I've heard so many good things about this little bad boy I had to get one. It's like a pocket TR-606. Got it on the cheap tip, too. Also seen people mod the shit out of it and make external attack/decay boxes to get the most BOOM out of it. Can't wait to rock it along with the DR-202!!! Does anyone here have one?

Kind of a late reply, but here goes:
I have one. Sounds nothing like a TR-606, every single sound is different: the bass drum is shorter, the snare is different, the high hats and cymbal are not the same, and the clap doesn't exist on the TR-606. Although it can be similar in the sense that other analog drum boxes are similar, like the TR-808.

It seems pretty hard to get a good mix without using an external filter (a real filter, not an eq), because you can't set the levels of the individual instruments (you sort of can, but it's not enough by itself).

For synchronizing it, you have to use something that has trig input (unless you do mods). No way to really sync it to the DR-202 by itself without mods, although the DR-202 can also make interesting analog drum sounds with its own samples, so I don't see too much of a need for this, especially since the DR-202 lets you set the pitch, filters, drum volume, effects, etc.

Other than that, its a classic that was used on some dancehall reggae/dub from the 1980s and can be fun.

An interesting use it to make loops and put them in your sampler.

If you install the full set of mods its kinda like a mini-half-808. not quite as boomin and slappin but the clap is freaking awesome and once u put some mods on the kick drum it gets mad!

Unfortunately mine was the first thing I ever modded, so it was a complete wirenightmare.. lotsa loose connections and such. I'd like to get another one and do it all again tidy like..

BUT -
Using it on it's own is severely limited due to the lack of toms/other pitched-style percussion.. The snare can function as a vageuly tom sound with mods (and the clap can stand on its own) but it just isn't able to cover a lot of ground... So I'd say unless you wanna use it in combination with another box or a tomtom synth module or something, it's not that useful.

Thanks for the info, guys. It seems like I'm better off with the DR-202. Good thing I've got one! I did purchase a DR-110 but 2 hours after purchasing it, the internal battery died on me and I promptly received a refund. I'll use that money to try and install an LCD backlight for the DR-202.

RP is DR202 ninja, guys...

The only internal battery in that thing is the AA batteries you put in, it's how the patterns you make are stored, although the patterns may still stay in memory a couple of minutes after you take out the batteries and unplug the adapter, I think just so you can change the batteries and not lose the patterns.

O.k., so you got a refund for the wrong reasons, but if it wasn't your thing it's o.k. I guess.

I did replace the AA batteries and even purchased a back up older Roland PSA-120 adapter. At first, I thought it wouldn't turn on because the first power adapter may have burnt out. I plugged in the back up PSA and it still wouldn't power on. Even with fresh batteries it was dead . The seller verified this which is why I got the refund. Had it worked, I would've kept it.

Thanks, Ella! The official Roland schematics helped so don't give me all the credit. It can be done but finding the proper light with the appropriate voltage parameters is key. I'm no techie but my buddy showed me how quick it took him to solder a light into his Casio FZ synth and both the DR's display and that old Casio display are quite similar in appearance.

spambot must die

Agreed.