Recording - August 2021 - 59
REVIEW
Roland TR-6S
Rhythm Performer
The smaller sibling of the TR-8S can hold its own in any live or studio production setting
REVIEW BY DAVID BLASCOE
D
on't be fooled by the size and appearance of the new Roland TR6S.
Roland has packed many surprisingly powerful and unique
capabilities into this little black box. Is it a drum machine? Yes.
Can you load your own samples? You betcha. At its core, the TR-6S is a
classic drum machine.
The past and present
The TR-6S starts with detailed circuit
models of classic Roland TR analog drum
machines of old, such as the 808 and 909.
I can attest that these sounds are dead-on,
like those old drum machines we all love.
User presets put a decidedly different spin
on the old 808 sound. Some synth sounds
are also built-in-unique one-shots as well
as some full chords. Combine all this with
the ability to load your own samples and
sounds via SD card, and the TR-6S becomes
a six-track sample player as well.
Beats to go
When I first took the TR-6S out of its
box, I found myself asking, " Where is
56 RECORDING August 2021
the power cable? " Roland has ditched a
conventional power supply this time; the
TR-6S draws power from four AA batteries,
or it can be bus-powered over USB.
While it's an interesting design choice,
I did find myself enjoying the freedom
of being able to take this little guy anywhere
and create on the fly.
Build and layout
The TR-6S has an entirely plastic construction
and is lightweight but doesn't
feel cheap. The buttons and knobs all
provide satisfying feedback and don't
feel flimsy, and the six sliders have an
excellent resistance to them that makes
moving them a joy. I've been a sucker
for drum machines and sample players
with sliders ever since owning an old
Akai MPC 1000, so it's long been my
favorite way of working. Flip on the rear
power switch, and you're greeted with
a bright, colorful scene of accented sliders
and buttons, along with a two-line
alphanumeric display. The bottom row
of 16 trigger / sequence setup pads
is a classic Roland TR style point. The
16-step sequencer was intuitive to use;
anybody who has ever used this classic
drum machine paradigm in the past will
be crafting grooves in no time.
Sound
As I mentioned, the classic sounds of
the TR-808, TR-909, TR-606 and TR-707
are all faithfully present and accounted
for. Roland has nailed it with their Analog
Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology,
and you would be hard-pressed to tell
the difference between a classic 808
and the TR-6S, except that the TR-6S
probably boasts a cleaner noise floor.
Beyond the classics, the sound engine
Recording - August 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2021
Fade In
Fast Forward
A Family of Microphones Compared: The Audio-Technica 40 Series
Tech 21: SansAmp Classic
The Continuing Adventures of Wolf and Elvis: Recording Mammoth WVH, and the tale of ‘Stone’
Reviewed and Revisited: Merging Technologies MERGING+ANUBIS Music Mission
Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Recording the Hybrid Band
Ocean Way Audio: RM1-B Ribbon Microphone
Recording Alicia Keys and the modern pop band with Brendan Morawski
Plugin Outlet: Overloud TH-U Premium
IK Multimedia: Uno Synth Pro
Session Log: The Angelheaded Hipster, Part 8: Studio Choice Matters In Part 8 of our year-long look into the making
EastWest/Quantum Leap Hollywood Orchestra OPUS Edition
Roland: TR-6S Rhythm Performer
JZ Microphones: Signature BB29
Soundware Showcase: UVI Austrian Grand
Inside The Studio with Mark Hornsby: The tale of Toy Matinee
Readers' Tracks
Fade Out: Let’s get together...or not?
Recording - August 2021 - 1
Recording - August 2021 - 2
Recording - August 2021 - 3
Recording - August 2021 - 4
Recording - August 2021 - 5
Recording - August 2021 - 6
Recording - August 2021 - Fade In
Recording - August 2021 - 8
Recording - August 2021 - 9
Recording - August 2021 - 10
Recording - August 2021 - Fast Forward
Recording - August 2021 - 12
Recording - August 2021 - A Family of Microphones Compared: The Audio-Technica 40 Series
Recording - August 2021 - 14
Recording - August 2021 - 15
Recording - August 2021 - 16
Recording - August 2021 - 17
Recording - August 2021 - 18
Recording - August 2021 - 19
Recording - August 2021 - 20
Recording - August 2021 - 21
Recording - August 2021 - 22
Recording - August 2021 - Tech 21: SansAmp Classic
Recording - August 2021 - 24
Recording - August 2021 - The Continuing Adventures of Wolf and Elvis: Recording Mammoth WVH, and the tale of ‘Stone’
Recording - August 2021 - 26
Recording - August 2021 - 27
Recording - August 2021 - 28
Recording - August 2021 - 29
Recording - August 2021 - 30
Recording - August 2021 - 31
Recording - August 2021 - 32
Recording - August 2021 - Reviewed and Revisited: Merging Technologies MERGING+ANUBIS Music Mission
Recording - August 2021 - 34
Recording - August 2021 - 35
Recording - August 2021 - 36
Recording - August 2021 - Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Recording the Hybrid Band
Recording - August 2021 - 38
Recording - August 2021 - 39
Recording - August 2021 - 40
Recording - August 2021 - Ocean Way Audio: RM1-B Ribbon Microphone
Recording - August 2021 - 42
Recording - August 2021 - Recording Alicia Keys and the modern pop band with Brendan Morawski
Recording - August 2021 - 44
Recording - August 2021 - 45
Recording - August 2021 - 46
Recording - August 2021 - 47
Recording - August 2021 - 48
Recording - August 2021 - Plugin Outlet: Overloud TH-U Premium
Recording - August 2021 - 50
Recording - August 2021 - IK Multimedia: Uno Synth Pro
Recording - August 2021 - 52
Recording - August 2021 - Session Log: The Angelheaded Hipster, Part 8: Studio Choice Matters In Part 8 of our year-long look into the making
Recording - August 2021 - 54
Recording - August 2021 - 55
Recording - August 2021 - 56
Recording - August 2021 - EastWest/Quantum Leap Hollywood Orchestra OPUS Edition
Recording - August 2021 - 58
Recording - August 2021 - Roland: TR-6S Rhythm Performer
Recording - August 2021 - 60
Recording - August 2021 - Inside The Studio with Mark Hornsby: The tale of Toy Matinee
Recording - August 2021 - 62
Recording - August 2021 - JZ Microphones: Signature BB29
Recording - August 2021 - 64
Recording - August 2021 - Soundware Showcase: UVI Austrian Grand
Recording - August 2021 - 66
Recording - August 2021 - Readers' Tracks
Recording - August 2021 - 68
Recording - August 2021 - 69
Recording - August 2021 - 70
Recording - August 2021 - 71
Recording - August 2021 - 72
Recording - August 2021 - 73
Recording - August 2021 - 74
Recording - August 2021 - Fade Out: Let’s get together...or not?
Recording - August 2021 - 76
Recording - August 2021 - 77
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