What ELSE can the 303 do?

[@michaelbates625]

Ace video! I have an original 303 so I’ve been chuckling all the way through this. I’ve also been programming jazz funk bass lines into it recently which is great fun. Low res and cutoff and it does sound sort of like a bass guitar. Oscar Peterson would have been proud of us, I’m sure…

[@william.jacobs]

Oh nice one! Really glad you enjoyed - though are you sure programming such complex lines on the original model is fun?? ;)

[@michaelbates625]

@ well ok yes, tedious process but the outcome is great. Anyway, hope you can keep up with creating more content like this, you’ve got the style just right

[@MYEVILTWIIN]

I managed to pick up a Cyclone Bassbot MK1 before they got the cease and desist order and changed the design , Hardfloor said they couldn’t tell the difference between that and original 303 , if it’s good enough for them then it’s good enough for me

[@nathankellstadt412]

Too funny. I was also going to write that he had me chuckling as well. Come for the acid, stay for the chuckles. It's enough to make me subscribe.

[@waynesilverman3048]

Dnb jungle it would b like a bit

[@headspacetheace]

those kicks you made really impressed me I would've never guessed a 303 could do that that well

[@oscmod2s]

Your ability to deal with that godforsaken sequencer is a gift lol, i loved this!

[@william.jacobs]

@@oscmod2s haha so kind - rest assured i will now be avoiding it as long as i live

[@brutusmuerto]

YES

[@rookbranwen8047]

As somebody who’s obsessed with Hardcore Techno I have found that literally any sound can be turned into a kick with enough editing. Cool to see it done with a 303.

[@synthnerd4539]

Pretty sure I saw Experimental Jank Purgatory play a basement venue to three people and a dustbin in 1992

[@william.jacobs]

hahahahahaha

[@liuchaquan]

EJP!!

[@HOVRmusic]

one of my favorite videos on the 303 ever!! thanks so much. so fun.

[@jtmurr]

this is a fantastically well-done video. i've never been able to follow along with the thought process of designing a sound in a video like i was able to with your explanation. i don't even care about 303's but i was engaged the whole way through

[@william.jacobs]

Unbelievably kind, thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@HotStrange]

I absolutely adore the 303 and it’s definitely more versatile than people let on. I’ve used it in many tracks I’ve released and sometimes you can’t even tell it’s a 303.

[@william.jacobs]

I wanna hear them!!

[@michielvincent3988]

But you can definitely tell it's not a bassist, right?

[@hhdhpublic]

It does only acid is what we answer when someone asks what that local hippie does

[@peterstevenson1812]

really very cool. one of the best YT videos I've seen in a while

[@haslo_]

Love the Roland logo on your machine! Mine's yellow and says TD-3-MO, I love all of them!

[@jamesapplebaum6356]

Great video. I like how you show the process of discovering how to do certain specific sounds. Very neat how much these little boxes can do

[@william.jacobs]

@@jamesapplebaum6356 thank you so much - I’m sure there’s still plenty more to find!

[@drtitus]

This was a really cool video - I like your very laid back presenting style, and the fact you didn't segue into telling us about Nord or Express VPN. Very informative, and definitely better than seeing yet another 303 video that only rehashes the same stuff 303 fans already know. Subscribed!

[@william.jacobs]

Hey man, appreciate this a lot - certainly hard to find a novel approach with such a widely talked about synth. No VPNs anytime soon :) thanks!!

[@mbrombert]

One of the best videos I have seen on here in a long time. This is something I have been thinking about but never actually tried doing and I am now super inspired. It really is a beautiful device and can be quite expressive when it isn't just an acid beast. Great stuff. Thank you for the time and effort in putting this together. All the best to you!

[@william.jacobs]

What a kind comment, thank you so much! Yess totally give it a go, I had great fun :)

[@GarethMightyTheMightyGareth]

I played with one of these back in the middle of the 1980's. Really nice to see you maxing it out proper.

[@NEOREV_MUSIC]

I picked up the Cyclone Analogic TT-303 MK2 since it has an upgraded sequencer, extra modifiers, and a closer sound to the original 303. Plus its built-in Pattern Lab, Loop Edit, arpeggiator functions are also great.

[@william.jacobs]

Arp on a 303 sounds like amazing fun 🤯

[@SlaserX]

TT-303 is the GOAT. If someone offered me an original, I'd still keep the TT. THE ONLY THING it's missing is MIDI control of the filter.

[@MayzMatthiasYzebaert]

Yes, the upgraded (generative / mutate) is amazing on it. Great happy accident machine to use via MIDI with other synths too.

[@overand]

From what I can tell on the RE-3, the main difference in sound is because people in comparison videos usually match knob positions, but the standard RE-3 has a bit more range on at least the cutoff and resonance knobs, so you need to scale it down a small amount. Otherwise, the sound is pretty nearly indistinguishable. (For better or worse.)

[@Gainn]

The MK1 is better but so, so fragile.

[@redcoloredsweat]

glad this fell into my recommended and glad i clicked! good shit and im so glad u picked the weird fishes bassline..... one of my favourites ever

[@william.jacobs]

@@redcoloredsweat yesss totally agree - it’s so smooth and underpins the washing arpeggios so well. Glad you enjoyed it, thank you!

[@aydenbran6058]

Wonderful video! I hope you get more subscribers, your content is well made.

[@william.jacobs]

@@aydenbran6058 hey thank you so much, that’s so kind! Appreciate it :)

[@NunyaB1s]

Damn I wish I was sub 666 (ROFL) but joke aside, I love how you REALLY spent the time exploring this AND SHOWING HOW YOU DID IT... this is a straight up hacker's guide to the 303 and I love ya for it. Also enjoy that you're squeezing all you got out of all your gear, with the cameras and mics too, I'm cheering for you to hit 10k subs! :-)

[@TangoDelta70]

Excellent video! Thanks for making this and for sharing it!

[@Dudderlyful]

Best Weird Fishes version ever, great video!!

[@william.jacobs]

No way man, thank you so much!!

[@TornadoSvensson]

Everybody needs a 303!

[@william.jacobs]

I think he might have been onto something!!

[@b00ts4ndc4ts]

That's a tune❤

[@JayKaufman]

Just discovered your channel and you've got a new subscriber. I really enjoy your dry sense of humour and presentation style. I wish you the best of luck on the growth of your channel!

[@ahans6548]

Love this video! Awesome idea and superb job of getting the 303 out of its comfort zone!

[@paratek5951]

Best video i have seen in a while. Inspiring and fun. Greetings from Germany ❤

[@PaulHofreiter]

This was really a treat! Glad to find your channel

[@william.jacobs]

@@PaulHofreiter glad to have you here!! Thanks so much, that’s hugely appreciated :)

[@hygro9625]

Somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind, I have always wanted this video.

[@goth_ihop]

My ADHD ass was enchanted by this shit, good show

[@william.jacobs]

@@goth_ihop what a compliment, thank you!! Glad you enjoyed 😎

[@zarkflappysheep]

your playing is seriously pretty at the end there. You made a fantastic soundscape, it may be a cover but it sounds unique and special! You should post a whole cover

[@JT-hs6hc]

the layering sounds amazing. that was a really really good idea!!!

[@william.jacobs]

Hey thanks so much!! Going for softer tones means there's definitely more room for layering without it getting overwhelming. Glad you enjoyed :)

[@A_Clark]

Wonderful video! You have a great teaching / communication style

[@mkhdnimg]

Dude, this video has got you a new subscriber. The Plot Twist got me. I think you could be our version of Benn Jordan. Great f*****g content.

[@william.jacobs]

Man that is so kind of you - big shoes to fill!! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@tsg_frank]

Really well done video, i think this was a successful experiment, the drums actually sounded like a totally different drum machine so that plot twist was a nice touch, i think that any sound can be modified and tweaked enough to get whatever results you want, and the 303 here is no exception.

[@niilo2852]

Awesome video. Super informative and actually funny. Immediately subbed after the Ta Dao line lol. There is definitely a bunch of subscribers coming your way.

[@nutritionontape]

Thanks. I had wondered about using it in other ways

[@markb8734]

Thank you! I really enjoyed this and learned something about sound design too!

[@MXVDJ]

This is a great video mate! Smashed it.

[@william.jacobs]

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed!

[@looppixel]

This is brilliant, thank you!!

[@AV-69]

That first play through of the Radiohead bassline after you transposed the final note sounds so triumphant.

[@william.jacobs]

Took a while to get there!

[@DavidMorley]

Excellent demonstration.

[@william.jacobs]

Thank you!!

[@rjadamz9117]

Thank you. I just sold all my other gear and only using my 303 for now on. What goodness!!!

[@william.jacobs]

Enjoy 😎

[@chrismuskett6867]

Randomly just passed by. Enjoyed your style and your skills. Followed. Cheers ears

[@jayceelewis_]

So good. Instant subscribe. Thanks algorithm!

[@LoopsDealer]

I loved the video and jams!! One other thing you can do with the 303 and Ableton is record chords by playing each note separately, recording them, and then layering them. This can then be played as a sample and transposed however you want, plus you can get creative with how each note sounds (ie have the root note accented with loads of resonance and the 5th with a fully closed filter and envelop all the way up). I do it sometimes and that brings you far from the acid sound :)

[@william.jacobs]

Yesss, totally - because the raw sound is pretty basic it can make a great bread and butter polysynth. Will definitely give your approach a try 👍🏻

[@squelchedotter]

Absolute treat, lovely video!

[@william.jacobs]

So kind, thank you!! Username checks out haha

[@ianedmonds9191]

Your initial observation is so true. Everyone thought they were pink as fuck back in the 80s and 90s mis-using the 303 for aciéed was amazing but since then it s not had a lot of breadth. Excellent observation. Subscribed.

[@ianedmonds9191]

Back in the early 2000s I did a sort of industrial dirgey song with proper drums and heavily distorted guitars. A bit NIN with a 303 but still basically an acid accoutrement.

[@wheels_in_balance]

Dude perfect video! Great homage yo the 303!

[@william.jacobs]

Thanks so much!! :)

[@DcJay85]

Thank you to the algorithm gods for sending me this video, we've all felt that way with the damn 303, I use the Phoscyon plugin from D16 and you also can get a few good donk basses with a bit of post-process "cheating", your sense of humour is great, all the best to your channel going forward! Instant subscribe.

[@shinxnat]

such a fantastic video, I really really enjoyed it

[@william.jacobs]

@@shinxnat so kind, thank you!!

[@outaspaceman]

I was an early adopter and programmed the Bass Line to Jethro Tull’s “Living in the Past” into it, but there’s not enough capacity to do full 5/4 time so I’d to crush it down to triplets.. Same with the Flute part.. I ended up exchanging it for an MC202.. In the shop the assistant thew it on top of a pile of returned 303’s

[@ChrisArtsTube]

This was an excellent video. I just got my "roland" 303 and also don't play acid. Thanks for the tips!

[@william.jacobs]

So glad you enjoyed! Enjoy your Roland - though I found the logo keeps falling off on mine 🤔

[@keiross]

I love me some 303. Great vid. (Fwiw I think your vid style is cool btw, I love all the little creative edits and humour bits) Subscribed

[@william.jacobs]

@@keiross hey thank you so much, appreciate it a lot! :)

[@paydirtcoaching]

That was thoroughly entertaining and somewhat educational. Cheers!

[@william.jacobs]

@@paydirtcoaching hey, so glad you enjoyed it! Many thanks :)

[@zeitgeist909]

I have the td-3 also. And I have also tried to use it a not-acid box and just enjoy playing it in pitch play mode and racing it thru my mixer, with lots of bass and then some fx etc. It a great little box for that. great video. Keep it up.

[@william.jacobs]

More versatile than it lets on for sure! Thanks so much :)

[@fritjofsounds]

Fantastic vid, you're great at this Instant sub

[@NEOREV_MUSIC]

The bassline of Leftfield's "Song Of Life" 😉

[@xidoxido7080]

great video and fun to watch - thanks for sharing

[@william.jacobs]

@@xidoxido7080 thanks for being here! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@davelordy]

A lot of people don't realise but the piano on a lot of Adele's biggest hits is in fact a 303, in the right hands and with the subtle use of compression and reverb it can do a very very nice concert grand. [EDIT: sorry, I mean 'piano' and not 303']

[@mogret7451]

what? if 303 should have been piano, the sentence is "but the piano on a lot of Adele's biggest hits is in fact a piano"

[@davelordy]

@@mogret7451 That's right, the piano on a lot of Adele's biggest hits is in fact a piano, despite rumours that it's a 303.

[@tabs1913]

The greatest 303 video on the internet.

[@william.jacobs]

Thank you so so much - what a compliment :')

[@BloodyChunX]

After borrowing my mates original 303 and deciding I never wanted to attempt that programming hell again, I bought myself a little Donner B1 '303' It's loads of fun and even programmable by morons like me. Great video, you showing that you can get more out of these things than just chirpy 'happy accidents'

[@william.jacobs]

@@BloodyChunX sounds like a great decision - certainly no reason to have to stick religiously to a 40-yrs-old workflow. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@leftmono1016]

For me the 303 sequencer is half of the sound. It’s pretty easy to use after a few minutes - the trick is not to aim for anything too specific. Input your notes in the scale that you want and then mess about accents, slides, rests and octaves. You’re never sure what’s going to come out but it’s nearly always useable because you’ve set the scale. Awesome sequencer!

[@davidrees-thomas8741]

Great video!! :) highly enjoyable and weirdly informative! feel inspired now to dig out my behringer 303 copy and put together some long form drone ambient with only the 303 😂

[@william.jacobs]

@@davidrees-thomas8741 Do it!!!!

[@M_Jarl]

2 of my favorite things Radiohead and 303s ❤ thanks!

[@william.jacobs]

The crossover we all needed 🤯 glad you enjoyed!

[@OOOAAAIII]

actually a pretty convincing bassline

[@william.jacobs]

@@OOOAAAIII thanks so much! Was surprised at what a bit of post processing (especially the EQ and compression) could do to remove some of that synth honk

[@gamivibes]

Fire vid man

[@XJA]

fun video m8! watched till the end without going over to the 303... =D

[@TheDavidPoole]

To me, the best example of the 303 in its intended use-case is an early 80s band called Imagination. Listen to tracks like "Illusion" and "Body Talk" as examples. Cheers ✌️

[@user-rv8wb1nl1b]

and Orange Juice - Rip it up .

[@william.jacobs]

Hadn’t heard of these, I’ll check it out. Thanks!

[@TheDavidPoole]

@@william.jacobs you're welcome. I nearly bought one of these when they came out, but as I didn't have a drum machine at the time, I went for the 606. I ended up getting a 202 as the synth was more versatile, but the sequencer was just as much of a pig 😁 Cheers 🤘

[@ChromosomeSyndicate]

What a bullshit they used the Roland Sh1000 man

[@TheDavidPoole]

@@ChromosomeSyndicate they (or their producer) used the 303. Obviously along with other equipment. The 303 performed bass on many of their songs. Sorry, it's just a fact. I've personally seen interviews dating back to the 1980s where this has been stated.

[@gaterbusket]

Great video thank you algorithm for sending me this

[@theAristocrap]

Love the setup. My recommendation for a cheap, robust but flexible filming solution is a mic arm (similar to those lamp ones) + phone holder combo. Great tutorial :)

[@william.jacobs]

Thanks so much! It’s a weird video as I got a tripod halfway through - so if I were restarting it then the first half definitely wouldn’t be as janky as it is now haha. I’ll keep that one in mind!

[@theAristocrap]

@@william.jacobs Everyone needs to start from somewhere. I applaud you for starting with the basic items - this is the right way!

[@ComputerHead0001]

Nice snare man... REAL nice.

[@OwlVision]

I’m pretty sure the bass in my song ”Holy Sh*t” is a x0xb0x played with midi keyboard through the orange boss dist pedal 😁🤘 Fun video! 🙏

[@cellsoulmusic]

super creative with those drum sounds i love that

[@william.jacobs]

@@cellsoulmusic hey thanks so much - I was especially proud of the drums haha

[@thepeopleschoice431]

I also used my TD-3 as a sound module with a midi keyboard. I could never figure out the sequencer, but I loved the sound especially with some distortion and a delay pedal.

[@zuur303]

Fun vid! 🎉 I fell in love with the 303 in 1988 and it then took me 11 years to buy an original. I use it in all my tracks but try to give it a different, more musical role than just 4/4 riffs. Which are great, don't get me wrong. 😅

[@william.jacobs]

4/4 is great but there are so many others!! Glad you're making the most out of it :)

[@SamiJumppanen]

That was fun! Very well presented. I have TD-3 and TB-3 but unfortunately I can't do what you did or ten of my other synths will start having weird issues... I guess.

[@BassByTheTonne]

the normal (non-squelchy) sound of the 303 is very underrated, I only use it like that because it's so sweet and analog

[@BounceChord]

This is great! I just listed mine to sell but so far no one’s interested so I might bust it out today and try this higher register stuff. I hate the sequencer so much so I always just use a Keystep.

[@william.jacobs]

Yesss give it a go! Plugging in a keyboard opens it right up (and it can be pretty user friendly plugged into a DAW via USB as well).

[@kdmn5570]

acid is enough

[@wadysawwojciechowski2257]

Very good video and very good Talking, keep goin!

[@JeiElRai]

"...And so this man rooted through his mind for any as yet unused multiple of 101..." Fkn sent me bro 😂😂😂

[@djhaloeight]

I’ve got Behringer TD-3 as well, and I’d say it’s pretty damn spot on to the original. Same convoluted programming method and all. It IS easier once you learn the basics of entering notes and accents etc though.

[@Meteotrance]

It was sell by Roland as a bassline generator for use with the drum machine Drumatix from the same line up, a tool for composer and also a training machine to work your keyboard and guitar plan even a drummer could use it to have a bassline to work with, that explain also why it was a failure at first place and became one of the most wanted synth for Techno head that made acid trance and house .

[@zuur303]

Nice TD-3 trick: take the phone output and jack it into filter in for a fatter sound.

[@william.jacobs]

Can't believe I never tried this! Thanks for the tip 👍

[@Capo98y]

Those hi hats sound really good I don't have any hardware but i use 3xosc to make my 303s and sometimes i get interesting pluck sounds

[@endoflevelboss]

A tune with that bassline or least those notes was in a demo on the first edition of Future Music magazine 🥳

[@plaztik767]

If you haven’t Artist : Cirrus Track: Stop and Panic

[@william.jacobs]

Going in now 😎

[@RadNabb]

"and that is a goddamned hi-hat" 🤣

[@SpikesStudio3]

All finished. Wonderful.👍👍

[@Benutzer101]

It has a solid TS-Audio out with no noise issues and its loud. Sequenzer works the same way as the original 303. Soundwise it is limited, if you take away the high quirky frequency content its just a plain simple analog Sound and i prefer other Monosynths

[@WillCMAG]

I used the TB-3 as the bass in a vaporwave track on this site called "The Vektor OS Experience." I was treating it more like a SH-101 an trying not to make it sound like a 303.

[@william.jacobs]

Sounds like a good approach, would love to hear it!

[@SamGrooveTV]

Very cool! I wonder if you can get other sounds out of a Roland TB3, TB-03, or even the Behringer TD3 MO 🤔

[@william.jacobs]

So many options 🤯 One day!

[@kipzter]

This is one of the best synth videos I’ve seen. Finally someone with a personality making it fun. Sorry Bad Gear 😅

[@william.jacobs]

What a compliment thank you!! Glad it’s ticking all the boxes :)

[@landslidepurist]

Nice work!

[@william.jacobs]

@@landslidepurist hey, thanks so much!

[@SecretRaptor]

Hello William, loved this video and Weird Fishes is one of my fav RH tracks :) Just wanted to inquire what those monitors you use (black and capsule shaped) They'd fit right with my desk and I'd love to nab a pair. Happy days!

[@william.jacobs]

Hey no problem, glad you enjoyed! Just checked the box and they are JBL 104s. Very happy with them for the size and price (though they seem to have gone up a bit since I got them 3 or so years ago).

[@ivon1688]

Awesome video, 👏🏻

[@william.jacobs]

Thanks so much :)

[@jonmaddison]

Have used my TD-3 with a load of reverb as a drone machine, to good effect.

[@william.jacobs]

Sounds brilliant - certainly is more versatile than it lets on!

[@Dani-El.]

Really good video.

[@SpikesStudio3]

This is great work bro. Im only 1/4 way through and it just awesome. Great style. Subbed. Will check out your channel. 👍👍👍

[@william.jacobs]

@@SpikesStudio3 so kind man, thank you so much!!

[@SpikeBlighty]

Interesting sound design from a limited source. I still love the iconic 303 squelchy sound. Would be cool to seen what you could do with a classic SH 101 or the newer Aria S-1 from Roland.

[@william.jacobs]

I've always been fascinated by the 101... maybe one day!

[@technodrone313]

jam on it. jam a jam on it. pretty sure the first record to use a 303

[@efmvii]

Quite nice as a plucky arp(w/acc & slides) with no res, and quarter note delay with short decay… things can get very harmonic and dreamy - like a soft sparkle ✨ ☺️🤩😵‍💫😬

[@efmvii]

Full disclosure - this is a trick I picked up from the original version of ReBirth 338, where the included demos were full-on trance tracks using only the two instances of the late 90s 303 emulation - so those of us from those days are very accustomed to making getting the most out of a single oscillator