Cool! The jam was ok, but didn’t seem to scratch the surface of its full features. Really need to read the manual on this one as they put a lot of goodies in there. Not only is there probability for each step, there is probability for substeps too-whaaaaat! Volume per step too- not just accent. Bass can be played live, sequenced in real time, transposed on the fly and there are 50ish+ more features. Never had a Roland synth before. Very glad I got this despite feeling doubtful about it. For me this was a great way to get a taste of their R&D and creativity. Great family-friendly toy, sure. But can also be paired with other bite-size gear and has a solid sound and very nice, quality knobs considering the plastic construction. I play guitar, bass and drums and dabble in the tabletop stuff because it’s fun and takes me to another place. The price, tactile UI (don’t like Volca ribbons) and the fact that its features are geared toward live performance sealed the deal for me and makes it a fun instrument. Cheers!
Hi …So nice of you to have made this comparison. So I recently got the T8 as my first drum machine. I am a guitarist trying to create a lofi jazz music (where previously I will take drums samples from splice and then compose jazz chords and solo on top of it). I wanted to get away from the DAW and got this box. I also have the SP404MK2. I played around with the T8 for a day learning and creating and within 24 hours I felt I could not use this for my regular music production because the sounds felt very acid/techno focussed. I was trying to create jazz and bossanova drum patterns. Also, I felt I can’t time-stretch the same note say over the (e,&,a) like I could on a DAW. I was struggling to understand how to do this and could not find a way. It felt like each beat tightly snaps to the pads and they can’t be extended or clubbed. If I want the same best on both 1 and e, and I place them on both then they are separate best and not the same beat over both of them. Which makes the beats very rigid. I tried decay and ascent on the notes but they are not able to solve the problem. Was there something I missed here? Anyway, I have now scheduled a return for the T8 because I felt limited with the sound. Instead I ordered, the volca drums and the volca sample 2, because I did not know which one will solve my problem (I will return one of them) I basically want to create rock/blues/jazz type on drums on this. Or even if that’s not fully possible, create beats which are not fully acid like the T8, but something where I can play ambient, post rock/indie rock type of guitar on top of it. Will you have any recommendations on how I should approach this ? And also among the T8, drum and sample2, which one will be the ideal one for me to pair with my sp404mk2 ? BTW, I had a lot of fun with the T8 for the 24 hours it was with me. I was pretty productive and also did a acid/techno ish live set :) So returning it felt bad in way. But I felt it was not going to help me create the type of sound I was chasing.
I bought one yesterday, despite owning all the Behringer and Roland Boutique clones which this covers (except the TR-06). Do I need it? Nope. Does it put a smile on my face? Hell yeah! And that’s what it’s all about, right? Great little box.
Roland AIRA Compact T-8 J-6 Beat Machine Is it possible to record directly to the computer? And what should be connected and how? Do I need to connect to a sound card first? And the sound card for the computer? Thank you.
Its only got the 808 clap and tom and a 606 snare and hihats with a 909 kick love all the sounds well im not big on the 606 hihats i think 909 hats would have been a much better fit
Hold on a second.. doesn’t this thing also have sounds from the 909 and 606 built in? If so, you’re looking at 3 beat boxes in one little box that can be mixed and matched. That’s 4 hardware units crammed in this little sucker +efffects for a couple hundred bucks. Sounds like a tremendous value to me and I’m surprised that was left out of this video. On the downside, which again I think should have been mentioned, is that the MIDI and audio outs all use the little 1/8 phono plugs. Which means you have to buy a bunch of adapters to integrate it into most interfaces and mixers that only have 1/4” I/O. Regardless, I’m taking a hard look at this unit to replace my Behringer TD3 and RD6. It will save a whole lot of desk space.
This box doesn’t have the 808 sounds. It has a 909 kick drum, 606 hats and an 808 snare. Video is a bit misleading. Weird too that the dude doesn’t notice it’s a 909 kick as he’s demoing it.
Hi! Did you tried to use T-8 as master via Midi with any other synth? I tried to send bass to Uno and Microfreak. And its not working.... May be you can explain this problem?
I already have a Volca Bass which is a much better, full-featured analog synthesizer with a similar form factor. I also have the Beats (as well as a few vintage TR and DR machines) so as cute as the T-8 is, it doesn't offer anything new. I think that if it had come out before the Volca or Pocket Operator lines I would have been jumping all over it.
I just wish Roland would turn away from building toys to something real, like a proper, analog Jupiter 8. Oberheim can do it with the OB-X8 and Sequential with the Prophet 5. So why can‘t Roland do it?
Cool! The jam was ok, but didn’t seem to scratch the surface of its full features. Really need to read the manual on this one as they put a lot of goodies in there. Not only is there probability for each step, there is probability for substeps too-whaaaaat! Volume per step too- not just accent. Bass can be played live, sequenced in real time, transposed on the fly and there are 50ish+ more features. Never had a Roland synth before. Very glad I got this despite feeling doubtful about it. For me this was a great way to get a taste of their R&D and creativity. Great family-friendly toy, sure. But can also be paired with other bite-size gear and has a solid sound and very nice, quality knobs considering the plastic construction. I play guitar, bass and drums and dabble in the tabletop stuff because it’s fun and takes me to another place. The price, tactile UI (don’t like Volca ribbons) and the fact that its features are geared toward live performance sealed the deal for me and makes it a fun instrument. Cheers!
Thank you sir for the nice review. This little beast in a box punches above its weight.
Hi …So nice of you to have made this comparison. So I recently got the T8 as my first drum machine. I am a guitarist trying to create a lofi jazz music (where previously I will take drums samples from splice and then compose jazz chords and solo on top of it). I wanted to get away from the DAW and got this box. I also have the SP404MK2.
I played around with the T8 for a day learning and creating and within 24 hours I felt I could not use this for my regular music production because the sounds felt very acid/techno focussed. I was trying to create jazz and bossanova drum patterns. Also, I felt I can’t time-stretch the same note say over the (e,&,a) like I could on a DAW. I was struggling to understand how to do this and could not find a way. It felt like each beat tightly snaps to the pads and they can’t be extended or clubbed. If I want the same best on both 1 and e, and I place them on both then they are separate best and not the same beat over both of them. Which makes the beats very rigid. I tried decay and ascent on the notes but they are not able to solve the problem. Was there something I missed here?
Anyway, I have now scheduled a return for the T8 because I felt limited with the sound. Instead I ordered, the volca drums and the volca sample 2, because I did not know which one will solve my problem (I will return one of them) I basically want to create rock/blues/jazz type on drums on this. Or even if that’s not fully possible, create beats which are not fully acid like the T8, but something where I can play ambient, post rock/indie rock type of guitar on top of it.
Will you have any recommendations on how I should approach this ? And also among the T8, drum and sample2, which one will be the ideal one for me to pair with my sp404mk2 ?
BTW, I had a lot of fun with the T8 for the 24 hours it was with me. I was pretty productive and also did a acid/techno ish live set :) So returning it felt bad in way. But I felt it was not going to help me create the type of sound I was chasing.
I’m late the party! Just discovered all these wonderful gear review videos, Zach and I really appreciate them - all! Thank you! *subscribed!
I bought one yesterday, despite owning all the Behringer and Roland Boutique clones which this covers (except the TR-06). Do I need it? Nope. Does it put a smile on my face? Hell yeah! And that’s what it’s all about, right? Great little box.
Outside SE-02 (a collaboration) or the Malekko modulars (a collaboration) Roland has not had an original or interesting idea in a VERY long time.
Hey, Mr Roland, we need the CR-78 sounds!
Roland AIRA Compact T-8 J-6 Beat Machine Is it possible to record directly to the computer? And what should be connected and how? Do I need to connect to a sound card first? And the sound card for the computer? Thank you.
Its only got the 808 clap and tom and a 606 snare and hihats with a 909 kick love all the sounds well im not big on the 606 hihats i think 909 hats would have been a much better fit
Hold on a second.. doesn’t this thing also have sounds from the 909 and 606 built in? If so, you’re looking at 3 beat boxes in one little box that can be mixed and matched. That’s 4 hardware units crammed in this little sucker +efffects for a couple hundred bucks. Sounds like a tremendous value to me and I’m surprised that was left out of this video. On the downside, which again I think should have been mentioned, is that the MIDI and audio outs all use the little 1/8 phono plugs. Which means you have to buy a bunch of adapters to integrate it into most interfaces and mixers that only have 1/4” I/O. Regardless, I’m taking a hard look at this unit to replace my Behringer TD3 and RD6. It will save a whole lot of desk space.
It only has the bass drum from the 909, the hats from the 606 and the snare from the 808. This video is a bit misleading saying it’s an 808.
The kick is from the 909, the snare and hihats from the 606, and the claps from the 808.
check out Nitilit Dax channel with the T-8.
This box doesn’t have the 808 sounds. It has a 909 kick drum, 606 hats and an 808 snare. Video is a bit misleading. Weird too that the dude doesn’t notice it’s a 909 kick as he’s demoing it.
Hi! Did you tried to use T-8 as master via Midi with any other synth? I tried to send bass to Uno and Microfreak. And its not working.... May be you can explain this problem?
Can't help but be turned off by the limited choice of voices. Tr8 is so cheap now second hand
Battery life? More info. on I/Os? Come on man!
i'll stick with my behringer td3
Pretty much half Propllerhead Rebirth in a box
I already have a Volca Bass which is a much better, full-featured analog synthesizer with a similar form factor. I also have the Beats (as well as a few vintage TR and DR machines) so as cute as the T-8 is, it doesn't offer anything new. I think that if it had come out before the Volca or Pocket Operator lines I would have been jumping all over it.
The Preach's of Leech's.... coming sooooooon.
I just wish Roland would turn away from building toys to something real, like a proper, analog Jupiter 8. Oberheim can do it with the OB-X8 and Sequential with the Prophet 5. So why can‘t Roland do it?
People will buy these.... but they shouldn't.
Fun page for edibles.....