The MC-101 Can Sound Absolutely MASSIVE

I show the making of and DAW mixing and arrangement of a full song on the Roland MC-101 to demo how big its synth engines can sound.
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00:00 MC-101 Intro
00:53 MC-101 Elements
07:20 DAW Intro
08:16 DAW Elements
14:04 Song Arrangement
20:39 Full Song
23:48 Outro
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Circuit Tracks: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
Circuit Rhythm: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
Roland MC-101: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
Arturia MicroFreak: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
ATH M40 headphones: www.zzounds.com/a--3972602/it...
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[@rorz999]

I got an MC-101 recently and a large factor in me clicking the 'buy' button was your enthusiasm for the machine. It's a portable powerhouse, I love it! A little menu-divey but I think they were very smart with their decisions re: the navigation. As you say here, it's a great sounding unit!

[@dracul74]

I own the mc 707. So underrated. Sometimes I make tracks on it and sometimes I work in Ableton and use it as a sound source (send midi to it). Very good product... minus the little screen and sampling limits.

[@roryjineffect]

I had a 101, recently got a 707 for a decent discount and fell fully in love with the 707, planning to sell 101.

[@carbonvibes]

Great job Gabe, loving the drop on this. As always, your content is 🔥.

[@ronbrown8908]

Great video , the mc101 I've had for few years now and this machine is amazing it has everything on it fx, sounds sequencer daw integration sound card each firmware update comes closer to perfection

[@kenkencoenterprisesllc4887]

Great Demo bro! Finally someone showing in dept, the potential of what can be done with this grove box👋

[@dfreeman120]

Wicked piece of kit ! Great vid

[@vjcsavar]

Nice work! Love it 🙏👌

[@unclemick-synths]

Cool 😎👍. I like the way you used the arpeggio.

[@mixedatmidnight]

Absolutely totally agree with you Gabe. I have tons of tracks featuring 101 heavily or exclusively. Brilliant GMM

[@TasuLife]

I recently did this and watching you helped me identify things I could have done better.

[@marenas32]

The song you’re playing sounds like the intro music from “Escape from New York” an old Kurt Russell film. Lmao I like it .

[@GabeMillerMusic]

John Carpenter directed and scored it, and his music has been a big inspiration for me so that totally makes sense! Glad you dig it

[@JeffHendricks]

These tricks will work with the other Roland Zen-core based stuff, like the MV-1 and MC-707, and heck, even the Aerophone Pro.

[@SisterRose]

The per clip stacking thing is so underrated on the MC101

[@SmallWorldBigThings]

Soon next update of MC-101 with additional options of sound design ;)

[@jimmybonie1406]

A little escape from newYork in that track sounds cool

[@jcchaconjr]

I got the 101 a while back. I was starting to get into it, but life got in the way, and... well, you know. Gotta be honest, being a little Menu dive-y was a little confusing, but I guess you grow into it once you get used to it. Not gonna lie, that's my fault for not dedicating the time to it. That being said, I'm a huge fan of Roland and that Roland sound, so yeah - this thing sounds like a beast much larger than its size would suggest. That Zencore engine is pretty damn good IMHO (The Zenology synth on Roland Cloud amazes me every time I play with it!). Anyway, I suppose that an MC-707 would be less confusing for me (resolving some of that Menu dive problem somewhat), but yeah - big investment. Anyway, I refuse to give in to GAS, so I really have to give the 101 an honest go as far as getting accustomed to the menus. THEN maybe I'll decide if I want to step up to the 707. You've totally demonstrated my desired workflow, as it feels comfortable to me to build patterns and bring in the MIDI into a DAW. Heck, that's how I've used Roland Cloud's virtual TR's - build my patterns on the VST, then import the patterns as MIDI.

[@r.lamboley1109]

Salut ! C'est très intéressant les synths parts/presets pour créer des percussions et autres kits de batterie que en parties synthés. C'est une super machine !

[@deca5002]

Cristaline is awesome however CPU hungry! I'm tringing to get my workflow working with the Novation Tracks and the MC101. I really love these two together and I'm really impressed by what power the MC brings to the table!

[@hirudo881]

Hey Gabe! Thinking of getting a MC 707, but theres 2 things that hold me back rn... first, the amount of presets... is there a way to hide them or have some sort of favorites? Second, is it possible to save your own presets? I cant find any recent info on that. Cheers! :)

[@jayhill7587]

You can definitely save presets on the 707. It lets you recall synth patches and drum kits from past projects and modify them for whatever you're currently working on.

[@philgraves4998]

Thanks for your awesome playing and jams I think I'm going with the mc 101 because I love synthwave stuff and getting away from the computer! You a fellow Mustang? It's my alma and home town area!

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Nice! And yeah I graduated from Poly a couple of years ago

[@va941]

What I would really like to see is a portable groovebix geared more towards ambient, textures and soundscapes...now that would be something worth getting!

[@jaydeepalmer]

Just put an ambient reverb on the multi fx and you're good to go, i guess

[@bambeeification]

Can I put all sorts of percussive sounds on those 4 channels, like xilophone etc... ?

[@paulkerlin6823]

Love the Mc101 and ur vids. Can I ask how do you get different sounds on the same track and on different clips.

[@rkrehe20]

hold shift then select the track and set the src from track to pad

[@paulkerlin6823]

I’ve had it for about a year and had no idea it did that. That has just made the Mc101 super flexible for me. I really need to start reading manuals. Thanks again 😃

[@dankeplace]

@@paulkerlin6823 RTFM lol I hate manuals, but you should Google stuffs for more precise things like this.

[@rkrehe20]

@@paulkerlin6823 totally unlocks the whole potential of the device!

[@MattGregoryGuitar]

Gabe, when you manipulated the cutoffs in post, (on the arp for example) did you do this in DAW somehow, or did you rerecord it in the mc101 and import the audio into the daw?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I recorded the MC-101 into my DAW, and recorded a pass where I slowly raised the cutoff over time. That way I'd have a take with it parked in one spot, and a take where it raises over time.

[@99bigjim]

couldn't you do all this on the Verselab too, but build the song on the unit ?

[@b.h.f5116]

I would like to use this as a sound module for the mpc live mkII. If I understood right the 4 track is not a limit for presets, I can load 1 preset for each clip and record them one by one in my mpc ?

[@zenithjcoke]

I use an MC-101 as a sound module for an Akai Force. There are some limitations, but yes that's pretty much how it works. Each clip can have its own preset, but each clip/preset on the same track share some settings like track EQ. You can also only use a total of 2 effects, one of which can be different for each clip, but the other is for the whole project (so all your tracks, clips and sounds will share the same one). I often run into the issue where I have to choose between different effects when I would like to use more of them. Roland has somewhat alleviated this issue by grouping some effects together, making you get 2-in-1, but you can't choose freely, only from those predesignated combos. All in all, the MC-101 is great as a sound module. I might however trade up for a MC-707 at some point, to get more tools to edit the sounds and to get more output ports so that I could have the Akai force receive say the bass and the lead tracks simultaneously on separate channels. You can hard pan the instruments left and right, but if you use any chorus, reverb or delay, the effects will always be stereo and bleed into the other channel. EDIT: I should add the biggest caveat as well. You can change the clip used by sending CC messages over MIDI, but the MC-101 (and MC-707) will not change those clips instantly, but wait for the bar to end. You can set the time signature and such to make it shorter, but there will always be a delay, so if you use the same track on the MPC Live and want to change the sound as you go along, based on which clip you are playing on the MPC, that is possible but will always have some sort of delay before the instrument/clip is being changed on the MC-101.

[@b.h.f5116]

@@zenithjcoke thanks for the the answer, I think I’ll save more to get the 707 like that i can get 8 tracks it will be more than enough usually I don’t use more than 8 instruments by track

[@SandroMassarani]

The 101 is really powerful and portable, but I miss the possibility of sound design from scratch, possible only with Zenology Pro, and more sample options. It would be perfect.

[@clarkgabel6875]

now you got it ! did you know ?

[@SandroMassarani]

@@clarkgabel6875 Yeah!!!!! Amazing!

[@djghettofunk2530]

How do you combine the mc101 woth the mpc1?

[@Pissarrio]

Gabe, do you do commission work? meaning for example to be asked to create drum track for a musical idea for a song....

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I don't unfortunately, I'm already stretched pretty thin with my full time job and the KZbin stuff, so I just can't take on anything else.

[@dankeplace]

I do commission work, here is the 1st one free. Boom bap bap boom twat tat ta tish Boom bap bap ting dingaling cow bell bing bing. Yoar welcome.

[@Pissarrio]

@@dankeplace did you fart all that in one track or multiple? Probably because you passed by a public restroom and became confused!

[@ScottTewis]

how do I nudge a note?

[@bloodmoneyperez]

Need a new video with the firmware update!!!! Just ordered a 101.

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Already working on it!

[@dankeplace]

I had a 707 and whilst it did sound good, the issue was all that menu diving on such a small screen. I have a Pioneer SP16 and Akai Force, both have great screens and SP16 is only ever 2 pages deep in menus. Roland sort of has hit and misses with their gear. It really is a shame in this day and age of wifi, we cannot somehow tether a touchscreen, either Ipad or Android equivalent, to act as some sort of visual interface for all these menus we have to surf. Roland Cloud exists but no screen capability? My H9 pedals allow for this simple feature. :/

[@Pheonix0114]

I know the Verselab lets you attach your phone, maybe the MC-101 does now?

[@dankeplace]

@@Pheonix0114 I think they need an app, so this way the phone with device sync. It's not a new idea, just that more manufacturers should be using this.

[@rorz999]

The 707 screen is a dream compared to the 101 lol

[@rjgscotland]

I'm still struggling to get "in the flow" with the 707 and so it's been mostly sitting doing nothing for 2 years. I really love the sound from it but I clearly need to lock myself in a room with it for a couple of weeks... But I also keep finding myself wondering if I'd be better off with one of the Akai boxes, so it's always interesting to read comments from those that have made the switch.

[@dankeplace]

@@rjgscotland 707 to me felt more like a Workstation where the live play was limited, Akai Force on the other hand was made 100% for live performances. 707 has Zencore, but the sequencing capabilities on the Force destroys the 707 by far, specifically when it comes to controlling external hardware. 7 inch screen is a dream too.