Perfect Italo sound and a line out for every individual sound. I bought a Roland FA-06 keyboard and by pure coincidence they loaded it with some great 80's drum sounds. It has a built in compressor which is kind of crappy if you throw a complete song through it but it makes for a fun drum computer.
@@jairkerker2821that’s one of the main reasons I got an FA06 when I saw it had all the classic Roland drum sounds as well as a few Alesis and Linn. Funnily enough I’ve got a Yamaha EX7 with Roland drum samples that actually sound a lot punchier
@@TayWoode Roland has always been a little vanilla punchwise, especially post 80's, their drum sounds blend too much. At least on their keyboards: I had a TD-1 module with my electronic drumkit and it really had some punch while its more natural, organic sounds had great dynamic response. Nice airy built in reverbs too. No individual outputs unfortunately but neither does my TD-7 module, which doesn't even got MIDI in. Now that I think of it I'll go look for one. Yamaha does amazing stuff in some areas, like piano sounds and electric key reproductions like in the CP88, great affordable effect units etc but they seldom get the acclaim they deserve.
Interesting comparison. If both were combined into one machine they'd be pretty perfect. The 707 sounds better for certain basic sounds, but then it's so limited with no tuning or alternative sounds (or ways to change them). The 626 is head and shoulders above there. I do love the 707 though, it always cuts through a mix. Ran it through the AMS RMX "nonlin" the other day and it absolutely thumped, really sounded great. It also distorts very well too, I drive it through an old analogue mixer quite a lot and it responds to that in a very good way. So you can eke more out of it.
I have your AMS video on my watch list Alex! ;-) I know people too that really drive the output of a 707 pretty hard in the analog domain so that's definitely a valid point for that. :)
At one time, I had a 626 and a 505. You didn't mention the fact that the 626 has a swing function! Makes it super useful when building a groove up with the 909!! These days, I just have samples in my MPC, but I enjoyed the workflow on those things!
Yeah... why not both?! 🤷🏼♂️😁 I couldn’t choose... they both sound great for our style of music anyway, and when processed in a mix it’s hard to tell the difference. 707 looks a bit more swag though. 😎
I got the 626 because of your previous video on it along with the discovery that theres a guy called Harry Axten who sells an upgrade kit that contains LM1, Linndrum, DMX and 707 samples. You access the banks using a switch thats installed at the back. Great way of having all the sounds while having the hands on drum machine experience!
I like the 505 more than the 626, the sounds are ALMOST identical to the 707, but with some ethnic percussion samples included, and I think that the kick and snare are even snappier on it than the 707. The 626 is more revered than the 505, but I genuinely think that the 505 is the better sounding machine for general use. The 626 having tuning is still a huge advantage though.
Just picked up a mint 707 off of the original owner who is a guitarist. Came in the original box with original manual and power plug. He hadn't played it since the early 90s he said. I'm excited to be the second owner. Can't wait to get the expansion hack to have 727, 808, 909 & Linn drum sounds. I have a 505. I might pick up a 626 when I find a deal on it.
I went through a Heavy Roland run back in the days. Whewweee…. Great memories. Who remembers when 808s 909s cost around $350 used in the Recycler? I had them both and , 505,626,707, 727 and many other ones passed through. I am enjoying the modded and circuit bent versions nowadays.
I think I have had all of Rolands vintage “TR” series. Between the two I would side with the 707 because I liked the toms and the front panel. As a poor student being able to mix drums without the need of mixer was great. The TR not mention here that I had the most fun with was the 606. I wish I still had that one back. Currently have a 505 which is nice it’s own right, but will sell it once the project is over.
The 626 was my very 1st Drum Machine. It didn’t have the boom so I had to down pitch a Tom Tom and layer it with a sampled 808 kick from a Casio SK-1. Layered drums and percussion helped me create my own signature sound.
They now go for €1000, can you believe it? My very much missed €350 Roland Juno is up to €1500. Never should have sold it, I never would today, not even for twice the money. The Boutique version lacks the warmth and doesn't have the filter coupled with the pitch bender. Not to mention it only has 4 voice polyphony instead of 6.
@@80iesDude45 Thank you so much. I deeply love Italo Disco so the 707 sounds are very dear to me. If the TR-6 features adjustable reverb on seperate sounds (mainly for the snare), I think I can't resist buying one. Nice to read my old comment back, I'm currently still recovering financially from buying an old Juno 106: regardless of severe covid restrictions in Holland, I couldn't be happier. Again, thanks!
I Agree. in my world the 707 is a professional drummer with separate outputs, A very important feature back in the day. The 707 was the last machine i programmed on that actual hardware. After that i moved to HR-16 but triggered the drum sounds from my ESQ-1.
Thank you for another great video Espen! A good overview as always, and always great fun to get an insight into how you apply the said hw into your music making! My first live appearance was behind a drum set, and I just love good rhythm! I think both machines have their use, but for me I'd probably go for the 626 due to the customizeability, and based on your run through I find the sounds the be a bit more attractive to me as well. Ohh, and kudos to the great Gantz figurine as well! Awesome :D
Love Both of em, have the 626 and the meory expansion, the DMX and Lynn Drum sounds are awesome. Also some 707 sounds are included. The 707 is moe handy when programming. As real 80's Freak you need both *LOL*
Ive had both side by side and for me it's no contest. You can push the 707 output amps to sound much harder and bigger than the 626, which behaves both dryer and much more tame.
Very nice video. I own both of these. While the TR-626 certainly is more versatile, I'd prefer the TR-707: It was my first drummachine, it has classic sounds AND is has a secret weapon: DIN-Sync. It means, you can conncet a non-MIDI-machine, like a TR- 808 or a TB-303, to it. And you can drive a synth via the trigger output. Lots of options.
You can drive a synth from the 626 as well, both clock and midi. Not DIN though, without going through a Dopfer MSY2 or some other MIDI gear that also has DIN sync out, like the Korg SQD1 which I use sometimes. ;-)
Great job comparing the sounds. Thanks for doing this Espen. I think it's important to mention that, as I understand it, the 626 uses 12 bit samples, while the 707 uses 8 bit samples. The 8 bit samples sound crispy and EQ'd because of their reduced frequency and dynamic range and whatever is being done in the machine to compensate for this reduced fidelity. So yeah, they are sort of "more produced". I absolutely love the user interface on the 707 but hate that you can't tune its drums. But I ran into a 707 recently that had been modified with knobs on its front panel to tune the samples. Now that's the ticket!
Thanks for commenting Erik! Good points, except maybe for the last line about the 707 with the mods.. ;-) I can't stand the sight og mods you can see on the outside of old classic gear. I can tolerate a new display, but that's all he-he.. ;>P
@@EspenKraft Ha yeah, I definitely have mixed feelings about the mods. I feel the same way about trying to keep the unit as original as possible. This was the only mod I've ever seen that really made me pause for a second look. Maybe if somebody could put the tuning knobs discreetly on the back of the unit, like the Oberheim DX tuners, that would be very cool.
I owned a TR-505 in the late eighties, which I didn't really like very much even though it was a vast improvement on my Korg DDM-110! I have often used 707/727 samples but nothing beats the Linn LM-1 or LinnDrum for 80s music in my opinion. But then they carry a very different price tag! Of the drum machines I have actually owned, the best by far was the Roland R8 (with the Electronic card).
@@EspenKraft For some reason, the Linns worked on everything, whatever the tempo. Nowadays, I tend to use Linn samples played from Impact (Studio One's drum machine / kit editor).
I too use a sampled set of Linn drums a lot. I have a self made custom bank recorded on tape and then sampled back among other sets. However, if I'm doing Italo Disco the Linn might not always be the right choice. The Drumulator was used a lot in the genre and the kick from that will often cut through a lot more than the syrupy Linn kick.
The 626 seems to be great, sounds similar, but ... there is some instant magic with the 707 that the 626 just can't produce. Can't point my finger to it. (I have both machines). Maybe the huge steps when setting the relative volume of each instrument are a bit frustrating, too. However, keeping both - the 626 is battery-powered and very useful in terms of translation of sync signals back and forth. Thanks a lot for that great video!
MrArpSolina Some people prefer hardware yknow. because they either find it easier to program, or because they want to use it live on stage (I’m both of these)
@@SpiderInStockings Of course. A good controller (an MPC for example, or any other one of your choice), easy to program and to use live, and a good sampler and you can use this mega-sample pack live on stage. No problems. I do it every day. But I also like to use a "real" hardware drum machine too... or just a laptop sometimes. Most of the time, a combination of all of these three techniques. Everyone is different, everyone has preferences, and that's perfectly right. There's no good or bad way to do it, just have fun!
I’ve owned all of these and the TR8/8s do not sound or feel the same. These machines have a unique character and work flow that no other hardware or software can emulate
Another difference is that you can control external machines by MIDI while being slaved to external MIDI clock with the 626. The 707 cannot do this. It has to be clockmaster when driving external sound sources via MIDI. I wanted to have a 16-step-sequencer running in sync with an Akai MPC. So I went with the 626. But that being said, the 626 uses two rows of 8 steps each and does not have the running light. That's what the 707 uses. Soundwise, I found both machines similiar, too. But I do prefer the 707 if I had to choose one favourite. Anyway, in the end I sold both, after carefully sampling them in order to load and fire those samples from the MPC. Now, I added a 909 which has the running light sequencer PLUS its "hard-to-contain-with-samples"-sound. Anyway, I really like all of the TR-X0X and X2Xes. And also.. they complement each other very well, across all machines. That's actually quite incredible, from the 808 (1980) to the TR-626 (1987).
The 626 is eq’d somewhat flatter than the 707. Knowing this I would choose the 707 and eq down if I wanted a 626 type sound. Easier down than up, but the tuning of the 626 is a factor. I like grit in the mix and the 626 is appealing for this reason. Pros vs cons and feature vs equal feature I’d go with the 707. Now a 626 vs a 727 would be a real hard choice. Quality of sound is all that matters in the end. I’ll take both!! 🥁🎹 Thanks Mr. Kraft.
The TR-626 doesn't get much respect now, but with its individual outputs, "pitch-shiftable" drums, response to MIDI velocity, and ability to lay down and read MIDI Time Code, it helped me learn a *lot* about how to get the most from a modest, 8-track cassette-based MIDI studio. I was able to make some very clean recordings, since the keyboard and drum parts were all "virtual", and only recorded during mixdown. And this was a few years before it really caught on in home studios. And Espen, you got a great kick and snare sound for the TR-626 with those effects! I wish I'd had those back in the day! The TR-707 is very good too, of course (did Roland ever make a bad drum machine?). I guess it all depends upon what you needed from a drum machine: Live work? Go with the 707. Studio work? Go with the 626. Can't decide? Get both!
Thanks for the in-depth comment man! I totally agree about the 626. I've used that live for a very long time. Both as a "sync" provider, MIDI merger/controller and drum machine at the same time. I have many drum kits on my Akai S1000 that has been controlled by this 626. Works so good too. ;-)
The 626 was the 3rd drum machine I bought, after a DR-110 and the 220e. It had awesome features and the price was right! I loved being able to tune the sounds.
Love it, thanks so much Espen. That snare is what hooked me on the "Midnight Drive", I'm just getting started and really have no idea.......but I kinda like to 626 a bit more.
Thanks for this video. I got it the 707 workings with the new launchpad pro mk3 sequencer and korg microkorg. Hopefully can get my skills up to something like this eventually. Hoping to get it into live sets but I'm not if i can get it work with the styles of music I make. Definitely looks the business though.
If you get the Roland TR6S, it includes the sounds of both of those drum machines plus the 606, 808, 909 and others plus it's cheaper than one of those machines. 🙂 Anyway, good video, thanks!
My 626 is a bit noisy, which is super frustrating, but I definitely feel that these are really closely related and could be interchangeable. It's crazy how high the prices of these vintage machine's have gone.
626 has more advantages, it has three type of snares including rock snare, the cymbals has china and cup (bell), toms has two types (standard and rock), and sounds can be pitched. But 707 sounds, even it has limited drum samples and unpitched, it has more dynamic, more feel just like LinnDrum. I don't mind adding 727 for 707's companion. 626 is a good choice for musicians who want a simple, compact but almost complete drum sounds.
I know you're not doing new gear, but for people who want these sounds the TR8s is a fair option too. You get all the 626/707/727 sounds, and I loaded up my old 505 samples into mine. I've given up on its analogue emulation side but as a repository for the sample machines it does a reasonable job. If only they'd made it in beige.
@@georgegeez8708Yes! and I'm glad I can have one made by Behringer because prices on the originals are insane. I used to have a Linndrum but stupidly sold it in 1996, it has MIDI installed and it was like new, I was the second owner and the first one was a guy who took care of his equipment extremely good and I'm the same. I sold a few gems like that but the damage is done and it was long time ago. Looking forward on the new versions from Behringer or anyone else. Cheers!
@@carlosserrano3985 Oh wow. Sad to hear you had to get rid of it. It does hurt. But now we are in an era where certain equipment is coming back. I'm sure Behringer will do a great job on the Linn drum clone. I have a few of their remakes and they are all great and I'm happy. I'm happy Injust picked up a TR-707 that is absolutely mint. I am now the second owner to it. The original owner rold me he hadn't used it since the mid 90s. I really want TR-727 for the latin sounds. I missed out 2 weeks ago on getting a mint one with the HKA expansion included with for cheap. Someone else beat me to the punch. But till then, I'll sit on the sidelines and wait what else pops up.
As much as i love the 707, the 626 is a tiny monster. To get the most out of it, yes you need some post processing but all in all it's worth it. The drum machine i would like to get, my hands on, is the Akai XR-10. Fabulous sounds, and a big part of my childhood thanks to Dieter Bohlen from Modern Talking. Like the man used it from 86' to 95'.
@@orangewiggler6838 Looked it up and you're right! Intresting though the albums of Modern Talking's "In The Middle Of Nowhere" and C.C. Catch'es "Welcome To The Heartbreak Hotel" feature all drum sounds of the AKAI XR-10, whilst the albums were released in '86. A bit of a mystery turning out here :D. I recommend checking out a UA-cam channel "MrCrespo8". He makes videos on recreating Dieter Bohlens music, very good content.
Or you can get a Yamaha RX5 and have the ability to add more sounds by cartridges (even the 808) and you can tune each pad. I think 626 wins here, but the 707 is kinda part of the legacy XOX legacy.
I like more the Roland tr626 for why the Roland tr626 have many percussion sounds like a latín genres like a cumbia salsa and technocumbia really famous in México in the 90s, i like much You make the Review of the Roland R-8
you can change the EPROMs on the 707 as well with a bit know how, I just did it to mine :) I just have to figure out how to use kicad properly I can make up some boards. The user interface on the 707/727 wins hands down, I had the 505 as my first drum machine. Didn't regret selling it.
I think the TR-505 is different to the TR-626 which is why I might have been confused. The TR-626 is quite reasonably priced. You could say the TR-626 is Roland's equivalent to the Yamaha RX-11.
Merci pour la presentation . Marrant , la 626 a mon goût sonne mieux que la 707 ... j ai posseder la roland MK2 . Avc un bon sampleur on fait aussi bien ! ! ! 😂
They both have their pro's and con's...The 626 has more sounds, and the ability to tune them....the 707 has the lever sliders and the big screen...it also has the xox ability, which makes it preferable to the guys who plays acid, house, trance etc...) As for me, I prefer the 626...\\\
What about the classic TR-808. I used to have one way back when it was new, I called it Bob, he was my good friend, the drummer that never missed a beat...Now we have loops and samples..Love both these machines. I remember learning a lot about drums with Bob. But I could never get a good tom tom fill in, always sounded to electronic and not human enough..Personally I prefer TR-707 sounds, TR-626 sounds a little more metallic on the decay especially noticed on the Tom toms, but that does not mean I would not use it.. Even when I use loops or samples I always seem to using at least 2 different bass drums to manipulate or control those attacks, delays, sustains, reverbs, without resorting to setting individual envelopes for each bass drum. Don't really do it for cymbals or other higher frequency percussion, its usually in the low end I like to manipulate more. I like that low end drive in certain music..
Здравствуйте Espen! Рад снова здесь услышать Вас! Я купил себе ROLAND MC-101, в котором собрано много ударных установок, есть там в числе прочих и TR-626 и TR-707. Да, конечно там не так удобно управлять параметрами, но мне удалось вполне успешно повторить Ваш опыт )) Если найду время , то выложу этот эксперимент на своем канале. Желаю удачи и до новых встреч!
Anyway I think the 707 sounds a bit sharper, and the per-instrument mixer is a big plus for me, especially if you can't spare channels on your mixer for every output from the machine. I used a 707 for while and really enjoyed programming on it. Didn't know you could tune the samples on the 626 though, which is nice. It would be great to see you do a vid on the Yamaha RX5, a crazy machine and the best of the RX series in my opinion. Thanks for the comparison, very interesting :)
I had a 626 for a while, but I think replaced it w/ a Yamaha RX15...or maybe I replaced the RX15 w/ a 626??? It's been so long, it's hard to remember for sure now. Now, I still have the Alesis SR-16 I bought ~28 years ago.
Don't know any for sale, but I admit I don't keep track of used gear any more. 700 Euros i way too much anyways. I would never pay that for one now. 400 tops if in very good condition.
@@EspenKraft I like the slim look of the 626. The 707 is more bulky. The 626 reminds me a bit of the old Bang & Olufsen Beogram turntable for playing vinyls... 😀 Luckily taste is individual. Great video anyway. Thanks for sharing!
Do you know if the 626 and the 505 are the same source sounds? the main Kick, snare, claps sound the same. Is it really just an expanded 505? I know Vince Clarke always liked the 505 Kick, I wonder why he didn't use the 626.
the 707 has my favorite kick and snare sound of any roland drum machine
Perfect Italo sound and a line out for every individual sound.
I bought a Roland FA-06 keyboard and by pure coincidence they loaded it with some great 80's drum sounds.
It has a built in compressor which is kind of crappy if you throw a complete song through it but it makes for a fun drum computer.
@@jairkerker2821that’s one of the main reasons I got an FA06 when I saw it had all the classic Roland drum sounds as well as a few Alesis and Linn. Funnily enough I’ve got a Yamaha EX7 with Roland drum samples that actually sound a lot punchier
@@TayWoode Roland has always been a little vanilla punchwise, especially post 80's, their drum sounds blend too much.
At least on their keyboards: I had a TD-1 module with my electronic drumkit and it really had some punch while its more natural, organic sounds had great dynamic response.
Nice airy built in reverbs too.
No individual outputs unfortunately but neither does my TD-7 module, which doesn't even got MIDI in.
Now that I think of it I'll go look for one.
Yamaha does amazing stuff in some areas, like piano sounds and electric key reproductions like in the CP88, great affordable effect units etc but they seldom get the acclaim they deserve.
The 707 is the main drum machine that I use on almost all my tracks. Super versatile, takes effect well, and works in many types of songs.
Interesting comparison. If both were combined into one machine they'd be pretty perfect. The 707 sounds better for certain basic sounds, but then it's so limited with no tuning or alternative sounds (or ways to change them). The 626 is head and shoulders above there.
I do love the 707 though, it always cuts through a mix. Ran it through the AMS RMX "nonlin" the other day and it absolutely thumped, really sounded great. It also distorts very well too, I drive it through an old analogue mixer quite a lot and it responds to that in a very good way. So you can eke more out of it.
I have your AMS video on my watch list Alex! ;-) I know people too that really drive the output of a 707 pretty hard in the analog domain so that's definitely a valid point for that. :)
At one time, I had a 626 and a 505. You didn't mention the fact that the 626 has a swing function! Makes it super useful when building a groove up with the 909!! These days, I just have samples in my MPC, but I enjoyed the workflow on those things!
My TR-707 was my first drum machine and I still love and use it (same with its companion TR-727)
the volume sliders on the 707 alone makes it a clear winner
Yes, that comes in handy in a live situation.
Yeah... why not both?! 🤷🏼♂️😁
I couldn’t choose... they both sound great for our style of music anyway, and when processed in a mix it’s hard to tell the difference. 707 looks a bit more swag though. 😎
I agree with you about the 707 looks! ;-)
Stephen Anthony Alas, seems to be none available out there right now. :/
I agree Stephen, I love the 727 and used to own it. I sold it at a weak moment along with the 909. :|
I got the 626 because of your previous video on it along with the discovery that theres a guy called Harry Axten who sells an upgrade kit that contains LM1, Linndrum, DMX and 707 samples. You access the banks using a switch thats installed at the back. Great way of having all the sounds while having the hands on drum machine experience!
Harry provided the chips I have for my Sequential TOM too. ;-)
Love the 707's kick drum. Nice and punchy
Both are great and have unique functions and sounds, but for me the 707's built-in mixer is an important plus.
I much prefer 707 as it can approximate a Linn Drum which is by far my fav drum machine
I like the 505 more than the 626, the sounds are ALMOST identical to the 707, but with some ethnic percussion samples included, and I think that the kick and snare are even snappier on it than the 707. The 626 is more revered than the 505, but I genuinely think that the 505 is the better sounding machine for general use.
The 626 having tuning is still a huge advantage though.
Just picked up a mint 707 off of the original owner who is a guitarist. Came in the original box with original manual and power plug. He hadn't played it since the early 90s he said. I'm excited to be the second owner. Can't wait to get the expansion hack to have 727, 808, 909 & Linn drum sounds. I have a 505. I might pick up a 626 when I find a deal on it.
Congrats!
I went through a Heavy Roland run back in the days.
Whewweee…. Great memories.
Who remembers when 808s 909s cost around $350 used in the Recycler?
I had them both and , 505,626,707, 727 and many other ones passed through.
I am enjoying the modded and circuit bent versions nowadays.
"It's best to have them both" - there's nothing further to be added ;)
I think I have had all of Rolands vintage “TR” series. Between the two I would side with the 707 because I liked the toms and the front panel. As a poor student being able to mix drums without the need of mixer was great.
The TR not mention here that I had the most fun with was the 606. I wish I still had that one back. Currently have a 505 which is nice it’s own right, but will sell it once the project is over.
Gotta catch ‘em all.
626 for the Verse, 707 for the Chorus.
I have the tr707 for ages. by far, the best drum machine ever. (in my opinion)! and I have the 606, too! both are great!
The 626 was my very 1st Drum Machine. It didn’t have the boom so I had to down pitch a Tom Tom and layer it with a sampled 808 kick from a Casio SK-1. Layered drums and percussion helped me create my own signature sound.
Nice.
707 sounds punchier, 626 sounds softer, more mellow. 707 for dancefloor fillers and 626 for chillout I think.
Cool channel you've got. I made a lot of songs on my 4 track Fostex recorder with the TR-505. A lot of nostalgia in these sounds.
Cheers!
Bought the TR-8S there U have all the good Roland Stuff in one Machine 🎉
I had all of the TR family. The TR-707 is the one, I miss the most.
When I started to listen to 707 on my TR8S is when I started to appreaciate the 707.
They now go for €1000, can you believe it?
My very much missed €350 Roland Juno is up to €1500.
Never should have sold it, I never would today, not even for twice the money.
The Boutique version lacks the warmth and doesn't have the filter coupled with the pitch bender.
Not to mention it only has 4 voice polyphony instead of 6.
@@jairkerker2821 Maybe the new TR-6s with the Original circuit models from the 606, 626, 707 and 808 sounds could be an interesting choice?
@@80iesDude45
Thank you so much. I deeply love Italo Disco so the 707 sounds are very dear to me.
If the TR-6 features adjustable reverb on seperate sounds (mainly for the snare), I think I can't resist buying one.
Nice to read my old comment back, I'm currently still recovering financially from buying an old Juno 106: regardless of severe covid restrictions in Holland, I couldn't be happier.
Again, thanks!
I Agree. in my world the 707 is a professional drummer with separate outputs, A very important feature back in the day. The 707 was the last machine i programmed on that actual hardware. After that i moved to HR-16 but triggered the drum sounds from my ESQ-1.
The 626 also has separate outputs.
@@EspenKraft Ahh...dammit! I mix it up with the 505..happened two times within a month..
Ok i lay myself flat on the floor 🙄😉
No shame in that. :P
flam and shuffle ist great on the 707
it also has the same ride like the 909
Thank you for another great video Espen! A good overview as always, and always great fun to get an insight into how you apply the said hw into your music making! My first live appearance was behind a drum set, and I just love good rhythm! I think both machines have their use, but for me I'd probably go for the 626 due to the customizeability, and based on your run through I find the sounds the be a bit more attractive to me as well. Ohh, and kudos to the great Gantz figurine as well! Awesome :D
Thanks man! Yes, they're similar yet different in many ways so best to have both if you can. ;-)
Love Both of em, have the 626 and the meory expansion, the DMX and Lynn Drum sounds are awesome. Also some 707 sounds are included. The 707 is moe handy when programming. As real 80's Freak you need both *LOL*
Ive had both side by side and for me it's no contest. You can push the 707 output amps to sound much harder and bigger than the 626, which behaves both dryer and much more tame.
YES! The video I have been waiting for! :D
Very nice video. I own both of these. While the TR-626 certainly is more versatile, I'd prefer the TR-707: It was my first drummachine, it has classic sounds AND is has a secret weapon: DIN-Sync.
It means, you can conncet a non-MIDI-machine, like a TR- 808 or a TB-303, to it. And you can drive a synth via the trigger output. Lots of options.
You can drive a synth from the 626 as well, both clock and midi. Not DIN though, without going through a Dopfer MSY2 or some other MIDI gear that also has DIN sync out, like the Korg SQD1 which I use sometimes. ;-)
Great job comparing the sounds. Thanks for doing this Espen. I think it's important to mention that, as I understand it, the 626 uses 12 bit samples, while the 707 uses 8 bit samples. The 8 bit samples sound crispy and EQ'd because of their reduced frequency and dynamic range and whatever is being done in the machine to compensate for this reduced fidelity. So yeah, they are sort of "more produced". I absolutely love the user interface on the 707 but hate that you can't tune its drums. But I ran into a 707 recently that had been modified with knobs on its front panel to tune the samples. Now that's the ticket!
Thanks for commenting Erik! Good points, except maybe for the last line about the 707 with the mods.. ;-) I can't stand the sight og mods you can see on the outside of old classic gear. I can tolerate a new display, but that's all he-he.. ;>P
@@EspenKraft Ha yeah, I definitely have mixed feelings about the mods. I feel the same way about trying to keep the unit as original as possible. This was the only mod I've ever seen that really made me pause for a second look. Maybe if somebody could put the tuning knobs discreetly on the back of the unit, like the Oberheim DX tuners, that would be very cool.
I owned a TR-505 in the late eighties, which I didn't really like very much even though it was a vast improvement on my Korg DDM-110! I have often used 707/727 samples but nothing beats the Linn LM-1 or LinnDrum for 80s music in my opinion. But then they carry a very different price tag! Of the drum machines I have actually owned, the best by far was the Roland R8 (with the Electronic card).
The Linn is definitely a very much used 80s drum machine! ;-)
@@EspenKraft For some reason, the Linns worked on everything, whatever the tempo. Nowadays, I tend to use Linn samples played from Impact (Studio One's drum machine / kit editor).
I too use a sampled set of Linn drums a lot. I have a self made custom bank recorded on tape and then sampled back among other sets.
However, if I'm doing Italo Disco the Linn might not always be the right choice. The Drumulator was used a lot in the genre and the kick from that will often cut through a lot more than the syrupy Linn kick.
Tough choice but I prefer the Roland TR 707. The sound is Chicago House in essence!!
The 626 seems to be great, sounds similar, but ... there is some instant magic with the 707 that the 626 just can't produce. Can't point my finger to it. (I have both machines). Maybe the huge steps when setting the relative volume of each instrument are a bit frustrating, too. However, keeping both - the 626 is battery-powered and very useful in terms of translation of sync signals back and forth. Thanks a lot for that great video!
Cheers man! I use my 626 as a controller for drum kits on samplers as well, Works very well for that. ;-)
Or just get a TR-8S and have both plus the 808 and 909
Or get that 30 GB mega-drums sample pack containing 300 drum machines sampled at 96Khz 24-bit...
MrArpSolina Some people prefer hardware yknow. because they either find it easier to program, or because they want to use it live on stage (I’m both of these)
@@SpiderInStockings Of course. A good controller (an MPC for example, or any other one of your choice), easy to program and to use live, and a good sampler and you can use this mega-sample pack live on stage. No problems. I do it every day. But I also like to use a "real" hardware drum machine too... or just a laptop sometimes. Most of the time, a combination of all of these three techniques. Everyone is different, everyone has preferences, and that's perfectly right. There's no good or bad way to do it, just have fun!
I’ve owned all of these and the TR8/8s do not sound or feel the same. These machines have a unique character and work flow that no other hardware or software can emulate
@@MrArpSolina Where is this mega drum sample pack available? Are you referring to Reverb's pack?
Another difference is that you can control external machines by MIDI while being slaved to external MIDI clock with the 626. The 707 cannot do this. It has to be clockmaster when driving external sound sources via MIDI. I wanted to have a 16-step-sequencer running in sync with an Akai MPC. So I went with the 626. But that being said, the 626 uses two rows of 8 steps each and does not have the running light. That's what the 707 uses. Soundwise, I found both machines similiar, too. But I do prefer the 707 if I had to choose one favourite. Anyway, in the end I sold both, after carefully sampling them in order to load and fire those samples from the MPC. Now, I added a 909 which has the running light sequencer PLUS its "hard-to-contain-with-samples"-sound. Anyway, I really like all of the TR-X0X and X2Xes. And also.. they complement each other very well, across all machines. That's actually quite incredible, from the 808 (1980) to the TR-626 (1987).
I went with the 626!
The 626 is eq’d somewhat flatter than the 707. Knowing this I would choose the 707 and eq down if I wanted a 626 type sound. Easier down than up, but the tuning of the 626 is a factor. I like grit in the mix and the 626 is appealing for this reason.
Pros vs cons and feature vs equal feature I’d go with the 707. Now a 626 vs a 727 would be a real hard choice. Quality of sound is all that matters in the end.
I’ll take both!! 🥁🎹
Thanks Mr. Kraft.
If going for straight percussion I'd make a video of the Korg DDM-220 vs TR-727, that'd be a cool video. ;-)
The TR-626 doesn't get much respect now, but with its individual outputs, "pitch-shiftable" drums, response to MIDI velocity, and ability to lay down and read MIDI Time Code, it helped me learn a *lot* about how to get the most from a modest, 8-track cassette-based MIDI studio. I was able to make some very clean recordings, since the keyboard and drum parts were all "virtual", and only recorded during mixdown. And this was a few years before it really caught on in home studios.
And Espen, you got a great kick and snare sound for the TR-626 with those effects! I wish I'd had those back in the day!
The TR-707 is very good too, of course (did Roland ever make a bad drum machine?). I guess it all depends upon what you needed from a drum machine: Live work? Go with the 707. Studio work? Go with the 626. Can't decide? Get both!
Thanks for the in-depth comment man! I totally agree about the 626. I've used that live for a very long time. Both as a "sync" provider, MIDI merger/controller and drum machine at the same time. I have many drum kits on my Akai S1000 that has been controlled by this 626. Works so good too. ;-)
The 626 was the 3rd drum machine I bought, after a DR-110 and the 220e. It had awesome features and the price was right!
I loved being able to tune the sounds.
Same here my first was the DR-110, second TR-505 and third the 626.
Don't have the 110 but still have the 505 and 626 along with a Simmons SDSV.
”So Mr. Kraft...we meet again.” 😂😂 Midnight Drive is a really nice song! 👍
Many thanks! :)
Coming from a Boss DR-110, I prefer the matrix grid display of the 707.
707 definitely cuts through better. Sounds more open, airy and alive. Not so boxy, like the 626. I love my 707.
Love it, thanks so much Espen. That snare is what hooked me on the "Midnight Drive", I'm just getting started and really have no idea.......but I kinda like to 626 a bit more.
Thanks Cameron! The snare on Midnight Drive is indeed from the 626, but i went through a lot of layering and processing before it arrived there. ;-)
Thanks for these very thorough and knowledgeable presentations.
Many thanks! :)
Thanks for this video. I got it the 707 workings with the new launchpad pro mk3 sequencer and korg microkorg. Hopefully can get my skills up to something like this eventually. Hoping to get it into live sets but I'm not if i can get it work with the styles of music I make. Definitely looks the business though.
707 all the way
The siders are everything with the 707
If you get the Roland TR6S, it includes the sounds of both of those drum machines plus the 606, 808, 909 and others plus it's cheaper than one of those machines. 🙂
Anyway, good video, thanks!
You should check out my Roland TR-8S video then. ;-) Cheers
@@EspenKraft - I shall! 🙂
My 626 is a bit noisy, which is super frustrating, but I definitely feel that these are really closely related and could be interchangeable. It's crazy how high the prices of these vintage machine's have gone.
626 has more advantages, it has three type of snares including rock snare, the cymbals has china and cup (bell), toms has two types (standard and rock), and sounds can be pitched. But 707 sounds, even it has limited drum samples and unpitched, it has more dynamic, more feel just like LinnDrum. I don't mind adding 727 for 707's companion. 626 is a good choice for musicians who want a simple, compact but almost complete drum sounds.
I know you're not doing new gear, but for people who want these sounds the TR8s is a fair option too. You get all the 626/707/727 sounds, and I loaded up my old 505 samples into mine. I've given up on its analogue emulation side but as a repository for the sample machines it does a reasonable job. If only they'd made it in beige.
Sure, the TR8s is a valid option. Too bad they designed incredibly ugly. ;-)
626 sounds more acustic... but 707 is the KING !
626 rules!
Very interesting. Thank you. I think, in both are good sounds. Take the Best of them. Greets from Hamburg
Cheers!
Quality video, deffo going to try get the 626. Love the 707 too but out of my price range ahah
Cheers! :D
I'm ok with my TR-505, TR-626 and my Simmons SDSV but I would love to have a Linndrum.
You might get one soon. Behringer has a tease video of a Linn Drum that might be in the works.
@@georgegeez8708Yes! and I'm glad I can have one made by Behringer because prices on the originals are insane.
I used to have a Linndrum but stupidly sold it in 1996, it has MIDI installed and it was like new, I was the second owner and the first one was a guy who took care of his equipment extremely good and I'm the same. I sold a few gems like that but the damage is done and it was long time ago. Looking forward on the new versions from Behringer or anyone else.
Cheers!
@@carlosserrano3985 Oh wow. Sad to hear you had to get rid of it. It does hurt. But now we are in an era where certain equipment is coming back. I'm sure Behringer will do a great job on the Linn drum clone. I have a few of their remakes and they are all great and I'm happy. I'm happy Injust picked up a TR-707 that is absolutely mint. I am now the second owner to it. The original owner rold me he hadn't used it since the mid 90s. I really want TR-727 for the latin sounds. I missed out 2 weeks ago on getting a mint one with the HKA expansion included with for cheap. Someone else beat me to the punch. But till then, I'll sit on the sidelines and wait what else pops up.
Luckily I have both so I don’t have to decide ;), love them both equally
I love both machines, the title must be 626 AND 727...
As much as i love the 707, the 626 is a tiny monster. To get the most out of it, yes you need some post processing but all in all it's worth it.
The drum machine i would like to get, my hands on, is the Akai XR-10. Fabulous sounds, and a big part of my childhood thanks to Dieter Bohlen from Modern Talking.
Like the man used it from 86' to 95'.
Akai XR-10 was released by the end of ‘89. Nice machine though....
@@orangewiggler6838 Looked it up and you're right! Intresting though the albums of Modern Talking's "In The Middle Of Nowhere" and C.C. Catch'es "Welcome To The Heartbreak Hotel" feature all drum sounds of the AKAI XR-10, whilst the albums were released in '86. A bit of a mystery turning out here :D.
I recommend checking out a UA-cam channel "MrCrespo8". He makes videos on recreating Dieter Bohlens music, very good content.
I would go for an R8 with the electronic card and a 626. The R8 is one hell of a drumsequencer with it's scope edit and feel function.
The R8 is definitely a good one, I've had lots of them.
Get the tr8. Have em all🕶
Love Your vids Espen
Thanks man !:)
I'm ok with the 808 and 909 combo. That 909 kick is my staple
Nice machines both, but a nicer selection of 7"s in the background!
I like to display some new records for every video. ;-)
💙 TR-707 💜
But maybe both...
Or you can get a Yamaha RX5 and have the ability to add more sounds by cartridges (even the 808) and you can tune each pad. I think 626 wins here, but the 707 is kinda part of the legacy XOX legacy.
The RX5 is my baby. It is AWESOME. The editting feautures put most samplers to shame.
I jad the 626 in 90s, and i would like to have the 909 i thimk.
Cool stuff 👍🏿
I have the 707, it sounds great, try too put my hands on a 505 or 626
For a digital machine, I'd much rather have a 727 than either. :)
1:15 West End Girls?
I like more the Roland tr626 for why the Roland tr626 have many percussion sounds like a latín genres like a cumbia salsa and technocumbia really famous in México in the 90s, i like much You make the Review of the
Roland R-8
I bought a EPROM upgrade for my 626 with LINN and DMX and 707 sounds on it...I have both in one box!
@Isaac Dweck there's about half an hours (very easy) soldering on it but then it's just a big old ZIF EPROM
Hi, where do you have bought this EPROM and what is her prize ? Thanks
@@didiermanzinalli8144 instagram.com/harryaxten/
harry axten makes it. i can't remember but it wasn't expensive
instagram.com/p/ButNuB5lTJW/?
here is me installing it
you can change the EPROMs on the 707 as well with a bit know how, I just did it to mine :) I just have to figure out how to use kicad properly I can make up some boards. The user interface on the 707/727 wins hands down, I had the 505 as my first drum machine. Didn't regret selling it.
I owned both, I think the 707 is over rated.. I much prefer the 626, the only thing I miss on the 707 are the front panel faders
707 sounds sound better out of the box
I think the TR-505 is different to the TR-626 which is why I might
have been confused. The TR-626 is quite reasonably priced.
You could say the TR-626 is Roland's equivalent to the Yamaha
RX-11.
Merci pour la presentation . Marrant , la 626 a mon goût sonne mieux que la 707 ... j ai posseder la roland MK2 .
Avc un bon sampleur on fait aussi bien ! ! ! 😂
Sounds are almost identical because... they are the same! The TR626 has extra percussion sounds, bongos, marimba, merengue efc..
The 707 certainly had a more satisfyingly fat sound, although the cymbal of the 626 was more realistic.
My like is exactly 808 :D
They both have their pro's and con's...The 626 has more sounds, and the ability to tune them....the 707 has the lever sliders and the big screen...it also has the xox ability, which makes it preferable to the guys who plays acid, house, trance etc...)
As for me, I prefer the 626...\\\
can u give me a site that i can buy and find roland tr-707 ?
reliable site
I think most people look for 707 because of its classic sound, 626 just doesn't sound like that
What about the classic TR-808. I used to have one way back when it was new, I called it Bob, he was my good friend, the drummer that never missed a beat...Now we have loops and samples..Love both these machines. I remember learning a lot about drums with Bob. But I could never get a good tom tom fill in, always sounded to electronic and not human enough..Personally I prefer TR-707 sounds, TR-626 sounds a little more metallic on the decay especially noticed on the Tom toms, but that does not mean I would not use it.. Even when I use loops or samples I always seem to using at least 2 different bass drums to manipulate or control those attacks, delays, sustains, reverbs, without resorting to setting individual envelopes for each bass drum. Don't really do it for cymbals or other higher frequency percussion, its usually in the low end I like to manipulate more. I like that low end drive in certain music..
The 808 is something else entirely. This video is about the 726 and 707. ;-) The 808 is great though and totally overpriced as well.... ;-)
Здравствуйте Espen! Рад снова здесь услышать Вас!
Я купил себе ROLAND MC-101, в котором собрано много ударных установок,
есть там в числе прочих и TR-626 и TR-707.
Да, конечно там не так удобно управлять параметрами,
но мне удалось вполне успешно повторить Ваш опыт ))
Если найду время , то выложу этот эксперимент на своем канале.
Желаю удачи и до новых встреч!
Congrats on your purchase Aleks! Have fun ! :D
Anyway I think the 707 sounds a bit sharper, and the per-instrument mixer is a big plus for me, especially if you can't spare channels on your mixer for every output from the machine. I used a 707 for while and really enjoyed programming on it. Didn't know you could tune the samples on the 626 though, which is nice. It would be great to see you do a vid on the Yamaha RX5, a crazy machine and the best of the RX series in my opinion. Thanks for the comparison, very interesting :)
I have a video about the RX11, which think is one great drum machine and one I've used a lot.
@@EspenKraft Yes I've watched the video on the RX11, great stuff! I'm kind of fascinated by the RX-series of machines for some reason.
I have never owned a 626 but bought the 707 when it was available in 1985. It was an improvement on my 606 but you get pretty bored of it.
I had a 626 for a while, but I think replaced it w/ a Yamaha RX15...or maybe I replaced the RX15 w/ a 626??? It's been so long, it's hard to remember for sure now. Now, I still have the Alesis SR-16 I bought ~28 years ago.
No velocity?
tr 626 funk/hip hop------ tr 707 minimal/electro
yea espen can u recoment a good condition tr707 to buy it with fair money under 700euro
Don't know any for sale, but I admit I don't keep track of used gear any more. 700 Euros i way too much anyways. I would never pay that for one now. 400 tops if in very good condition.
anyway i think and the roland tr-505 is good enough@@EspenKraft
I rather the 626
Before looking at the video: Based on the look, I would have chosen the TR-626 any given day. But that's not how we are, right?
I prefer the looks of the 707 myself, but I'd take the 626 for more sounds.
@@EspenKraft I like the slim look of the 626. The 707 is more bulky. The 626 reminds me a bit of the old Bang & Olufsen Beogram turntable for playing vinyls... 😀 Luckily taste is individual. Great video anyway. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers!
The 626 has a much meatier kick and thicker transient.
Love the snare & hi hat sounds of the 727, and the toms of the 626 :-)
The 727 does not have Snare nor Hats. You refer to the 707. The 727 is its Latin music brother.
Nice , for me I prefer the 626 Sounds , what sequencer do you use for recording these loops ?
Sequencer? I use the drum machines only. Pattern programming. ;-)
@@EspenKraft Ah Ok , Ilike you I have the (2) Yamaha RX11 .....I like very much the LinnDrum for me the RX11 is very close
Do you know if the 626 and the 505 are the same source sounds? the main Kick, snare, claps sound the same. Is it really just an expanded 505? I know Vince Clarke always liked the 505 Kick, I wonder why he didn't use the 626.
Not sure. Roland always did something different from product to product. ;-)
707 also didn't get reissues, boutique version, nothing... i would love to buy let's say boutique 707
It's on Roland Cloud.
@@EspenKraftnah, there's enough virtual 707 clones for me, but i would buy a hardware one from Roland with some new functions