ROLAND MC 303 ??? a.k.a. I'm such a fool

wax inspektor · Post by **wax inspektor** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:32 pm

Yo fellaz, what a dissapointment... It turns out that the 303 I wanted to buy is a Roland MC 303 Groovebox! What the hell is it?!
It's damn old (1996?)?! Do you think it's still useful??? Anyone ever tried one of those MC x0x Roland grooveboxes...?!
All I know is that it's a soundmodul with a sequencer...

I've seen that shit for 160-230€ at ebay... Maybe I can make a little money with it... (dude wants 100€) ?
Would be nice to hear some thoughts...

blast1 · Post by **blast1** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:46 pm

you can get some Fat Basslines and synth leads with that, i'd cop it if it were up to me... experiment with it and see what you can get out of it... but if what you really want is a "sp-303" then i'd pass...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqp3-_AZ ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqePupn_9wk

i've read somewhere that Ayatollah uses one...

http://remixmag.com/artists/remix_ayatollah/

wax inspektor · Post by **wax inspektor** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:54 pm

I like he fact that it has a pattern mode (screw you microkorg)...
A SP 303 would have been nice... but not really needed. Thanx for the input. I'm gonna check the links!

enossified · Post by **enossified** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:02 pm

The MC303 was the first Roland to be marked Groovebox. It has 7 synth polyphonic synth parts and then a sampled drum section. The 8 track sequencer can also drive external MIDI gear (like an SP).

More info and sound smaples can be found here.

Today worth only about $100 in the USA. I bought one 2 years ago for $25.

wax inspektor · Post by **wax inspektor** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:23 pm

Thanx for the quick reply...25 bugz? Wow, that' cheap...

How often do you use it? Do you combine it with any other euipment? Do you have some examples of your work with that machine?
That thing looks nice but I think I don't ever will use it. Sounds like the pattern programming is a bit complicated.
All those synth sounds ain't really my style and I already got a microkorg and to be honest I just use it for some basses. Never really got a feel for it...

ColeRockLee · Post by **ColeRockLee** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:27 pm

I've actually been thinkin about gettin an MC-303. Just to have some basic samples handy and to use as a main sequencer.

PHeMoX · Post by **PHeMoX** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:14 pm

In that case I'd pass!! 100€ for an MC303 is quite a lot of money actually.

I'd instantly cop the mc505 for 100€, but not the much older 303.

crumbsucker · Post by **crumbsucker** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:33 am

100 euro is zehr gut price for it.

get the groovebox it's cool toy ... you can drive other synths with it... like your microkorg

enossified · Post by **enossified** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:11 pm

Wax Inspektor wrote:Thanx for the quick reply...25 bugz? Wow, that' cheap... How often do you use it?

Never actually, I messed around with it for a week and resold it for $75

crumbsucker · Post by **crumbsucker** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 12:41 am

it's just me... 4get MC, get MPC

...drunk? yeah right!

drewzle · Post by **drewzle** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 8:22 am

i've used a friend's MC-303, it is a very capable unit but getting old. probably not ideal for SP-style jamming, but as a MIDI-sequencer and synth/drum machine it is excellent. would be good for live performances, sequence/control a few other instruments and use the knobs to tweak effects and synth parameters

i see alot of these things for sale in pawn shops and on eBay, many stating that they don't work 100%. my friend's unit only turns on every 3 or 4 times you turn the switch, and no longer processes MIDI properly (d'oh!) so it's pretty useless. i have a feeling alot of these MC-303s get dodgy like this