From SHOJO@delphi.com Thu Dec 1 09:40:07 1994 Date: Thu, 01 Dec 1994 04:33:27 -0500 (EST) From: SHOJO@delphi.com To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: DR-110 Here's the scoop on the DR-110 otherwise known as the "BOSS Dr. Rhythm Graphic". I'm pretty sure it was the last analog drum machine put out by Roland. I'm discounting the TR-909 because it does use some samples. The DR-110 is housed in a gray plastic case 8"x5"x1" with a 1"x1.5" graphic display built in. The display shows a 16 bar pattern and simulatneously shows the position of notes for five different drum sounds. It also shows Song. #, Measure #, Bank, Rhythm and Mode. The DR-110 has four banks (A,B,C,D) each with eight patterns. A&B are user defined, C&D are unchangeable Japanese interpretations of Western rhythms (in other words, cheesy). The DR-110 will do 4/4 and 3/4 time. It is capable of storing two "songs" which are patterns strung together. I lost the manual long ago so I don't remember the top limit of how many patterns a song could hold, I think it was around 130. The DR-110 has one knob each for Tempo, Balance, Accent level and Volume. It has a trigger out, Accent is used for the trigger. It has a headphone jack as well as a standard line out. It also has what Roland called it's "P-Bus" for play-bus I think. How it works is, you plug the output of another instrument (SH-101 for instance) IN to the line out then you hear both the DR-110 and the SH-101 through the headphone jack. Ten years ago when these were my only two pieces of gear this was a very handy feature. The sounds? Well, the sounds are actually very good. Not tunable, pannable or editable in any way. They are: Bass Drum, Snare, Open Hi-Hat, Closed Hi-Hat, Cymbal and Hand clap. Accent is also assignable to specific beats, but places the accent on all sounds on that beat. I've compared the sounds of the DR-110 to a TR--606 and a TR-808 and I'd say it's closest to the 808. It is different though. I don't much care for Handclap in general, but the DR-110 has a really good one. One interesting undocumented effect can be had by turning the accent knob all the way up on a faster tempo. It makes the cymbal and hi-hat sounds decay in a rhythmic way to the beat of the music. Over the last couple of years, I've seen the DR-110 as cheap as $20 in pawn shops. I wouldn't pay more than $60 (of course, ten years ago I paid $200 for it and THAT was a deal then) because of the scarcity of sounds on it, but the ones it has are very, very good. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\Robert Schmeltzer\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Be somebody or be somebody's fool. "\\\\\ //SHOJO@delphi.com /////////////////// Mr. T, off his LP "Mr. T's Commandments"/ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// From geoff@apanix.apana.org.au Tue Dec 6 17:51:50 1994 Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 09:26:32 +0930 From: Brains To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: DR-110 Ab says: >SHOJO@delphi.com writes: > > Here's the scoop on the DR-110 otherwise known as the > > "BOSS Dr. Rhythm Graphic". > >One thing to remember about these things before you run out and by one >thinking it's an undiscovered 808 is that they have no sync facilities >whatsoever. Not necessarily whatsoever, matey :-) Sure there's no jacks on the back for it, but the DR-110 will talk standard DIN sync if you're prepared to hack into it. Roland still have tech manuals available (I don't have one, so don't ask!), and by following the cct. diag. it's possible to sever one track and have the DR-110 follow normal DIN sync. Don't laugh, I've seen it done! If anything, the DR-110 is a great little box to hack around with. Sound-wise it's not bad (I _love_ the claps), and if you're keen you can get to the circuitry easily enough. Geoffrey Really? Geoffrey Peters, Macintosh Support Wizard, geoff@tara.apana.org.au -----------------T-H-U-N-D-E-R-B-I-R-D-S---A-R-E---G-O-!------------------ "I-I'm afraid music in the modern idiom, is too repetitive for my tastes. Although the rhythm has a certain, ah, hypnotic quality ..." -- Brains