Gear Talk: Roland MC-505 - Best Groovebox ever made?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- Talking about why anyone would still want one of these in 2018. I still love my Korg EMX but the MC-505 is a lot more powerful. When I first had it in early 2000, part of its workflow was a bit over my head. Then I ran into the well known display problem and sold it before I had unleashed its full potential. Moving on to the EMX and dealing with its limitations had me thinking back to the MC-505, now understanding things a lot better. So in a way working with the EMX taught me how to use the MC-505, I see it as the next logical step. They are both really great instruments!
Love my 505! Such a powerful machine that it's hard to get your hands on all it can do... a great part of my first album was made with it and I still think I've used about 5% of all it offers. Thanks a lot for your tutorials !!
Steed Yes, the 505 is incredibly versatile! Thanks for the nice comment! 😃
Bought one for myself last Christmas, still trying to as you say... "unlock its potential" haha. Your videos are extremely helpful! Thanks man.
Very nice of you, much appreciated! Have fun making music with the MC-505!
Just got one for around $50 bucks in a yard sale las month!! Didn't really knew what I was getting, bit I saw the Roland logo andd went for it. It's in the shop getting a new screen. I'm exited!
Congrats! Hope you'll like it, it's a great machine!
The most misunderstood device ever. I just got one in mint condition after someone stole my original one twenty years ago. Thank you for the awesome video!
Congrats on your new device! I made a whole series of videos for the MC-505, just in case you're interested. Thanks for the nice comment!
@@LousyFacelift awesome! I will need them. I remember the hours going through the manual the first time round and not all of it sinking in - hehe. It's great you are as blown away with it as I was/am. It really is a hidden gem. Thank you for making the videos. Can't wait to hit some of them up. 🙏🙏🚀
Living as an impoverished clubber back in the late 90's I have always wanted one of these.
Just saw one for only A$400 and I am tempted.
It certainly sounds great.
Can you check it out in person? If everything is ok I'd definitely say go for it!
Back in the day, I sold my MC-505 and got the keyboard version of it, the JX-305. As you mentioned, the workflow was over my head and hard to do on the tiny screen. 15 years later, I was looking for sequencer that can control more than 3 external synths. Then I remembered, the 7 parts on the 505 can output to 7 different MIDI channels and to channel 10 for drums. I wish I had kept the MC-505.
Steven Gain Never owned a JX-305 but I always thought sequencing was the same as on the MC-505. The overall concept of the 505 is amazing but when looking for a dedicated sequencer for external synths I would probably go for something else like a Yamaha QY-70. It's very powerful, small and a good bargain on eBay nowadays. People like comparing the 505 to the Yamaha RM1X which has the better sequencer (same as QY-70) but lacks in sound shaping options that's why I clearly prefer the 505 as an all in one production tool.
@ Steven Gain...Dude, I'm jealous of your JX 305. I have tons of Roland and Akai hardware, but I love my D2 most of all. Learned that the JX 305 is the big brother to the D2 but can't seem to find one online that's in good condition. Every one I've seen is completely ruined. It's a damn shame, because all of my hardware from the 90's and early 2000's still looks brand new. Enjoy your 305 man! I now regret not buying one back in the day when I had a chance to.
I feel exactly the same way. I sold my MC-505 12 years ago. Thinking about getting back into some hardware thanks to the availability of new analog synths these days and stressing about what to sequence them with only to realize that the MC-505 I flogged years ago would have been a prime candidate. A massively underrated piece of kit.
My favorite piece of electronic gear ever. I have the 303, 505 and 909 and the 505 is the winner overall. The screen issue is plaguing mine right now but there is no real comparison to the 505. It is just a beast of a machine.
Complete noob here and genuine asking. Between the Roland mc 808 and the Novation Circuit, witch one is "better"? They are way too different? Could someone list some cons and pros? I wanna start but I really REALLY dont know nothing yet. Thanks.
@@brunocpimenta From what I know the MC-808 is a lot more complex with more parts and voices but neither of the two is 100% standalone meaning completely independant from the computer. You don't need to have them connected to a computer to play patterns and tweak sounds but for deeper editing they rely on editor software. You have two synths and four drum tracks in the Circuit and up to sixteen parts in the MC-808 that can be configured any way you like. The knobs in the Circuit can be assigned to different parameters, so unless you have great memory, you don't always know exactly what they are linked to, which can lead to (more or less) happy (or unhappy) accidents.
You can get the screen replaced apparently.
Great Video, I am thrilled to have a 505! Old school sounds are the best!
Facts! Thanks for watching! 😊👍
I bought both the 303 and 505 when they first came out. Eventually I sold them due to the complexity issue. I still have cassette recordings of the music I made. Great gear.
Great gear indeed! I also had an MC-303 which I enjoyed a lot. Bought it in '97 and swapped it for a 505 in 2000 if I remember correctly... Thanks for watching!
I have both the JX-305 and the MC-505, both have been retrofitted with blue LCD 2x16 row LCD screens I found that were compatible for under 6 bucks a piece shipped, the 505 I got signed by Josh Wink, the JX-305 I got signed by Halogenix of the dnb outfit 'Ivylab', you are correct in your statement that there are a lot of features people have not tapped into or unlocked with the 305/505, let alone on UA-cam, the wavetables alone can produce some incredible results that can rival some of the more modern virtual analogs as well as VSTs, I may do some tutorials soon on both and possibly put up some tunes I've done on both, nice video, cheers.
Awesome comnent, thanks a lot and congrats on your units! I own two MC-505s and the other one also has a blue screen, looks really cool! I'll be checking your channel man, see you!
The best all in one unit of alltime.
So true! Still learning it and an end is not in sight but always new amazement with this box. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for making these MC-505 videos! I used to own the MC-303 in the 90s, and I just bought the 505. Your videos are super informative and inspiring! Please do more!
I had an MC-303 between '97 and 2000. Just bought another one again to see how it compares to the 505 but had to send it back because the left output was defective. It was fun to play but the 505 is so much more capable. Thanks for the nice words!
Glad to see the old groove boxes still breathing. I used to have Electribes and wanted on of these. I still have my old MPC 1000 kicking though.
They are all great! The MPC has the most powerful sequencer of them all, with its 32 MIDI channels, note repeat and such but a bit different to a step sequencer and in a higher price range. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Great video. Taught me things i didnt know! & the 505 was already my favourite groovebox ever! Thanks!
Awesome comment, thank you! 😊👍
My only issue with this back in 2000 was the encoders were very fragile each one being Hooked on only by 4 thin metal prongs and can get gared easily but with some super glue I was able to fix eventually but it was a nightmare getting to them when one came loose. Thank god for the locktight. Apart from that it’s an awesome machine.
When you said "these are cheap on ebay" I almost cried. I fairly a very broken one I loved about 5 years back and very much regret it! My Digitakt almost does it all, and with a better UX, but still... It can't compete with the 505 for many of the reasons you noted. I wish I picked up another one while they were cheap!
Yeah they have almost doubled in price from when I made the video but they are still worth it imho... Thanks for watching! 😊👍
On Ebay is nothing cheap. Its overall 350 euro in Europe and is cheap😊
I think till today no other groovebox can make as good as electro tech than this machine
Great Tutorial(: 👍 The Mc-505 is my main portable audio scratch/sketch pad for quick inspiration machine.
Great tutorial! I'll stick with my Electribes for now but the feature you show were you change the sound of all drum parts with the envelope and pitch is a cool and very pleasing effect 😊
Thanks man! Yes, I still love my Electribe MX for its workflow and sound character. I learned so many things on it that I can now take to the 505, I will definitely keep them both.
I actually think the best groovebox-sampler by roland in the groovebox series is the ROLAND MC 808 groovebox/sampler... it is a musthave because it has combined sounds from the 202 303 404 505 507 and 909 ... it is the OMEGA of its line of compact grooveboxes by Roland ... a lot of music makers are turning to mpc
Jason Blackwell From what I've heard the MC-808 is not a real stand alone concept, it!s more like a hybrid (half controller) type of thing. The motorized faders seem really cool but you need a computer for many editing operations. That's also the only thing that bothers me a bit about my Yamaha AN-200 btw. It is fine if you're used to this type of workflow I guess but it doesn't fit my needs, I much prefer the MC-909. They all have the sounds of the old classics in them (more or less...).
Complete noob here and genuine asking. Between the Roland mc 808 and the Novation Circuit, witch one is "better"? They are way too different? Could someone list some cons and pros? I wanna start but I really REALLY dont know nothing yet. Thanks.
brunocpimenta I don't own either one of these so I cannot really answer your question. Maybe someone else can... ?
I bought one of these back in '98 when it just came out after seeing a music shop owner use an mc-303. I used it for a few years to play around with, stuffed it in the basement and it's still there. It hasn't been touched for over 15 years. I think I will set it up again. I didn't really know what I had.
It's a powerful box, hope you'll have lots of fun with it!
What a crime to leave this powerful machine sleeping in your basement with the rats ! Better to give it to a 😮 charity shop (or to me)!
Good video. The MC-505 was an innovative product and you are correct in saying that users rarely exploited its full potential. You could use it to generate lots of different styles and it was so compact. At the time, I paired it with an Akai S-2000 although the 505 could do so much sound mangling on its own that I didn't really need the Akai after a certain point.
Your videos for my MC505 and BMR Studios for my MC909.
there must be something in the water in Germany.
Great stuff.
Thank you so much! 😂👍
Really enjoying these tutorials.
Coilin O'Toole Thanks a lot! ☺
My god, that reverse drum loop needs to be sampled at 13:01 ..That hits hard!
One of the coolest performance features on the MC-505. Thanks for watching!
I never bought one just used it at guitar center. I respect the machine very much. I wanna buy one and compare it to my favorite sequencer hardware or software the Yamaha RM1X. Thanks for the upload. I love old music hardware digital or analog.
Hi there! I also have an RM1X, it has a great sequencer that helps you build up a full song structure a lot faster and you also get more tracks but not so many hands on features like the RPS function or the amazing arpeggiator in the 505 to trigger phrases in realtime. Overall I'd say the RM1X has the more powerful sequencer but sound design and hands on control is a lot better in the MC-505.
@@LousyFacelift Thats what I wondered about( the hands on features). I appreciated the demonstration of the reverse effect being applied in real time. I know a lot about the rm1x realtime effects as far as onboard sounds and sending out midi data. I want a mc 505 to try that out as well. And for nostalgia reasons lets be honest. I look forward to your bext uploads and greetings from southern California.
@@josecortez5213 There are many more videos on the MC-505 on my channel, just in case you didn't know... It's a deep machine and it can be a bit quirky sometimes but also tons of fun! Thanks for the comment and best wishes from northern Germany!
using 1 i've had from new and another one in mint condition still in box as back up.
Good choice, congrats! I also keep one as back up but both used and a bit quirky. But both under €250,- and the one in the vid came with the rare 4MB 5V memory card included.
I’ve always loved the 505 own 2
Thanks for this vid, mine is a bit glitchy, some sliders don't work properly but this vid has inspired me to dig it out and have a play...
my god this machine is amazing. ive herd of them all and really wanted the 909 way back. but now i want his one ! great post
The 505 has the 909 built in in it, also the 808 and the other Roland TR's. Plus you can modify each drum sound in ways you only dream off. There is also a mod, where with a smart media you can layer sounds of drums up to 4 in 1 to stack a different palette.
@@MeAlexSenna very nice. got any music i can listen to up any where ? thanks :)
I'd love to see more videos on the 505.
brillant,thank you,i ve learnt loads from you,your a good teacher.i have two of these,love them.regards from Ireland
Thanks for the nice words! Yes, such a great machine, I also bought two when they were still cheap.
Best 505 video i have seen.well done..About to receive my 2nd MC505 by the end of the week..my ex pawned my original one that I replaced with a blue screen...I recently got a mint MC909, but it lacks the Bass Boost and Megamix features of the 505 .i also have a Fantom XA, All pretty much the same architecture....just trying to make up for my Kurzweil K2500RS that I sold years ago..
Love these MC and Fantoms.
Peace from OZ.
Thanks for watching and leaving such a nice comment! All the best from northern Germany! 🍀😊👍
It looks like pretty good way of making electronic music.
ets you away from the computer and a knobs and sliders are always better.
I had my hands in many Korg electribe, R - MX - SX, on Roland MC 505 and 808 and on Yamaha Rm1x (saddly not the Rs7000 nor any Akai). I think they all deserve something, best user friendly Korg (and shift+pattern After you tweak some knobs and mute make you get back to original saved pattern and back again to the modified, great stuff live), Roland MC 505 best layout for knobs and faders, and Yamaha was the best sequencer and live experience (you have 5 mute presents buttons super fun to play with that are more usefull the the Roland d-beam or the ribbon control from Korg and can change pattern 1 instruments at a time in a Better way then Roland megamix).
I didn't talk about sound quality becouse now i sit on a Radical Technologies Spectralis and It Just kill them all.
Please forgive me, I have heard that the device you are talking about has some problems but I heard that it is very strong in terms of sound.(Spectralis)
@@kamalrex1 it's going to make you totally nuts to lern all the stuff inside, there Is some basic stuff missing like Sync LFO, you have to stop to change Song, sequencing Is a bit complex, let Say Is not userfriendly Is an umderestimation. But the sound Is nothing but great.
The main synth Is great, the analog filters, the endles routing capability, the analog filter bank It's sure to make you happy.
This is what i need, search a long time for Videos like this... You Do a great job
My pleasure Earl, thanks a lot for the nice comment! :)
nice video--
Mine hasn't been out of its box in 15 years. Unless I was using it every day-- I could never keep track of all the modes, etc. Constantly had to refer to the manual. Just picked up an EMX-1 a few weeks ago, and find it much easier to understand and use, just by looking at it. Its interface conveys its use pretty well. Also liking the tones it can produce... Although I do remember the Roland having a richer/more sophisticated sound.
henderthing Yes, the EMX is a lot easier to use and it really sounds great but is also quite limited in functionality. It's a good idea to fully understand the EMX first and at some point, when you really want more control over the synth and sequencer, see what the MC-505 can do for you. At some point you realize the 505 is almost as self explaining as the EMX when you look at the layout and have learned certain things e.g. - how exactly do I use the knobs in the effects section, what does the function button do, how do I set up the LFO to sound as good as in the EMX and so on... And always remember to turn the level knob all the way down before switching on or off, that could at least save a bit of lifetime for your LCD, if it hasn't already been replaced. ;)
It was really just the sequencing/song mode stuff and various modes that I remember constantly having to look up. ;-) Editing patches/sounds was more intuitive. I just really like the way the EMX is organized. I'm learning the limitations (gotta use up an FX slot to filter drums parts...etc) but it's easy to be creative. My 505 is basically in new condition. LCD is still perfect. But thanks for the tip. I didn't even know there was an issue with the LCDs until recently! BTW-- your EMX videos are very good. Thanks!
henderthing There are still things I haven't found out how to properly use in the MC-505, like the different patch structures, wave fx and such but it seems like these things don't affect the overall use of the machine that much. I want to make more tutorials for it in the same way I did for the EMX and I also have other machines I would like to demo here.
I just got one and I love it!
Wow incredible machine Sounds great. Looks like a lot of fun.
Yes, it is truly anazing! Thanks for stopping by! 😊
I had one of these in the mid 90s when they just came out.
The Roland MC505 was released in 1998.
I used to own the mc-303 myself I made so much music with that. I bought mine around 2001 and I eventually sold it around 2008. I'm looking to get an MC 505 I always wanted one I had a MC 909 but I never got around to using and I had to sell it
I will never sell mine. Bought it in the summer of 1999, took the deep dive and have never looked back.
Yes, it takes time to get into but totally rewarding! Thanks for watching!
That thing looks huge...lol..Sounds great...Hey Man...Long time no see...your vids helped me understand so much on how to use Synths in general....Hope all is well.. Thanks for The inspiration !!!!
EarthVsJazz Hey man, yes, doing great actually! Being a father and taking care of my daughter during the day keeps me busy. Hope things are good for you, too! Thanks for the comment and all the best!
Just bought my second one after my original got worn out!
I got one in 1998 , all the gear and no idea comes to mind ,, I now own a MC707 ... for me the 707 is a much easier tool to navigate... the 505 is still close to my heart thou ,
I also have an MC-707 and it sounds fantastic! I wish its sequencer was more like the 505 though (without the sustain bug...) and that it had better hands on control. It really does sound great though... Thanks for watching btw!
Great video. I had one and the sounds are awesome but..... I found it hard to work with and sold it. I'm really looking forward to more tutorials as I have a mate who still has it. Great job man
Marc Gourlay Yes, I'm going to make tutorials. Thanks a lot for watching! :)
I borrowed one of these about 15 years ago from a friend for a couple weeks and had lots of fun with it, just randomly remembered it so had to look it up on UA-cam lol
Alrighty then ... off to Ebay
Roger Wilco Thanks for watching and good luck for your bid if you decide to buy one!
What a great video..is there any chance you can do a video on how you programmed that Drum and Bass sequence.? Please?.
Thanks a lot, I'll see if I can do that but I don't want to promise anything... Maybe you would like to check out my video on the TR sequencing mode of the MC-303. It all applies to the MC-505 as well.
I want this because of M.I.A. album “Arular” which was primarily written with the 505, some amazing beats and songs like Galang & 10 Dollar. If you have any free time could you check that album out & give me your input on how the machine was utilized for these songs, I’d love to hear. Iv asked many music production groups on wether getting this machine is worth it and most said no due to the difficult use & the fact the presets are all available as a bundle for protools, ect. It’s really delayed my decision lol.
Thanks for the info on that album, I will try to listen into it. The MC-505 does many things you couldn't quite replicate in a sampler, like the keyshift function which reverses the samples at some point when pitching up and the filters that are quite unique. It takes some time getting used to but it's not all that complicated.
So I found the whole album here on UA-cam - what a great piece of art man! I really like the energetic dancehall kind of vibe and she's just beautiful and stunning as a performer, I mean - WOW !!! From listening to certain aspects of the production - you won't get this kind of result from relying on the presets, this is all extremely well crafted sound design with the focus clearly on the beats. I wish I could hear just the tracks from the 505 as instrumentals somehow, without the vocals and samples. To get close to sounding like this I would try to start out writing short loops of only one or two bars with a drumkit first and edit each sound, mainly the amp envelopes and tune settings to shape these percussive elements in a way that supports track. Be really careful with the synths parts, especially in the mids, think of supporting the drums with the synths, not the other way around. The pitch envelope can be used for some nice bass drops but it's quite difficult to say exactly how any particular sound was created. A patch can be any up to four layer combination of over 500 waves with so many different parameter settings for each of these layers, it could take forever trying to get to the same sound. Great inspiration though, thanks again for letting me know!
LousyFacelift wow man thank you so much for listening and writing all that, I have unique sound ideas for an album and would love to keep in touch for your input & guidance. Is there anywhere else to reach you or is here the best? My friend from LA found a few 505 deals for under $150, thanks to you I will have to buy this now. I have a local vocal instructor friend here named Mick Walsh from the UK & after hearing M.I.A. along with the rest of my inspirations he’s never heard anything like it & loves the sonic, primitive nature of the songs. But yeah let me know where to keep in touch ! -Arion
Also, I have a few stems from this album & can get the rest emailed to you if you’d like. I use a program to clear the vocal so there’s a bit of clipping but still neat to hear the sounds separated. Some of the tracks had samples taken from other songs like Bucky Done Gun, where the favela horn & percussion loop were used from Injecio Baile funk song & combined with 505 beats. Her story & rise in hip-hop is quite incredible as well being a true revolutionary & innovator in the creative world, surviving a civil war from Sri Lanka
Grove Gangsters $150,- is a steal man, just calculate a little more (~ $70,- ) to get the screen repaired because that's something you will probably run into if it hasn't been replaced. Also make sure to always turn the level down before switching the power off.
be awesome if u could do a small tutorial on how to use the step sequencer with external gear
stashe aus Alright, thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I'll try to make an acid bassline video with the 505.
LousyFacelift can you make an acid track tutorial please!
I don't understand what companies don't build on their legacy by taking old interfaces and refurbish the product. If you took the size and amount of space that you have with this product. You can build one crazy updated analog digital sampler hybrid of this machine. Because the interface is so inviting! The look and design is well balanced. The newer machines that they make are cool but they just don't look good. It's like an old 71 mustang compared to a new mustang. 71 mustang looks like it would eat a new mustang alive. The same for the interface for this machine. We need a MC 505 Mach 2.
Yes, I know what you mean. I prefer the design and user interface of the MC-505 compared to the newer MC-707 but they cannot really be compared featurewise. I like some aspects of the sequencer in the 505 but it also has some serious flaws and I wish there was a best of both worlds machine, like a 507 with the sound capabilities of the 707 combined with the workflow of the 505. An MC-707 with more sample ram, streaming from sd card, a combination of both sequencers, the arpeggiator and the user interface from the 505 would be the perfect groovebox.
@@LousyFacelift I think you just gave behringer an idea. The behringer Rd 507!
Yeah, that would also make it less expensive. 😉👍
I love mine!! Awesome powerful machine. Bought mine for about 150 Euros incl. new screen that I had to put in.
Great bargain price, congrats!
@@LousyFacelift Thx I knew so I bought it in a heartbeat, if it was no good at least I would have parts....
love you for this man.
505 was my first synth a serious underrated gear. the price you could get a 505 for now is hillarious,
the 505 alone kan feel a bit a lone
synch that 505 with anothergear
its a hit
Frank Hansen Yes, an incredible value for money instrument! Adding a small sampler and maybe something like a 303 clone would make a great combo. Thanks a lot man! 😃
@@LousyFacelift the korg ms 20 and the novation bass station both are awsome .recomend them both
ua-cam.com/video/1krPVc3iQmQ/v-deo.html
Great Groove, waiting the tutorials
Raul Bernardo Thank you! I've posted five tutorials on the MC-505 talking about its concept and workflow but if you're more interested in beat making tutorials maybe you'd like to check out my Roland TR 8 videos about scales and other things. Most of the info there can be applied to the 505 as well.
A message from France (sorry for my english...).Thanks for your video, it's give me envy to bye one ! I have 2 questions about this MC-505 : can we play a roll with the BD or SD ? On the drum track, can we create a kick and affect any sound at any pad, and play therefore 2 or 3 differents kick and snares ? Thanks a lot.
O + trio (oplustrio) Salut! Well, there is no dedicated button for a roll function but the sequencer is flexible enough, allowing you to write your own rolls. You can even program different levels for all the notes in a roll which is something you don't get with a roll automation. It all depends on how you use the different scales. You can write your own drum kits with multiple snares and kicks and even the preset kits have more than one kick and snare assigned to them. Drum voices can also be selected for the seven synth parts, so you can play them chromatically over the keyboard, like you would with a sampler, on top of the rhythm track.
@@LousyFacelift Thank you very much for your answer ! It's clear for me now. I think I will buy one ! Thanks for all your videos about this MC-505 !
Looking forward to the tutorial videos mate 👍😎
Damn man thanks so much for putting these videos out, bless you man, really appreciated! It’s the best MC505 videos online. I’m running into 2 issues now, maybe and hopefully you can help?! 1. I got the screen issues where I’m losing pixels, I hope to fix this soon. Don’t know where yet. 2. Is more of my concern, I’ve used around 100 patterns, scattered around the 200banks. Now when I try to save and write a new pattern, i save it to a patch, but then it happens, one of my earlier saved track/patch is completely mixed and messed up, so I’m losing old project while I’m saving new ones. Haven’t found the solution yet. Hope you have an idea or can help me. Thanks again for your videos, I’ve learned thru you to make my own drum kit and learned more of the effects options and rules. Bless you man 🙏🏼
Hey man! There are a couple of UA-cam videos that explain how to repair or replace the display but I have never done that myself, so I cannot really say much about that. This guy markusfuller made a video on this and he seems to put out good quality content on his channel. The second question sounds like a patch management problem and there is one thing I cannot follow in your explanation, when you say "...I try to save and write a new pattern, I save it to a patch... " I think you simply switched the terms "pattern" and "patch" around but even then... the thing is this: Patches don't get saved in patterns, they all share one memory pool for all the user patterns, so it is very important to keep track of which patches have already been altered from their preset state and where you've stored them in the user section. I do this by placing an exclamation mark as a last icon in the name for every user patch before writing and saving, even when I've come up with a whole new name for it. It's always just one click to the left with the value dial that brings up the exclamation mark when naming a patch. Start saving your patches in the order they are actually used in your patterns, meaning if you have user patches on all eight tracks of your first pattern, save them in the user bank U-A 001 - U-A 007 and on user rhythm part one for the new drum kit, rename them with the exclamation mark and you're good. Make sure not to rewrite a patch or a kit that has already been used in a previous pattern. If you're in the middle of making a new patch and you forgot which slot was used for your last user patch, just write it in the very last slot, just so you have it stored, then look up the number of that last free slot, go back to your saved patch and copy it there. Thanks for the nice words and I hope answering this question helps you and other viewers who read the comments! Always ask if you have any more questions on these machines! The MC-505 is a bit complicated but it's such a great instrument, I hope you'll have tons of fun with it!
Wow thanks so much man for the time you took to answer my question, that’s really awesome! You really made my day! I’ll be looking for someone to help me fix the screen issue! For the other issue, I’m very sorry for the confusing use of terms (guess my coffee wasn’t strong enough 😉) I meant that I have issues saving new patterns into empty user banks. There is no patch issue for me. So I go to a empty pattern, make some drums add some melody and bass and save the pattern into the bank (for instance U008) This pattern had used before, but is Initiallized and seems empty. Now I feel creative and make another pattern with different drums melody etc. This one I save to U016. Happy with the things I made, I go check U008. Now this pattern is completely mixed and has become very weird. I just found a way around this by saving patterns into pattern banks which I previously haven’t used (for instance U165) This kinda sucks, as now I’m never able again to put something in pattern U008 or U016. It seems these patterns will save some data but when you work on another pattern and save it to any bank. The patterns U008 and U017 are messed up. So it seems these cannot be used or trusted again cause the pattern you created will be mixed and messed up. Now I have like 8 user banks like this. I’m really sorry if it’s confusing or doesn’t make sense to you, I’m really bad in explaining. I just tried a System Reset, but this doesn’t help. Maybe the problem is that before I filled the banks from U001 to U160 with creations, and I was worried to get to U200 soon, so I deleted and initialised many patterns. Maybe something has happened to the memory. I’m checking around if I can find someone with similar problems. Anyway thanks again for your time, and your reply. Really awesome man! Bless you, wish you all the best and a great day. Peace man from your little neighbor Netherlands vielen dank!
It's really not a problem for me to answer today because I'm kind of knocked out with a cold lying in bed all day anyway and this seems like something useful I can still do, so no worries. ;) That does sound like one strange problem though to be honest... So you're using the 505 all by itself, no MIDI going in or out and it's the notes that change to sounding crazy, not the sounds? Or both? The only explanation I can think of is the Megamix function playing individual phrases from other patterns and mix them with what's actually recorded in the current pattern but that shouldn't be possible with an initialized pattern. Is the display still partly readable? Can you go to Megamix in the part mixer and read which phrases are assigned to the different tracks? If that doesn't work I don't know what else this could be but then it sounds like a more serious bug to be honest... Hope you'll get this sorted out, best wishes man!
I’m going to have a look at that megamix option, haven’t used that function actually. I got the unit for 2years now, been on the MC303 and MC808 before. I don’t use external midi gear or anything else just the 505 with speakers. As it seems now, this problem occurs to patterns I used before and I initialised and deleted, the lower user banks (U008 U016 U017 U022 and U028) Whenever I record pattern in these user banks, other user banks seem to get mixed and messed up (there are different sounds, melodies are gone and it seems for instance U008 take melodies or drums from random other user banks) And whenever I initialise these bugged patterns other newly created user patterns are lost also. So the user bank is completely gone and other times it takes parts R 1234567 from random other user banks. However I just found out, if I just record into patterns of U164 and above (which I haven’t used before) these user banks seems to save the patterns. So for now I just create into U164 and above. I actually just found out about this issue a day ago, when I wanted to see what I created and it was completely different from what I made. It’s really a strange issue, there nothing on google about this also. The screen is getting worse, but I can still see what I’m doing for now
Hope you get better soon man! Much appreciated for you help anyway, creating my own drum kits with different keys shift is really a cool thing and created a new beat already! Bless you 🙏🏼
Magic machine !
Thanks lousy I have had a 505 for about 15 years now and after watching a few of your vids I have brought it back out and just connected it to my motif which I have never done, cause I was scared lol, I have a new found glory in my life, my 505 is finally getting used like it should and not just for sounds, thanks your vids are awesome and packed full of great info, rock on!
That's great! I'm sure the two will make a really good couple. Thank you so much for the nice feedback and have fun with these beautiful instruments! :)
Great video, thank you! I noticed with interest how you could manipulate individual drum parts. Do you know whether that is also possible on the keyboard version, that is, the Roland JX-305? I happen to own the latter, hence my question. Thanks you, again!
Valiant Halborg Never owned a JX 305 but I heard it's exactly the same concept as the MC-505, so I think it's possible. Just make sure you have only one rhythm part selected. Thanks for the nice comment! :)
hey lousy, how are u? first of all, thanks for making this videos, im going to change my mpc1000 for an 505 i see all your videos and was very usefull for me to make the decision jaja , great info, i have an e mx1 too, and i think they will combine very well, im really exited to have the mc, i will ask you some things about the workflow if i can, see you!
Jaja...😂hahaha... thanks a lot and yes, the MC-505 is an amazing instrument but there is also a bit of weirdness going on so please be prepared. You may want to check out my videos on the so called "sustain bug" (and please excuse my babbeling in the first one...) to get an idea of its quirks but don't let that affect you too much, sometimes weirdness adds to character and charme of an instrument and that's how I feel about the 505. Also be prepared for pixels dropping out on your screen if that issue has not yet been fixed, if it has been taken care of you'll be fine. Have fun with the MC and feel free to hit me up if you have questions! See ya!
If you can, hold on to your MPC1000. The one thing I have always experienced is sellers remorse. Over the years I've sold a lot of gear that I wish I had held on to. Most gear will age like wine not milk.
Nice vid. Thanks buddy. Should I get the 505 or the 707? I wanna write 90’s house music.
If you're looking for that 90s sound the 505 is probably more suitable and it offers the more hands on control for sound design. The MC-707 has arguably the "better" sound overall though. They are a lot different from eachother but you won't go wrong with either one.
Thanks for video bro this is an amazing box :)
Jonny Retro Yes, it really is! Thanks Jonny! :)
Good video, I think your right, it can be a tricky machine but I don't think ( like myself) it dosnt get utilised to it's full potential, I think people have different ways of using it , I noticed you show a couple of things that I've never had the will power to figure out.
Yeah, well of course there are those who do get the most out of it and have been for a long time already but by looking at the general acceptance of the MC-505 compared to other instruments like the Korg Electribes or the Novation Circuit it is striking that many of these newer concepts are a lot more limited, especially their sequencers, compared to the 505. That doesn't mean these newer machines are bad, I'm still a huge fan of the Korg EMX-1, but there are many things (some of which are quite basic operations really) that it simply cannot do, even though it came later. You'd expect a newer machine to build upon existing concepts and do more, not less. From a company's perspective this only makes sense if they have realized that many users of the older machines were not using a lot of the features and maybe felt a bit insecure or overwhelmed by the many possibilities. And I know that's how I felt before. Reaching the limits of these machines will make you wish for something more complex though and I think there are many other people like me who had a 505 before, sold it at some point and are now wshing it back, to get over the limitations they are dealing with, in their drum machines, Electribes, Circuits and even Octatracks.
I've only ever had the mc 303 and mc 505 and just got a bit lazy over the years , ive been around other machines and noticed some limitations like you've mentioned , the odd thing is over a couple years I've put together a number of tracks on both of them and sent them to radio 1 and put them on SoundCloud and it seems to be the 303 tunes were better put together , only thing I've noticed is the 303 sequencer isn't as forgiving.
Too much booze and partying has been my problem which has dulled my interest over the years but I still constantly have ideas and hopefully will get back in to it , thanks for replying back, cheers.
this was my first piece of gear and wish I never sold it
Was thinking of buying myself an electribe 2 for my first box outside the DAW...I am into electronic music, dance floor oriented...maybe I should get the older one? Which one is better for you? thanks
Underground Vibes I don't own an Electribe 2 but a friend of mine does and we talked a bit about it and I tested one in a shop. All in all it seems to me as if a lot less people complain about the EMX-1 than the E2 but maybe that's just the way I see it. I'd say the workflow of the old one is pretty much unbeatable compared to any other box but that's partly because it s a bit limited. They both are but in much different ways. Both of them don't exactly have great sequencers though, if that's a more important aspect I'd even consider buying an old Roland MC-303 or a 505 instead.
Hi Lousy, can I order a few lessons in operating the mc 505. I am a bit frustrated. Greatings, David
Hi there! What do you mean by ordering lessons? You mean like suggesting a new topic for a video? It's all a bit weird now with the "at home" situation, you know... My three year old daughter keeps me quite busy but we're good where we are. I've never thought about Skype lessons for the 505 or anything like that but it sounds interesting... If you have specific questions I could try to answer them here...
LousyFacelift Well, that is possible. Via skype. Payment PayPal, even in Times of Corona. So your specialising is a gift. Another option after Corona is I visit you. Where do you stay?
saxonett Well, I'm in Germany which may be a problem due to the time shift if you'te in the U.S. for example. English is not my mother tongue and I'd probably have to ask you to speak slowly and repeat things all the time but that doesn't mean it's not possible. Since you came up with the idea and I've never done this before I wouldn't charge you for it, at least for the first hour, if what I said so far isn't too much of a problem. Where are you located?
Hey man, so I’m having trouble with my 505. It’s actually stumped everyone in the Roland groups I’m in, original owner and cant find anything in the manual. Machine won’t loop anything I record after punching in a beat. All the settings were confirmed correct:
LOOP REST - off
USER > Tempo Mixer > Set BPM > REC (rehearsal mode if punched twice) > play beats
It’s set at 4 bars and will not loop after the 4th bar. The midi settings (shift 12) are set to BOTH for all parts too.
I was asked by 1 dude if I’m in “audition mode” and I have no idea what that even is. He wasn’t around to respond.
Audition mode is probably the same as rehearsal mode. This is just a guess but please check if you are really in pattern mode. Press the MODE button underneath the D-Beam controller so that the LED "PTN" lights up instead of "SONG". If that doesn't help please let me know and I will try to find the solution.
LousyFacelift yea it’s in PTN mode. Only suggestion I got was a factory reset, but didn’t wanna lose my user patches from the owner as I currently don’t have a memory card. It just will not loop anything oddly
LousyFacelift ahh I figured it out, there was 1 step out of place by this beat maker tutorial. I’ll re write the correct order lol
Grove Gangsters OK, so I hope it's working now. Thanks for watching my vids!
LousyFacelift Lol wow. So the problem was I was recording on a user pattern that was not empty. I switched to empty channel 11 and it worked. So all the steps were right but didn’t know you have to toggle the user screen for an empty channel, I assumed the machine just made its own channel once you started recording. To
add to the confusion the 1st user pattern shown on screen is named as “empty pattern” but it was actually not empty. Mind fucked me for a week. Lmao
@LousyFacelift found an emx and mc 505 for the same price was about to decide for the emx but now you got me thinking
They are both great, you can't really go wrong with either one but the 505 is a lot more powerful and complicated. If you play the piano or if writing chords is inportant to you, I would definitely recommend the 505. If you're more of an electronic musician especially if you're a beginner I'd clearly recommend the EMX.
LousyFacelift thx for the reply
I’m going to use it more for drums coz I already have an analog mono and a couple of poly VAs
I think the 505 would fit better then the emx for that purpose
But the blue color and the tubes makes the emx look like some gear from a fallout game which is awesome
Harun Can Aydin Yes, if you want to use it mostly for drums the 505 is better because of its much better sequencer.
@@prinzenrlle4212 mc505 have 909, 808 and other classic machiens built in :)
Thanks for the demo. What do you think about mc307?
Automatischroom The MC-307 is a smaller and much lighter build, so it's not as sturdy as the 505 but also a bit more portable. Sound quality is the same and it even comes with an additional soundbank that's not in the 505 but it doesn't have the assignable outputs, the D-beam and less dedicated controllers like the part mixer which is probably the most important difference because this makes its workflow quite a bit less intuitive, at least for me. I personally prefer the D-beam over the turntable slider. They are almost the same price on eBay but I would always go with the 505 if the display problem has been solved.
Just been given one of these. Any guys cleaned all the contacts and pots?
clavdig All the pads, knobs and pots are in great condition on this one and so far I didn't need to do anything. But many of these machines need cleaning or some kind of maintenance now after 20 years since they were first released.
The MC 909 is more powerful than the 505. I've owned both when they first dropped.
Joel Rozier I had them both, sold them at some point but then bought them again and now I have both again. The MC-909 has the better specs as an all in one workstation with sampling and all that, so yes, you could call it more powerful but the sound is a lot different and the user interface of the 505 is more fun in my opinion. All in all I prefer the workflow and the slightly warmer sound on the 505 over the 909.
LousyFacelift so the 505 does not sample? Does the 307? And what about the 808 how does that go vs the 909 and 505 my feeling is that the 303-307 and 505 are the most fun easier results but the 909 is the beast but more technical results how would you add them up thanks thinking of buying one ?
Was not a fan of the 909.I think the rawer sound of the 505 and 303 are more interesting.Less gloss.
Hi! Nice video! I have a 505, I like it so much, the sequencer is very powerful, the synth section is good too. I tried a software called Midi quest which can help a lot for patch editing and sharing. The annoying thing for me is the fact that you must stop playing for editing sequencer, like steps...
walter pintus Hi! Good info on that MIDI Quest software. Thank you!
My friend said "505 is made to fuck the live out" and i say - YES ! With 505 you have all the critical controllers for live at once !!! And tis lovely "Low BOOST" ... I am ordering second if this ;) BTW! For external gear RM1X is also great ;) You can change sounds for example via CC or SYSex like different samples via Param Locks even in external devices ... , you can program own sysex messages - i did it with Virus - OMG !!!
M.I.A. made Arular on one of these
Had a lot of fun with It , i think the best sound Is the orchestral ones ....but was fun to manipulate all ., Filters , effects..unluckily the drums in the mixes never been enough good. One day It crashed, i decided not to repair and gave to a collector
So many people gave up on their 505s when the display pixels started to disappear, just like I did back then. Yes, the strings and pads sound lush and warm on these and the filters sound great to my ears, not exactly analogue, very precise but extremely versatile for shaping the sound with plenty of "sweetspot range" for the lack of a better word. You could track out the drums individually and use a compressor and other effects on the output, there is really nothing wrong with the sound. Some well known productions that have their focus on the drums were made with the MC-505, the albums of M.I.A. are a great example. I can only recommend picking one up again. Thanks for watching and commenting!
In response to your opening comment, I miss my EMX SO much. It was so easy to program and sequence. I feel the the designers of the 505 were "in the spectrum"....no judge but it's not helpful to my workflow.
What is the best way to learn how to set up the 505 to be used as a sound module with other sequencers driving it? Many thanks.
Well, Roland have certainly made some rather weird decisions in the past and I have just recently stumbled across some annoying limitations in the sequencer of the MC-505 that would actually suggest using it as a sound module but the EMX comes with a bunch of similar quirks despite being a lot more limited and still I absolutely love both of these machines. They are both similar in their core concept but very different from eachother in specs and workflow. So far I haven't used the 505 as a sound module, only thing I can tell you right away is the MIDI channel numbers are fixed - 1-7 for the instrument parts and channel 10 for the rhythm part.
@@LousyFacelift good to know, thanks. I do I have the manual, I'll dig in a little more before I try and figure this out
FINALLY someone else talkin sense about how much better sequencers these r than the reigning ones like Octatrack / Digiktat !? I mean in terms of PPQN n stuf, obviously the elektron models have some incredible sequencer functions which the MC-x0x line would b that all time best ever if had (conditional trig, step lock, record punch in/out while playing, etc. I came to the beat-making world from 5 years classical piano training - important part of that is that I almost ALWAYS play w two hands so the 3 or 4 note polyphony max (per step / simultaneous) limitation in all the modern Seqs like Digiktat or Arthuria Beatstep "Pro" is shit to me, not to mention the PPQN of it all. And yea y the F doesn't anyone else have the part mutes always accessible like the 505 n 909? Even the new 707 doesn't
have u ever owned a 909? many of my most recent videos r that
@@DaveDaves MC-909 - yes, I have one. Tried to sell it actually because I'm using my 505 and 707 much more and it seems a bit underappreciated at the moment so maybe I'll wait for a better chance. I might even keep it... it's a great machine!
@@LousyFacelift I suppose I understand not using 909 if u have 707.... how do u feel about 707 overall? have u seen MV-1?
@@DaveDaves Comparing the MC-909 to the 707 or even the 505 is difficult because they are all a lot different from eachother. With the 707 you win functionality and sound quality in a certain way but also lose "character" (for the lack of a better word) and other functionality aspects at the same time. They did a great job with the MC-707, the Zen Core engine is capable of emulating analogue synths a lot more convincingly than the older MC models. The other great advantage of the 707 is the number of voices (128), effects and inputs for external gear. But compared to the 909 you have only eight instead of 16 parts, a much smaller screen, a lot less sampling ram, less dedicated hands on controls (mutes, envelope sliders, D Beam...), no digital outs, no built in psu and a completely different sequencer that does not allow you to record phrases longer than eight bars in a linear way (up to 99 bars in the 909). The 909 is a nice rugged quality build made in Japan. The 707 is a decent build but does not seem quite as sturdy. The 505 wins in the workflow, fun and sound character categories imo (I really like the filters) even though it has its quirks and is a bit slow when processing stuff (they all are though...). I like to put it this way - you buy a 505 for "fun" and a 707 for "work" and the 909 is somewhere in between.
I haven't really looked into the MV-1. It seems like a stretch between an MC and an MPC. I cannot say much about it.
@@LousyFacelift appreciate the thoughtful response! I had no idea the 707 capped pattern length at 8 bars - wow, that's game over for me. I don't need more than 16, but I need to be able to do 16 sometimes, that's BS. I love the digital out on 909 (so much cleaner sounding!) but the 707 I'd argue does have digital out via USB, and what's more it's multitrack, right? I've had the D2, 808, 505, 307, 909 (in that order) n I don't understand at all y u prefer the 505 over the 909, sampling aside they're like the same thing.... the 909 has addl stuff of course but once u get into it u c that it's really a pretty simple interface. I love the simplicity of it, my fav is that on that one PATCH/SAMPLE screen u can see & adjust EVERY part's voice, vol, pan, verb, key shift, routing!!
Nice demo! BTW, anyone has experienced weird switch contact problem? I guess it's contact issue. Many of the buttons one mine began to function strangely a couple years ago. 505 functions fine but when I press buttons I would not know where exactly current setting is - because the indicating small light moves around randomly. Any comments?
Young Choe Not really sure what you mean to be honest. Do you mean the pad keys double triggering notes or not responding correctly? It probably needs cleaning if that's the case.
You might have some dust under your part mixer. Once dust gets under there it makes your parameters jump around. Try a can of air or there are special cleaners specifically for track boards.
Oh, poster himself! Thanks for the reply and sorry for the late response. June has been a very busy month so far. The pad keys are working fine but many buttons and nearby lights are not functioning/responding correctly. For example, there is a SELECT button between Envelope and LFO1. That toggles between 3 options - Pitch, Filter, AMP. Unfortunately, on my 505, it would not clear which function is activated because all three are lit, at least partially. Similar issue with the button in the filter section. 505 itself is functioning fine, but the little lights are not. Similar problem with 5 buttons under 'Display' or 3 buttons under 'Bank' lettering. Since I began to notice this issue in multiple parts around same time, I have been wondering if the mainboard gone bad. Hopefully it is a simple dirty contact problem~. Cheers!
Thanks, I am going to try to clean the inside. Carefully. Cheers! BTW, do you like the sound of 505? I am no expert but I found 505 presets sound 'tired' or 'brittle'. I have not done much sound programming on it though...
Young Choe Never heard of this problem before, really hope it's just a contact issue so you'll easily get this fixed. Best wishes and thanks for watching!
i would buy one but Roland quit making them unless Roland is going to Reissue it with AIRA or something
King Zetano The Electronic Musician Buying used gear is always a bit risky of course but people are spending so much money on vintage gear, especially when it's analogue. For its sound and what it can do the 505 is an absolute steal deal these days. If you watch out for the display being fixed and buttons and sliders are working you should be on the safe side. At least as safe as buying a used vintage analogue synth.
thanks for the input i discovered these machines when i went to check em out to buy one on site of Roland or Sweetwater elsewere i was a bit too late on getting these i really hope Roland reissues these mc devices with AIRA or something ya know
AezoN The Electronic Musician no reissues.
Oh wow, this would go great with my rs7000
cool review, so how we can get the polyrhythms?
By copying phrases of different lengths. It depends on how many steps you wish to repeat in a track how you program the first measures that then can be copied.
Does ironing the display really work mine has a line going through it
Tony Davidson I haven't tried it but I doubt it's a permanent solution at least without additionally isolating some other parts. It's probably much better to have this fixed in a repair shop. Whoever sold it to you should give you part of the money back if this problem wasn't mentioned when selling the 505.
I saw a guy fix up a 505 in a video and it worked for him, otherwise a new screen is 30 euros and easy to put in too
I used this trick to “fix” my display a few years back - had a good chunk of the bottom half of the screen missing and was completely unusable. Saw that video in UA-cam so looked into it further and then gave it a go.
Soon as I switched it back on, the display came back on and looked better than it looked for ages.
Good short fix however it only lasted a few months, maybe a little more... then the problem and back with a fury and in no time at all it was back to how it was and gradually got worse and worse.
It did work but to be honest I think although it fixed it short term, I reckon it speeded up the problem when it returned.
I wouldn’t recommend it unless you don’t care about what can happen. It might be a solution for some people or maybe I heated it for too long and weakened it for the future, I don’t know... If you’ve got the cash and play it often enough to justify sending it to get fixed, I would do that instead.
The only reason I didn’t do that is because there’s nobody that would do the repairs near me and would have cost a heap sending it away - been as well buying another on eBay :-/
Yeah, I used that method on my display and it improved it a lot. Still not perfect and when I get around to it I'll replace the display.
Would mc-909 not be even better?
UA-cam Support They are both great and of course the sampler in the MC-909 is a clear advantage over the 505 but I prefer the sound signature and the user interface of the 505. Some of its functions cannot be found in the 909 like realtime transpose and drum kits are a lot more complex in the 505. All in all it's a close call and I have them both because they compliment eachother very nicely but considering the price the 505 is the winner for me.
Could you do a video showing how to connect an external midi controler keyboard?
Jonny Retro Yes, it's actually really easy. All you need to do is go MIDI out of the keyboard to the MIDI in of the 505 and that's it.
i have one but the display screen is dead i could use it as a sound module if i knew the short cuts to the edit command?
Get it repaired dude! If you don't you'll miss out on so much it can do! If you need a sound module, sell it and get a JV-1080 or 2080 instead.
I may snag one of these Roland MC-505’s at $170.00.
The seller says it’s like-new, but he just doesn’t know how to use it.
One question genuine, should I low-ball?
$ 170,- in good condition is a great offer, just pay and run with it. You may have to get the screen replaced at some point but it's totally worth it. The sequencer is very powerful despite its quirks, I like it even better than in the new MC-707. All in all this is one of the most undervalued machines out there imho. There is a steep learning curve but endless fun once you get the hang of it.
@@LousyFacelift
Nice. Thanks for the reply…
Yep, I did hear about the screen issues; but I’m a bit OK opening it up and installing a new one. It doesn’t seem that crazy of a repair, so it’s definitely doable with the right equipment.
I agree about it being nicer than the MC-707 - this machine has classic sounds, and the other just sounds different but has more features (it’s still good though).
Will take the info and purchase the MC-505 - hopefully he’ll be up for a random trade? You never know…
Thanks again for the reply!
Good work on the video demo!
:- )
@@LousyFacelift
One quick question though: Do you know if you can trigger it using MIDI - but triggering specific channels, and not just the selected instrument?
The MC-303 has poor midi handling, which only allows you to trigger only the selected instrument - so you can’t treat it as a multi-timbral instrument.
For ex: You can’t use an Octatrack and send notes on different channels simultaneously - all notes must be assigned to a specific channel.
@@chilp9759 You can trigger the 505 externally, use it to control other gear or layer both but the MIDI channel numbers are fixed, parts 1 - 7 are 1 - 7 and the rhythm part is channel 10. No MIDI Thru..
the midi was a nightmare to deal with.. but it was a great machine
DoctorBlankenstein Yeah the MIDI stuff is a bit complicated, I made a dedicated video. It all becomes a bit easier when you understand that internal MIDI control is handled differently compared to MIDI coming from an external keyboard and the RPS function and the arpeggiator have their own channels (15 & 16).
Nice Video, but i prefer the Roland JX305, the Keyboard Version of the MC-505 :D
I read that JX305 sounds, even the ones shared with 505 sound a littlebit worse, because they're more compressed. Have you had the opportunity to hear them side-by-side?
@@flare242 Only over a way to short weekend. The difference to me is like 2 mc-505 compared side by side, blindfolded :D meaning that there can be a slight difference but more likely from connection issues
Addendum, the Effects like Reverb etc ARE different sounding
I'd always put my Yamaha Rs7000 directly head to head with it.
The RS-7000 also seems quite amazing! I never owned one but I still have an RM1X and an SU 700 and like them both a lot.
@LousyFacelift the rm1x is still a solid sequencer these days. I'm on my 3rd RS7000 since 1999 😆
Had a couple of SP808ex over the years, but never the 505, had the mc707, but menu diving in thay was too much for my liking. Hence RS, so on board control without too much menu diving.
I also see the korg electribe, used to have the 2 metallic valve driven ones, one of the most mad sounding boxes I've ever had
@@ComplexAutist Yes, they're both awesome but very different from the Yamaha and Roland boxes. Fastest workflow I've ever come across on any machine but also quite limited compared to the other ones, which is both - good and bad at the same time.
@@ComplexAutist I also had an SP-808 EX (the pink version) many years ago and still have my MC-707. I didn't get along with the SP though and I very much agree with what you say about the 707. I wish Roland had given it a dedicated envelope section like in the 505, switchable between pitch, amp and filter settings. It makes a huge difference for me having direct access to these controls.
What would be the equivalent today?
Well, the MC-505 is quite unique... there is the MC-707 which is probably the closest equivalent and they do have a lot in common but they are also quite different from eachother in many aspects as well so there really is no easy comparison. The MC-707 is more capable as a workstation, it includes a basic sampler and looper and does a more convincing job at mimicking other synth characters but is also a bit more difficult to use and has a completely different sequencer that is clip based like Ableton Live. The MC-505 is more limited and has more of a character of its own which can be good or bad depending on your personal expectations. Things like more dedicated controls, a linear sequencer, better arpeggiator and other "fun stuff" make me appreciate the workflow of the MC-505 a bit more but to be fair I need to spend a lot more time with the MC-707. The MC-909 sampling groovebox (from 2002) is kind of in between the two and is in some aspects even more powerful than the 707 but it's also quite dated already and it's also a give and take type deal compared to the 707.
@@LousyFacelift thanks for the info. I'm trying to find a good simple setup. I have a microkorg and want something like a drum machine, geoovebox like that might also do sampling. I've had the emx 1before. That was a long time ago. I'm on the fence about the electribe sampler.
Hmm... some people swear by the Electribe 2 (sampler) but I don't really like them so much to be honest. It comes down to personal preference I guess but for me they have too many limitations. A limited concept can be great when it leads to a better workflow but it seems to me like the Electribe 2 machines offer a lot at first glance and then by getting to know them better you experience serious let downs and that's not the kind of limitation that's cool and fun. If you want a sampler / sequencer I would much rather get an MPC 500... If you have a little more money to spend maybe look into an MPC One or Live (2), a Roland MC-707, MC-909, an MV-8800 / 8000 or a Yamaha RS-7000.
My thoughts exactly with the electribes, limitations or it's lacking that "umpf" that I desire. Oh ok I'll take a look at these recommendations. Thanks again for the advice! Appreciate it.
is there any other gear that has the same groove - quantize capabilities? I loved it on my MC-303.
The Yamaha Motif series has an extensive library of groove templates.
Can it be synced to a DAW?
Yes, when you have a MIDI interface, you can set the MIDI clock on the 505 to slave mode and have its tempo controlled via MIDI in.
hey man
thank you for this tutorials!
but can you tell how to delete patterns pls?
The delete function only works for user patterns, preset patterns cannot be deleted. To delete a user pattern use the INITIALIZE function instead of DELETE in the PTN/SONG menu, it's a lot quicker. Just select the pattern, hold down shift, press write and confirm.
thx man will try!
I love my 505 since I came across it at the store back in High school. I had a choice between this and a new keyboard and I got the 505. I also just got a mc-909 for $400 from a friend. Both are powerful machines. I too feel like they are under valued and over looked. I love the filters and are constantly making new sound from the presets into creative new designs. Please make more videos to see what you discover and share. Thanks for making the video.
Thank you! I made a tutorial series of five more videos explaining all the different functions of the MC-505, please check them out on my channel if you haven't already. But still you're right - I need better time management for myself and make changes, for example I need to move my studio to a different room where I can make music at night without disturbing anyone. This room needs a new carpet first though... there's so much to do man, sometimes I don't know where to start. Great deal on the MC-909 btw, that's another beast of a machine, great instrument! Thanks for watching and commenting, have a great day!
Blessed B Thy WiLL I’m trying to decide between the 505 and 909. I love Grooveboxes! They’re so fun. I just want one for some quick fun now and then. I have more high end grooveboxes but want one of these. Which one would you recommend? I can get a 505 for 325 and a 909 for 650. Thank you!!
@@cougarman8 I love them both, but the 909 has it all. You can SEE a piano roll like track creation on the screen and also has a sampler. 16 tracks and duel d-beams. The expansion creats will decide what you make it as your "main" device. For example, I wanted to get a TR-8S as a main drum machine but they go for 800+. I got my 909 with the World of drums expansions card already in for 400. I love the 505 too. Very powerful, although the "Default" sounds are as the say "out dated" you have the envelops and amp filters to adjust the tones and bring them to life. Others say they sound flat, but if you buy a pedal or use vst durning recording it will make it sound bigger and widen the sound. Its really up to your budget. I am honestly looking at buying an additional 505 for about 200, to do a mix like turntable setup just because they are getting that cheap and they are that good to have. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
@@cougarman8 Get the 909, now and then later and 505 cheaper.
Blessed B Thy WiLL really appreciate the responses man. What’s the max you’d pay for either one in good working condition?
This or EMX as a first groovebox? What to buy? Who is better\funkier for house music?
The EMX is more suitable for beginners because it's a lot easier to learn. If we're talking about a beginner who is new to electronic music but knows how to play the piano, I'd recommend going with the MC-505 because it's polyphonic which means you can play and record chords. The EMX overall is a lot more limited. It's a monophonic machine that doesn't offer combinable scales, you have to stick to the one you've selected for the whole pattern. It allows you to program chords in a dedicated mode but they can't be played in freely by holding down a number of keys like you can in the 505. They are both excellent instruments though and you can't really go wrong with either one of them.
Thank you for your answer! What do you think of MC-909? Or Yamaha rs7000?
- That's a tough decision... It depends on what's more important to you. Comparing sampling sections - the MC-909 is expandable to a maximum RAM of 272 MB even without the smart memory card option with up to 128 MB on top. The maximum capacity in the RS-7000 is 64 MB. When focusing on the sequencer though the RS-7000 is a lot more capable of controlling external devices with its two MIDI outputs, so you get up to 32 channels vs 16 in the 909. Build quality seems better on the MC-909 alluminium enclosure, the RS-7000 is plastic, still seems very solid though. The pads in the MC-909 are velocity sensitive but I would not recommend extensive finger drumming because they feel a bit flimsy. The MC-909 can hold an SRX expansion board which might also be interesting for some but all in all I think it really comes down to the sampler vs. sequencer question.
Hello! Just bought an EMX-1. Not impressed at all... too digital and cheap sound everywhere. Like you should really work out to make it sound decent. "Decent". Can be a drum machine and a bit of a drum synth. Maybe some bass line generator. Def not as a sequencer - it is monophonic + 1\32 grid resolution. Posting for sale right now. WIll try mc-505, but thinking of going to try Roland mv8800 + some drum synth + some external synths. PS: forgot to say, effects on EMX are just horrible. Horriblest ever, especially the reverb.
YOU WERE BORN TO SING Well yeah... Roland... what can you say... what a weird company. They created the most legendary instruments, way ahead of their time with these old analogue classics - the Jupiter, Juno and SH - lines of synths, completely unmatched innovations like the TB-303, TR-808 and 909 that became really successful much later on the used market without bringing any real profit to the company unfortunately and then later going digital with the D-50 and JD-800... no need to say any more about these. They then started rereleasing the concept of the JD-800 in a thousand different ways - JD-990, SC-880, JV series, XV series, newer Juno line and even the Fantoms all go back to that one synth but trying to go more and more hifi didn't really lead to a better sound, bringing more clarity and precision but at the same time losing a lot of warmth and lively character. And that's the difference between the MC-505 and the 909 - the 505 sounds alive and warm, the 909 very hifi and clean but also a bit sterile and the Fantoms even more so... To me it seems like now Roland are trying to finally make a profit of their legendary old analogue concepts by turning the car around on a one way street. The boutiques seem like a scam and that doesn't even have anything to do with them being digital, most of them sound really good to me but build quality along with mini output jacks, cheap plastic bottom parts, mini usb for power, flimsy knobs and sliders too small to operate nicely... what is this? Can't wait for my Behringer RD-808 is all I can say... 😉 Well, so much for this little rant, thanks for the great comment and have fun making music! 😀👍
Do you have to stop the sequencer to record new steps in? And is there something like yamahas "pattern patch" mode?
Well, theoretically you don't need to stop the sequencer to switch between parts and type in new notes but if you want to change the recording mode, let's say from TR record to realtime record mode and also to save the pattern to its memory slot you need to stop the sequencer. Not actually live oriented in this regard unfortunately. The Yamaha concept in the QYs and in the RM1X is similar in a way that allows you to use the parts independantly in other patterns than they were originally recorded in with the Mega Mix function or assign them as phrases to so called Rhythm Play Sets. So yes, quite comparable in this aspect.
@@LousyFacelift could you give me some more enlightenments lousy face lift? I am a rm1x user and qy user but now I either want to switch to rs7k or mc505. What are the main differences? Are the outputs of the 505 assignable? And what about midi implementation in the 505.i have heard that instruments have specific midi channels and can't be switched etc.
Best regards!
Lenin On Acid I have an RM1X and I had an SU-700 for a little while but no experience with the RS-7000. But I think the main difference is of course the sampler in the RS and a couple of its MIDI effects and the scenes that are also in the SU (I believe) which make it quite powerful. The main advantage of the 505 is its synthesis engine which offers much deeper sound design and the better step sequencer in ny opinion. It may sound a little weird but I really like that the "keys" in the 505 represent the actual steps in a sequence. In other sequencers you have your keys / pads / buttons and you have a screen that shows the grid in which notes can be placed but in the 505 each key has an led that indicates whether a note is written or not, so the key becomes the step so to speak, and that just makes it seem more direct or a little less abstract to me. Yes, MIDI channels in the 505 are fixed to 1-7 for the synth parts and channel 10 for the drums. In the end it comes down to how much you want the sampler I guess. The synth engine in the 505 is powerful but not always intuitive, you have to learn that thing. It's not an easy decision because they are so diffetent and I don't know about your priorities. The 505 will be more of a challenge coming from the RM1X, so the RS is probably the easier (but maybe also less interesting) choice.
@@LousyFacelift okay thanks so much for your time! As an rm1x owner I am pretty sure that each of the keys on the yam has it's own LED and represents an individual step with a written note.
Anyway how about the sequencing capabilities of mc505 and those multiple outputs... Are they assignable?
Best regards buddyz
Lenin On Acid Yeah, nevermind the note thing... hahaha... I just realized it looks almost the same on the RM1X. I admit I haven't used it enough yet. You get two assignable additional stereo outs in the MC-505 and you can pan instruments fully to the left and right to use them as four mono outs. Effects are hardwired to the main outs though. As a MIDI sequencer for external gear the RS-7000 is clearly more powerful. I think it even has two MIDI outs which can control up to 32 channels vs 8 channels in the MC-505. It seems like a decision between (synths-) sound design and pretty much anything else.
Thanks for sharing knowledge. I have mine 505 around 3 years. Still learning this wonderful machine. I really like synth section as for a rompler is very capable - in fact you do not feel is a rompler - for me is more like 4 layer wavetable synth. And sequencer yes very powerful - what I miss is bigger display to see all notes at once for one step - to not need investigate which notes I used and where in my pattern. I waiting for more guides from you I'm more than sure will be very helpful for whole 505 community. Cheers Seb
zbieracky Thanks a lot for the nice words! Yes, the synth is very powerful, like a four oscillator synth each one capable of turning its waveforms into something completely different. A larger display would be nice, of course but I think the view filter function can make up for that a little bit, I still have to find out exactly how to use it though. ;)
How good is the mc-303 for controlling external gear?
It's really not bad. The four different note grids on the faceplate are all combinable, patterns can be up to 16 measures long and I even think most CCs are recognised.
@@LousyFacelift Yeah I guess I will probably start either using my mc-303 or Yamaha rm1x to sequence my external gear. I was going to buy a keystep pro but the price jumped $100.
@@User-wq9ri In that case go with the RM1X, it's a great sequencer!
@@LousyFacelift Yeah I was definitely considering the rm1x because it transmits on all 16 midi channels. I just need to get some more thru boxes.
Some instruments have a MIDI through interface and others allow you to switch internally between MIDI out and through functionality, so you can also make a daisy chain with multiple devices, each set to a (number of) dedicated receive channel(s). Try to keep the overall cable length as short as possible to avoid latency.
NIce ! i have yhe emx ..but this sounds very tight ! nice sound !
retrogazele Thanks! It's a great next step coming from the EMX. Polyphony, combinable scales, up to 32 bars per pattern, ADSR envelopes, two LFOs per patch, quantize off setting... It's a great machine! ;)
i really like the way you explain the mashine in the video.. can you go into how drum or synth per tracks are? and how you program rythms? and maybe the effects also in another video.. thanks.
I’d like to see a video on song workflow. I too own an EMX and the limitations keep me from using it. The reverb is junk and lack of ADSR drives me crazy. It does have a great layout but the 505 has caught my eye thanks to you. As an Octatrack owner and TR-8s I’m not sure if this unit would fit in my MIDI/sound chain.
The reverb on the EMX is very "special" and can sound quite awful. There is a workaround for the lack of an attack parameter but you need to sacrifice the LFO for it, which is a bit of a shame. I think the 505 would be a great addition to your machines, especially for its warm sound and powerful polyphonic sequencer. When buying a 505, keep in mind it's a 90s machine so it's hard to find one in perfect condition. If you end up with some flaws, take it to a repair shop and have it fixed, it's totally worth it.
I've actually found some mint ones from Japan that are hardly used. That's how I bought my perfect condition EMX-1. The thing was new! You pay more but I like my equipment nice in my studio. Thanks for the videos.