Roland Cloud is pleased to announce the addition of the Roland TB-303 to our suite of software instruments. Utilizing the same ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) modeling as the Roland JUNO-106, JUPITER-8, and others from our Legendary series, the virtual TB-303 captures the hypnotic tone of the original hardware and forms the perfect complement to the TR-909 and other instruments in Roland Cloud.
"The Roland TB-303 Bass Line is a synthesizer with built-in sequencer manufactured by the Roland corporation in 1982 and 1983 that had a defining role in the development of contemporary electronic music. The TB-303 (named for "Transistor Bass") was originally marketed to guitarists for bass accompaniment while practicing alone. Production lasted approximately 18 months, resulting in only 10,000 units. It was not until the mid- to late-1980s that DJs and electronic musicians in Chicago found a use for the machine in the context of the newly developing house music genre. At the time they were very cheap, which helped to contribute to their popularity. The TB-303 is considered a collector's item today, often valued at US $1000 to $3000. An example recently sold on eBay for US $2,275.00. Phuture's "Acid Tracks" is widely acknowledged to have been the first Acid House recording to incorporate prototypical TB-303 sounds. Earlier recordings featuring the TB-303 can be traced back as far as the early Electro scene, including artists such as Ice T, Newcleus, and Mantronix, as well as pop musicians such as Heaven 17 and Section 25. In the early 90's, as new Acid styles emerged, the 303 was often overdriven, producing a harsher sound. Examples of this technique include Hardfloor's 1992 EP "Acperience", and Interlect 3000's 1993 EP "Volcano". The well-known "acid" sound is typically produced by playing a repeating note pattern on the TB-303, while altering the filter's cutoff frequency, resonance, and envelope modulation. The TB-303's accent control modifies a note's volume, filter resonance, and envelope modulation, allowing further variations in timbre. A distortion effect, either by using a guitar effects pedal or overdriving the input of an audio mixer, is commonly used to give the TB-303 a denser, noisier timbre--as the resulting sound is much richer in harmonics. The head designer of the TB-303, Tadao Kikumoto, was also responsible for leading design of the TR-909 drum machine." Be sure to check out the seller's other items. Quite the list there.
It looks like Din Sync is coming out with a new DIY "replica" clone of the TB-303. There have been plenty of emulations of the 303, but only a handful of actual clones. There was the x0xb0x was based on the schematics of the original 303, Cyclone Analogic's TT-303, and most recently Abstrakt Instruments Avalon Bassline Synthesizer which I've been told has circuit boards that can be swapped into an original TB-303.
"Ok ill start with a few obvious questions, feel free to ask more and I'll try to answer them for you.
Q: What is the RE-303?
A: the RE-303 is a replica of the Roland TB-303 motherboard and switchboard
Q: Why do we need yet another 303 knockoff?
A: There have been many clones, I honestly wanted to make a genuine replica. Now the dead TB-303's with broken motherboards can come back to life and new TB-303s can be born.
Q: Hasn't this been done already?
A: Actually no, not in the purest form. We've had the x0xb0x which sounded very close but didn't look the part. We've had the TT-303 which looks that part but is not a genuine replica of the original hardware. The RE-303 circuit boards have been made by dissecting a mint condition pristine TB-303 and manually recreating the board in CAD from the hardware rather than the service schematics. Every nuance and mistake in the hardware not in the service notes is recreated in the RE-303. It really is for all intents and purposes a TB-303. [Note: I was told the Abstrakt Instruments Avalon Bassline Synthesizer boards can be swapped]
Q: When can I get one?
A: As soon as they are ready, just post on the waiting list thread. By the nature of this project It's likely to be limited, so first come first served.
Q: What about kits?
A: This is likely to never happen sorry, this project is probably going to be the most hardcore DIY many have tried. But it will be worth the effort!
Q: What about rare parts, the VCA and CPU, memory chips, switches pots etc etc.
A: There currently exists many solutions for these today and I'm actively working on some as part of the project.
Q: How long will this all take?
A: How long is a piece of string?"
The Crow Hill Company creates VAULTS - ACID SYNTH as an homage to the revered Roland TB-303 Bass Line synth and associated Acid House genre
EDINBURGH, UK: music-making community tools-maker The Crow Hill Company is proud to announce availability of VAULTS - ACID SYNTH as the latest entry into its lengthening line of free and accessible virtual instruments arising from company co-founder and composer Christian Henson effectively opening his ‘vaults’ for everyone to enjoy — this time creating an homage to the revered Roland TB-303 Bass Line, launched with high hopes in 1981 as a so-called Computer Controlled bass synth by the Japanese giant of electronic musical instrument manufacturing responsible for its creation before being deemed a commercial failure and discontinued quite quickly thereafter, though it was later instrumental in driving Acid House into the musical mainstream as a whole new EDM (Electronic Dance Music) genre and associated cultural movement, the popularity of which triggered a dramatic rise in the price of used units — as of March 19…
It is fair to say that when Roland released its TB-303 Bass Line in 1981 as a so-called Computer Controlled bass synth with the intention of mimicking the characteristics of an electric bass guitar, there were far fewer tools to create electronic music available. But buyers of the TB-303 Bass Line were possibly swayed by the fact that it could be time-synced — using Roland’s proprietary five-pin DIN sync interface (later superseded by MIDI) — to its contemporarily-released Computer Controlled sibling, the TR-606 Drumatix drum machine, making for an affordable rhythm section that could conceivably fit into a small briefcase as a beautiful backing combination for the solo gigging musician, further helped by both devices being battery operated as an attractive alternative to their (included) AC adapters… or so Roland had hoped.
Though the engineers involved tried their best to imitate the sound of an electric bass guitar with the technology of the time, the TB-303 Bass Line fell short in capturing its subtleties as an instrument, sadly, so it was discontinued within a couple of years, with Roland cheaply selling off the last of the 10,000 units manufactured. Now, normally this would be the end of the story, yet something incredible happened…
Helpfully, for the benefit of anyone not already in the know, The Crow Hill Company’s Theo Le Derf picks up what is an incredible story in itself: “DJ Pierre and his band called Phuture found a used TB-303 in a music shop in Chicago for a bargain price. They started experimenting with the bass sequencer and a drum machine while playing about randomly with the filter and resonance knobs. The sound they produced was so unique and, frankly, weird that they decided to commit the jam session to tape. With the release of this experiment on Trax Records in 1987, they unwittingly birthed a new genre: Acid House. This slimy, hypnotic, subversive sound subsequently built a cultural movement, and was the soundtrack to many illegal warehouse parties of the late Eighties — all of this from a tiny synth that was used ‘incorrectly’.”
Thanks to VAULTS - ACID SYNTH’s GUI (Graphical User Interface) being as intuitive as always, correct — or ‘incorrect’ — usage of the virtual instrument in question comes quickly. “The first large dial — CUT OFF — is a 24dB lowpass filter that controls what high frequencies you cut out, and it is automatically assigned to MIDI CC1.” So starts Theo Le Derf by way of an appropriately quick guided tour, before continuing: “RESONANCE determines the peak of the filter as it opens and closes, which creates that characteristically ‘squelchy’ sound that the synth is known for. The small dials are more concentrated effects — MOD controls how much voltage is being sent to the filter, so you can get some really interesting sounds by adjusting the CUT OFF dial and MOD simultaneously; DECAY controls the decay for all the envelopes; and, of course, there is also our standard ECHO and SPLOSH, with the SPLOSH being an algorithmic imitation of a cave, which suits this synth so brilliantly.”
It is as easy as that, though Theo Le Derf is keen to add: “Another thing to mention is that you can obviously play staccato, but when you play legato — MIDI notes overlapping with one another, you get a glide between the notes. This glide effect is another characteristic that the ’303 is renowned for.”
No need, necessarily, then, to risk dropping a bank-balance-busting four-figure sum on a decades-old Roland TB-303 Bass Line when The Crow Hill Company’s ‘tribute’ truly captures the essence of its distinctive sound for all to enjoy for literally nothing. Notes Theo Le Derf, ending on a high note: “The story arc of this synth is so amazing — from its unpromising beginning to completely defining a genre and an era, it’s so exciting to have this celebrated instrument at my fingertips for free!”
VAULTS - ACID SYNTH is free for everyone — as are all VAULTS… releases from The Crow Hill Company — from here: https://thecrowhillcompany.com/vaults/
"The Roland TB-303 Bass Line is a synthesizer with built-in sequencer manufactured by the Roland corporation in 1982 and 1983 that had a defining role in the development of contemporary electronic music. The TB-303 (named for "Transistor Bass") was originally marketed to guitarists for bass accompaniment while practicing alone. Production lasted approximately 18 months, resulting in only 10,000 units. It was not until the mid- to late-1980s that DJs and electronic musicians in Chicago found a use for the machine in the context of the newly developing house music genre. At the time they were very cheap, which helped to contribute to their popularity. The TB-303 is considered a collector's item today, often valued at US $1000 to $3000. An example recently sold on eBay for US $2,275.00. Phuture's "Acid Tracks" is widely acknowledged to have been the first Acid House recording to incorporate prototypical TB-303 sounds. Earlier recordings featuring the TB-303 can be traced back as far as the early Electro scene, including artists such as Ice T, Newcleus, and Mantronix, as well as pop musicians such as Heaven 17 and Section 25. In the early 90's, as new Acid styles emerged, the 303 was often overdriven, producing a harsher sound. Examples of this technique include Hardfloor's 1992 EP "Acperience", and Interlect 3000's 1993 EP "Volcano". The well-known "acid" sound is typically produced by playing a repeating note pattern on the TB-303, while altering the filter's cutoff frequency, resonance, and envelope modulation. The TB-303's accent control modifies a note's volume, filter resonance, and envelope modulation, allowing further variations in timbre. A distortion effect, either by using a guitar effects pedal or overdriving the input of an audio mixer, is commonly used to give the TB-303 a denser, noisier timbre--as the resulting sound is much richer in harmonics. The head designer of the TB-303, Tadao Kikumoto, was also responsible for leading design of the TR-909 drum machine. " No details on the SBX-80. If you know more, feel free to comment. via ni hao in the comments of this post.
Update via burstgenerator in the comments: "the SBX-80 was good for syncing sequencing hardware to tape machines via SMPTE that it would then translate into midi-clock or roland sync, etc. link"
Bass Bot TT 303 - Roland TB 303 Clone - demo 2 - Alesso - Years
Published on Oct 17, 2012 by DJjondent
I'm not seeing demo 1 anywhere so here is 2 & 3 is below.
"This is demo of a new Roland tb 303 clone.
Its called the Bass Bot TT-303 by Cyclone Analogic
Almost identical to a vintage 303 except it has presets and
midi in/out.,
CV/gate out seems identical to a vintage 303 as does programming.
Unlike all those other 303 clones out there this one could easily be mistaken for an original.
... at least in its external appearance.
more audio demos coming ...
I'll do a direct audio comparison with a real 303 soon.
Tune is Alesso's Years..... sequenced in Abelton."
How to Program a Bass Bot TT 303 - Roland TB 303 clone - Demo 3
Published on Oct 18, 2012 by DJjondent
"A quick 3rd demo of the TT303 by Cyclone Analogic.
This video covers traditional programming and play. No midi or external sequencers used this time.
If you're familiar with writing a melody on a Roland TB303 you'll probably see that the procedure is identical.
The first part of the video is standard "Pattern Play".
Then we switch to "write/pattern mode"
Here is where we write our tune.
First we need to erase our previous pattern.
Then set the number of steps (in this example its 12) .. Max of 16.
Hit pitch mode.
Write the melody.
Then into "time mode" to tell the sequencer how many notes to play.
Hit "run" to play the tune :-)
This melody is kinda boring :-( .... lets spice it up with some accents, slides or transpose up/down.
Jasper Hamill wrote in to let us know he published an article on the new TB-3 for Forbes online here. The article features comments from x0xb0x's Ladyada, acidlab's Klaus Suessmuth, and the first interview ever with Cyclone Analogic's Mr Lee. Roland believes they captured the essence of the TB-303. From Brandon Ryan, AIRA group strategy manager for Roland Corporation, in the article:
“'We deeply analyzed what makes a 303 a 303,' Ryan told me. 'We consulted with the original engineers, studied original schematics and constantly compared the TB-3 to our own original TB-303 units. And we think we’ve improved upon the original in some ways. Even with its modern touches, it’s just got that 303 thing – and that’s really what matters at the end of the day.'"
Interface aside, there is one other thing to consider in addition to the raw sound of the TB-303. There's also the behavior and character of the 303 driven by it's sequencer. One characteristic that made the 303 shine in my opinion was the accent and glide or slide. The 303 is capable of an almost rubber band like action when it comes to the glide between notes. You can hear it come in at :57 in this video. I have yet to hear it on the TB-3 or confirmation that it can cover it. Informally I have heard that it can't, but I haven't given up hope. Not sure how the other clones compare. No other synth I'm aware of can do it quite like the 303. If you have an opinion feel free to comment.
It's worth noting the TB-3 is not the first 303 inspired synth from Roland. Prior to the TB-3, Roland also came out with the MC-303 and the MC-09 PhraseLab which many consider a great little box at reproducing the TB-303 sound. Not sure how it did with that slide though.
You'll find the full article by Jasper Hamill on Forbes here.
TB303 photo credit from Forbes article via Wikipedia.
"One of our favorite combos, the legendary Roland TB-303 computer controlled bassline with Devilfish mods combined with a Roland TR-606 drumatix, along with a Catlainbread Echorec delay pedal for the TB303. No other effects processing added. This is a short jam session showcasing some of the variety of tones that can be had with the even the slightest adjustments to a handful of knobs.
The Roland TB-303 Devilfish includes some great mods taking the TB-303 to the next level, including:
Overdrive
Normal Decay
Accent Decay
Filter Tracking
Soft Attack
Muffler
Accent button
Slide Time
Sweep Speed (slow, norm, fast)
Resonance
Filter FM
⚡⚡⚡
See more details and high-res photos on our website here
Wanting to purchase a TB-303 or TR-606? Get on our notification list by emailing with subject "Roland TB-303 TR-606 stock notification" to: notify@retrogearshop.com"
"Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of Roland, father of the TR-909, TR-808, Godfather of MIDI, and someone who I have collaborated with for 38 years, and also considered him as my 2nd father, passed away at the age of 87. He was a super funny, wonderful and gifted human being, and his contributions to the musical instrument world , and music, touched millions of people worldwide. RIP dear Taro.........."
This was shared only 5 hours ago. I am not seeing an announcement from Roland. I will update this post if anything new comes in.
Sad day today. Another legend and hero lost.
Update: added a few videos below including a pretty nice tribute. If you know of any other good videos featuring Ikutaro Kakehashi, send them in.
This is a record of a comparison test conducted in June 2024 between the analog modeling sound source called HYP3 Core Engine (tentative name) and the Roland TB-303.
The HYP3 Core Engine (tentative name) is a modeling sound source used in hardware synthesizers under development at SYNTHERNET, such as HYP3 and G3N3.
The MICRO HYP3 used in the video is experimental hardware. It runs on an overclocked STM32F411 (Cortex-M4, 120MHz).
The display in the upper left uses a spectrograph called as_SonoGx2.
The horizontal axis is time and the vertical axis is frequency. The resonant peak appears as a bright line, so you can observe the envelope shape of the cutoff frequency. Orange (HYP3) and Blue (TB-303) When they overlap, they are displayed in white.
In test 1, we compare the state in which the envelope rises in response to an increase in tempo and a series of accents. Since the oscillator is free running, there is a phase difference, but the envelope itself is almost identical.
In test 2, we compare the changes when parameters are changed. The HYP3 Core Engine matches the potentiometer curve and parameter range to the TB-303. This can also be adjusted to suit the individual unit.
In test 3, we compare the results when the same external distortion is applied. Even with distortion, you can get a very similar feeling.
"DISCLAIMER: I've never seen (nor heard) a Roland TB-303 in person (excluding audio recordings), nor really sought out the sound (why am I doing this then? See below). I'll change the title if this in no way resembles the sound of the TB-303. Youtube demo's and sound design forums only tell you so much. Now, who would want an RT Spectralis when the Roland TB-303 is cheaper? Well... it's not cheaper. It's vintage, thus expensive and sought after (the original, at least). It is what it is, it's different than the spectralis, but if you already have the spectralis, perhaps you can get that TB-303 sound. Any thoughts on improving this sound? Let me know, I will make a video of how to make this sound if indeed it sounds similar, but will also take suggestions on improvements. Enjoy (further details below)!
Someone on the Radikal Technologies forums suggested a tutorial on recreating that TB-303 sound. Of course, with no prior knowledge of the synthesis involved, I looked it up and found a Access Virus thread on the subject (see below). Basically, the spectralis doesn't have the right filter. It has a 24dB LP filter (which doesn't open all the way) and a MultiMode 12dB LP/HP/BP filter. I set my oscillator through the MM filter, using the LP portion (specifics below). I then decided to just make a long video and got carried away. One thing I learned on this adventure: INDIVIDUAL PANNING FOR EACH FILTERBANK FREQUENCY!!!!! I used that for OSC3 and OSC4... it was fun and completely unrelated to the TB-303 sound I was going for... Enjoy!
"* Auction includes: Roland TB-303 with replaced Alps pushbutton switches, dust guard installed and upper six knobs remounted about 1.5mm higher
* Original Roland grey & orange faux leather carry case / gig bag
* Bound copy of the TB-303 manual
* Choice of official Roland/Boss power supply (choice from Boss models PSA-240 (brand new and made in China), PSA-220, ACA-120G and ACA-220 (the latter three being used and all being made in Japan)
* Energizer Ultra C cell batteries x4
I realize I've never posted an image of TADAO KIKUMOTO. Here he is. The man behind the legendary Roland TB-303 & TR-606.
Posted today @Roland_US:
"#TBT with the developer of the Roland TB-303: Tadao Kikumoto. Discover more about the history of the #TB303 and its impact on music culture: roland.com.."
"The Roland TB-303 is a machine like no other. With an unmistakable sonic signature brimming with warmth, energy and character, the iconic silver box defined the acid house movement of the late 1980s. Widely misunderstood when launched in 1981, the true revolution began several years later when electronic music producers rediscovered the quirky box, unleashing the hypnotic, liquid sound that captivated a generation. While we may never really understand why the 303 sound makes people want to dance, there is no denying its power, influence, and unwavering ability to get a party started. It just works, even after all this time.
An engineer called Tadao Kikumoto was hard at work on a new product that would accompany Roland’s TR- 606 drum machine. Mr. Kikumoto’s plan was to develop a machine to recreate the sound of an electric bass guitar, for solo performers to practice with and even take out to gigs. The two machines would link up and play at the same tempo via DIN Sync technology, providing a programmable and highly portable ‘backing band’."
"small test with the best basslines on the planet - all three units sounding very nice.
recorded with RME Hammerfall HDSP 16bit, 44,1 KHz."
BassBot TT-303 (left channel) - Roland TB-303 (right channel)
Published on Oct 2, 2016
"small competition with the acid brothers - the Roland TB-303 sounds with a little more overtones and filternoises - but the TT-303 is a very nice bassline......word."
Abstrakt Instruments Avalon Bassline
Published on Oct 2, 2016
"small demonstration about the very cool Avalon Bassline - all functions go far beyond the TB303 and the sound is near 98-99% the original sound - best Bassline at the market - grab it if you can."
NatLife Sounds present you a real banger - ACID 3.
This is the biggest MIDI collection for Roland TB-303 and the synthesizers that can reproduce ACID sound.
For using this patches you can easily put it to DAW's Piano Roll in any synthesizer, which you think is great for this. As example we used U-He Hive 2, and the sounds in the demo comes from our lirabries - I'm Raving, 303 for Hive 2 and coming 303 for Hive 2 V2 (coming soon..).
We also can advise you for use: D16 Phoscyon 2, ABL3, Dune 3, Behringer TD-3/MO, Roland TB-03, Roland TB-3, Roland Cloud TB-303, Cyclone TT-303, Transistor Bass, Acidlab MM-303 and other software or hardware 303r clones.
This pack can be perfect for: Acid House, Acid Trance, Acid Techno, Psy Trance, Psychedelic Trance, Future Rave & all the Electronic Music.
"We demonstrate various interesting ways to use the MIDI control mode of the Quicksilver 303. For more information: http://www.socialentropy.com/quicksilver"
"For sale we have a Quicksilver upgraded Roland TB-303 analog synthesizer. The machine has a lot of cosmetic paint wear all over the case (see pictures). Functionally the machine is excellent, with new tact switches, some new potentiometers, tuned and tested! This 303 has been modified with the Quicksilver 303 CPU upgrade! A great way to get this amazing upgrade without having to send away your 303 or deal with installation. This machine has also had the switches replaced with new ALPS sealed tact switches, so there aren't any problems with buttons double triggering. The Quicksilver 303 CPU adds support for: * MIDI input/output * USB-MIDI * realtime pattern editing * pattern MIDI output * sysex pattern dumps * realtime mode switching * filter control over MIDI * pattern randomize * MIDI sync * updateable operating system ... and much, much more. With the Quicksilver 303 upgrade, the 303 has become an amazing interactive live performance synthesizer. You can create and edit patterns without ever stopping the sequencer. You can find out more about the Quicksilver 303 upgrade here: http://www.socialentropy.com/quicksilver A video showing some of the cool things the Quicksilver 303 is capable of: Quicksilver 303 MIDI CONTROL This TB-303 is in excellent functional condition, with substantial paint wear on the machine. There is also a chip on the front corner (see photos). Includes the original vinyl Roland carry case in OK condition. Includes the Quicksilver 303 MIDI dongles. Includes a NEW genuine BOSS PSA-120S power supply."
Published on Feb 13, 2014 RolandChannel·835 videos
"Groundbreaking artists talk about their experiences with Roland instruments and make first contact with the AIRA gear. Artists appearing are: Arthur Baker, Ricardo Villalobos, A Guy Called Gerald, Rain Man, Netsky, Oscar Burnside, Boys Noize, Dr Meaker, Hardfloor, John Heckle, Hisashi Saito, and Akkord."
Update2: You can find comments and discussion on this post on The MATRIXSYNTH Lounge here. I also added a page break for this post on the main site so it doesn't slow the site down for new posts. Click the "Click for more" link to get to the full post.
YouTube via TomThayer. TB-303 on Ebay " This video was made to demonstrate the functionality of my Roland TB-303 Baseline Synthesizer that I am selling on Ebay. This TB-303 is an exceptional example in superb condition. It hasn't been modified or messed with in any way. Everything works 100%. NO scratchy pots, NO flaky, double triggering buttons, NO battery acid leaks (has the elusive battery cover) and the pots even still have the "new stiff" feeling to them.
If you have always wanted a really nice example of a TB-303, this is it!
This video was made with the TB-303 going straight in to the computer with no EQ. The drum and sample sounds are coming from a Casio RZ-1 Drum machine.
At 2:45 I try out some distortion for the techno people. At 5:20 I add Some delay to the TB-303."
Dtronics DT-303 vs Roland TB-303video upload by Dtronicsmusic
"Basic demo of the Dtronics DT-303 Distortion for the TB-303
The Dtronics DT-303 is a distortion that fits perfect with a Roland TB-303 Giving it unique sound to your acid music.
The Dtronics DT-303 is not your ordinary distortion, It is not a clone or copy.
It gives you 3 blends that you can adjust and filter. Each of the 3 settings have minor changes in the frequency spectrum. The distortion knop allows you to spice things up from minor to overrated distortion. Use the filter knob to suppress those high frequencies. A volume knob is added to adjust the output level to your needs. A bypass knop allows you to switch back to the original sound quickly.
The DT-303 was designed to fit perfect next to your TB-303 or RE-303. With the connections at the back you will have no spaghetti wires hanging over your gear."
"Three more iconic Roland products, now available as affordable, limited-edition sound modules.
Recreating the sound and user interface of the TR-909, TB-303 and VP-330, each module is packed with hands-on controls for deep editing, while battery operation and built-in speaker lets you make music on the move.
With all the sonic power of the originals, plus some brand new features, the second wave of Roland Boutique gear lets you add even more classics to your library."
The TB-303 (named for "Transistor Bass") was originally marketed to guitarists for bass accompaniment while practicing alone. Production lasted approximately 18 months, resulting in only 10,000 units. It was not until the mid- to late-1980s that DJs and electronic musicians in Chicago found a use for the machine in the context of the newly developing house music genre. At the time they were very cheap, which helped to contribute to their popularity. The TB-303 is considered a collector's item today, often valued at US $1000 to $3000. An example recently sold on eBay for US $2,275.00. Phuture's "Acid Tracks" is widely acknowledged to have been the first Acid House recording to incorporate prototypical TB-303 sounds. Earlier recordings featuring the TB-303 can be traced back as far as the early Electro scene, including artists such as Ice T, Newcleus, and Mantronix, as well as pop musicians such as Heaven 17 and Section 25. In the early 90's, as new Acid styles emerged, the 303 was often overdriven, producing a harsher sound. Examples of this technique include Hardfloor's 1992 EP "Acperience", and Interlect 3000's 1993 EP "Volcano". The well-known "acid" sound is typically produced by playing a repeating note pattern on the TB-303, while altering the filter's cutoff frequency, resonance, and envelope modulation. The TB-303's accent control modifies a note's volume, filter resonance, and envelope modulation, allowing further variations in timbre. A distortion effect, either by using a guitar effects pedal or overdriving the input of an audio mixer, is commonly used to give the TB-303 a denser, noisier timbre--as the resulting sound is much richer in harmonics. The head designer of the TB-303, Tadao Kikumoto, was also responsible for leading design of the TR-909 drum machine. " No details on the SBX-80. If you know more, feel free to comment. via ni hao in the comments of this post.
"The Roland TB-303 is a machine like no other. With an unmistakable sonic signature brimming with warmth, energy and character, the iconic silver box defined the acid house movement of the late 1980s. Widely misunderstood when launched in 1981, the true revolution began several years later when electronic music producers rediscovered the quirky box, unleashing the hypnotic, liquid sound that captivated a generation. While we may never really understand why the 303 sound makes people want to dance, there is no denying its power, influence, and unwavering ability to get a party started. It just works, even after all this time.
"For sale we have a Quicksilver upgraded Roland TB-303 analog synthesizer. The machine has a lot of cosmetic paint wear all over the case (see pictures). Functionally the machine is excellent, with new tact switches, some new potentiometers, tuned and tested! This 303 has been modified with the Quicksilver 303 CPU upgrade! A great way to get this amazing upgrade without having to send away your 303 or deal with installation. This machine has also had the switches replaced with new ALPS sealed tact switches, so there aren't any problems with buttons double triggering. The Quicksilver 303 CPU adds support for: * MIDI input/output * USB-MIDI * realtime pattern editing * pattern MIDI output * sysex pattern dumps * realtime mode switching * filter control over MIDI * pattern randomize * MIDI sync * updateable operating system ... and much, much more. With the Quicksilver 303 upgrade, the 303 has become an amazing interactive live performance synthesizer. You can create and edit patterns without ever stopping the sequencer. You can find out more about the Quicksilver 303 upgrade here: http://www.socialentropy.com/quicksilver A video showing some of the cool things the Quicksilver 303 is capable of: Quicksilver 303 MIDI CONTROL This TB-303 is in excellent functional condition, with substantial paint wear on the machine. There is also a chip on the front corner (see photos). Includes the original vinyl Roland carry case in OK condition. Includes the Quicksilver 303 MIDI dongles. Includes a NEW genuine BOSS PSA-120S power supply." 
