2010
Step 1: Stumble bleary-eyed to the bathroom and do the things that Men Do in the bathroom in the morning.
Step 2: Get a Lo-Carb Monster, my MacBook Pro, and a pack of cigarettes, and go outside on the porch to properly EQ my nicotine and taurine levels so I can function in polite society.
I'm actually still in the middle of Step 2 as I write this, so it might be a little gamier than normal. I was perusing my RSS feeds just now, and I've set up several search feeds for Phoenix Craigslist. One of them has "Drum Machine" as its string, and today it gave me this little gem:
Roland TR-505 Drum machine/Sequencer $200
This is another piece of my collection that I regret to let go but I haven't been using it much in the last couple years and I'd rather get some $'s out of it and have someone making use of it as part of their collection of classic electronic musical instruments. [...]. This unit is still very popular for its cool sound and its old-school Roland sequencer which has a "feel" that has no comparison. A lot of pro's still insist on using the 505 as a click track when working with Pro Tools because it adds a little life to your music as opposed to an ultra-modern click track (metronome) which has absolutely perfect time, the 505 and 606 have very close to perfect time but tend to have a little bit of "push and pull" to them that is the sound and feel of classic hip hop and music from the golden age of MIDI :)
Now, whatever with the 505 itself. It is obviously not a favorite of, well, anyone. This is largely because it sounds like shit, and is most assuredly the red-headed step child of the TR family. (We only say this because we've never heard Madonna's infamous TR-404.) Whether it's worth $200 -- and it's not -- is between this guy and the witless sap that buys it from him. Since this is Phoenix, that witless sap has probably moved to the San Fernando valley by now, and is currently working as a grip on Anal Amateurs 49.
(Cue several comments from people that own a 505 and are trying to make themselves feel better about paying actual money for it, plus the mandatory "it sounds awesome circuit-bent!!!")
Pro Tips: There is no "golden age of MIDI." The 606 doesn't have MIDI. No self-respecting hip-hop producer would ever admit he used a 505 on a record. Pro's [sic] don't use the 505 as a click because of its "feel." It has no feel. It's a 505.
Seriously, dude: just because it has "TR" in the name doesn't make it magic, and no amount of con on your part is gonna change that.
posted July 23, 2010 by 33degrees
posted July 23, 2010 by DrumMachine
Also, speaking for myself, I don't know the infamous Madonna 404 story.
If this is somehow related to Anal Amateurs 1-48, don't tell me. I like Madonna.
- c
posted July 23, 2010 by beauty pill
This sparked no end of amusing commentary on the Analog Heaven mailing list. I'm sure someone can cough up the appropriate piece of YouTube data. The entire documentary is basically a case of a fairly typical Parsons or FIT girl trying to make the person that's with her think she's cool by dropping science. Anyone that lived for any length of time in NYC would know the type. The 404 bit is amusing to us for its particular subject, but the whole doc is like that. It's not really an honest mistake, but rather her trying to drop science when she lacks the particular science that needs dropping. Much like the Craigslist posting above.
-CR
posted July 23, 2010 by Chris Randall
Anyhow, I sold it last year to the nice folks from D16. Last I heard they were in the process of heavy component modeling to ensure they get that elusive 404 sound just right. Last I heard, it was still in alpha and it was called the 4UKTAR4.
posted July 23, 2010 by mike kiraly
In “The Hero With a Thousand Faces” Joseph Campbell says there’s only one story told over and over;
The hero starts in the ordinary world, and receives a call to enter an unusual world of strange powers and events (a call to adventure). If the hero accepts the call to enter this strange world, the hero must face tasks and trials (a road of trials), and may have to face these trials alone, or may have assistance. At its most intense, the hero must survive a severe challenge, often with help earned along the journey. If the hero survives, the hero may achieve a great gift (the goal or "boon"), which often results in the discovery of important self-knowledge. The hero must then decide whether to return with this boon (the return to the ordinary world), often facing challenges on the return journey. If the hero is successful in returning, the boon or gift may be used to improve the world (the application of the boon).
bb
posted July 23, 2010 by bongo_x
My first drum machine was the 505, which was new and affordable at the time and, even then, was a horribly-limited piece of garbage. You can't even tune the samples. I replaced it with an HR-16 which was a huge step up. Yes, I 'stepped up' to an Alesis product. That should tell you something.
(not a knock on the andy, which is an exception)
posted July 23, 2010 by stretta
posted July 23, 2010 by pranafire
Hmm. Maybe he could give a hiphop demonstration on the phone? :-D
posted July 23, 2010 by Peppe
posted July 23, 2010 by boobs
