Roland TB-303

The TB-303 was a synthesizer/sequencer produced by the Roland corporation in 1982 and 1983 that had a crucial role in the development of contemporary electronic music. The TB-303 (named for "Transistor Bass") was originally sold to guitarists for bass accompaniment when practising alone, a role in which it failed miserably. Production lasted approximately 18 months, resulting in 20,000 units. It wasn't until the mid- to late-1980s that DJs and musicians in Chicago found a use for the machine in the context of the newly developing house music. Phuture's "Acid Trax " is widely acknowledged to have been the first track to incorporate the sounds that have come to define the sound the TB-303 is known for today. The well-known "acid" sound can be produced with a TB-303 by playing a melody while changing the cutoff frequency, resonance, envelope modulation, and accent controls. (The accent control modified the note volume, resonance, and envelope modulation.)

The unit had a single oscillator (set to either sawtooth wave or square wave by a switch), a simple envelope generator (with decay control only), and a lowpass filter with -18 dB per octave rolloff (with controls for cutoff frequency, resonance, and envelope amount).

It also featured a 'simple' step-time method for entering note data into the 16-step programmable sequencer. This was notoriously difficult to use, and would often result in entering a different sequence than the one that had been intended - some users also take advantage of the quirky fact that when the batteries are removed for a certain period, patterns that are programmed in memory begin to vary in random ways - one of the factors that helped to create the randomish acid sound.

Roland's designer of the TB-303, Tadao Kikumoto, was also responsible for the well-known TR-909 ("Transistor Rhythm").

List of musicians who use the TB-303

• 2 Unlimited
• 808 State
• A Positive Life
• Acid Junkies

*Dj Steinert

• Acid Rockers
• Air Liquide
• Alec Empire
• Antiloop
• Aphex Twin
• John Bell (Captain Tinrib)
• Apoptygma Berzerk
• Astral Project B.S.E.*
• Autechre
• Barney Arthur
• Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter
• Beatmasters
• The Beloved
• Biochip C.
• Bizarre Inc
• The Black Dog
• Ron Boots
• Cabaret Voltaire
• A Certain Ratio
• Coldcut
• D.A.V.E.
• Dave Angel
• DDR
• DJ Arne L II
• DJ Jazzy Jeff
• Dreadzone
• The Drummer
• Eat Static
• Earthbound
• Ege Bam Yasi
• Electribe 101
• Electronic Dream Planet
• Fatboy Slim
• Frontline Assembly
• Future Sound of London
• Laurent Garnier
• The Grid
• A Guy Called Gerald
• Groove Corporation
• Haircut 100
• Hardfloor
• Paul Harding
• Simon Harris
• Richie Hawtin
• HIA
• Hit Squad
• The Human League
• CJ Imperium
• Lawrie Immersion
• Marshall Jefferson of DJ Pierre
• Guy McGaffer
• Kraftwerk
• The KLF
• KMFDM
• Michael Law
• LFO
• Chris Liberator
• aLoaded
• The Madness
• Man Machine
• Man With No Name
• Massive Attack
• Mega 'Lo Mainia
• Moby
• Motiv8
• Mulligan
• "Mushroom" of Massive Attack
• Nostrum
• Nello
• The Orb
• Orbital
• The Other Two
• Ozric Tentacles
• Planet 4 Records
• Ian Pooley
• The Prodigy
• Rhythmatic
• Tom Robinson
• Rowland The Bastard
• Scooter
• Sabres of Paradise
• Kevin Saunderson
• Shades of Rhythm
• Insom Shalom
• The Shamen
• Tim Simenon
• Sky Cries Mary
• Kris Needs
• Solar Quest
• Sonic Subjunkies
• Steve Smitten
• Squarepusher
• Switzerland
• The Crow
• Thompson Twins
• Mark Tyler
• Uberdruck
• Ultramarine
• Ultra-Sonic
• Ultraviolet
• Underground Resistance
• Underworld
• Josh Wink
• dazzer uk

External links

• Computer Controlled - unofficial TB-303 site
• TB 303 Resource Index -
• Devilfish Modification - Robin Whittle's aftermarket modfication for TB-303