I like the sound but midi cc and the old look of a proper 303 is nice too.
Of the two I’d probably buy 2nd hand tb03 , about 220
Sequencer , clock output , midi cc and I think it’s for usb audio to Mac/pc. , and usable basic fx.
The mam retro can be modded to make crazy noises though.
Find Tb03 very fun. Enough realistic for my use, easy to program.
I’ve had a tb03 for a couple of years, love it, but I’ve never owned any other clones so have no frame of reference. If I was to criticise it I’d say it lacks a tiny bit of squelch and the onboard overdrive is a bit shit, but a ds1 pedal is only £20.
Buy one second hand, worst case scenario you can sell it for a profit when they finish the production run…
It’s fun and cheap. I felt like the knobs were a little tiny and a little too close together but otherwise I didn’t have any major issues with it. The built-in FX aren’t great but work in a pinch. Sounds close enough to a 303 for me but I’m far from a purist.
The closest competition at its price point would be the TT-303, which is analog and arguably sounds better but doesn’t appear to be built as well. There are a lot of Gearslutz posts about QA issues with that one.
My mk1 is ok but I get a slight buzz when I touch volume , but I think it’s quite easy to fix
I completely agree… I absolutely love my Avalon, but it’s also 2-3x the price (minimum), so there’s that. I think the TB-03 sounds pretty good though, especially in a mix. What I personally (really) dislike is sequencing/programing the TB-03 in either the old or new modes. The Avalon not only sonically sounds better, but it’s in another league entirely when it comes to programing. It’s just so easy and fun in comparison.
It’s purely IMO for whatever that’s worth, but I think the Avalon is the box to have, because it’s so much more than just a clone.
Sorry to derail off the TB-03!
Yeah I’d echo that, I feel the built in fx aren’t the greatest, especially the overdrive. Somehow below the usual standard of built in Aira fx.
Through an appropriate external overdrive/distortion it sounds very good.
Don’t many say that half the fun is programming the not so intuitive sequencer, in which you have many happy accidents arise? Almost like it’s weakness is a plus in a sense. I’ve heard that mentioned a few times before
I’ve been in a toss up between the TB-03 vs TT-303 (mk2) and most say that the TT-303 has a slightly better sound and is easier to program, but I already own a butt ugly TT-606 and would prefer the look of the TB-03.
P.S. If anybody wants to trade a TB-03 for my Bass Station 2 , I might be game.
I’ve found completely the exact opposite. I’m terrible with the TB-03 sequencer and usually resort to the randomizer. On the other hand, with the Avalon it’s very easy to have those ‘happy accidents’. You can just mash keys, change lengths, slides , “rotate” the pattern forward or backward steps and what not all while it’s running. I think a big difference for me is the visual feedback – I can see the steps and lengths where it makes immediate sense to me.
Of course, YMMV. Make no mistake, the classic 303 sequencer is responsible for great music and I’ll happily admit that. I just personally suck at using it. 
Same
You either have a TB brain or you don’t.
I remember when I bought the TB03, everyone was like, “oh, the sequencer on that is so complicated” but I just got it straight away. It made perfect sense to my brain.
Took me bloody ages to make a decent sequence on a 101 though, and that’s about the “easiest” sequencer there is…
I don’t have a 101 brain at all.
I really enjoy the TB-03, aside from legacy TB mode there is also a simple mode for the sequencer also you can steptime record midi notes into it. I never tried the simple mode as I am so used to TB-303 method, as regards to comparing the TB-03 to other 303 style synths it has a larger note range so can yield some impossibly joyous slidey acid when large intervals between slides occur.
If money is no issue I’d go Avalon .
I think I read they’re working on a new batch and firmware update (it has some minor bugs but there are ways around them )
Cheap boxes sound close and more money = sequencer / features.
You’ll probably end up with multiple boxes if 303 is your main sound source…
TB-03 is nice. There are a few annoyances such as the omission of program changes via MIDI cc (why???) and lack of a master volume control on the front of the unit. And it would have been nice if it were possible to use MIDI somehow to advance the sequencer, like with the trigger in.
I’ve had the Avalon, mbb mam-mb33, volca nubass, tb-3, pure acid app for iOS and the tb-03.
The tb-03 is my favorite out of all of them, I like it’s portability, the sound, the sequencers. All of them are fantastic and different, but for the price and overall value I like the tb-03 most.
Outstanding! Completely respect your opinion… you found what works for you and that’s really all that matters.
For me, with the huge caveat that I’m not a 303 aficionado, I think the Avalon by far the best of the bunch for many reasons, but largely because of the sequencer. I have a TB-03 and it sounds great, but IMO it’s just not nearly as fun as the Avalon.
That’s the really cool thing though… we have so many excellent options right now and pretty much none of them are ‘bad’. It’s just about finding out what’s right for you.