Polymerization mechanism: Roland MC 303 demo #3 groovebox ambient chill electro jam

[@jmcbeady8210]

This track is so good! You always have things that grab your attention.

[@warmrollsforthetable]

I swapped out every switch on the panel board of my 303, except the keybed switches they seem fine... while it was apart I cleaned it up a lot. It feels new! I love my 303!

[@MIDERA]

Other Guy i need to do that... that does not seem like fun. What tact Switches did you buy? Do you remember? I wonder if they’re the same ones as the D50, cuz I have a ton of those.......

[@warmrollsforthetable]

@@MIDERA I grabbed mine from Ebay, same as the MC505 and JV80 😁

[@mountainbeatsdjco4174]

DUDE!! I had an MC303 20 years ago and I never got anything so great out of it. Great music man!

[@MIDERA]

Thanks Joe :) Don't worry, I can't get anything like this out of it these days either :/ It was a time in my life - and that time is gone!

[@thomasgehle3826]

Unterschätzte Kiste....ich liebe meine MC......Guter Job von Dir 👍

[@MIDERA]

Agreed. And thank you!

[@ExceriusKeyz]

Sir, you've convinced me to get one of these beauties. Been looking for something like this for a while now and your tracks really sell this beast!

[@MIDERA]

Thank you :)

[@ratface1987]

Yes! Manual fade out with the volume knob. This is an amazing track. You put my videos to shame. Thanks for sharing! :)

[@ratface1987]

Well I'm glad I was a part of this masterpiece in a peripheral sort of way. :)

[@lairdtomfrenchelectromusic2545]

With a small "toy", you work wonders ! And what inspiration ! Inexhaustible ! "Chapeau bas" (French expression which means "respect").

[@MIDERA]

You are too kind! Thanks for all the kind words and comments :)

[@infesticon]

This doesn't even sound like mc 303! I mean that in a good way. Glad I stumbled on this.

[@MIDERA]

Hey thanks!

[@StudioF]

Brilliant track.

[@arturpolonski6234]

Awesome

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!

[@luvshak]

amazing.

[@MIDERA]

Thanks :)

[@jeroenbroeders2587]

Very nice!

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!

[@anthonybrett]

Well underestimated bit of kit. Ridiculously over priced equipment (moog anyone?) never equates to creativity. Creativity comes from limitation, and being forced to explore, its time to start making music with our ears again, and not our eyes.

[@MIDERA]

***** I agree, although moog made/makes a lot of great products. I just can't afford them. I love all-in-one boxes because it really forces you to work with what's in front of you. I guess I'm glad this is underestimated. It was $100 for me. My 303 is starting to become hard to use though, I really have to press down on the buttons now and even then they don't always work :(

[@anthonybrett]

For sure, totally understand, I wasnt bashing moog "per se", they design good circuitry, but, marketing and hype get in the way, and you now have hundreds of young producers who think that creativity and good sound = high price. The vid you posted here is great stuff, and it should serve to show how you dont need money to make great music. Ive been using my 303 all afternoon and I must say Im loving it again! Thanks for the inspiration.

[@sloppyzowe]

+MIDERA Recently picked one up with multiple bad switches. I was able to source some new buttons for the keys and all of the buttons. It takes some soldering, but it works good as new!

[@Teddysk89]

Beautiful.

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!

[@timandtheocean]

Cool to see that more people love the mc303. I owned 3 of them and still have 2 left ;)

[@MIDERA]

Nice. Do you still have them!?

[@timandtheocean]

@@MIDERA no sold them and have a jx305 for the arp

[@MIDERA]

JX305 always seemed cool.

[@graywolf2004ru]

Great track.

[@MoeShinola1]

Dude, I just discovered your channel, you stuff is so good! I'm definitely saving for an mc303. I've had a few grooveboxes, but I always end up selling them and just using the laptop. The investment of time to learn the groovebox well has been the reason. The trouble with software is that you can't really play a computer, which is how I'm creative on the guitar; start playing and a trail of breadcrumbs presents itself that will usually lead to cool music. I've seldom had that experience with computer music. Maybe the 303 will be easier to learn. My hat's off to you, man.

[@MIDERA]

Thanks MoeShinola1! What grooveboxes have you owned? I've pretty much had every single one, or at least one rendition or another of it, other than quasimidi devices. I wrote my first electronic album using garageband, before I even knew what a synthesizer was (other than "those 80's pop things"). I love that album, and it was good learning how to sequence using computers. One thing I like about computers is how easy it is to write track, how easy it is to get changes and dynamics into the whole thing. I love that, but it's harder with my synthesizers, but the challenge is part of what I love about it. That and I enjoy filming the recording of my music :) I too come from a guitar background. I used to play guitar/bass/sing/drums and record rock music, but electronic music is just too much fun and I've moved almost entirely over to that. I know exactly how you feel about the breadcrumbs. The same is very true with my grooveboxes (though I had that too with my computer, it was just not as fun of an experience). I like the limitation of what's in front of me, I get to focus, press buttons and knobs... If I knew what grooveboxes you've used, why you liked them, why you hated them, I might be able to steer you toward something you'll mesh with better. I love my 303, but it's not the easiest to get along with. My songs all sound different than when I recorded them because of weird saving issues that I've never understood. Cheers.

[@MoeShinola1]

***** I had an E-Mu Command station, the XL-7, I think it was called? Never really had a chance to explore it. I had sp-505 and sp-404 samplers(it hurt pawning the 404, it was the best of all the bunch and the easiest to learn), an NI Maschine, whose workflow I never clicked with, and most recently a Korg EM-1, an older one. The buttons on the EM-1 were kinda worn. Oh, and a Volca Bass, which was wonderful. Ended up selling them all at one time or another for bills, but also because they just weren't being used, except for the Volca and 404. Maybe this latest round of G.A.S.(Gear Aquisition Syndrome) will see me finding something too addictive to let go. It's been true that the simpler a piece of gear was, the more I liked it. The 303 looks like the simplest Roland groovebox, compared to the 505 and on up and that has peaked my interest.

[@MIDERA]

Yeah, MoeShinola1... The EMU, which I have, is confusing as hell. I wouldn't recommend it, though I know some people love it and think it's great. Never had the sp-505 or 404, but those aren't grooveboxes so much as samplers. NI maschine is a great device, but pretty complex as well, and computer driven. I've heard the EM-1 sounds great, but it's extremely limited (two monophonic voices, plus drums). Could be a good device. I think for starting out, I would recommend one of the Roland MC boxes, they're probably the simplest in my opinion. I wouldn't spend over $100 on the MC-303, but if you can get it for that price it would be worth it. I think if you can find the MC-505 for under $250 that would be worth it, and maybe under $400 for the MC-909... but don't get the MC-808, unless it's dirt cheap, you can't completely edit it without a computer. Also, consider there's a new Electribe coming out soon, or check out the Elektron Monomachine, that's one of my favorite grooveboxes and is incredibly simple, yet deep. But I would start with the MC series, for sure.

[@MoeShinola1]

***** Danke!

[@warmrollsforthetable]

@@MIDERA I can NEVER get my 303 to keep the tempo saved. Always reverts to 120. That said I love my 303 and D2

[@shunpillay]

Enjoying this. Very cool! :) Keep up the good work.

[@Synth2000]

Well i definitely think that people that bash this thing is deaf. And not only because of your beautiful music. Drums are amazing, stereo field too, bass is solid, mids are there present. Can anyone explain to me the bad things in this 100e gem ?

[@MIDERA]

Well, it’s a ROMpler, so it’s a bit more limited with synthesis. I think it’s ok, but I don’t use it that often. It helped me through some very dark times, so it was sort of like my antidepressant... I don’t think I could create anything like this today if I tried, and anyway, I used up all the memory the damn thing had and I’m afraid to delete this stuff :/

[@Synth2000]

​@@MIDERA Often the most beautiful music emerges from the darkest moments. This particular piece is really good. The samples that roland put in the mc303 are very useful. I read somewhere that the reason for the people hating it is the interface. But life is difficult too, so I went out and brought one home.

[@MIDERA]

That’s awesome! Enjoy it :)

[@LowKeyMisfits]

I am really enjoying your sounds. Very great mood pieces! I am on the fence between getting a mc303, emx1, or rmx. Watching your mc303 vids and given the price of them used I'm leaning that way. Thanks for your music!

[@cobiwilliams]

Which did you end up getting?

[@MIDERA]

Yikes... I don't know why I didn't respond to your message here (sorry!). Hope you were able to make a decision. They're all good, so you can't go too wrong with any of them :)

[@andydoss]

By the way, when I bought it, I really only ended up using the GB to do drum tracks and some ambient sound, and used it with a multitracker to back up some rock type songs I was doing.

[@oofdah6738]

bravo!

[@MIDERA]

Thank you!

[@t55a2]

Old vid, but still a great example

[@MIDERA]

Crazy to think this is considered old. It feels like not that long ago that I made it.

[@t55a2]

@@MIDERA It has passed the ‘time test’, pretty impressive

[@t55a2]

I have the MC-303 myself, 28- note polyphony and an 808 drum kit aren’t bad by any means. It’s also very well made.

[@fighterzbt23]

it'd be cool if you could make some tutorial vids for beginners with MC 303 such as myself (just got it yesterday). very nice track!

[@MIDERA]

Thanks! Hmm, I don't know how good I'd be at making a tutorial, I end up fumbling through making a track each time, and never seem to save my stuff properly, so it never comes out the same the next time I play it! Haha, maybe I can give it a go some time :)

[@TR929]

U should release this tune.

[@andydoss]

I have a MC303. I bought it when they first came out. I never really got good with it, I live in an area where tools or experts on these aren't even in the music stores. Recently dug it out. Let me ask, At about 4:52, the "dit-dit-dit" sound - how did you do that at a simplified level. Did you have manually program in each note? How does it sound like an "echo" on there?

[@tombrews]

Nice track! This was done entirely on the groovebox?

[@MIDERA]

Yep, it was! Thanks for asking :)

[@juancharry1457]

I heard your album, it sounds great !! I am serously thinking to buy one Mc 303. But I don't know if i should buy the 303 or the Korg EM1. I really apreciate your advice !!

[@MIDERA]

Thanks, I'm glad you like it! I don't know much about the Korg EM1, though I've heard it sounds better than the EMX. Both will be a lot more limited than the MC-303 in terms of polyphony. I think it's a bit easier to write music with the MC-303. The electribes are far better for writing beats though. Consider the RM1X, RS7K, monomachine, MC-307, and MP7... It's hard to suggest the best one for you as I'm not sure what type of music you're looking to make. You might not be able to make very complete songs with the EM1 with only two monophonic synth parts. I'd go for the EMX or even the new Electribe Sampler (not the ESX, though that is nice as well). If you're willing to work with the MC-303, you're bound to get good stuff out of it!

[@juancharry1457]

Thank you! !I just bougth the EMX But I still want to buy the MC-303, some day !

[@kabsrider1]

Yes nice track!!! :) What tones do you use please? Good job

[@MIDERA]

I’m sorry, I don’t remember :/ Thanks!

[@jokchung]

Amazing track. Have you considered a trance version say at 125 bpm?!

[@TR929]

Take the midi files and jam it on the spekkie or virus...

[@jokchung]

acemonvw - the melody is awesome - by trance, if you were to speed it up (kind of like above and beyond style), get a hot singer to sing, you have an ibiza top ten single :) Let's quit our jobs, become a duo like the pet shop boys

[@brunocpimenta]

Are you still working on thr same place?

[@raymondmoreno1321]

hello

[@MIDERA]

Hi

[@sitalaki]

Hola! Hola!