ekss wrote: ↑15 Apr 2024
supersmarter wrote: ↑15 Apr 2024
Shit man everything you do is so amazing even when available in other formats. I am so excited to try this out.
I didn't know you were into machines. If I did I would already hire a contract killer to push you into making your own take on 909 and 808 - but 909 first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate (love you) you. Everytime ekss put something out I need to prepare money
Thanks for the pep! I through it might be unnecessary to do the 808/909 since we have the JackBox REs already. What would you wish was different if I where to build my own versions?
As an avid fan of the 909 sound and a former owner of a real 909 (a few years ago I was in a financial crisis so the device was sold and now the price has skyrocketed), I have a Roland TR-8S, a Novation 909, a Behringer RD-9 and literally every possible VST emulations that exist (literally all) I think I can make a good judgment about the Jackbox 7R-909 product.
I love Quadelectra and use their products often, but their version of the 909 is nowhere near authentic. Yes, someone might get confused and say it sounds like the real deal, but not me. Attention to detail is not enough. And that is what you at EKSS do well.
For what is worth I am well aware of Quadelectra's claim in the product description but all of my findings you can check and see for yourself - these do not exist in their version so I am unsure why they said in the product description "
meticulously emulated". Also "
Where applicable - according to the hardware counterpart, sounds have been carefully tweaked so that, although they may resemble, they are never exactly the same, just as if they where generated with analog circuitry" - not happening in the enough of the effect. Once again I am not ditching or flaming their product (I own it) but the description is not true to the form. Especially Example 3 which is like a feature of 909 - cloned and emulated in many VST forms. That is completely missing in Jackbox and it would have been very obvious if real schematics were studied.
Example 1. The sounds are too static. There is no chance, no theory ever, but no 909 will ever produce as stable an output as the Jackbox version in terms of volume. Everything sounds like a machine gun. The fluctuations in the sound are too small. Many other VST emulations handle this well.
It doesn't matter to some, but in the end, it's what elevates a good product in its authenticity.
In addition, the design of this product represents a challenge in many aspects. For example, hypothetically you can buy a real 909 and its BassDrum can sound completely different (not subtly) than on another 909. Due to aging, it may happen that Cymbals are pitched a few semitones lower. Roland TR-8S ACB has solved this elegantly, they offer a couple of Bassdrum models and each one is distinctively different. And Cymbals have a tuning control. As well as on Drumazon.
Roland Tr-8S also has extended models (longer decay), but when we talk about the authentic Kick, they made an effort. There are at least two models. So, for example, you have two kicks in the TR-8S that sound even different from their 909 Roland Cloud version (which is replica of their small TR-09), which in itself still sounds authentic (and better than the Jackbox version).
Example 2: the clap is too static
Example 3: Again the clap and snare. Quadelectra either didn't follow the schematic or made a model based on samples that are on the internet. If you have a snare hit in the sequencer (whether DAW sequencer or internal) that is in the same position as the clap then the end result is as if the clap and snare were played through the Phaser effect. The so-called phaser effect confused even new owners because they thought it was a bug in the real 909, but in the end it turned out to be a feature of the schematic model. TR-8S, Roland Cloud and Drumazon 2 have emulated it and it sounds like a FX.
This phenomenon immediately reminded me of the laughter that this thread provoked in me (not mocking but sympathetic laughter because more people thought something was wrong and everything was ok)
https://gearspace.com/board/electronic- ... blems.html
http://forums.rolandclan.com/viewtopic.php?p=297289
https://support.roland.com/hc/en-us/art ... 909-series
And so on and so forth, there are a lot of examples there. Furthermore, 909 sound is not only about sound. Namely, the sequencer and its imperfections are what give it "groove". It is modeled perfectly on the TR-8S. Ok, that can be solved within Reason itself.
So you see an authentic 909 (or 808) in RE format simply does not exist for now. At least not in RE format. Drumazon 2 is very close, but their Kick gives me headaches. And as I said, I have all possible emulations. Surprisingly to me, perhaps the most authentic emulation soundwise (which is buggy and flawed) comes in the form of MaxForLive for Ableton Live.
The point I wanted to make is that I would like someone to do the 909 in RE format properly. If you ever decide on such a project, let me know and I'll be happy to get involved. I can provide you with samples and feedback.