Roland TR-606
TR-606 tech specs
- Released: 1980s
- Company: Roland
- Type: Digital step sequencer; drum machine
- Control: DIN sync
- CPU: 4-bit NEC μPD650
- RAM: 2 KN
The TR-606 was an analogue drum machine made by Roland in the early 1980s. It was essentially a cut-down TR-808, with only seven of its sounds present, in simplified form.
The hi-hat has some useful quirks: triggering an open and closed hi-hat at the same time makes a different sound; and the tempo knob affects the open hi-hat's decay length, even if it's externally synced and otherwise ignoring the internal tempo.
Quotes
The hi-hat's quite good on the 606, you can get quite good feels on it if you know what to do with the hi-hat, what hi-hat players would play, and of course Richard does.
— Chris Heaton, Landscape, 1982[1]
Notable users
- Aphex Twin[2]
- Autechre[3][4]
- Ian Boddy[5]
- The Future Sound of London[6]
- A Guy Called Gerald[7][8]
- Richie Hawtin[9]
- Landscape[1]
- Moby[10]
- Mr. Oizo[11]
- The Orb[12]
Technical notes
The TR-606 uses a 4-bit NEC μPD650 microprocessor, and two NEC μPD444s for a combined 2048 nibbles of RAM.[13]
It can trigger up to eight things at once, seven sounds and one accent: ACcent, Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Low Tom, High Tom, CYmbal, Open Hi-hat, and Closed Hi-hat. This suggests each position in the sequence uses 8 bits (2 nibbles). As with the TR-808, this means the one global accent is shared amongst all sounds at once.
References
- "Landscape On The Horizon" Tony Bacon, Music UK, Aug 1982
- Aphex Twin studio collage
- "Autechre: Techno-logical" Christopher Holder, Sound On Sound, Nov 1997
- "Autechre" Paul Tingen, Sound On Sound, Apr 2004
- "Stagefright" Ian Boddy, Electronics & Music Maker, Aug 1984
- "Past, Present and Future" Simon Trask, Music Technology, Aug 1992
- "A Guy Called Gerald" Vie Marshall, Micro Music, Oct 1989
- "Voodoo Chile" Simon Trask, Music Technology, Apr 1990
- "Kracked Plastik" Roger Brown, The Mix, Dec 1994
- "Recording Moby's 'Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?'" Tom Flint, Sound On Sound, Feb 2000
- Key 1999 Tracks: Mr. Oizo — "Flat Beat" Chal Ravens, 2019
- "The Orb" Mark Prendergast, Sound On Sound, May 1993
External links
Reviews
- "Roland TR606" Tony Bacon, Electronics & Music Maker, Feb 1982
- "Roland Beatboxes" One Two Testing, Jan 1983
- "Beat On The Cheap" Electronic Soundmaker & Computer Music, Feb 1984
Tips
- "Roland Drumatix Modifications" Brian Jones, Electronics & Music Maker, Feb 1984
- "Workbench" Phil Walsh, International Musician & Recording World, Jan 1986
Downloads
Documentation
- Roland catalogue volume 2 Roland, 1981
- Roland catalogue volume 7 Roland, 1984
- TR-606 manual Roland
- TR-606 service notes Roland, Jan 1982
Samples
- TR-606 samples Ed Vargo, 1995
Digital step sequencers: Behringer RD-6 | Roland TB-303 | Roland TR-606 | Roland TR-808
Drum machines: Behringer RD-6 | Novation DrumStation | Roland TR-606 | Roland TR-808 | Roland TR-909