasing sample-based drum machines—from the DMX and DX to Drumtraks and the RX11. Ever conscious of its position in the market, Roland endeavored to make the TR-707 and TR-727 affordable.
The company managed this by leaving out tuning options and, to save on then costly memory, employing analog envelopes where possible to turn a single sample into two sounds (open and closed hi-hats, for example). The 25kHz, 8-bit (and occasional 6-bit) sounds were so good, no one at the time really seemed to mind the relative lack of features. Still, as the years went on, certain members of the modding community began to put solder to PCB to make their own, ultimate 707s and 727s.
"With their largely digital circuit structures, the TR-707 and TR-727 are prime targets for modding."
Circuitbenders
With their largely digital circuit structures, the TR-707 and TR-727 are prime targets for modding. UK modding group Circuitbenders offers several different after-market changes to the drum machines. The first is pitch control. While standard on the Drumtraks, Linn LM-1, and LinnDrum, tuning was not possible on the original 707 and 727. This opens up the possibilities for composition, allowing users to tune the kick and snare to the root note of a song, for example.
Circuitbenders also provides decay control of the hi-hats, crash, and snare on the 707. This taps into the analog envelope, offering user control over the length of the sounds. Roland took a similar approach when emulating the 707 sounds for the TR-8 7X7 Drum Machine Expansion, adding decay control overall sounds.
Effects are also possible. By tapping into the DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converters), Circuitbenders have four different kinds of distortion. The sounds can also be drastically changed by adding a patchbay and routing digital data from the ROM and RAM to unintended destinations.
Alien Devices
Active in the early 2000s, modder Alien Devices created its own mutation of the TR-707. It featured a 10-point patchbay bored into the right of the unit for rerouting data signals. It also had 14 three-way switches on the left for more madness. According to a listing of the modded machine on Reverb, “The Alien-Devices modified Roland TR-707 is … capable of producing thousands of new and unique synth percussion sounds and patterns. The mods can effect the drum sounds in subtle or drastic ways creating synth tones, digital filtering, distortion, bizarre beat warping, and strange electronic textures.”
Diabolical Devices
Another busy modder was Diabolical Devices, who had their unique take on what a TR-707 should sound like. While not every mod was the same, most featured pitch control for each sound with a very wide range, from sludge to chirp. Furthermore, there were switches, a patchbay to connect to Eurorack, and bright LEDs to let you know which sound was being affected.
"While not every mod was the same, most featured pitch control for each sound with a very wide range, from sludge to chirp."
HKA Design
HKA Design, who’s currently active in drum machine modding, has created a kit to expand the sounds of the 707 and 727. His ROM Expansion kit boasts eight banks of sounds. These include the original two machines, plus samples from the 808, 909, LinnDrum, LM-1, and DMX.
Roland Cloud
When creating versions of the TR-707 and TR-727 for Roland Cloud, Roland’s programmers were inspired by the multitude of mods over the years. They implemented some of the more famous ones into the two instruments. Along with a global clock control to adjust the overall pitch, both feature individual tuning and decay. There’s also an FX knob for each sound that glitches out the sample like a patchbay mod. Results can be wild and unpredictable, just like the hacked hardware.
Roland’s Shinsuke Takami explains how his team pushed the envelope with the FX knob. “It’s super aggressive. However, we tried to keep the original character of each instrument even when you turn the knob to max.” Takami also confirms that the creative manipulation of vintage units did indeed inspire the engineers. “We got inspiration from the modded TR-707 and 727s and moved it forward.”
"When creating versions of the TR-707 and TR-727 for Roland Cloud, Roland’s programmers were inspired by the multitude of mods over the years."
Audio Examples
- Stock: A clean TR-707 pattern with lots of swing.
- Modded: And here it is glitched out with various pitch and FX settings.
- Stock: A TR-727 pattern ready for the pop charts.
- Modded: The same pattern in the style of a Warp Records release.
- Stock: The TR-727, as the original programmers intended.
- Modded: The same TR-727 with pitch and FX alterations.
- Stock: A clean and driving TR-707 pattern.
- Modded: The same pattern with gritty mod adjustments.
