tb303
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roland tb303　bass line

what can you say about the roland tb303 bass line

probably the defining trademark sound of 'aceeeed', the tb303 became a highly sought after icon in certain dance music genres. but it didn't start off like that!

it was originally intended as a perfectly synchronised bass accompaniment to the (identically styled) tr606 drum machine. roland's idea was to provide the solo guitarist with a compact and portable rhythm and bass backing.

how wrong could they have been?

with all due respect to guitarists of the time. most of them weren't up to the programming complexities of a drum machine and a quirky bass synth/sequencer. as a result, many that were bought quickly ended up in second hand stores. it was impoverished 'electro-wannabees' that elevated the tb303 to the status it now enjoys.

strapped for cash, these aspiring musos were after anything that made a sound and they found it in the used tb303 that were going for silly money in second-hand stores... so they bought them - what originally sold new for $200 was now on the streets for $25 or less. they took these machines and used (and abused) them to create a whole new musical style. suddenly, the music of the late '80s and the '90s was alive with squealing tb303s underpinning the dance music of the time.

surprisingly, the tb303 was not some short-lived gimmick as is so often the case. in fact, it grew and grew in popularity to the point where, once again, the tb303 was selling second-hand for silly prices - this time, however.
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