Sound Behind the Song: “Chime” by Orbital
Kat Bein
September 8, 2020
Orbital share memories of “Chime,” the track that turned them into electronic icons, helping bring acid house from raves to Top of the Pops.
Tag: Drum Machine
Sound Behind the Song: “Strings of Life” by Derrick May
Kat Bein
September 8, 2020
More than 30 years after Derrick May’s “Strings of Life” saw release, techno remains a pillar of the modern dance community.
Sound Behind the Song: “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic
Jake Uitti
September 8, 2020
Explore the mysterious backstory of “Pump Up the Jam,” a worldwide electronic music smash and tale of mistaken identity.
Sound Behind the Song: “Scream” by Mantronix
Kristin Robinson
September 8, 2020
Mantronix mixed Kraftwerk’s experimental feel with the warmth of Grandmaster Flash. “Scream” remains a landmark electro-funk hip-hop mashup.
Sound Behind the Song: “Heliosphan” by Aphex Twin
Kristin Robinson
September 8, 2020
“Heliosphan” relies on the drums to act as a driving force. Even when the track borders on chaos, the TR-909 maintains perfect time.
Sound Behind the Song: “Energy Flash” by Joey Beltram
Peter Kirn
September 7, 2020
30 years after its release, Joey Beltram’s “Energy Flash” remains one of the definitive techno tracks. It still sits easily in a DJ set.
Roland Engineering: FM Synthesis, Morph, and TR-8S
Christian Moraga
September 5, 2020
Roland Japan’s Engineering team gives us an exclusive glimpse into the Morph FM Synthesis feature for the TR-8S and TR-6S.
Crafting the Perfect TR-8S Kit: Pro Results with Samples
Francis Preve
July 18, 2020
The ability to load your own sample, add deep processing to each instrument, and create an original kit puts this beatbox in a class by itself.
Zenbeats How-To: Drum Machine and Audio Setup
Matthew Presley
July 17, 2020
Whether you’re an emerging musician or an established producer, Zenbeats makes it easy to create beats, access lessons, and sample the world around you.
8 Secrets of the 808
Mike Sparks
July 3, 2020
Explore these eight lesser-known tips and help fully utilize the beatmaking potential of Roland Cloud’s powerful TR-808 plugin.