Page 2: Roland MC-101 & MC-707

Drums

A Drum track is a 16–channel polyphonic kit, mapped across the pads when in Note mode. The factory library is well stocked with variations of classic Roland drum machines, as well as some genre-based kits (EDM, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass, etc) and some token acoustics. Unsurprisingly the Roland kits sound fantastic, solid and clear, as does the MC in general.

The drums are all sample-based: you don't get the ACB synthesized models from the dedicated Aira/Boutique drum machines. However, each pad can load up to four sounds, which can be layered or velocity switched. This is pushing into MPC territory, a tier above a typical groovebox or performance sampler which might only offer a single voice per track.

You can record patterns in real time, or use the Step buttons to enter triggers. Clips can be up to 128 steps long (eight bars at the standard resolution). Record quantising is available, or you can add quantisation by degrees to clips after the fact — nice!

Kit Edit mode lets you adjust several key parameters per pad, and choose and adjust an insert effect for the group. You can drill further into a detailed pad editor, which on the 707 has sample editor, complete with waveform display.

When it came to using my own samples I hit a couple of snags. First, samples could only be added to the memory card as a single giant pool. The consequence was poor navigation and frequent stalls of the OS while trying to scroll the list. The TR‑8S has the same problem, so I didn't hold out much hope of this changing. I was happily proven wrong when a system update brought folder navigation, and several other major feature requests.

Less positive is the baffling omission of any useful way to save kits, or for that matter synth sounds! Kits (and Tones) can only be loaded from the fixed factory Preset library, or from previous Projects you've worked on. Your 'User Library' then is scattered among a graveyard of old songs. As someone who would primarily want to use the 707 as a customised platform for my own loops, kits and patches, this is pretty much a deal-breaker. It's also hard to see how Roland could offer add-on packs or third-party expansions.

Tones

Tone tracks use the engine that powers the latest Fantom workstations and the Jupiter X/Xm synths — and the Ax keytar! (See the 'ZEN' box for more.) On the 707 you get deep editing access to this synth; on the 101 you get a greatly reduced set of parameters. Both devices have a vast library of presets to keep you going. This covers the usual range of electronic music sounds but also takes in other instruments like pianos, electric keys, strings, percussion, etc. It crosses into large-format workstation territory compared to a typical groovebox.

Unsurprisingly there's a ton of classic Roland sounds, both as virtual analogue recreations and sample-based patches. There's a particularly strong showing for the various flavours of Jupiters and Junos, MKSes and JXs. In fact the VA oscillator has a Juno mode, as does the filter. The Juno chorus is also recreated in the effects section, along with some other classic Boss and Roland effects like the CE‑1.

Like drums, synth clips can be recorded live or entered as steps. The step sequencer handles polyphony and note lengths elegantly. Chord entry is similar to the Circuit: select a step then add the notes. Where notes are held longer than a single step, this is indicated in dimmer light across the step buttons. Selecting a step opens an event list–style editor. If this sounds like a turn-off, think again — I found it faster and more precise than most graphical editors. As well as changing notes, you can adjust velocity and length, and slide the start of a note off the grid.

The default Notes pad mode represents a piano key layout across the pad layers. Thankfully, you can select from a comprehensive list of scales and see two octaves on the pads. There's also a chords mode and you can create your own chords. If I had to find fault, I'd say that an arpeggiator seems an obvious omission. I'd love to see the amazing Jupiter X arpeggiator on here. The MCs do have an SH‑101-esque step advance sequence entry mode, although you can't transpose it from the keys.

You can connect an external MIDI keyboard, especially handy on the 101 with its fixed velocity pads. It's a shame that neither device acts as a MIDI host — controllers with old-school MIDI outs are getting rarer. I also wished there was a Target Track option, where incoming MIDI is directed to the selected track. As it stands, each track has its own MIDI channel so you need to be able to change channels on your controller.

Looper

Looper tracks are audio clip launchers rather that loopers in the usual sense of overdubbing samplers. I was particularly intrigued by this feature. I love the Octatrack for being able to live–capture audio loops, but it can be infuriatingly complicated. Could the 707 provide some of this functionality with less setup and head–scratching?

The simplest way to populate a Looper clip is to load a WAV file. There's no loop library included, so I copied in some of mine. Both MCs come with an 8GB SD card which stores both your Projects and user samples. The card is protected by a metal plate that you have to unscrew. My guess is that the main utility of this is to stop cards being nicked out of store demo units. Once removed, though, it can stay removed. Alternatively, you can just connect your MC to your computer and boot it into Storage Mode.

Clips sync to your Project's tempo with an OK-sounding time-stretching algorithm, and you can re-pitch them. By default, knob 1 on Looper tracks adjusts pitch, plus you can re-pitch using the pads in Notes mode. I was disappointed that you can't sequence these pitch changes. In fact there's not a huge amount you can do to mess with audio clips other than engage reverse playback, change the loop length and apply effects. Digging in a little further you'll find a sample editor where you can adjust in and out points.

Looper tracks can record from external sources or other tracks or the mix. Only the 707 has physical inputs, but both can record a stereo source over USB from your computer. Recording to the targeted clip starts in sync at the next bar, and will finish at the end of the specified length. The recorded clip will immediately begin playing back. You can't record over an existing clip, but you can select another empty slot and record again without stopping.

Scatter Brain

Scatter appears in various forms on the Aira products. It's primarily designed to add beat-repeat–type effects, fills and glitches to your master bus, although this really only scratches the surface. On the 101/707, Scatter can combine step-looping, pitch-shifting, reversing and any of the huge suite of insert effects provided on the unit. In Scatter mode, the pads store 16 different effect combinations which you can trigger momentarily.

New Projects start with a pre-populated set of Scatters, but you can make your own. The presets demonstrate the more outlandish possibilities but I was keen to make some simpler effects for adding fills, and also to see if you could make sonic changes without the rhythmic side, somewhat like parameter scenes on an Elektron box. I managed to make some simple beat repeats with different speeds and durations, and a high-pass filter that can be held indefinitely. Again, just scratching the surface!

One more thing... Like the Aira MX‑1 performance mixer, the new MCs can tie particular Scatter effects to individual steps within a measure. These are triggered simply by holding the main Scatter mode button. This can be used to create a bonkers effect sequence or buildup. I used it to tie a simple repeater to the last four steps, so I could drop in a fill without switching to Scatter mode.

Performance

Scatter may be the most dramatic performance enhancer on the MCs, but it's not the only one. I particularly like the Step Loop function: hold the Select button on any track and a step button, and that step will get repeated. Other shortcuts momentarily reverse or randomise the sequence.

Opening the clip editor gives you more options for messing with note and drum sequences. You can change sequence length/scale, transpose, add Shuffle and alter the playback sequence in various ways.

Motion sequencing is also included for automating parameters over the course of a clip. Both real-time and step recording/editing are possible, although the latter is not quite true p-locking as adjusting automation on one step is likely to affect those around it. Motion sequencing is limited to three parameters per track (the ones that are assigned to the knobs). It would be nice to be able to sweep synth parameters directly from the synth control UI, but you can't have everything!

Externals

The 101 may be designed for stand-alone music making on the move, but it does have proper MIDI ports and bi-directional audio-over-USB for connections in the studio. The 707 goes further and has potential as a hub for working with other hardware devices. It has two MIDI outputs, two audio inputs, a send/return external effects loop and an alternate out pair.

There's a lot going on round the back of the MC‑707, with two MIDI outs, an SD card slot, stereo external inputs, stereo send and return sockets and a pair of assignable outputs jostling for space with the USB port, stereo output and headphone socket.

Things are simpler at the rear of the MC‑101, with just a USB port, SD card slot, MIDI I/O ports and stereo audio outs.

Sync–wise, the MCs can chase or generate beat clocks. Scene changes can transmit or respond to Program Changes, which I confirmed was working nicely with an Elektron Digitone. You can also trigger clips from Program Changes. I set up a custom page on the new Launchpad X to do just that!

Tone and Drum tracks output MIDI, so can be used for sequencing external sound sources. This uses one of your regular tracks much like on Novation's Circuit. Audio routed back into the External inputs doesn't route through a track, it mixes directly into the master bus before the master effects and Scatter (but you can't access reverb and delay). If you want to record it you'll need to use a separate Looper track and choose the External input as the record source.

I really wanted to route the input through a track, Octatrack-style, so it could be controlled as part of your mix/performance, but the 707 is not set up this way. As a workaround I plugged my external synth into the Return input which you can route directly to a track. This worked, although you still have to then resample this track to another track to record. You're also unable to apply track effects to an incoming signal (the effects are in the sound modules, not the tracks). I plugged an electric guitar directly into the mic input and it sounded great, but you can't monitor through any of the fantastic amp, speaker and distortion effects!

There are two MIDI outs, so it would be good if you could monitor two devices back through the 707. Unfortunately the inputs are switched between mono or stereo, so input 2 is always panned right. If Roland added a Split Mono option you could plug in two mono sound sources.

Computer Love

The appeal of a groovebox may be working outside a DAW, but the new MCs integrate nicely with a computer. With the appropriate drivers both boxes appear as audio interfaces over USB. Coming in you'll see separate stereo audio streams from each track, plus the main mix, plus a direct signal from the External input (on the 707). I used these to capture performances from the MC‑707.

The MC‑707 appears as a 20-in, six-out USB audio interface, allowing you to route separate tracks to your DAW.

When I tried it I noticed that you get multiple returns from your computer to the MC. Two channels from your computer can route to the main outs, either pre or post the master effects. This gives you a monitor output if you use the MC as your main computer audio interface. On the 707 you can also route to the alt out pair. Interestingly, both MCs have a stereo USB stream called PC that routes like another external input with access to the Send/Return bus.

These various connections inspired me to think about some interesting new ways of working. As well as simple capture from the MC, you can monitor back from your DAW, and overdub passes from the MC. You can grab audio from your computer apps into a Looper track. You could even use the MC as a multitimbral sound module, or as a performance effects unit.

Summing Up

The MC‑101 didn't get under my skin in quite the same way as the 707. Mains-free portability does make it tempting, and it has just as much synth power tucked away as the 707, but for me velocity sensitivity is a must. Accessing all those parameters one line at a time gets tiring, and I have a hunch a lot of the features and operations only make sense if you've seen them on the 707 first. That said, this is an incredible amount of synth, drum machine and sequencer in a tiny package.

The MC‑707 might look like a DJ gadget, but it's actually an inspiring and accessible workstation with which you can capture ideas from drum kits, synths and external devices, build scenes, and improvise a song performance punctuated by fantastic effects. Multitrack out over USB gives you a route to capturing and progressing projects in your DAW. In fact the 707 accomplishes without fuss a number of things I wish were much simpler on my Octatrack. While you have a lot of control to hand, deeper sound settings are not very tweakable mid-performance. However, it's astonishing that the awesome ZEN synth engine is fully programmable from the hardware at all. As soon as there's a sensible way to save your own patches, I'm jumping on board.