707+ // the definitive TR-707 kit

Throughout the 1980s, Roland created some of the most iconic drum machines in music history. Among them was the TR-707 with its very digital, sample-based sound engine that can be heard on countless records stretching from the 80s to today.

707+ captures the original machine’s 15 iconic drum samples in immaculate detail but also provides several other takes on these drums. Using my trusty Tascam 58 reel-to-reel tape machine, I brought the samples into the analog domain and created re-pitched versions of these samples using different tape speeds. A batch of LoFi samples was recorded using a 1965 cassette tape recorder. I sampled and re-pitched the sounds using a pocket operator 33 K.O! for its unique 8-bit grit, and created a contemporary kit by treating the raw and re-pitched samples with modern, sophisticated processing and layering techniques to produce modern drums that can cut through any mix.