ROLAND MC101 IN-DEPTH REVIEW

This is the Roland MC101 and its a portable groovebox and sample player. But is it a Circuit Killer? Let's find out! If you want one use my affiliate link:
Roland MC101 // portable 4 track synth
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[@tr1co0]

I think it’s now time for Korg to make a new Electribe that addresses all the shortcomings of the current iteration.

[@Nik.leonard]

Korg Electribe Gadget...

[@tr1co0]

Leonard Petit-Breuilh This is actually brilliant and needs to be reality.

[@Nik.leonard]

The 1010Music Blackbox (and the Akai Live) demonstrated that a hardware "groovebox" constructed around a touch screen can work. The only thing Korg should have to do is not overprice it.

[@metronohm808_6]

YES YES AND YES. The EXS2 is great and a do-it-all box, BUT, SO MUCH MENU DIVING, it's so hard to just record a sound into the unit, chop it and use it, it practically renders the machine useless

[@tr1co0]

METRONOHM 808 Yeah the way that thing handles samples is absurdly unintuitive. The primary measure of success for a groovebox should be in how few barriers to creativity there are in the workflow, IMO.

[@SuperEgido]

I have had the MC-101 for a few years. I am delighted with the acquisition. It seems incredible to me what can be done with a little box that fits almost in the palm of your hand. Your videos are always inspiring. Thank you for your reviews and for sharing your experience.

[@BoBeats]

i need to post bail for the mc101 soon... www.patreon.com/bobeats

[@pokerdealer2003]

I’m still pulling hours a week on the ole MC505 can’t wait to try the new breeds. Great video!

[@shaboogen]

This box theoretically becomes a lot more interesting given the Zenology announcement in Roland Cloud yesterday.

[@christopherfarrell-artist3557]

Firmware 1.81 is a game changer for the MC 101. You can now create and edit 4 osc sounds and more.......

[@ConwayBob]

That does look like fun, and it's got that characteristically clear and clean Roland sound plus some good effects when you want something a bit less clean. Nice.

[@marcoabyss]

i love roland grooveboxes. i still use my mc303 as a main drum machine in my studio. the 101 might be the next one i get. i got sold on the scatter feature. thanks for the review and detailed explanation of the features/menu diving.

[@marcusai210]

Really appreciate this review. Thinking about getting one. Any chance of a “1 year review”?

[@sinewaymusic]

Me too! Is it getting any better? Are they listening to their users?

[@Val_Cla]

Thank you so so much for the vid ! This little box seems perfect for me ! was looking for a small portable groovebox, and this might be what i'll go for

[@AD-Dom]

Helpful video Bo, I’ve taken the plunge with it. Using it as a slave to Akai Force. It was expensive but it comes with tons of sounds etc.

[@Turtles8179]

How is it, 3 years later? If you kept it, is everything still functional - I’m slightly concerned about build quality

[@KitCatStudio]

By now I have watched several reviews of the 101. It seems that the only major issue ppl talk about regarding this instrument, is the price tag. This is understandable as Roland has some what pricy products being a lead player in this market but it doesn’t mean it’s not worth the money. If you don’t need a pricy unit and can do everything it does on your computer or maybe u can do it with a cheaper instrument, well do it. To me it seems this has all the features I need so Seriously considering this one !

[@cougarman8]

I wonder if the mx-1 can power it with just the USB power port or if it needs the batteries

[@wince333]

Ouch !!! The price is too high 470 swiss franc (~440euro)

[@nikosrachoutis1270]

440 euro for a fart machine ? Digital toy ? F ... off roland! Behringer win !

[@am5790]

@@nikosrachoutis1270 Behringer will force the other " big" manufacturers to reconsider the lower-ish end market....if they continue cloning successfully ( durability and output quality)

[@va941]

Over 500€ in Finland

[@seantubridy3242]

Nikos Rachoutis How does Behringer win? Where is their groove box?

[@morlidor]

Its not to high as there is no other similar as capable cheaper product..

[@rontan8433]

Nice jamming on my Grandma's dining table. 😅

[@batteryheadmusic]

Great jam! I want this just for that sweet scatter effect.

[@onkelberra3166]

Looks fun. But the price is a real deal breaker. Might buy one 2nd hand

[@marvomd]

It's a very cool groovebox but i think that the possibility of editing your own sound with Components it's a strenght of the Circuit , and obviously the price it's also a strenght of the Circuit. Cool review as always Bo!

[@terrordome426]

I got the older ones, 303/505 and 808. I’m kind of interested in this little portable unit

[@badworker]

But how does it compare to model:samples if i dont really care about on board synth, sampling and mastering?

[@davidholmes3776]

Model:Samples does appear to be the most direct competitor... I have Circuit already and am looking for something equally portable; that I can mess about with on my lunchbreak that will complement it.

[@mountainpiercer]

What about vs Electribe 2s? I think it's a good argue...

[@BoBeats]

i wish i had one :-/

[@mountainpiercer]

However, this is the best video on mc 101 on KZbin. Good job 😊

[@Cthuski]

E2s owner. I lost interest in this thing about 5 minutes in. The device, not the video.

[@HotStrange]

This has real polyphony but the 2s is still better for the price.

[@Cthuski]

@@HotStrange agreed that e2s polyphony is probably my biggest gripe about the machine... however unless there are several elements you need to mute/unmute/modulate independently you can work around it by resampling several elements together. I love the e2s, there's a clever workaround to almost every apparent shortcoming if you're willing to put in the dirty work. There isn't a better box at it's price point and once you know how to use it I genuinely think it outperforms boxes that are double the price.

[@gctechs]

1.80 firmware is out!

[@wolfmaxem2583]

Very good review.... whats about how does it work with DAW's like Resolve Fairlight?

[@BNedr218]

Hey Bo. Thanks for the vid : ) How do you think it compares to the TR8s? I'm mostly interested in the drum sounds and quality of those. Noticeable difference between acb and pcm? Thanks again

[@Maudio303]

Nice review! You have talked about the capatility about live sampling from USB. It got a host connection. Possible to do it with a Windows machine or just with a Mac? Thanks mate

[@BoBeats]

Should work with both mac/windows

[@alexandrosroussos]

The only think I hate on this, as with almost any other Roland product is their proprietary built-in sound cards which require drivers and hence don't work with iOS. If they made the sound card's firmware class compliant, you could even manage to sample the sounds from your iPhone/iPad on the go through USB without having to transfer on the sd card. Fortunately now you can move files on sd cards with iOS 13 but that adds quite a few steps on the workflow.

[@artpozitif]

Hi Booo... Do you recommend this device for singer/songwriters for working on projects on the go. I'm just between buying a secondhand OP-1 but this looks so nice also. Hope to get a comment.

[@BoBeats]

yes this would be a very good solution. However: the op-1 is a different beast and I think it is definitely interesting too. The 101 doesn’t have sampling capability like the op-1 has

[@HotelEdenMusic]

Excellent video as always! I may have missed this in your review, but is it possible to real-time automate motion (by knob) to create "pumping" volume automation? And does the master bus offer a configurable compressor?

[@BoBeats]

Yes: master fx is multi fx, compressor, EQ, reverb and delay (delay can also be a chorus) As to the pumping effect I am less certain. It should be possible but not 100% sure since I have not tried

[@HotelEdenMusic]

@@BoBeats Thanks, Bo!

[@HzofArt]

Does this or the 707 have the sp404 vinyl sim effect

[@BoBeats]

I don’t know. Dont know the sp :-)

[@synriser6742]

1010Music Blackbox for me. Much more capabilities for €100 more.

[@BoBeats]

blackbox seems stellar, gotto try one

[@InkyDaCaT]

True SynthPimp😉🙌

[@synriser6742]

@@BoBeats True, thanks for the review. Going to get me another Espresso.

[@Colleen1956Canada]

I have a DeepMind12D, a behringer model D, a Moog Matriarch, an Arturia MicroFreak, and a skiff case with 3 Expert Sleepers Distings, Plaits, Pamelas New Workout and Varigate 8+. Would the MC-101 add to that setup, or would it be more likely to replace half of what I already have?

[@RealBassPhat]

Mc101 or Blackbox? Which one would you get?

[@BoBeats]

oh I have not tried the Blackbox. If sampling is your thing there is no competition. Blackbox wins hands down. But if you want a portable synth then the 101 offers something cool. So its more what you need it for. Also I think Blackbox is a much better sequencer for external gear.

[@SusumoKakinotane]

Would you consider a Roland jd xi instead of this groovebox? Thanks!

[@SyntheticLTD]

What would be good for portable sampling? I need something I can load presets onto or at least samples onto and play without a DAW

[@itsberlin1990]

Roland SP-404 is the hiphop gold standard

[@plutostube]

how long an audio clip can be? in the context of playing full 5 minutes stereo backing tracks? is there a limit of memory for audio clips?

[@TommyVarekai]

can you trigger samples/loops/one shots externally from a midi keyboard and keymap? :)

[@swafranr]

@Bobeats great review. Can you please say "I claim this planet in the name of mars" ?

[@drummrmani1204]

Hello sir, I'm from india. plese give me answer How to connect spd30 midi in Roland mc 101 midi out connect the video and play in drums and Congo beats..

[@kentxx12]

Thanks for as always a good review Bo,but now you just must compare it,you dont need to buy it,just borrow it...and compare it to the Roland MC101 and the Circuit and that is the old Swedish cult classic and super expensive : Teenage Engineering OP-1 :)

[@perruschke6691]

Is there a chord mode like on the MC707?

[@technopriest8686]

Now that the Summit is out, I have faith Novation will have time to make a new Circuit that will rival even the Deluge. Hmm Novation Peak is to Summit as Circuit is to NovationTransistor. Novation that one is for free B)

[@punkrockwithcomputers8193]

Oh and my Circuit....its still alive.

[@daslolo]

how sensitive are the pads?

[@colinreese]

Is it stand alone?

[@dandykaufman2]

this actually sold me more on the 101 vs the circuit bc I only use presets on the circuit and when I get tired of them, it's a pain to switch them out. having thousands of preset tones sounds very appealing.

[@ionianechoes]

I'll wait for the 1-channel version with just one knob, one fader and one pad

[@mikehydropneumatic2583]

Roland MC-1

[@mikehydropneumatic2583]

It only does cowbel.

[@ionianechoes]

MC-0,25

[@derekflow]

They already make that, see "SPD::ONE"

[@djthedarksider]

You mean the Special David Spaghetta EDM Edition? ;-)

[@BoBeats]

hey all! I can't read numbers. This unit doesn't have 800+ presets, there are thousands. Roland says its 3000-4000 and yes, that is correct. I state this incorrectly. I also want to add some other info: *Individual drum pads (16 per drum track) have their own EQ, filter settings, and a few other settings which relates to the clip/track settings for filter/adr. You can fine tune and coarse tune individual samples on a drum track. *mc101/707 projects are compatible. Sound engines are the same. Just different possibilities to edit sounds (I will send Roland feedback that we ofc want this deeper edit on the 101 too) The reference manual is a great read for all details.

[@SRDhain]

I'm not the greatest fan of small two line displays when it comes to editing; they're choc laden with acronyms galore, which you're forced to remember, and essentially develop a muscle memory for. On this box, the editing will be 4 to 10 layers deep if they're using that display and knob layout, so i suspect a standalone editor will be the order of the day. However, the editor may be portable, as to be able to run it on your apple & android smartphone, which would go with the 'let's make music on the move' theme. Via midi (or usb), there could also be direct control via an mc707 (you already mention the patches etc are the same), which would further facilitate useage if you had both devices (not unheard of, if you want to leave one in the studio and take one on the road etc).

[@marktaylor7162]

"I will send Roland feedback that we ofc want this deeper edit on the 101 too" - Awesome, just what I'd like, and I'm sure plenty of other people would like it too. This would be even better than a separate editor app. I appreciate a different interface would need to be designed due to the smaller, more limited screen, but this should certainly be possible. -- What I love about this synth engine is the way each of the four 'partials' that make up a voice can have separate envelopes and LFOs applied. This makes the synth engine so much deeper than it first appears. I already have some idea of what this can do by playing with a PreenFM2 synth, which like early digital FM synths has a separate envelope per operator (and also allows different waveforms, unlike DX7-style FM synths). I've found you can get some very interesting sound design even without using FM at all - just by using carriers with different envelopes shaping how the sound evolves. With Roland's new synth engine, this could get even more interesting with the large variety of different waveforms available and separate filter modulation. (I've only really gotten into synth programming in the last few months, but I've rapidly turned into a synth nerd who loves exploring the sound design possibilities of complex synth engines!)

[@matthewspring2496]

Does it have individual fx sends for each drum sound on the drum track ?

[@VJFranzK]

I have thought - if it's "the same sound engine"* perhaps it could play another "layer" of the 4 tracks? If it's limited by control real estate rather than the processor itself being lesser. ( *which could account for the "high" price of a small machine.)

[@BoBeats]

i am not sure the chip/processing is entirely the same tho VJ

[@davidholmes3776]

Really pleased that you didn’t just demo a load of 4-2-the-floor stuff. Have a really good overview of its capability. Cheers Bo!

[@jimmywheelo]

Been playing for a few days now. This thing is so powerful and has many possibilities and sounds amazing! A couple of things I'd like to see for future updates tho please if you you're watching Roland; 1. The c1 to c4 control knobs....the current layout seems wasteful. For example the filter section has only four filter controls from track 1 to 4 respectively. This should surely be setup so that when you're on your selected track the four knobs let you control 4 parameters for that selected track ie filter cutoff, resonance, attack and decay. These would all be ideally editable on a per step basis too. What you have to do now is hold the filter button down to swap between parameters meaning you can only adjust one parameter at a time which kills performances a bit. 2. More than 8 scenes......come on guys give us at least 16 scenes. Surely this isn't too big a deal to implement....ideally more. Any other observations guys? Really enjoying this so far though. Dare I say kinda ground breaking.

[@nastied]

Looks very promising but build in plastic seems crappy. How is it in reality?

[@matte3121]

Roland come on man! You're going to get left in the dust if you don't stop overcharging your customers. I've been a Roland fan for many years, but it getting harder and harder to stay a fan. My first groovebox was the MC505. All metal and bulletproof. Now it's all cheap plastic, but still a higher price. It's a $300.00 product at the most. Guess I'll have to buy two Novation circuit's.

[@mikehydropneumatic2583]

To actually answer the question, no. People into the Circuit find the MC101 too expensive. Not saying that is right or wrong but that is the vibe. At about €250 you can get into a Circuit or around €500 into a MC101. As a noob I would go Circuit, as an experienced noob (you kinda know what you want) the 101 might be just right. Mind that there is no right or wrong here. Well, you could go wrong but don't blame me.

[@marktaylor7162]

Thanks for answering my question @ 2:30. I'm hoping an editor will become available at some point in the future to allow creation of synth patches.

[@valley_robot]

Hi I’m from the future , the editor is 250.00 as a stand-alone or 20.00 per month subscription, fuck that noise Roland , you cheeky bastards

[@geecen]

Yea, 3 minutes in and I don't want it. Such a shame you can't fully edit the synth sounds as the roland family or romplers have a great engine which is very flexible. Maybe if a software editors comes out at some point I may reconsider.

[@jimshannononsounds]

Best review on this device on You Tube. Thanks👍

[@Twinsungamer]

I use my circuit for Eurorack sequencing and this will not replace it. A little too plastic for the price but sounds good and looks fun !

[@kellymerrill5294]

Don’t worry, it will cost $300 when they have to sell all those dusty boxes. I bought the System-1 M for $300, they originally asked $500 or more

[@HotStrange]

Lol okay

[@valley_robot]

This is around 300 used now, I paid 359.00 uk new for mine , that’s a fair price I’m looking forward to it arriving

[@aptudo]

I haven't even gotten to the review and I feel compelled to tell you how much I love the music you created at the beginning. It has a great "exotic" flavor and you used a tasteful amount - just a touch! - of glitchy effects to make it even more interesting. Very nice, Bo!

[@droussel7359]

Roland is now up to v1.71 on the MC707 and MC101. It'd be really interesting if you were to revisit them as there is a ton of new features that were added (including a metronome count in 😅)

[@ErgoBoom]

Yes!

[@kaikiefer8303]

Agree … esp since it now you can store samples.

[@justjoeblow420]

It really needs an update now that you can dig into the synth engine on the device a lot more with out having to use Zenology Pro as an over glorified editor, making the MC-101 feel a hell of a lot more self contained.

[@steventaylor3789]

Picked one up last week. I am using it as a portable ideas machine which I then bring back to the studio and use for inspiration re-recording everything on other kit. For this purpose it’s brilliant and absolutely how I used the Circuit. It’s perhaps worth saying that most of the functions are fairly intuitive either obviously requiring shift or use of the Value knob. I mention this as one of my concerns was the lack of physical controls but it’s not been a problem for me. The only criticism I have is the wobbly Value knob which is going to get a lot of use. Longevity is a worry in this regard and although this is clearly the ‘budget’ zencore offering I’m not sure it’s price warrants a wobbly knob. On a positive note breaking out the Keystep converts it into a nice portable keyboard albeit with a bunch of cables and a USB battery for the Keystep .

[@donaldpriola1807]

At its price, I wish it had more of a synth engine. For $250 or so, it would be a fun little box, though.

[@itscrewston6684]

I think that’s a little too cheap

[@thelastdruidofscotland]

thanks Bo, decent in depth demo of this little unit, but WHERE is the D-BEAM ?

[@lundsweden]

Is this a joke or what?! The d-beam was so lame!

[@larsenmb]

Hi bobeats can you please review some food or a restaurant soon? we're still waiting

[@JohnMark61355]

Thank you for your videos. Major flaw in the 101-a user cannot create a song with more than eight 4/4 measures on more than one track (without looping) because Clips cannot be changed on more than one track at once. On one track you can create eight 16 eight measure clips, but the other tracks would have to be looped in eight or less 4/4 measure loops. This is fine for repetitive beat-type compositions, but not actual songs with differences on all tracks beyond the eight measures. Long live the MPC Live! Every time a new product comes out, I realize how much more capable the MPC Live is for producing any kind of song without a computer.

[@deca5002]

Its on 1.81 at this moment, Which was a great improvement on many levels. I love this mini device next to the Novation Tracks, it is an awesome duo all together.

[@robert3045]

Im considering the mc101 to run next to my circuit tracks, i mainly just want more sounds and more variety because im running 2 circuits now and i feel like i am limited in new and varied sounds. Like grand piano or simple analog like synth sounds. But i am afraid that the mc101 is limited in sound design, has this improved over the later versions?

[@deca5002]

@@robert3045 you want to sound design on the actual box? Then do not buy a mc101. The design is still done on pc, then exported to the mc

[@robert3045]

@@deca5002 ahh so you do have the option to sound design and save extra presets to the 101? I remember the circuit also has this, but i never gave it a serious go

[@victorroberts4637]

Also - is the SD card formatting compatible with the TR8S? guessing backup, kit and pattern files may be different but will the Samples folder at least be able to be read by both machines?

[@VJFranzK]

On another video, they said yes. You can load channel 1-4

[@victorroberts4637]

No I mean the TR8S - not the MC707

[@cslock2]

Hy Bo! Try the "1010musci Blackbox", and then forget this MC 101. Small 2 line display, i hated them in the TR-8S too.

[@BoBeats]

tbh I tried the Blackbox and it didnt quite catch my attention. These are instruments. Not computers. Some of them feel very intuitive to me, others like Mpc Live and Blackbox are amazing value, but not for me I think. Too much ”computer in a box”

[@nazliuz]

maybe i will buy it someday.when behringer make a clone of it 🤣

[@markorendas1790]

NEXT SPRING : the BEHRINGER D101-GRVBX

[@BoBeats]

Teuku Nazli kurniawan next spring: bohringerBeats

[@mikeexits]

@@BoBeats Underrated comment haha!

[@LeonTrimble]

standard shitty reply to any synth release these days

[@alexwestconsulting]

@No Comment Not that I generally disagree, but the SE-20 is awesome (though admittedly probably more Studio Electronics than Roland): I've got two of them and they are right up there with my Moogs and Dave Smiths. Anyway yeah, I've got the Behringer Model D and just put a deposit down on Pro 1 so like I said, don't generally disagree.

[@BoBeats]

if you want to pick up the MC101 use my Thomann affiliate link: Roland MC101 // portable 4 track synth EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473345?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/74Lq5

[@DopamineOverload]

The link directs to Sweetwater.. it is supposed to be Thomann? Thanks, Bo!

[@veronicacornet7099]

Are there any reggea man,or some one from latino origin to show how to program that thing? im a caribbean person,i play zouk,cadance, compa,salsa ,soca,reggea, pls some one,help me,

[@Dea_Decay]

I enjoyed the 707 version, and this at least seems closer to my price range and something I'd be more likely to purchase. That said at $500 and a very limited budget the circuit would have a major advantage for me. Still I really like the layout, how small it is, realistically I know I could try to sell off the 2 volcas I own (I could easily use that as my drum machine & bass lines) to help recover some of that price difference. I can't help but wonder if some of the older, used grooveboxes I see online aren't a smarter deal given the situation I'm in but honestly I don't know much about older equipment (even if only a few years old) and I worry about losing some of the abilities to integrate it with my computer when it comes time to put the final touches in a track.

[@mikeexits]

I'm pretty much in a similar boat, except I wouldn't dare sell my Volcas haha! I want to sequence them and my Minilogue so I don't have to use only their on board sequencers and actually do jams and performances, rather than make loops. Grooveboxes are awesome!

[@Dea_Decay]

@@mikeexits I don't know that I could sell mine either! I mean for this I think it would be a worthy step up but they're still fun. I sequence mine with my Monologue. I've got the Sample & Bass and use them for drum and bass sounds while I play on the Mono.

[@mikeexits]

@@Dea_Decay That sounds really fun! I'm interested in the Monologue since it's battery powered, and owning my Minilogue, I'll feel right at home on the Mono. Paired with the Circuit and a Bastl Dude, maybe a few Volcas with their onboard sequencers and clock synced, that could be a great simple (but full of wires) mobile setup right there!

[@Dea_Decay]

@@mikeexits That's why I considered the Minilogue for my poly synth but in reverse! I was so happy and comfortable with the Mono I was looking at the Mini. Ultimately I saw a great deal on a Deepmind 12 and those 12 voices come in handy when playing bigger chords (especially as some sounds take up more than 1 voice). I'm regularly doing 3 or 4 notes with my right and 2 additional on my left for bass in my chords that sadly the Mini wouldn't have cut it. Had I gotten it I know I would have loved it, and it would certainly be easier to take places than my Deepmind. I don't have a circuit but that would be great unless I do get this 101 but my eyes are bigger than my pockets right now. I really want a Dreadbox Nyx, but practically for song writing a groovebox would make more sense atm.

[@mikeexits]

@@Dea_Decay I see, good choices! I personally don't really mess with more than a triad and a bass note anyway so the Minilogue's limitation isn't an issue for me. I can layer it in my DAW for more complex stuff anyway. The 3 voice limit on the Volca FM is a little annoying to me though. But all I really do for more voices is play the same chord an octave or an octave and an inversion or two apart. Different strokes I suppose.

[@skyreadersociety6183]

must admit that it sounds quite good. Finally they added their chorus classics, took years. Remember that permantly lacking choruses and getting that shit bitcrush all the time? Tempted to consider it a good thing.

[@hickehelbro]

Thanks Bo! Quick question. For sample player/drum machine for a one-unit live device for playing techno. This one, Model Samples or Digitakt. What do you think?

[@BoBeats]

Digitakt

[@HotStrange]

For live playing I’d be tempted to say the Model Samples because it’s mostly knob per function. The Digitakt is the most powerful but you’d need to learn it’s layout before playing live, imo.

[@cougarman8]

Thanks for the review bo! I love the 707 so far, I'm having a blast with it. I've had just about every groovebox that exists, and I'm stoked for this. I think I'm just a groovebox addict! The deluge is super powerful but I never got on with the workflow. This seems like it'll be a perfect 707 buddy for on the go!

[@davegrimes3385]

Bo is over seven-and-a-half feet tall? 😳 Truly, he is a giant of the electronic music scene.

[@BoBeats]

haha!! good one :) in real life im closer to 5.7 feet ”tall” so in Sweden, land of tall blonde vikings, i’m considered real short

[@danielleamon2735]

Has anyone else reviewed the MC-707 and the MC-101 in their studio outside of BoBeats? He must be the GOAT!

[@BoBeats]

i had to google GOAT 🤣

[@constablebentonfraser5014]

@@BoBeats This made me chuckle!!

[@valley_robot]

Not really a circuit killer given the price of this thing ,it’s double the price plus it’s presets with no editing , totally different machine , it’s a four track rompler with effects and that’s not a bad thing , problem is my old Yamaha qy70 cost me 70 quid from eBay and it’s a rompler with a full sequencer with 8 tracks , yes it sounds dated on some of the sounds but you can layer the samples by copying tracks then changing the sample , plus it has pretty good drums and effects , plus it has a built in mini chromatic keyboard , I think we are going backwards with hardware to be honest ,if this was 200.00 I might consider it, the fact that it can sample and play chromatically is a massive plus point for me , but I’ve just bought a korg microsampler and that fills that need more than enough

[@audiowanderer]

I thought the same, this unit reminds me the QY-70 a lot. I have one too and is a lovely machine to make dated music styles like vaporwave. This unit, for that price, is a bit overpriced, having in mind that cheap plastic case. Even the QY-70 have a good hard textured plastic case that look great 20 years later. The sampling capabilities and how to manage the sound import is still something I want to see on this machine, but by now, this was the best review out there. Great job @bobeats

[@strelokknoize]

It's not just the price. The Circuit is FUN to use. And if you wanna go deeper into sound design there's an editor for its synths. You can customize the Circuit for your musical needs. I make Glitch, Noise and Industrial with this lil fella. I guess I couldn't do this with Roland's pricey babe.

[@VJFranzK]

But - S C R E E N !

[@sircliff323]

stupid price

[@PatrickDiAngelo]

You're right, and to tell the truth, I'd take the QY-70 every day...

[@lukecoyle9683]

Can you use a midi keyboard with the mc 101?? And if so how do you connect it?? I have a akai Mmk 25 midi keyboard is it possible to use it with the mc 101?

[@otuon2441]

I've been drooling over this and the TR6s. I would love to see a BoBeats review of TR6s and a comparison of these two devices!

[@BoBeats]

I am working on one :-)

[@otuon2441]

@@BoBeats you sir are a gift from the music gods!

[@huntrrams]

I own a tr6s and it’s awesome! I wanna buy the mc101 as an companion

[@otuon2441]

@@huntrrams I ended up getting the 101 and love it. It's been my traveling music box and also a great sequencer to have for other gear. You won't be disappointed! Go for it!

[@victorroberts4637]

can you set the loop point of a sample, within the MC101 so a tone can have lots of sustain , even from a shorter sample. Or if not set the loop point - loop the entire sample? I'm sure the presets have this and it would play the sustain if a sound created with the 707 was imported to the 101. But I'd really like to be able to set this in the 101 by itself, so I don't have to buy both! :)

[@VTOLKits]

I don't find it in the reference manual. I think you can't loop samples in TONE section (for 101). But you can loop in looper tracks. But not short wave cycles. You can choose how many steps you want the loop.

[@BoBeats]

This is my understanding too

[@EnochDark]

Perspective from old guy... I spent this much on a BOSS DR-5, 22 years ago... And about half as much as either on a Yamaha RM1x like 8 years ago. I think this thing would be great for someone just getting into beat production or perhaps someone who already is that has extra cash and spends a lot of time away from home with nothing to do? Neither of these people are me.

[@digitaldiezel5870]

This is a nice little box, to keep you from being bored on the plane. Slowly working your way towards the Jupiter Xm ... 😉...I.hope...That’s a power house in a mobile package. I’d like to feed those sounds to my FORCE.

[@cpl1066]

at 1st I thought this might be cool and maybe I can import samples from my iPad, but hang on a minute!! my iPad is an excellent groove box and more. It’s all in the digital domain and the 101 is expensive landfill imho.

[@noizekiller]

101 now has counting and scene transitions can be automated (v1.7)

[@JayaLove]

Damn! The sound quality!!! (Listening to the track at the beginning.) So good!

[@andersbostrom3745]

Did you have a chance to look at the latest update? Tone editing is a major feature.

[@huntrrams]

Agree! The fm synth editing is amazing.

[@MrJanHjohnson]

Since you can sample Audio via USB it should be very easy to sample from your phone. This would be interesting to see as well as if you can access the sd card via USB cable. So you could transfer wav files via Smartphone.

[@sam80pr]

This is really in-depth. I had to watch twice, second time pausing and experimenting with my mc101. This video answered a few questions that I had on how to use this device. Thanks Bo!

[@BoBeats]

♥️♥️

[@Iredidv]

Gonna get this for my sofa setup. Maybe the 707 later. Got started with the 303 and 505 20 years ago, can't pass on this. Also the synths that come with it are worth the price alone imo.

[@Turtles8179]

Did you get it? How is it, 3 years later? If you kept it, is everything still functional - I’m slightly concerned about build quality

[@va941]

Gåååddd dääääyymmnnnn....what a freaking banger that opening beat...😅😅😅

[@glenesis]

Thanks Bo. I'm glad to hear your experience with this since you've used it for some weeks.

[@ron2298]

Thank you for the video's. I had just ordered a this unit should be here by Friday. Cant wait. Be safe and thanks again.

[@JGW-im3nf]

101 vs SP 404a

[@riftjhon5605]

404 can actually sample into the device

[@darktransmission7376]

don't get me wrong... its a great product... but you can do all this in a daw - ableton.... and this is not a circuit killer as far as i am concerned. the amount of updates Novation have done to it since inception is brilliant. And the sequencing capabilities from the tracks feeding other machines is fantastic. still use mine daily and wont be parting with it for this period. This is a great product but its nothing new.

[@blakecasimir]

You can do all this in a DAW. Yes. But also now you can do all this in an MC-101, with smaller-than-laptop dimensions, battery powered, real physical controls and the workflow they come with, and no computer distractions. I think the RRP is typically a touch expensive as all Roland gear tends to be, but this is a great little box that can make entire songs without a computer. That’s worth a lot to many.

[@shawngrignon4020]

I'm getting ready to buy a circuit tomorrow then this thing pops up in my recommended 🤦🏼‍♂️ Looks like I got more thinking to do. I was thinking it would be a bit easier to navigate with a screen, but the circuit seems less complicated

[@BoBeats]

Correct: circuit is definitely easier to navigate. But more limited in terms of sound. Thats perhaps the most important difference. Super hands on Vs versatile soundset

[@coen8531]

This thing is almost double the price of the circuit though.

[@shawngrignon4020]

@@coen8531 true, but the circuit is a relatively inexpensive piece of hardware anyways, and with the Roland name tag, I wouldn't really expect any less. Ended up going with the circuit though, arriving today 😁 maybe the 707 will compliment it nicely... One day lol

[@coen8531]

SG One Productions Nice choice! Only the sequencer itself is already worth the price for me. I also use the circuit for controlling plugins and my monologue. I suck at music theory and to have the option to use fixed scales is really awesome and handy for someone like me. I’ll hope you enjoy it!

[@davidthomas6293]

Thanks for the great video. How does it handle samples? What effects can be applied to vocal samples from the SD card, such as pitch shift, time stretching and so forth? Also no one seems to be giving examples of how the classic synth sounds in it sound, such as TB303.

[@BoBeats]

Looper = time stretch is available (same as 707 from what i gather) Drum track = pitch shift (coarse and fine)

[@solaryzer]

If this is a lunch time groove box .... does that make it a lunch box ..... hmm the new Roland Lunch Box ;-)

[@BoBeats]

lunchbox101

[@solaryzer]

@@BoBeats :-)

[@taaviviikman8648]

This review is informative, but lacks one very important part: sequencer capabilites. Sequencer is probably the most important part of grooveboxes, but so far there has been little amount of info about its capabilities. Can different tracks/clips have different speed? Can I change it on the fly? Are there any midi-effects?

[@Jack-fs2im]

I wanted to hear a controller keyboard play some of the sounds

[@janich9406]

It's great! Very easy to connect in different ways (simply MIDI ...), I love the Piano-Sounds, even only with velocity very nice! Sound output can be routed very easily to whatever destination...

[@va941]

It felt cheap...like the plastic housing feat very scratchy and crackable...the sliders and knobs feat loose and fragile...the weight is light...unlike other portable small things like the novation circuits for example.

[@strangeoscillator1327]

Thank you Bo for this In-depth review. Very nice and capable groovebox to take away ! Compare to the Digitakt, it seems less deeper in term of samples tweaking. I own a Circuit and yes, the Editor Pro can dive deep into the synth engine to create your own (crazy) sounds. It's more appealing to me rather have tons of presets. The ( - ) for the Circuit : it has to be connected to a computer to load samples, patches or to tweak the synth engine.

[@BoBeats]

I think you are very correct in your assessment

[@LukeLine]

This is a cool little device, but pricey!

[@sawtooth808]

@Luke&Line watch HaqAttaq's video on the MC 101, believe me with the amount of stuff buried in this little thing...well here's the vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZOqk4iQl66kr9k at 14 min in to it, is the "pay off" (reasons why the MC 101 is the price it is) let's just say dynamite comes in small packages