TR8S - missing song mode?

[paulyuk6]

Hi folks

Just wondering if anyone knows if Roland are planning to add a song mode to the TR8S drum machine?
It seems to be a major omission and severely limits the use of this machine.
Although you can have 8 pattern variations, this is not the same as a proper song mode where you can chain multiple patterns, create sections for verses and choruses, specify repeats, insert fills and endings etc. etc.
As it stands it feels like it is just half of a machine.

cheers

Paul

[Tarekith]

I think the intent is that you perform that kind of stuff live on the fly, and for that it excels.

[paulyuk6]

I think you've hit the nail on the head there, Tarekith.

The problem with it being designed as a live performance device is that in reality most musicians (unless they are drummers/percussionists of course) do not have the time to nurse it through a performance. They are busy playing their synths, keyboards, guitars, decks or just singing and can't keep interrupting what they are doing to just to go back to the TR8S to select another pattern or variation or fill. So although it is useful to be able play it as an instrument from time to time, for much of a performance you just want to be able to set it running and leave it to play through the song for you.

This is exactly how I had planned to use it - I wanted to focus on playing my synths and guitar and be happy that there is a drum backing running underneath. I can't stop every 8 bars (or whatever) to remember to select a different pattern or play fills. This is not made clear in any of the literature. They should have included a warning message 'Expect to have to devote most of your performance time to controlling this device, rather than getting on with playing your instrument or singing'. Most of Roland's other drum machines (even the boutique range) offer a song mode, so why on earth was it missed out from their top-of-the-line instrument!!
I'm just hoping that there is enough on-board system memory left for Roland to be able to add it (or even a 3rd party developer).

Paul

[leehu]

I wish they'd at least give us the ability to change patterns over MIDI so that we could handle it ourselves.

[binar]

Hey Paul... something I find with Roland gear - you don't always get exactly what you want 'out of the box' but you can adapt, with a little work.

Given that you have I believe 128 user patterns of 8 different bars each, that's 1024 different bars - you can chain these together - 16 lots of 8 bars together by holding down the pattern select buttons in sets of 16, so any of patterns 1-16 can be played one after the other in sequence, then 17-32, 33-49 etc. so I would copy pattern 1 to pattern 2, then make variations in 2, then copy pattern 2 to 3 and so on... that way you can get what you want, if not in a 'song mode' kind of way...

Depending on how many songs you need in your performance of course... you could have 16 'songs' of 8 x 8 different bars.

Having said all that, it would be great to be able to program songs as per the TR-08 and TR-09 - there is no song 'button' on the interface but I'm sure a potential firmware update could use the buttons that are there, 'shift' and 'sub' or something.... you never know.

[paulyuk6]

Yes, that sounds like it could work.
It's not quite as elegant as having a proper Song mode, but it gets you most of the way there.
Of course it still relies on the user being able to remember which patterns go with which song. Having the ability to load in named songs would be far easier.

Paul

[binar]

Indeed - I link together a D-05, SE-08, TR-08, TR-8s and a TB-03 - all of them have different working sequencers and song modes or not as the case may be - a pain in the arse to work out what goes with what from a song point of view...

[Synthtron]

I think you've hit the nail on the head there, Tarekith.

The problem with it being designed as a live performance device is that in reality most musicians (unless they are drummers/percussionists of course) do not have the time to nurse it through a performance. They are busy playing their synths, keyboards, guitars, decks or just singing and can't keep interrupting what they are doing to just to go back to the TR8S to select another pattern or variation or fill. So although it is useful to be able play it as an instrument from time to time, for much of a performance you just want to be able to set it running and leave it to play through the song for you.

This is exactly how I had planned to use it - I wanted to focus on playing my synths and guitar and be happy that there is a drum backing running underneath. I can't stop every 8 bars (or whatever) to remember to select a different pattern or play fills. This is not made clear in any of the literature. They should have included a warning message 'Expect to have to devote most of your performance time to controlling this device, rather than getting on with playing your instrument or singing'. Most of Roland's other drum machines (even the boutique range) offer a song mode, so why on earth was it missed out from their top-of-the-line instrument!!
I'm just hoping that there is enough on-board system memory left for Roland to be able to add it (or even a 3rd party developer).

Paul

Too bad. Like you I play synths and want a drum machine to play the patterns in order. I do not want to be a rhythm performer that is what the drum machine is supposed to do. I am looking into a dedicated drum machine but I really want a song mode to chain the patterns together. I guess the TR-8s is not it. I love Roland but sometimes... SMH.

[Fourfiftyfour]

That is the major thing that the TR8S is missing and it really kills the device. It has so many other capabilities that make it a beast but not being able to have control over what it plays is a groove killer. The Pioneer SP-16 is like the Super Saiyan form of the TR8S. It has literally every idea Roland had for the TR8S but better executed. That includes their version of the song mode where you pick a pattern and select how many times you want it to play before going to the next variation of the pattern. I just don't get how when they were designing this could they not ask themselves what if someone just wants to play their "song" all the way through without having to press or chain anything?

Intro - Main beat - Chorus - Main beat - Chorus - Main beat - Bridge - Main beat - Chorus - Main beat - Outro

To have a song mode to program all those into just one pattern that you run would be heavenly on this machine.

[mbrowne]

... I just don't get how when they were designing this could they not ask themselves what if someone just wants to play their "song" all the way through without having to press or chain anything?

Intro - Main beat - Chorus - Main beat - Chorus - Main beat - Bridge - Main beat - Chorus - Main beat - Outro

To have a song mode to program all those into just one pattern that you run would be heavenly on this machine.

It does seem like a necessity, and also a great FW update for Christmas!

[Jonke Fresh]

Can a sequencer fix this like the arturia keystep for example? ive read its a pita to set up a sequencer dawless however I would rather add a sequencer then replace the drum mashine Ive grown accostumed too.