Roland TB-303 Bass Line In Action

So here’s the Roland TB-303 Bass Line, a small synth and sequencer with “cult” status because of its influence on techno and electronic music. #roland #bassline
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Love, Claudio & The Doctor Mix Team

[@Rhababerschorle]

When I heard the Bassline I was immediately starving for a beat

[@akemimcflyclips7130]

I created some on my head to go along with the video.

[@recordhigh]

Fr

[@L00PdeL00P]

Doctor mix: plays random notes Doctor mix: created better motif than I could ever hope to achieve

[@michatroschka]

u serious m8, thats a shit pattern u can do much better

[@gab_v250]

that simple bassline is infinte times better than all the Chainsmokers music of the last years.

[@vinesthemonkey]

here's a secret: they weren't random

[@nykal1510]

It was fucking awful, I beg of him not to do that ever again, it's not difficult to ride a scale for an example

[@kflynt2006]

it's not that yours are worse. it's that you dont trust yourself thats wy u will never produce anything

[@gab_v250]

1:35 you could run this line with some 808 drums for 2/3 hours at a techno rave and no one would notice it

[@supermasterfighter]

Acid house, not techno

[@nox1cous654]

@@supermasterfighter Acid techno, no?

[@VestedUTuber]

@@nox1cous654 The Acid genre is descended directly from Chicago House. So "Acid House" is technically the more accurate term. However, for some reason "Acid Techno" stuck despite the fact that it's on the entire other side of the Electronic music family tree from the Techno branch. Acid is more closely related to Breakbeat, Drum & Bass and even Hardcore than it is to Techno. In short, you're correct, but the correct name is a misnomer.

[@fdpapi1880]

@@VestedUTuber acid techno is a thing…. Hard kicks and shit as techno is supposed to be with roland 303 acid noises in it….people need to remember house is a lot more calmer than techno…. Lol. House and techno are two different things. If you listen to T78, Charlotte De Witte, 6ejou, Rebekah etc and think that’s acid house u are incorrect lol

[@VestedUTuber]

​@@fdpapi1880 The term still isn't "Acid Techno", though. The harder Acid variants fall under their own supergenre of "Acid", still descended from House but moving more towards the harder genre categories. Acid may be descended from House, but keep in mind that entire genre categories like Breakbeat and Drum & Bass are descended from it as well. Hard Acid specifically is more of a convergent evolution of styles than a direct relative to Techno.

[@lost_valley]

Crazy that those designers could think this could be used as a virtual electric bass but at the same time they accidentally created the bass sound of the new generations.

[@F-Andre]

yeah i always wondered how this should sound like a bass guitar...

[@uli_734]

Lol Im Trippin , that's true!

[@halo091]

You mean acid

[@filipesantos8525]

Yep not to mention this synth is from 1981

[@tash5540]

There's literally no bass. It's a masterpiece though.

[@k-leb4671]

So this is the machine that created those infamous baselines of the 90s? I'm glad I found out about it and clicked on this video. It really is a killer sound.

Actually the revolution started at the beginning of 80s. Check “Let The Music Play” by Shannon

[@frakte]

One of the most mind-melting uses of this sound I’ve ever heard is in Pet Shop Boys’ “The Sound of the Atom Splitting”.

[@daft2hans]

*TB-303 = ACID HOUSE*

[@Andrei4224]

And acid techno, acid trance, acidcore

[@justynnell7179]

acid techno

[@jasper374]

Also ambient and goa

[@t.kahraba763]

Old school goa trance 🕉️

[@taublix315]

Techno asylum

[@FKU7777]

Everyone loves a 303! I have a TT-303 as cannot afford a TB it sounds great. When i was 17 in’89, we always used to liken the squelch sounds of bacon, eggs and mushrooms sizzling frying in a pan, depending on the filter haha. “Here comes the eggs!” We’d shout 😂😂

[@louizou12]

Acid baby !!

[@TiboSG]

Man i have to stop watching these things or ill end up with one kidney n a shitload of gear lel

[@charlescross3215]

If you end up buying one give me a heads up. Perhaps we could get a great price for two kidneys. Count me in.

[@NathanChisholm041]

@rugssean Gear lust can get our off control! Instead of making music you just piss fart around obtaining crap you don't need. But a new VST or hardware is still tempting...

[@marselmusic]

lmfao

[@stallonesabatier5358]

My dad always said "get your kids into gear... that way, they'll never have enough money to buy drugs

[@TiboSG]

Stallone Sabatier your dad never said that u got that from the net nd fuck the music industry brudda its one filthy business

[@tambian9130]

True Story :- Had my own reggae sound system in 1979. From pre releases to dub plates all played on my set as a selector. To keep up musically i frequented music shops in London's Tottenham Court Rd in 82'. went into a shop and saw this sliver box. Had no clue what it was but started having a mess around with it. I was programming basslines with the step sequencer and eventually was told to leave by the salesman because he said i was using it wrong and may break it lol... That same day i bought a magazine called Sound on Sound, In there was the very first press release of this machine. Fast forward 5 years and a new genre of music is being heard over here in London imported from Chicago in 1987. A track called ACID TRAX was new, fresh and doing the rounds in the small clubs over here in London. At first it was all hush hush and most people either never heard of it or did not like it. In 1988 the acid house sound was gaining momentum and by 1989 the masses were now embracing Acid House as a music genre all started by Phuture using this machine and also putting Roland on the map as a company of fomidable musical know how even if it was unintentional. That same year i was parting so hard here in London i decided to write a diary about my muscial adventures , parties, clubs, illegal warehouse jams i went too etc etc. I wrote everyday in 89' it was now a fully fledged book. its my own personal diary of all the original clubs, Clink street, Dungeons, Sunrise and back to the future outdoor parties, Biology, Energy, Astoria, Camden Palace, Dingwalls, Shoom, Spectrum, Future and endless write ups of all thing acid including 90% of all the original rave flyers that i put in my book from 88' -89'... You don't realise the impact this machine has had on my life..the memories i have are off the scale, thats why i wrote my book so i would not forget as i got older. written in 89' its now 32 years old. How time flies lol... Incidentally ive also put that original press relaease in my book too from 1982 of the TB 303... I now look back 32 years later and i feel very proud of the book i wrote. it;s not published but i will do a youtube channel one day telling all lol... This is the most influential bit of electronic kit as regards to dance music of the 21st century imo....Magic all day everyday :)

[@keypusher0]

would love to read that book

[@gkpdougiiieee]

likewise, I'd love to give it a read!

[@pierlaurenzi]

give us the book title

[@TheOrionZane]

I'd love to read the book!

[@NinoDesbordes256]

Now I want to read the book lol

[@EvolvedCognition]

I was moving some stored items yesterday and came across this tech I acquired in a trade back in the mid-80s! Was SUPER surprised to see it's still relevant after all these years!

[@HazyJ28]

Shout out to Image-Line for getting Transistor Bass so damn close to the sound of the original 303

[@Mopark25]

Worth getting FL for that synth alone! Best emulation in the scene

[@HazyJ28]

@@Mopark25 agree!

[@producedbyyd]

Bless ur soul

[@AlexBallMusic]

The one trick pony with a very good trick! Never gets old. 👍

[@GBPaddling]

Don't talk about Dr Mix like that :-)

[@Pulsonar]

I just watched your tutorial, and you sounded decent, you surprised me with that cheap cynical quip 👎🏻

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@Pulsonar I was referring to the 303 being a one-trick pony, not Claudio. 👍

[@Pulsonar]

@@AlexBallMusic ok my bad, I’m just having a bad ear day 😉

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@Pulsonar No worries!

[@chameleon47]

the 303 is so godly! random notes, random accents, random slides- and a totally f-in cool awesome hook is created! and then more random after this! I cite this device as one of the greatest musical inventions ever created and this video displays how true this is! PRAISE TO THE 303!

[@adamharbach309]

The 303 is my favorite electronic instrument. Very distinct and very unique.

[@JonMichaelDeShazer]

I have to know how you can afford a roof over your head with that amazing synth collection you have. That 303 is in immaculate condition. Great video!❤️

[@mattsmith9024]

"Ok, why not?" Creativity only needs those words.

[@yusrikarim5511]

Spot on.

[@TheJsjr]

Real shit

[@stupot194]

LOVE THE TB-303. Please tell me that we're getting a "Famous Patterns" video soon.

[@Doctormix]

Hmm, not quite this time, but we did do a surprise video :-)

[@acialist]

Well you guys obviously need to do some classics like da funk, and some fat boy slim...just saying

[@stupot194]

Daniel Richards Haha. I don't think I have a Daniel as a cousin

[@stupot194]

Doctor Mix Sounds good. Look forward to it! (Also, will we ever see a Korg Wavestation on your channel at some point?)

[@charlescross3215]

@Doctormix My friend used to rave about the 303 all the time. I never had a clue what she was talking about. 20 years later i'm sitting here and think it's about time i figure out what she'd been talking about all thise years ago. Talk about a lightbulb moment!

[@CocoKhaern]

ACCCIIIIIIIIDDDDDD 😍 Thank you for all those amazing videos Doctor Mix !

[@cosmoseinfeld1]

Bought one of these about a year ago and used it for a few songs. Fell out of touch with it as I've been learning new things with other equipment and also recently lacked a lot of motivation during covid. As I am throwing myself back in to music, I realised I needed to relearn how to use this machine. This video has been a great refresher and I can't wait to turn my tb303 on again and make a nice bassline to go along with the much better drum beats I now know how to make with my volca sample :) thanks!

[@sparklesparklesparkle6318]

Bro how did you manage to afford a 2500 dollar trash synth? You have to either sell drugs or boats or have a rich dad. probably selling drugs. Man wish I had 2.5k to blow on a 30+ year old hunk ojunk i am in so much debt

[@saturatedneowax]

@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 lol

[@Weareonenation303]

Very interesting how the 303 flopped as an electric bass alternative but found it's place as an extremely good machine to use in electronic dance music! The 808 suffered a similar fate as the 303, both received mixed by critics due to both sounding too synthetic. The 808 later saw heavy usage in Hip Hop / Electro due to it's unique sound.

[@Dhakadice]

It's HILARIOUS how the creators actually expected those machines to replace real instruments, yet designed them completely different. "Triangle Wave" and "Envelope Modulation" aren't exactly what most bass players look for in a bass.

[@insect2]

the 303 is so fire honestly, ive seen some dude making beats using them and theyre so unique and good. they give kind of a dark and furutistic atmosphere

[@Torter23]

@@Dhakadice It was marketed as a programmable bass synthesizer and the ads promoted the real time modulation options. The designers were right - as all the qualities that made it popular later were touted in their 1981 ads. But guitarists wanted bass guitar and synth groups had their moogs, arps, and jupiter 4's. Not knowing how to properly use it and poor documentation was the problem, as synth bass was certainly not new in 1981. And the ads promoting the sequencer, DIN and cv gate connections are certainly not targeting bass guitar players.

How much cooler is to work with, than a computer!

[@icinfin117]

Bootsandcats Are you not happy with your 303?

[@KnzoVortex]

Bootsandcats Sometime software is a blast in and of itself. It’s definitely much more expensive in terms o capabilities for much less cost. Sometimes there are things you can do in software that are simply impossible in hardware.

[@prodbytony2k]

It's about 3000$ cooler if we want to be specific. 🙂

[@Steve.909]

Always loved the slide note function.

[@ashitanojoe69]

I had one with myself in early 80s (I bought for 150$ from 2nd hand market. The original price was 49,800 yen. It's about 440$) and I sold it in 1996 by 1000$. It sold from Roland as a couple of tr-606. It because they have similar design. It spend a lot of fun with it. Good memories...

[@placeholdername3206]

Yeah these were in high demand in the mid-late 90's for all that european dance music that was very popular. Not many of them around so in pretty high demand by music producers.

[@RichLunaMusic]

“Some nerds” haha

[@onemegatonelbow]

Would've been nice to mention DJ Pierre/Phuture specifically

[@20yearsago88]

Laughed at that as well!!!!

[@waNErBOY]

essentially they were

One of the 1st big hits made with TB-303 is “Let the Music Play” by Shannon in 1983. The rise of the “Freestyle” began with that track.

[@craigusselman546]

It was the first time found that crazy sound that made the 303 famous.

[@ashfaq1999]

Charinjit singh used it to perfection on his lap 10 ragas to a disco beat lp back in 1982.

[@corri303]

As mentioned, there's an issue with the slide on this unit. It's supposed to take much longer to slide between notes. Had this on mine as well, was a cold solder joint.

[@Firguy]

I believe that Stan Ridgway used this for the opening song of his Big Heat album. It's a very interesting take on incorporating electronic instruments and contemporary pop elements into country/western music. The saw wave riff at the beginning of Pick It Up (and Put it in your Pocket) is legendary af.

[@TheSaOk]

Tame Impala have cool TB-303 ending in their YT "Breethe Deeper" perfomance on Jimmy Kimmel

[@monopoly1027]

I literally just came from that track haha

[@ezequiellobo5791]

also inspired by Daft Punk

[@JoeyLevenson]

Love it. My pal had one. Gotten from a flea market for $85 in 1995 or so. I always drooled over it.

[@ginopezzini]

...and Jack said: " let there be house !" ...and house Music was born.....

[@LogiForce86]

...and then there were the Dutch! 😏

[@onni9472]

It would be awesome if you’ve do a jam with the TB-303 and the TR-909!

[@BorisCCRCam]

That's a mint one. You must have paid an arm and a leg for that! Worth mentioning you have a choice of triangle and square waveforms. You were using triangle, my personal preference is square but hey! A novel feature of the original unit is if you remove all power when it comes back up the memory is full of random garbage which can sound pretty good sometimes! Nice video, thanks.

[@simonhennrich519]

His "Just punshing some "random" Notes" still sounds better than the most Acid-Technotracks nowdays. :D

[@TomTropic]

Thank you very much for uploading this video! I grew up with acid music and loved this sound from the first second I heard it. I think I love this machine like a little baby. Many greetings from Berlin, Tom

[@fredh9808]

This channel is great! I learn so much with every video. Thank you!

[@twenty2082]

I ALMOST CRIED & THIS BROUGHT BACK A LITTLE ACID FLASHBACK.

[@PlatinumEagleStudios]

The wonderful sound of Acid Techno

[@billmarsh1971]

Amazing to know that spanky and pierre et al had a broken one that brought us a music revolution over thirty years ago that has arguably yet to be surpassed

[@FrecherLuchs]

TB-303 = POWER

[@rosennasamson5422]

This is classic techno!!!! Amazing sound! Now to go looking in second/handresale shops...

[@AboveEmAllProduction]

my top4 synths all time: 1) JP-8000 , 2) TB-303, 3) JD-800, 4) SH-101.

[@ashfaq1999]

Great video. Charnjit Singhs Lp 10 ragas to a disco beat back in 1982 was a pioneering TB303 classic.

[@timbuk1126]

Pirate hands! This is the synth that all the Electro guys used. Tony Butler (Freestyle, Debbie Deb, Trinere), Juan Atkins (Cybotron and the guys from Newcleus

[@liamenigma9888]

Was a DJ here in Stockholm, Sweden 1994-1999 played at aroud 400 Ravepartyn! Everybody the people on the dancefloor Loved when I played. Quench Dreams, Blue planet corporation, Overbloody flood, Age of Love when I started 94... Lost tribe, Gamemaster 95 Trance and HardTrance one track with AMAZING 303 Solar Quest, into the machine!!! Rave people here in Sweden Love 303 but no Rave like the 90s :( Only God knows how much I miss The lovely and MaGiCaL 90s when life and music made sense! One Love Michaela "Mia"

[@atarirob]

So unbelievably versatile too! I've used one for lead stuff too in the higher octave settings and it sounded amazing. Shame they're going for absolute silly money these days, buy a TB-03 or the Behringer clone thing, they sound just as good in my opinion.

[@aenleb2063]

TB 303 ONE OF THE BEST SYNTHESIZER

[@acsone3546]

man must be always ready to play an odnes martenot with those rings

[@welshsteve2009]

Some coincidence that Martenot spelled backwards reads Tone Tram... quite fitting 😀

[@colinstewart1432]

Everyone's just gone into a 90's MDMA flashback 💥Boom 💥

[@Dan-pw3kb]

Spent all my 20's dancing to this box and cant remember a thing!

[@nicovanliempt1179]

Again great job Claudio 👍 You are really "the lord" of the most rings on your fingers 😎

[@user-gv6nr5lr7d]

1:35 - the moment u beeing teleported to the floor

[@MurrayDagostino]

You should sync it with its sister, the TR-606.

[@duprie37]

As soon as you touched the resonance button I was transported back to 1988 lol

[@el_Wordo]

This is amazing. The bass off of so many classic tracks 🙌

[@mota7506]

Everybody needs one of these, said Quentin Cook

[@Jake-0011]

The most satisfying sound on the planet, the day I discovered acid techno my life improved by 100%

[@SanplerVarondaro]

muy bueno el video genio saludos desde Tijuana yo compre la Behringher TD-3 y tengo la Roland boutique TB-03 y amo el sonido Acid

[@fogvarious2478]

I used to have a "everybody loves a 303" t-shirt , which had a pic of the unit on. I worked next door to a building that was roland's UK office in brentford.. my workmate (Dave) used to get offered these + 808's + 909 at staff prices.. he regretted not buying them, as he would have made profit.

[@jongeduard]

This Acid sound somehow reminds me of old computer games. Very nostalgic. :)

[@Johngengelbach2]

I have the touch screen version of that one The Roland Aira TB3 version of it. It's fun to play with.

[@nathanvanblommestein4316]

Yesss i finally found it. Been trying to find for ages what that sound i often hear is

[@ramajor]

Got to love that dirty 303 squelch

[@MelroyvandenBerg]

The masterpiece song ecuador is created with this Roland.

[@jom.6181]

Amazing gear. I recently discovered a trance banger that actually uses it as a baseline as intended and it slaps! Binary finary - 1998 (Kay cee 1999 remix)

[@jay.fromthebay]

Wow one of my favorite songs, didn't know that!

[@kayandaeddings4803]

There is something that I recognized on this keyboard that you are playing. Planet soul used it for a song called set you free in the 90s, Shannon used it for let the music play in 1983, and Lena Santiago used it on a song called feels so good on her remixes CD that I have on single with different versions. And if I’m correct, the group the system used it for your in my system. I could be wrong.

[@Alex-di8ti]

TB 303: Trippy musical chaos since 1981

[@alrightythen214]

Thanks! Now I understand what garageband is trying to replicate

[@cash5092]

I could spend the entire rest of my life playing with all these cool gadgets.

[@StellaWembley]

OMG THIS REMINDS ME Speak and Spell by the modeeee

[@wawarushii]

Who skips all the time until he plays? :D

[@rickrobillard9190]

i did. people think they got vital informations and i guess that they like to listen to themselvs saying them.

[@simbeam]

Same here

[@Top10soon]

You

[@wawarushii]

@@Top10soon true

[@borrisrichards7454]

This machine pack a mean punch. Wow

[@psyseraphim]

Yummy 303 Acid Techno yes please. Bring on the sqaultch.

[@mostvaluablepropertiesinc8206]

This man sat up here and created like 4 smash hit house music n tekno club bangers just by playing around with different rhythms🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯im going on offer up and low balling for 1 of these 4 myself😂😅🤯🤯💯💯🔥

[@djstatyk1540]

I have a TD3 ❤❤❤❤ I love this thing. I'm cuddling with it as we speak

[@jessecapra2350]

The TB-303 is the most important part of every car chase.

[@arseniyyashkin743]

I shortly realized how to write Acid style like House, Trance, Techno, and stuff like that.

[@EvilCoopra]

The legendary 303 - that's amazing! I really love your videos, where you show us all these treasures in action!A "Roland JD-800 In Action" (if you have one) would be great too :) And by the way: nice rings Sir!

[@HAJIMEDJ]

I have a JD-800 lying around (which needs servicing because of the infamous red glue problem), and I'd love to see what he does with it.

[@nathanaelsmith3553]

Its World TB-303 appreciation day today 🎹🙂

[@xsm5525]

it's almost there! it's about 90% close to my original behringer TD3, keep trying roland. you're almost there!

[@MrUspenskiyn]

Scooter ! Back in da house)))

[@Unaliq]

Came out in '81? First time I've heard of that and probably the most that remember it from is from Mortal Kombat (1995) Reptile's theme. The use of Acid-Bass was perfect for Reptile.

[@witorudo1086]

Oh yeah new video !!! and again BRILLIANT video ^^

[@pranaytony]

You're the Doctor!

[@westcountryoddities8107]

I saw someone say TB 303 = acid house, I'd god beyond that ... TB 303 = our entire rave culture ... thank you 303, I've loved your sound since I first heard a recording of Paul trouble Anderson at sunrise 89 before I knew what it was as an 8 year old boy, from there I become an under age raver in the mid 90s followed by my own soundlab belt drive decks playing Rosie Gaines closer than close with apawling attempts of mixing it with cj bolland sugar is sweeter, then I got my first set of technics 1210s and today at 42 I have just bought a pioneer zx unit to link my technics 1200s, and I still love it just like the first time I heard it, that's my timeline of music and it's all down to the tb303, and I'm sure my side love of hip hop ties in with it somewhere too!

[@mysteryxoxstarxo]

Oh this is SOO cool!!! You could literally spend days playing with this thing!

[@pleadian]

303 and 808 , pairing that changed a generation .

[@rmsv]

This is a good video, for two reasons. First, obviously, one gets a quick understanding of how this piece of hardware was used to produce electronic music, acid sound. Secondly, it clearly shows that the designers of the TB-303 had a rather poor understanding of what a real world bassline is made of. Imagining one could make a bassline for funk or disco or rock music with so little room for expression is typical of technicians, not musicians. No wonder it was a commercial failure regarding its original ambition. Regardless, I love goa and I am thankful someone decided to use this little beast for what it is really good at, i.e. mechanical highly repetitive music.

[@gamerz8220]

This was so important for classsic need for speed Era

[@salvatoresil8083]

Roland ,The best acid house,very very cool

[@NewWaves-NightMoves]

2:14 Orange Juice - Rip it up.First Record to get into top ten charts using the TB 303

[@frankflapper445]

My mind is glowing.

[@VoidySan]

This thing sounds so funny, i love it so much.

[@ariontheobaldo5794]

Thanks for letting me know about this little music computer.

[@mickyday2008]

Brilliant

[@SombraEnMovimiento]

Instant goosebumps machine

[@shamman303-yt3tj]

That machine is the best basa machine ever

[@mgx9_144]

I’ve never owned a physical synthesiser, I’ve only been producing for a few years, but I’ve always loved acid house, I’ve been looking into the 303 and it’s history, it’s really interesting, I really wanna own one eventually

[@Tsaddeous]

First time i understand how this fucking grey box works !! Thank you Doctor Mix !!

[@Doctormix]

Hahahaha!!! Wait till we drop the actual explanation video ;-)