Roland D Station User manual

C M YK
in music, anything is possible.
Novation EMS Limited
Platinum House 32 Clivemont Road Maidenhead Berkshire England SL6 7BZ
Phone [phone] Fax [phone] E-mail [email protected]
Novation USA Limited
Int. Toll-free Tel: 011 - 800 - NOVATION (6682-8466) E-mail [email protected]
Specification subject to change without prior notice. www.novationmusic.com
Part No: MAN-DST-UK
Vers. 1.1
▲User Manual
d-station
drum synthesizer
D-STATION
in music, anything is possible.
n
O

Introduction Section 1
Front Panel Controls 2
Rear Panel Connections 3
Connections & Setting up 4
Applications - Basic 5
Applications - Advanced 6
Master Volume Section 7
Data Entry / Program Section 8
Keypad 8
Audition - Auto Trigger Button 9
Mode Button - Program Change 10
Midi TX & RX Channels 11
Selecting Utility Mode 11
Saving System Exclusive Data Dumps 11
Loading System Exclusive Data Dumps 12
Editing & Writing Programs 13
Compare Function 14
Voice Architecture / ASM 15
TR808 & TR909 Notes 16
Bass Drum Section 18
Snare Drum Section 20
Tom Toms Section 22
Rimshot / Handclap / Cowbell Section 24
Hi Hat Section 25
Cymbals Section 26
Congas / Maracas / Claves Section 28
Utility Mode 30
Operation 30
Drum Select 31
Front Cut 32
Controller / Velocity 33
Note Off Recognition 35
General MIDI Setup 36
Output Set 37
Assign Bank 39
Distortion 40
Factory Demo 40
Din Sync Output 41
Controller Map 42
Factory Program List 44
Factory Demo Guide 45
MIDI Implementation 46
MIDI Precussion Map 47
Troubleshooting Guide 48
Specification 49
Table of
Contents
* TR808 & TR909 are trademarks of Roland Corporation, Japan

Thank you for buying the Novation D Station Rack drum synthesizer. The module you have
purchased is ideal for producing the kind of classic synthesized drum sounds which have
returned to popularity in recent years in various styles of dance music.
The two most popular drum machines which originally produced these sounds - Roland’s TR808 & TR909* - are no longer
manufactured and as a result, second-hand units are now changing hands for far more than their original selling prices (and
indeed the selling price of the D Station). The D Station will allow you to produce these sounds with stunning realism and
‘tweak’ their parameters using the original analogue synthesis techniques, unlike sampling or PCM playback which ‘freezes’
the sound and makes it extremely difficult to edit. Additionally the D Station is programmable so once you have adjusted
the sounds to your taste you can store them in complete ‘kits’. You have the recall of digital memories but with the life and
warmth that only original analogue sounds have. To get you started 25 Factory kits have been provided and there are 15
User Programs which you can use to store your own kits, once you become familiar with the editing parameters. The D
Station features stereo left/right and 6 individual assignable audio outputs so you can process your drum sounds individual-
ly through your mixer EQ and external effects.
The D Station is triggered via MIDI, allowing you to program your drums on your favourite MIDI sequencer (hardware or
software). The TR808 and TR909 kits can be accessed simultaneously allowing any combination of drum sounds to be
played as a ‘Kit’. MIDI Controllers are transmitted when any drumsound editing knob is adjusted in real-time and these too
can be recorded on a MIDI sequencer and reproduced from sequencer playback. For those who have vintage equipment
supporting Roland DIN Sync the D Station uses the incoming MIDI Clock to generate the original Roland DIN Sync 5v out-
put trigger for external devices. Welcome to a percussive “Analogue for the 90s”.
* TR808 & TR909 are trademarks of Roland Corporation, Japan
Introduction
Section
1

Front Panel
Controls
2
12 3456789
1 Master Volume Section
This section contains the Master Volume control, Drum Kit select buttons,
Headphone output socket and the Program write switch.
2 Data Entry/Program Section
This section contains the 12 Data Entry buttons, Display and Menu LED’s,
Audition/AutoTrigger and Mode select buttons.
3 Bass Drum Section
This section contains the Bass Drum Level, Tune, Attack/Tone, and Decay
controls.
4 Snare Drum Section
This section contains the Snare Drum Level, Tune, Tone, and Snappy controls.
5 Tom Toms Section
This section contains the Tom Toms Drum Level, Tune, Decay and Select
controls.
6 Rim Shot /HandClap Section
This section contains the Rim Shot and HandClap Level, Tune and Select
controls.
7 Hi Hat Section
This section contains the Hi Hat Level, Tune, Decay and Select controls.
8 Cymbals Section
This section contains the Cymbals Level, Tune/Tone, Decay and Select
controls.
9 Congas/Maracas/Claves Section
This section contains the TR808’s Congas/Maracas/Claves Level, Tune, Select
and Conga Select controls.

Rear Panel
Connections
3
1 DIN Sync. Out
This connector is used to control the Tempo/Start-Stop of classic analogue
drum machines or synthesisers from the MIDI Clock.
2 Individual Outputs
The six connectors in this section are used to separate a drum sound(s) from
the main stereo left/Right outputs. The sounds(s) can then be equalised or
processed individually.
3 Master Output
The two connectors deliver a stereo line level output signal for connection to a
mixing desk or amplifier.
4 MIDI
IN - This connector is used to receive MIDI Data from an external device.
OUT - This connector is used to Transmit MIDI Data to an external device.
THRU - This connector re-transmits MIDI Data received by the MIDI IN socket
to an external device.
5 9V DC INPUT
Connect the output plug of the AC Adapter supplied ( PSU-4 ) with the
DrumStation to this socket.
1 2 3 4 5

Novation
PSU-6
Power Supply
Connect the ‘Master output’ sockets of the D Station Rack to a suitable amplifier or mixing desk’s stereo inputs and set the
‘Volume’ control on the front panel to a reasonably high output level (9-10). This will maintain a good signal to noise ratio.
Make sure that the input volume setting on your amplifier or mixer is initially set to zero. Connect the MIDI Out from your
master keyboard or sequencer to the MIDI In on the D Station Rack and check that the ‘Write’ switch is in the ‘Protect’ posi-
tion. Now, connect the power supply ( Novation PSU-4 ) to the socket marked ‘Power In 9VDC’ and plug into a suitable AC
power outlet. Switch on the power to the D Station and the display should now illuminate showing the last selected program
number. Now switch on your amplifier and adjust the volume accordingly. You can now use your master keyboard or
sequencer to play the drum sounds of the currently selected program ( the D Station Rack is initially set at the factory to
receive on MIDI channel 10). To listen to all 25 factory presets, first make sure the ‘Program’ LED is on ( if not, use the
‘Mode’ button to re-select ) and then use the ‘Data Entry’ keypad to call up sounds ‘00’ to ‘24’. See page 44 for factory pro-
gram information. You can also use the ‘Audition’ button on the front panel to trigger the sounds.
Connections
& Setting up
4
Mixer/Amplifier Audio Inputs MIDI OUT MIDI IN MIDI OUT MIDI IN
BASIC SETUP
Mixer/Amplifier Computer/Sequencer Master Keyboard/Module

On page 4 is a diagram of the basic way to set up the DrumStation Rack. Normally the
setup should be as follows: If the Master Keyboard is a “Workstation” i.e. it has a
Synthesiser built in, turn “Local Off” or the equivalent in its MIDI setup. ( Refer to the manu-
facturers Owners Manual for details on how to do this. ) Turn the Computer
Software/Sequencer’s “Soft Thru” (or sometimes called “Echo Back”) to the “ON” or “Enabled” position. Now when selecting
a “Track” in the Computer Software/Sequencer that is assigned to the MIDI RX channel of the Drumstation, (Refer: Page
11) playing the keyboard should play the Drumstation through the Headphones/Monitors. Similarly “Tracks” in the Computer
Software/Sequencer that are assigned to the MIDI channel(s) of the “Workstation” should make it produce sound. If not
please refer to the Keyboard & Computer Software/Sequencer manufacturers Owners Manuals for details on how to do
this.
Note:This setup does not allow the recording of knob movements on the Computer Software/Sequencer. This is because
the MIDI output of the DrumStation is not connected to the input of the Sequencer/Computer. To record Knob movements in
realtime refer Advanced Setup on page 6.
Note: If there are additional Keyboards/Modules connected via MIDI as shown, this diagram does not include audio for the
Keyboard/Module. The audio outputs of these devices must also be connected to the mixer.
5
Applications
Basic

This is the advanced way to setup the DrumStation and utilises all of the rear panel features. This setup allows realtime
recording of knob movements onto the Computer Software/Sequencer as both the MIDI output of the keyboard and the
MIDI output of the DrumStation are merged with an external (not supplied) MIDI Merge box. If the Master Keyboard is a
“Workstation” i.e. it has a Synthesiser built in, turn “Local Off” or the equivalent in its MIDI setup. ( Refer to the manufactur-
ers Owners Manual for details on how to do this. ) Turn the Computer Software/Sequencer’s “Soft Thru” (or sometimes
called “Echo Back”) to the “ON” or “Enabled” position. Now when selecting a “Track” in the Computer Software/Sequencer
that is assigned to the MIDI RX channel of the Drumstation, (Refer: Page 11) playing the keyboard should play the
Drumstation through the Headphones/Monitors. Similarly “Tracks” in the Computer Software/Sequencer that are assigned to
the MIDI channel(s) of the “Workstation” should make it produce sound. If not please refer to the Keyboard & Computer
Software/Sequencer manufacturers Owners Manuals for details on how to do this. When using the DIN Sync feature ensure
that your sequencer is transmitting MIDI Clock. If is is not this function will not work.
Applications
Advanced
6
Vintage Equipment DIN Sync Input Mixer/Amplifier Audio Inputs MIDI OUT MIDI IN MIDI OUT MIDI IN
MERGE
Novation
PSU-6
Power Supply
ADVANCED SETUP
Mixer/Amplifier Computer/Sequencer Master Keyboard/Module

Volume - Rotary
This knob adjusts the overall output volume of the D Station on both the Main L/R and
Headphone outputs. The volume of a drum sound can be set individually using the ‘Level’
controls in each section.
NOTE: This control can be overidden by MIDI Volume data. If a MIDI Volume of ‘0’ has been
received by the D Station, no output will be heard regardless of the position of this knob. To
reset the volume either transmit the relevant MIDI Volume level or move the Volume knob -
this automatically overides the MIDI setting.
Drum Kit - Buttons
Here you select which drum kit (TR808 or TR909) will be edited when using the front panel
controls or any of the Utility functions. Each ‘Progam’ has TR808 & TR909 sounds - see
‘Function 5 - General MIDI Setup’ on page 36.
Write - Switch
This switch protects your programs from accidental erasure. During normal operation it should be left in it’s ‘Protect’ position
however, when you have edited or created a new program that you want to save, moving it to the ‘Enable’ position will
allow you to “write” over an existing program - see “Writing a Program Into Memory” on page 13.
Headphone - Socket
Use this 1/4 jack socket to monitor the output of your D Station Rack via headphones. This output will drive any type of
headphones.
Master Volume
Section
7

This is where you select the programs on the D Station Rack, set the MIDI transmit
and receive channels, set the various utility functions and store newly edited pro-
grams.
NOTE: When editing a program, the current position of a knob or
switch will probably be totally different to that of the program selected,
so when you turn a rotary control more than a few degrees or move a
switch expect the sound parameter to “jump” to the new value.
Data Entry Keypad - Buttons
The 12 buttons of the calculator style ‘Data Entry’ keypad are used to
call up and set the various operating parameters of each ‘Mode’. You
can use two methods to enter a number :
1. DIGIT INPUT - using the buttons 0 to 9.
NOTE: this must always be a two digit entry, for example :
Selecting program sound 8 —— press the ‘0’ and ‘8’ buttons - display reads ‘08’.
Selecting program sound 17 —- press the ‘1’ and ‘7’ buttons - display reads ‘17’.
2. INCREMENT/DECREMENT - using the ‘-’ and ‘+’ buttons.
Press the ‘+’ button to move up to the next program or value.
Press the ‘-’ button to move down to the next program or value.
These buttons can also be used to ‘scroll’ through values by pressing and holding down until the desired value is reached.
Data Entry/Program
Keypad
8

Audition / Auto Trigger - Button
This button is used to trigger a drum sound from the currently selected program. It provides
a convenient way of monitoring a sound whilst working at the control panel. The Auto-
Trigger function will play the currently edited sound automatically at a pre-determined tempo.
Audition
Press the Audition button to trigger the currently edited drum sound. When a control or switch in another section is moved,
the Audition button will automatically change over to trigger that sound.
Example: Move any control in the ‘Hi-Hat’ section - Audition button triggers the Hi-Hat, then move any control in the ‘Snare
Drum’ section - Audition button triggers the Snare Drum etc.
NOTE: In the ‘Tom Toms’, ‘Rimshot/Handclap/Cowbell’, ‘Hi Hat’, ‘Cymbals’ and 'Conga/Maracas/Claves’ sections the physi-
cal position of the ‘Select’ switch always determines which drum sound is triggered.
Auto Trigger
The Auto-Trigger plays a basic 4 beats / bar sequence, accenting beat one.
To start the ‘Auto-Trigger’ running, press and hold the ‘Audition’ button and press the - ‘Trigger Start/Stop’ (‘0’) button on
the data entry keypad. The currently edited sound will auto-trigger at the set tempo. When the control of a different drum
sound is moved, the auto-trigger will ‘jump’ over to playing that sound.
Example: If the last control moved was in the Snare Drum section, the auto-trigger will play the Snare Drum sound. Move
any control in the Hi-Hat section - auto-trigger plays the Hi-Hat sound. Move any control in the Bass Drum section -
auto-trigger plays the Bass Drum etc.
To stop the Auto-Trigger , press and hold the ‘Audition’ button and press the ‘0’ - ‘Trigger Start/Stop’ button.
To adjust the tempo, start the autotrigger playing as above, press and hold the ‘Audition’ button and use the ‘+’ or ‘- ‘
Data Entry/Program
Audition/AutoTrig
9

buttons on the data entry keypad to speed up or slow down the auto-trigger sequence. Auto-
Trigger tempo is a global setting and is not saved with each program.
The Audition and Auto-Trigger features can also be used when editing sounds in the various
Utility functions - see Utility Mode on page 30.
MODE - Button
This button is used to select which of the five main parameter ‘Modes’ are accessed by the ‘Data Entry’ keypad. The cur-
rent mode is indicated by one of five LED’s on the right hand side of the display panel.
NOTE: When the D Station Rack is switched on, ‘Program’ mode is automatically selected. Each time the Mode button is
pressed the next ‘Mode’ in the menu will be selected i.e. MIDI RX Channel, MIDI TX Channel, Utility and Save. From
‘Save’, the next press will loop the menu back to the Program mode.
MODE 1 - Program Change.
This is where you select one of the D Station’s 40 programs. The program number displayed will be the one selected prior
to power being turned off. To select a different program, first check that the ‘Program’ LED is on. Using the ‘Data Entry’ key-
pad as described above, you can quickly call up any of the D Station’s 40 programs. The recognised numbers in this mode
are from ‘00’ to ‘39’. You can also use MIDI Program Change commands from a sequencer or other external MIDI device
to call up programs.
NOTE 1: Because the D Station Rack’s program numbers begin at ‘00’, the next higher number must always be used to call
up the correct sound. i.e. to select program 18, transmit a MIDI Program Change 19.
NOTE 2: The 25 factory sounds are stored in programs ‘00’ to ‘24’ whilst the 15 user locations from ‘25’ to ‘39’ are all initial-
ly set up with a basic drum kit - see page 44 for Factory Program listings.
Data Entry/Program
Program Change
10

MODE 2 - MIDI Receive Channel
This is where you set the MIDI receive channel for the D Station Rack. Use the ‘Mode’ but-
ton to select the ‘MIDI RX Ch.’ mode - LED on, and then the ‘Data Entry’ keypad to enter
your selection. The recognised numbers in this mode are from ‘01’ to ‘16’.
NOTE: the ‘MIDI RX CH.’ LED will flash when MIDI data is received on this channel.
MODE 3 - MIDI Transmit Channel
This is where you set the MIDI transmit channel for the D Station Rack. Use the ‘Mode’ button to select the ‘MIDI TX Ch.’
mode - LED on, and then the ‘Data Entry’ keypad to enter your selection. The recognised numbers in this mode are from
‘01’ to ‘16’.
NOTE: The MIDI Tx and Rx channel settings are memorized when the power is turned off.
MODE 4 - Utility
This is where you access the various Utility functions of the D Station Rack. See page 30 for full details on the operation
and features of the Utility mode.
MODE 5 - Save System Exclusive Data Dumps
This is where you ‘Save’ the D Station Rack programs onto a computer or other data storage device using MIDI sysex
dumps. There are two types of ‘Save’ as follows:
Type Function Display Ident.
1 Save single program SS
2 Save all programs SA
Data Entry/Program
MIDI/Utilities/Save
11

Ensure that your data storage device is ready to accept the data. Use the ‘Mode’ button to
select ‘SAVE’ mode - LED on, the display shows:
NOTE: The program ‘Saved’ will be the program currently selected in the ‘Program’ mode. If you were editing a program,
the modified version will be saved. Press the ‘SAVE’ ( ‘+’ ) button to transmit the single program.
To save all the programs in the D Station Rack press the ‘SAVE TYPE’ (‘-’) button once, the display changes to:
Ensure that your computer or data storage device is ready to accept the sysex bulk dump. Press the ‘SAVE’ ( ‘+’ ) button
to transmit the ‘All programs’ dump. The Global settings ( MIDI Tx and Rx channels ) will also be saved.
NOTE: The display will briefly go blank as the data is transmitted.
Loading System Exclusive Data Dumps
Single Programs
1If you want to overwrite an existing program, select the ‘Program’ mode and call up the program number you want to use.
Now, move the ‘Write’ switch to the ‘Enable’ position and transmit the sysex dump from your computer. The ‘Write’ LED on
the display will flash to confirm reception. Return the ‘Write’ switch to the ‘Protect’ position.
NOTE: This operation will erase the existing program and replace it with the program from the computer.
Data Entry/Program
Loading Sysex
12
MIDI RX CH
MIDI TX CH
PROGRAM
EDIT WRITE
UTILITY
SAVE
MIDI RX CH
MIDI TX CH
PROGRAM
EDIT WRITE
UTILITY
SAVE

2If you want to listen to a program before committing it to memory, select the ‘Program’
mode ( don’t worry about which program number comes up ). Ensure that the ‘Write’ switch
is in the ‘Protect’ position and then transmit the sysex dump from your computer. The ‘Edit’
LED on the display will come on to show that the program available is different to the one
displayed i.e. an ‘edited’ program. Now you can use the ‘Compare’ procedure to select a suitable location to store the
imported program - see the ‘COMPARE’ section on page 14.
All Programs
If you want to overwrite all the existing programs, move the ‘Write’ switch to the ‘Enable’ position and transmit the sysex
dump from your computer. The ‘Write’ LED on the display will flash to confirm reception. Return the ‘Write’ switch to the
‘Protect’ position.
NOTE: if the ‘Write’ switch is in the ‘Protect’ position when the sysex dump is transmitted from your computer the display
will flash to indicate that the data cannot be loaded.
Editing a Program
To change or ‘Edit’ a program, simply adjust the parameters you wish to alter. The Edit LED on the display will flash to
show that you are no longer listening to the stored program. If you do not store this new edit before calling up another pro-
gram it will be lost.
NOTE: Certain sounds are only available on each Kit.Example: The TR909 does not include a Cowbell (C’BLL )
If, whilst editing a Program, a sound is selected that does not appear on that particular kit, the D Station will automatically
switch over to the relevant kit. The selected kit is always indicated by the ‘Drum Kit’ LED’s in the Master Volume section.
Writing a Program into memory
The program memory on the D Station Rack is divided up as below. If you edit a factory program, you can only save it in
one of the 15 user program locations - just think of the 25 factory programs as a ‘Reference Library’ to take drum kits from.
Data Entry/Program
Editing/Writing
13

If you want to start creating a drum kit of your own from scratch, use one of the ‘Blank’ kits
initially stored in the user program locations.
To store a new or edited program, move the ‘Write’ switch to the ‘Enable’ position - LED
flashes. Now, using the ‘Data Entry’ buttons ( ‘0’ to ‘9’ only ) select the program number
where you want to store the program. To store the program in the same location ( 25 to 39 only ) simply press the ‘WRITE’
button. If you want to listen to a program before overwriting it use the Compare function as follows:
COMPARE: When you have edited a program, move the ‘Write’ switch to the ‘Enable’ position and the Enable LED flashes.
Press the ‘COMPARE’ button once and the ‘Edit’ LED will flash at a faster rate to indicate ‘Compare’ mode is active. You
can now listen to the original program before deciding whether you want to overwrite it or not. Check the program using an
external keyboard/computer or the ‘Audition’ button on the front panel. Pressing the ‘COMPARE’ button again will bring
back the edited program. If you do want to save the program in this location, press the ‘WRITE’ button and the ‘Write’ LED
on display panel flashes momentarily. If you don’t want to save the program in this location you can choose another by sim-
ply entering any program number from ‘25’ to ‘39’ using the ‘Data Entry’ keypad ( buttons ‘0’ to ‘9’ only / the ‘-’ and ‘+’ can-
not be used ). Once again, you can check the programs using the ‘COMPARE’ feature and then, when you have found a
suitable location, press the ‘WRITE’ button. The program is now saved.
NOTE 1: Always return the ‘WRITE’ switch to the ‘Protect’ position after completing a save operation. This will avoid any
accidental erasure of programs. The ‘Write’ LED will flash to warn you of the ‘Enabled’ state.
NOTE 2: Programs can only be saved in the User locations (‘25’ to ‘39’). If you attempt to save a program into any of the
Factory locations ( ‘00’ to ‘24’ ) the display digits will flash rapidly to warn that this operation cannot be competed.
Data Entry/Program
Compare
14

Voice Architecture
In the original TR808 and TR909 , many analogue circuits were used to produce the imita-
tions of the various drum sounds. The essential sounds produced by skins (Bass Drum and
TomToms) rely mainly on a pitched element, those produced by struck metal (HiHat &
Cymbals) are based on multiple noise sources. Sounds like Snare and Rimshot use a combination of the two, one for the
skins and one for the snare chain. As a result, there are different parameters for each drum sound, enabling you to make
interesting variations within the sound category. Some parameters are only available on one or two sounds (eg. Attack on
the TR909 Bass Drum ) because those parameters are not so useful on the other sounds. Each of the parameters is cov-
ered in the appropriate section where you need to understand how it relates to that particular sound.
Other parameters feature on most or all sounds (eg. Decay, Tune & Level). Decay governs how quickly the sound dies
away, Tune the pitch of the sound and Level the maximum volume it is played in the respective mix.
Analogue Sound Modelling
The D Station faithfully re-creates the original analogue sounds of the TR808 & TR909 using a new digital system specially
developed by Novation - Analogue Sound Modelling (ASM).
A typical drum sound has a very complex structure made up of many simple waveforms all occuring at the same moment in
time. To re-model an original drum sound, first it must be broken down and analysed so as to identify the various simple
waveforms in it’s structure as these can be synthesised more easily. When all these waveforms are regenerated and
added back together the original sound is faithfully re-created in every detail and realtime ‘fluid’ changes to the character of
the drum sound can still be made using any of the front panel controls, just like the original TR808 and TR909.
Voice Architecture
ASM
15

Drum Sounds
The TR808 and TR909’s range of drum sounds were not identical. For your reference, the
full set of sounds from the original units and the method used to re-create them in the D
Station are listed below.
Drum Sound ID TR808 TR909 ASM SAMPLE
Bass Drum BD ll4
Snare Drum SN ll4
Rim Shot RS ll 4
Handclap HC ll 4
Closed Hi Hat CH l ** l +44
Open Hi Hat OH l ** l +44
Ride Cymbal RC l4
Crash Cymbal CY l ** l +44
Low Tom LT ll4
Mid Tom MT ll4
High Tom HT ll4
Cowbell CB l4
Low Conga LC l4
Mid Conga MC l4
Hi Conga HC l4
Maracas MA l4** Recreated using ASM on 808 only
Claves CL l4+Sample with ASM envelopes etc
TR808 / TR909
Notes
16

Drum Sound Controls
The TR808 and TR909 also had differences in their sound editing controls. To give the D
Station enhanced sonic capabilities, the controls in each section will affect both drum kits.
For your reference, the controls of the original units and the D Station’s are as follows:
808 KIT l
D Station l +m
808 KIT BD SN RS HC CH OH CY LT MT HT CB LC MC HC MA CL
LEVEL llllllllllllllll
TUNE mmmmmm lllmlllmm
TONE ll l
ATTACK
DECAY l mllmmm
SNAPPY l
909 KIT l
D Station l +m
909 KIT BD SN RS HC CH OH CY LT MT HT RC
LEVEL lllllllllll
TUNE llmmmmlllll
TONE l
ATTACK l
DECAY l llmlllm
SNAPPY l
TR808 / TR909
Notes
17

This section controls the timbre of the Bass (or kick) drum, the lowest pitched instrument in
both the conventional or electronic drum kit. This is one of the most crucial sounds for dance
and many other styles of music. The classic analogue Bass drum’s are the TR909 and
TR808 Bass drums. All the character of the original TR909 & TR808 Bass drums are faith-
fully reproduced using ASM Technology.
Level - Rotary
This knob controls the volume of the Bass drum on both the stereo and individual outputs.
When assigned to the stereo outputs this knob allows you to set the relative level of the bass
drum in the “mix”.
Tune - Rotary
This knob controls the pitch of the Bass drum. Turn anti-clockwise and the pitch will be lowered resulting in a ‘looser’
sound, clockwise and the pitch is raised, as if the skin on a real drum had been tightened.
NOTE: This control was not featured on the TR808. To re-produce the original pitch setting of the TR808 Bass drum always
set this knob to the 12 o’clock position.
Attack/Tone - Rotary
The TR909 and TR808 different controls for this sound so this knob has two functions depending on which ‘Drum Kit’ is cur-
rently selected.
Bass Drum
Section
18
808
909