Rhythm Ace FR-8L midi interface with sync and comparison to TR-77

Stereoping
Published on Aug 30, 2017

"Little video with 3 parts showing a midified Bentley Rhythm Ace FR-8L drumbox. 1st: sync-ing the Bentley to an Akai MPC over midiclock. Also demo-ed is the triggering of individual voices incl. Guiro. 2nd: I recreated the tambourine voice which is missing on the FR-8L. Problematic part is the 40 mH coil. The demo shows the sound of the recreated TB with 3 different coils (10mH, 15mH and 50mH). 3rd: Sound comparison of the Bentley to the Roland TR-77 which looks almost identical (well not in the video as i used a TR-77 voiceboard in a custom 19" case). 8 midiprogrammed loops will be fired alternating onto the Bentley and the TR-77 voiceboard. Slight reverb added here.

More info about the project and how to sync the Bentley to midiclock here: https://www.stereoping.com/rhythm-ace..."

Circuitbenders Introduces DIY Trigger Interface Boards for BENTLEY RHYTHM ACE FR8L / ROLAND TR77

via Circuitbenders

"The Bentley Rhythm Ace FR8L and the Roland TR77 are more or less the same machine. The only differences being that that the PCB's are in different positions, the FR8L doesn't have the tambourine sound found on the TR77 (although the empty spaces for the components are on the board and it can be installed), and the TR77 has a fade out feature along with 3 extra preset patterns.

Internally the sounds are triggered using -12v spikes, instead of the standard +5v pulses used on later machines. This interface board is designed to convert standard +5v trigger pulses supplied from an external source such as a midi to trigger converter, modular synth, drum machine or analogue sequencer, into the correct triggers to drive the FR8L / TR77 voices.

The board has 12 identical trigger conversion channels, plus a trigger input with a pair of outputs to drive the Guiro sound and its associated pitch bend triggering. Whoever designed these machines went to a hell of a lot of effort to trigger the Guiro sound, and then only used it on a couple of the preset patterns!.."

Bentley Rhythm Ace Drum - Sync mod

Published on Jan 17, 2015 DJjondent

"This is basically a test video for a clock/sync mod for a Bentley Rhythm Ace / Roland TR 77 drum.
Here is my previous post with the mod details:
djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/bentle­y-rhythm-ace-fr-8l-roland-tr77.html

We are testing the drum using a combination of modules: lots of Buchla for the background sounds but the actual drum is triggered from a Eurorack format Flame Arpeggiator sending +5V clock pulses"

Roland TR-33 Rhythm analog drum machine

via this auction

Update via Hamstall Ridware on Facebook: "That's only one generation away from the AceTone RhythmAce (or Bentley Rhythm Ace as they were called in the uk!)"

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Bentley Rhythm Ace - Roland TR77 demo

Bentley Rhythm Ace - Roland TR77 demo by circuitbenders.co.uk
"Quick demo of a Bentley Rhythm Ace FR8L / Roland TR77 playing via a midi-trigger interface mod"

Circuit Bending a Roland TR-77 aka Bentley Rhythm Ace FR-8L

Details on the bends on Circuitbenders.co.uk. Interesting bit on the history of the TR-77:

"Why both names you might ask? Well, before Roland came into existence there was a company in the 70's called Acetone who distributed several drum machines of the 'sit on top of your home organ' variety. These machines were mostly firmly in the Rhumba and Bossanova camps, but in the UK they were marketed under the name Bentley Rhythm Ace, which is as good a name as any i guess. Eventually all these distributors morphed into the mighty beast that was Roland in the late 70's and early 80's, but many of their product ranges seem to have been redesigned and sold as Roland machines, often at the same time as appearing under other names. One of these is the Bentley Rhythm Ace FR8L which is to all intents and purposes a Roland TR77 drum machine, the first product ever to bear the Roland name."

You can find an image of the FR-8L in this previous post. For comparison, here is a pic of an FR-6.

RHYTHM ACE Synthesizer FR8L

via this auction

"RHYTHM ACE Synthesizer FR8L - Ace Electronic Industries - Vintage item - small cosmetic imperfections as shown in photos."

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Vintage Bentley Rhythm Ace Drum Machine FR-6

via this auction
"Vintage 1970's Bentley Rhythm Ace FR-6 drum machine, for the classic retro analogue Sounds

Rarer than the common Long organ top ones with the music rest, this would fit in much better in a studio set up.

Beats 2-beat selectable by rotory knob, Bass drum, Base drum and snare, Fox trot one, Swing one, March, Hara Nara
Beats 4 beat selectable by rotory knob, Bass drum, Bass drum and snare, Fox trot two, Swing two, Swing three, Tango.
Plus Bossa Nova, Samba, Mambo, Cha-Cha, Beguine, Rock N Roll, Ballard, Slow Rock and Waltz.

Large on/off switch
Volume,
Tempo,
Ballance."

Top 20 Weirdest Instruments - Part 5

Suzuki Omnichord, EDP WASP and Bentley Rhythm Ace.
See the write-up on Sonic State. You can find the prior videos posted here.

Which Rhythm Ace started it all?

Update: The Korg Donca Matic DA-20 circa 1963, predates the Rhythm Ace by a year. Thanks 100M for pointing out the Donca Matic in the comments for this post. : )

I was reading about the history of Rebirth at http://www.rebirthmuseum.com. They have a good piece starting with Mr. Ikutaro Kakehashi. In 1964 he presented the Ace Electronics Rhythm Ace at his first US tradeshow. Was this the first groove box? : ) Soon after he formed Roland Corporation, and was directly responsible for the Roland TB303, TR808, and TR909.

I found some shots of the Rhythm Ace on Audio Playground's Synth Museum. Two are pictured below. Anyone know which was the first model and which was presented by Mr. Ikutaro Kakehashi all those years ago?