MC 303

wax inspektor · Post by **wax inspektor** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:16 pm

Well... I picked one up for 50€, which is a good price I think, cause they go round 100-140€ here. So I'm not sure either I should keep it or make a little money with it. I know people don't recommend the 303 at all, but this what makes kinda interesting for me... You know I always missed the ability to record pattersn with the mk . I have absolutly no experiences with grooveboxes and I'm also more on the stick-to-your-known-shit trip, but I digged through the onboard sounds and FUCK that shit is pure 90's eurodance... my period of time... so i'm kinda lost to these sounds. Let's say I'm cheese addicted but seriously I got a huge range of quit useful sounds for 50€ only. Now my main problem is:

If I choose a sound ("Tone") and play it with the 'keys' it's nearly impossible to hear, means its volume is way down. Of course I tried to raise the volume (Func+Shift+CutOff Knob=Level) but the volume just goes up a little. If I play a stored pattern the volume is blasting... I don't have that much lately to really dive into the MC303 so I was hoping to catch a quick tip...

Thanx fam

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:12 pm

i have the Roland D2 the most ugly groovebox ever projected and it has the mc303 sounds + mc505 and other (juno sounds!), but i didnt heard of that problem...

PHeMoX · Post by **PHeMoX** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:19 pm

Do you control the sounds through a MIDI keyboard or controller?

It's weird though, might be broken somewhere internally as the main volume doesn't send / receive MIDI messages.

wax inspektor · Post by **wax inspektor** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:13 pm

I'm not using a midi keyboard... I use the step recording buttons / keys to play it... Do you really think its broken?

formal · Post by **formal** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:58 pm

I have the mc307 and it doesn't behave like this. I'd also suggest trying to control it from an external midi controller. Are you trying to use the keys to record "in real time" or are you trying to sequence out in "step mode/TR record"? If you sequence in TR Record ( TR as in the TR drum machines XoX style) you should be able to set the volume/pitch for each step. I haven't played with the 303 in years so I am sorry I can't help out more.

wax inspektor · Post by **wax inspektor** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:09 pm

well... i don't even know how to program a pattern yet...
Ima try to use it with a midi device, but that can't be the real solution... I mean those knobs don't have velocity... just on/off... so why should the volume be influenced by those? I mean the only thing that could broke on those is the contact switch... i just don't get it...

ima try a factory reset, too... who knows what kinda techno ghost is disturbing the line...

drewzle · Post by **drewzle** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:50 pm

Wax - i dunno man, I have a friend with MC-303 and it shits itself all the time. unreliable and we think rusty inside. these boxes are old

i hear of lots of troubles with them. anyway - hopefully it is just a setting you need to fix. try upping the MIDI volume of each part (use control change 7 and put it to 127)

otherwise - maybe invest in a newer Roland Groovebox for similar 90s rave sounds and cool features. the MC-505, 307 or D2 are all excellent and seem to have aged a bit better than the 303

hope you get it sorted dude

Dj_just_jeff · Post by **Dj_just_jeff** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:12 pm

Is it going through an amp? I have one and compared to my electribes it is a lot quieter. I run them all through an aleisis 8 mixer and turn the 303's channel up.
It is possible the volume on the back is not all of the way up, or the knob is corroded on the inside and may need to be replaced. Hope this helps.

PHeMoX · Post by **PHeMoX** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 11:22 am

Wax Inspektor wrote:I'm not using a midi keyboard... I use the step recording buttons / keys to play it... Do you really think its broken?

Not sure, sometimes the weirdest things happen with them. My MC-505 is broken too. The quantize and FX don't work no more, but everything else works just fine.

Never had these kinds of volume issues, but I think you should have no issues getting max volume. It's weird for sure.

dman5000 · Post by **dman5000** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:01 am

my partner has one and his volume knob is fucked up, its gotta be up all the way to hear anything an if you fuck with it at all it goes real quiet, dont know about switching to stocked patterns and them being louder tho.

side note - this machine is cool if only for the fact that it has mad sounds that can be manipulated pretty well, it has a bass boost knob in the back. i wouldnt recommend it as a main machine but for the price its an asset

wax inspektor · Post by **wax inspektor** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:56 pm

Thanx for the replies so far.... I'm getting normal volume when playing the MC303 via Midi...

so I think maybe the step-buttons are assigned with a lower velocity?!

... still hoping that's only a setting issue...

formal · Post by **formal** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:14 pm

If you have some compressed air spray that in the keyboard section. I just remembered when I bought my 2nd mc307 (used) somebody had tried to clean it with windex or something so the keys were kinda sticky and weren't totally responsive. Sometimes they wouldn't respond and other times they would trigger twice! A little TLC fixed it right up and it hasn't been an issue since.

You might also check the manual to do a factory reset on the device. There might be an update for the 303 too, but you'd have to install via midi dump.

ellaguru · Post by **ellaguru** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:49 pm

nuemerik wrote:If you have some compressed air spray that in the keyboard section. I just remembered when I bought my 2nd mc307 (used) somebody had tried to clean it with windex or something so the keys were kinda sticky and weren't totally responsive. Sometimes they wouldn't respond and other times they would trigger twice! A little TLC fixed it right up and it hasn't been an issue since.

You might also check the manual to do a factory reset on the device. There might be an update for the 303 too, but you'd have to install via midi dump.

good tip nuemerik, i heard that too...

wax inspektor · Post by **wax inspektor** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:05 pm

...I thought the step buttons aren't velocity sensitive?! Every single one is working and they also feel good... I was looking for that factory reset and found this site:

http://www.candisc.com/ranger/presets.htm
Factory resets for nearly every unit on this planet.

"ROLAND MC-303 HOLD SHIFT AND THEN POWER ON, THEN PRESS ENTER"

I tried that and it's working!

Now I can play the sounds via step buttons on max. volume... Problem solved; great!!!

Damn techno ghosts....

PHeMoX · Post by **PHeMoX** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 10:40 pm

Glad that worked for you!

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