It’s March 3rd, 3/03.
A few weeks back was the first time time I laid my hands on a real Roland TB303. I’ve heard it on records countless of times, tried to emulate it in softsynths, gave Rebirth a shot and bought some emulators. I thought it was all good. I was wrong. None of it was like touching it in its own flesh and -not so- cheap plastic glory.
The small little silver box is so tiny and cute – but it can scream and spit in your face, or purr like like a kitten rolling around on the ground. It weighs about two pounds with batteries, yet its influence on music history was heavy to say the least. It was meant to be a substitute for a bass player, however it ended up being the signature sound of a whole genre of music.
So on this day, let us pause for a few moments and pay tribute to this quirky little box and reflect on what it meant for us, the trips we were on, and the music we like to listen to. Happy 303 day everyone!
Below is some interesting reading and listening. Enjoy!
Accent Circuit
Slide Circuit
Bug
“Remove back-up batteries. Wait an hour. Turn it on. Presto: 64 random bass patterns 
“
Phuture: Acid Trax
Armando: Land of Confusion
Hardfloor: Acperience 5
