CONNECTION

 

http://www.bagse.com/technology/ROLAND_TB303_GUIDE_index.htm

Daisy chain method

You can daisy chain any 1 volt per octave analogue from the cv out of the 303 and if you have retrofit cv and gate then daisy chain 303's using pattern or track as the master and the retro as the slave. Each machine plays the same notes (unless tuned to a different key) but the CV cannot PASS ON ACCENT. So the accent cof slide of the slave can be controlled via midi being kept in time via sync24 on the master.

Key method

If you tune each 303 to a different note of a key e.g. CMaj E C G then chords can be played

Remote keyboard control

If you have a midi analogue use 303 as master retro as slave then at the same time as the pattern plays on the master use cv aux gates to control accent slide and cut off frequency for random variation of the pattern or track playing. The cof control can be used as a volume control if you choose a variable controller e.g. volume or data slider see ctr list.

SYNC 24

Sequencer midi out sync box midi in --sync out sync in on tb303 or

tr808 tr606 sync out sync in on tb303

 IN PLAY MODE

When syncing a track on the 303 if you press the function bar (below pitch mode) this will tell

You which bar of the track is now playing. Also if in track play you press the pitch mode button this tells you the pitch of the bar now playing, if you have made a mistake in programming a pitch or the order of the patterns then go to track write and hold bar function whilst pressing the combination of digits to reach the defective bar and correct this or these bars and then ds to the end of the track as normal.

To increase the play time of a single track install a back in the track this way you can press this any time and either jump forward to this point or jump back and cycle round eg if you have 200 measures and a back then 56 measures to the end you can play 255 measures then jump back and press ds to continue looping 56 measures etc. (not much use except for track 7 where there is only la few measures to play with so for added variation loop half way through).

 

Synchronization is the most common form of hooking up the 303 to smpte/Midi clock sequencer tempo. The internal tempo of the 303 is a bit variable so using the sync ensures better timing and also provides sync divides for extra variation.

Sync24 (24 frames per clock bar) comes from film production and uses HIFI180 degree 5 pin DIN not midi cables.

Basic use is just clock on clock off and continue. You can start patterns or tracks using the sync but when re starting patterns the pitch returns to C so it’s probably best to use a track (1 to 7)

If you are using a pattern group (choice of 16) then try pitching up whilst using the sync.

You can also chain up to 4 patterns to run in succession e.g. 1 a to 4a I 5a to 8a I 1 b to 4b I 5b to 8b remember to keep these patterns in key and the same amount of steps 16 in each for 4/4. If you don’t then the timing will drift with the other instruments running from midi time code.

Sync divides can be used if you have a sync II clock box this clocks the sync out at a division of 24 frames e.g.

Using pgm to control the division on a midi channel e.g. channel 8 for sync II clock