Roland Delivers Turntablist Friendly MC-307
Groovebox
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MC-307 Groovebox
(Click for a larger picture) |
February 4, 1999
Roland is proud to introduce the latest addition to
its Groovebox lineup—the MC-307. Building on the popular Groovebox
concept, the MC-307 is an affordable desktop electronic music sequencer/sound
module with an entirely new interface designed for DJ’s and other
artists who perform primarily with turntables and vinyl records rather
than musical instruments. Featuring a sexy black-and-silver design, Turntable
Emulation, increased wave memory and all-new groove music patterns, this
Groovebox will fit right alongside turntables and DJ mixers.
Built from the ground up for DJ’s and remixers, the MC-307 features a
new controller called Turntable Emulation with Push and Hold buttons, allowing
users to manipulate the pitch and BPM of patterns in the same manner as they would
with a turntable. Now, for the first time, DJ’s can control their Groovebox
as if it were a vinyl record. A new graphical LCD linked to four function buttons
eliminates layered menus and makes operation easy—even for DJ’s who
have little experience with digital instruments.
At the heart of the MC-307 is a 64-voice dance music-oriented sound engine
with 16MB of wave memory—twice that of the MC-505 Groovebox. This expanded
wave set translates into a staggering 800 Preset Patches covering the spectrum
of groove music (TB-303, Juno, Jupiter, etc.). Even the rhythm kits have been
increased to 40 presets, including all the classic Roland drum machines—from
the TR-808 and -909 to new additions like the TR-505. All of these sounds can
be tweaked in realtime using dedicated knobs for Cutoff, Resonance and LFO, or
using any of the four assignable control knobs and Grab switch.
Because dance music is continually evolving, the MC-307’s Preset patterns
have been updated to include fresh new grooves for today and tomorrow. There are
a total of 240 all-new Preset patterns covering techno, house, hip-hop, and drum
‘n’ bass. All were programmed by top DJ’s and sound designers,
ensuring that they can help users pack a dance floor. And for those wanting to
program their own, the MC-307 offers 200 User patterns which can be entered in
real time, or in step time via an improved TR-REC method that’s ideal for
rhythm parts. With the new TR-REC mode, inputting scales and chords is even easier,
allowing original phrases to be created more efficiently.
Like the MC-505, the MC-307 has three independent, synchronizable onboard
effects processors offering dedicated reverb, delay, and multi-effects (M-FX)
including "Slicer," "Phonograph," "Lo-Fi," and a
new "Isolator" capable of removing low, mid and high frequencies. Any
of the MC-307’s multi-effects can be tweaked with the new Grab switch, allowing
DJ’s to create exciting tonal changes with rhythmic precision.
The MC-307’s powerful onboard sequencer boasts an impressive 95,000 note
capacity and offers a choice of three quantize functions—Grid, Shuffle and
Groove—as well as a built-in arpeggiator with 53 styles and a Realtime Phrase
Sequencer (RPS) for instant triggering of musical phrases with a single button
push. The MC-307’s connections include a stereo mix out, headphone jack,
footswitch control, and MIDI In/Out—making it well-suited to both club and
studio environments.
For more information, visit
Roland on the web at www.rolandus.com.
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