"If the only thing Roland ever released was the TR-808, the company would still deserve a place in the music gear hall of fame. The 808 is arguably the most important instrument since the creation of the electric guitar. It's been a cornerstone of hip-hop, electronic, and pop music for 45 years now, used by everyone from Rihanna and Whitney Houston, to Outkast, Talking Heads and RP Boo."
"But for much of the 2000s the company seemed lost, pumping out forgettable all-digital products like the D-2 GrooveMachine and VariOS. And for the last 10 years or so, it's been primarily focused on trying to remind everyone of its glory days, often in ways that felt misguided or, at worst, exploitative, pushing a subscription service and running away from its analog roots."
"Roland constantly invoked its heritage with its naming schemes, but these instruments had almost nothing in common with their namesakes. Now, for the first time in a long time, it feels like Roland is actually taking its legacy seriously with the TR-1000 Rhythm Generator, rather than simply treating it like fodder for a marketing deck. The TR-1000 is a serious (and seriously expensive) ins"
Roland's TR-1000 Rhythm Generator marks the company's first analog drum machine in over 40 years and represents a renewed commitment to analog instrument design. The TR-808 established Roland's legacy, shaping hip-hop, electronic, and pop music for decades. Roland produced forgettable all-digital gear in the 2000s and pursued nostalgia-driven, often criticized strategies in the past decade, including subscriptions and mismatched reissues. Naming schemes previously invoked heritage without delivering authentic analog functionality. The TR-1000 aims to restore that authenticity with a serious, high-end instrument that aligns with fan demand and Roland's historic strengths.
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