Roland TB-03 : Programming with MIDI?

chapelierfou · 2023-03-02T09:59:44.386Z

So, I’ve just bought a TB-03, don’t ask me why, and it’s my first real, hands on, experience with the 303 family (although I own an MC 202 that I only played as a regular synth).
For some reasons (mostly because of maximum pattern length).
On paper, it seems that you can program it with MIDI, but can you exactly achieve the very same results as the internal sequencer ?
From the MIDI implementation charts, everything seems to be here. But a few differences already became obvious.
First, it seems that the gate length in the internal sequencer is approximately 50% of the step length. No big deal.
But I quite can’t get the slides with MIDI. It just doesn’t sounds the same.
Any help/ideas/experiences ?

EDIT :
After some tryouts, a few results (but open to be discussed of course) :
The Gate length is more something like 60% of the step. It matters.
In order to achieve the same slide as in the internal sequencer, you must put a slide (CC #102) one step later than on the internal sequencer.
Overall it seems to sound the same.

Fin25 · 2023-03-02T10:27:59.919Z

It’s been a while since I’ve owned one, but I think I remember that overlapping notes + CC102 gave the best results for slides.

Might be remembering it wrong though.

chapelierfou · 2023-03-02T10:51:49.738Z

You’re absolutely right.
The two differences with the internal sequencer are that a slide has to be placed on the “target” note, and that the step must be like 58% of the gate length.
Thanks !
I was afraid that the same results could not be achieved with MIDI (like for instance, the glide would have to “know” what the next note is), but my tests show a very similar result.

Fin25 · 2023-03-02T10:57:24.599Z

chapelierfou:

You’re absolutely right

I’m showing my wife this later.