Roland TR-8S Tutorial: Connecting and Using the RC-505 with the TR-8S

Check out this video of step by step instructions on how to properly connect the RC-505 to the TR8S and use it to jam some extra loops and fx! If you're on Facebook, come join the group at m. groups/1082273...
#rolanddjambassador #roland_US #UnitE #rolandtr8s #bossrc505 #tutorial

[@michaelolaleye5215]

Thanks for putting a lot of efforts and your time into this video. I bet you did some sleepless hours over some days to put it together. It was worth waiting for. Just finished patiently and meticulously watching the whole video, the experimenting/connectivity to now begin for me. I liked the end bit of the video...where you jammed with the loop you helped me with. You make everything appear possible and inspiring to try. Good job and well done.

[@UnitE808]

Thank you for the kind words. I hope this helps you grow in your craft and creativity. I'm glad you caught the loop shoutout! I wanted to show you an easy way to use something like that without having to mess with stretching/contracting the loop on the TR-8S. Remember to set the TR-8S tempo to the loop sample's natural tempo before recording it to the RC-505, then adjust the tempo after capturing it on the RC-505.

[@michaelolaleye5215]

Hey Brian!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for this much awaited video. Bless you man! I will be watching and dissecting it for the next few days. Expect to hear from me in due course. Again appreciated for meeting everyone's needs.

[@edgi55]

Thanks Brian for another great video. This piece of gear is so intuitive and easy to use. I will have to pick one up soon.

[@gregvadnais1606]

Great setup... Awesome Videos.

[@qqqlive1835]

really cool to make chord type stuff with rc505 out of tr8s feedback :) endless little configuration... thanks for great idea

[@strandedaliensband]

I hope to figure that out today because it's my birthday and I plan on recording all day as a present to myself

[@housemachine509]

Nice nice 🤙

[@michaelolaleye5215]

Ok brian thanks

[@thomasdegobbidjsax]

Hello, in this way, however, every time you activate the recording of the loop recorder it overwrites the sound of the tr8 drums while you would need to find the setting for which the drums go directly to out, but which remains in clock synchronization with the boss, where you will instead record the separate inputs for various instruments. otherwise there would be no logic in overriding the drums or using them partially because otherwise they would be recorded every time by the loop recorder... I've been working on it for two days and I can't find the setting :( if I connect the tr8 and boss 505mk2 with the midi cable they come out correctly in order to separate drums and recording, but the sounds of the tr8 patterns are simple speakers while if I connect the main out jacks they are completely different sounds... I don't know if I've explained myself good.. thanks for the video

[@agustoon]

Hey UnitE thanks for a great video ones again. I have one question, when i stop the tr8s , doesn't stop the rc505, how can i fix that? thanks a lot!

[@alejo7812]

hey man, thank for the videos, i just got mine and i´m learning all i can. Do you know how to affect just my ext in with some of the built in effects in the tr8s?

[@UnitE808]

You can only apply the reverb, delay and master fx to the ext in. You access that in the utility menu, under the ext in category. The instrument/ channel fx are not available.

[@michaelolaleye5215]

Hi Brian Can the rc505 rythm volume be controlled independently of the overall output level/volume?, if so how please?

[@UnitE808]

Press the rhythm edit button. First parameter to change is volume.

[@michaelolaleye5215]

Hi Brian Is there any hardware recording device capable of recording and playing back individual tracks (singly and combinedly) so I can through this way, expand/increase the (RC505 tracks and TR8S variation banks) recording memory capacity/capability/functionality, of these 2 machines. Am not keen on using computer software (like logic, ableton, etc) to achieve this aim, but rather looking for hardware devices. Any suggestion appreciated. Also, do you know if there is going to be a next model up from the RC505, from Boss?

[@UnitE808]

I'm sure there are some capable hardware multitrack recorders, but I am not familiar with them. I am also not aware of any other next gen RC-505 coming soon.

[@mostellato1749]

Hi Brian, great videos, all very useful. Thanks very much. Could you please tell how to configure TR 8S midi in order to play its channels on an external keyboard controller like you did in the video? I connected my novation remote SL midi out to TR 8S midi in, but I can't play any channel's sound. thanks in advance.

[@UnitE808]

First, make sure both devices are on the same midi channel. Second, go into the TR-8S Utility menu. Scroll to Midi category, Inst Note parameter. Press Enter. Each instrument is assigned to a note on the keyboard. You can specify which key here. Dont forget the alt inst too.

[@mostellato1749]

@@UnitE808 Thanks very much Brian, now it works. Cool mate!

[@michaelolaleye5215]

Hi Brian Can instruments/kits/loops be imported/routed into each of the variation banks (A-H) of the TR8S?, if not, is this achievable by any other means, or is the A-H banks only for the TR8S’s internal music composition use?

[@UnitE808]

The variations are strictly for internal composition. They are just variations of the pattern that is created.

[@michaelolaleye5215]

Ok Brian thanks

[@kosemoja8348]

Can i use the the internal clock of the boss 505 to link it with the tr8s to synchronize with the drums to save time to keep the drums on time when i record from the tr8s

[@UnitE808]

Sure. Just need to run midi out of RC-505 into the TR-8S

[@kosemoja8348]

@@UnitE808 thanks for your response

[@gassoundsuite9180]

hi, how do I block the midi messages that the tr8s sends to logic via usb.?.when loading a vst is played by the step sequencer of the tr8s..no, I would not want this thanks

[@UnitE808]

You would have to adjust the midi settings in the utility menu. Turn of the Tx parameters and turn off all the inst notes. Also, make sure omni mode is not on.

[@edgi55]

Hi Brian, I'm recording the RC-505 into Ableton but its only giving me 2 channels or tracks. Is it possible to have all 5 channels from the Loopstation going into Ableton?

[@UnitE808]

Not sure. I can check, but it seems you will only get the master out.

[@edgi55]

@@UnitE808 Oh I see, thanks so much Brian

[@gratzzz]

Hi brian, thank for the guide, and i have to ask you, if you don't want to use the computer, but only synth, micro, tr8s and a synth, it works too ?

[@UnitE808]

Which synth? Micro Korg? I need more details if I am to help. The TR-8S only has one input, 2 if you run two mono devices into the stereo ext in. Midi syncing would have to be chained. As long as one of the other devices has a midi thru feature, it should all work.

[@gratzzz]

Thanks for the reply :) Well..I’d like to have a minilogue, a guitar, and the tr8s individually loopable, and i don’t know if is it possible with the rc505 without a daw... can you help me?

[@UnitE808]

@@gratzzz let me look into this

[@gratzzz]

Thanks a lot! i’ll wait :))!

[@rickeypageot120]

Hi I’m wondering you can help. I’m having issues with syncing my TR8S and my 505 looper. I’ve gone all the settings, even switch midi cables but still having intermittent sync issues. Have you ever had any tempo sync issues between the two? Both unites have been updated. Thanks in advance for your help.

[@UnitE808]

I haven't had issues before. Which device is the Master clock? Make sure the 505 is set to receive midi sync and the TR-8S is set to sync out. Setting the devices to the same midi channel needs to be done too.

[@rickeypageot120]

@@UnitE808 thanks for the reply. Yes they sync most of the time, but at times once a loop has been recorded, the 505 goes right off grid from the TR8S. I went through all the settings with Boss support. Just wanting to see if you had any issues. Thanks.

[@rickeypageot120]

@@UnitE808 If you can, would you be able to take photos of each midi setting in your TR8S and 505 individually? That would be really helpful but I understand if it’s too much to ask for.

[@UnitE808]

@@rickeypageot120 ill see what I can do this weekend.

[@rickeypageot120]

Thank you. Trying to figure this out before our livestream show Sunday morning.

[@oldschoolwaverider]

Even after writing the setting into the memory, my loop lengths are still not 'free'. Is there a reason why this is happening? I would like to simply press to record and then press again to stop. Some channels stop and start at the correct times and some channels do not and I cannot figure out why?

[@UnitE808]

Different scene numbers or program numbers will have different settings. Are you staying on the same program number? The loop will finish before stopping recording. You can't stop the recording at anytime in the loop, it has to be the same measure length. For instance, your first loop recorded can't be 2 bars and the second loop is 1.5 bars.

[@weisenbros9912]

Why do you send the audio from the 505 back in to the TR-8S and then to a mixer and not just out from the 505 in to the mixer?

[@UnitE808]

I did it that way because then the sidechain feature becomes available and it narrows down the amount of channels needed. This video was made specifically this way because a user asked me to make a video showing how it's done like this. Thanks for watching!

[@laszlocsikos189]

Hello, which is that Roland keyboard in the middle?

[@UnitE808]

A300Pro

[@laszlocsikos189]

@@UnitE808 thank you

[@UnitE808]

Of course! It is a great midi keyboard with a ton of features for a really good price.

[@michaelolaleye5215]

I have now done my connections and settings according to the video, but still not getting sound/signal FROM the KEYBOARD and TR8S GOING INTO the RC505, so there is no sound being captured by RC505, but I get sound on these devices on their own/independently. Could the issue am having be related to my MIDI cable connections? I noticed that my MIDI cables have no "MIDI IN and a MIDI OUT" marked on the ends of the cables themselves. I have also seen some videos on KZbin that MIDI cable connections have to be reversed when plugging into devices, i.e: to plug in MIDI IN cable to MIDI OUT port of device, and to plug in MIDI OUT cable to MIDI IN port of device. Would this be relevant to my problem here?

[@UnitE808]

There is no in side and out side to a midi cable. Midi cable will not transfer audio either. The keyboard I am using does not make it's own sounds. My keyboard is simply triggering the instruments on the TR-8S.

[@michaelolaleye5215]

@@UnitE808 Thanks for quick reply Brian. So do you know how I can achieve my aim? My keyboard (and I will also be plugging in a guitar to the TR for the same purpose) is a full electronic one, and I would like to hook it into the rig/scenario as I have explained previously, so that whatever I play and hear from the keyboard can be captured for lopping by the RC505...or is this not possible?

[@UnitE808]

@@michaelolaleye5215 I dont know. What keyboard is it?

[@UnitE808]

Also, a guitar is going to need something in between it and the TR-8S. The signal will be too low going straight in.

[@michaelolaleye5215]

@@UnitE808 YAMAHA PSR - S910

[@strandedaliensband]

I think I just want to synch the TR8S with the RC505 and have the 505 record my keyboard but not the TR8S

[@UnitE808]

Then why involve the TR-8S if you are not recording it? Just for tempo sync? Just plug in the midi cable then and follow the directions for tempo syncing. That should get you sorted. Let me know

[@WarrLineB]

Does the tr8s have a swing option? And also useable as a secuencer? Thx

[@UnitE808]

It has a shuffle which is a swing. Unfortunately, it affects the entire pattern, not just one instrument...yet. I believe it is possible to change this in an update.