At this point, there’s little more that needs to be said about the influence and importance of Roland’s pintsized TB-303. Anybody with even a passing interest in dance music production likely knows the story. Released in 1981, the 303 was an unsuccessful attempt at creating a realistic replacement for a live bass guitarist, designed to provide backing for bands and live musicians. It was a commercial failure, yet cheap second-hand units made it into the hands of adventurous early dance musicians such as Detroit trio Phuture, who used its simple, single oscillator sound engine and notorious raspy filter to create the legendary resonant bass sounds that defined acid house and techno.
However, while many of us are familiar with the 303’s sound, due to escalating second-hand prices, until recently few modern producers have had the opportunity to get hands-on with anything resembling a genuine TB-303. That’s changed somewhat in recent times; while there have been plenty of 303 clones on the market for years, Roland’s authentic-looking TB-03 Boutique and Behringer’s bargain priced TD-3 have recently brought the classic 303 workflow into the mass market. Additionally, for in-the-box producers, Roland’s Cloud software offers an on-themoney digital recreation.
As much as it’s a deservedly iconic instrument, the TB-303 is also incredibly esoteric; despite its relatively simple
