[DISCONTINUED] Roland TB-3 Touch Bassline Bass Synthesizer

Based on the wildly influential TB-303, the new TB-3 Touch Bassline is a performance-ready bass synthesizer with authentic sound and intuitive controls engineered to play. The TB-3 contains the unmistakable character of its predecessor, wrapped in a modern package with a pressure-sensitive touch pad that makes both playing and programming a total joy.

Using Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology, Roland fully reproduced the TB-303’s sawtooth and square wave oscillators, as well as the -18dB per octave ladder low-pass filter used in the original, capturing that unmistakable cutoff and resonance character. In addition to the faithful reproduction of classic TB tones, the TB-3 is packed with new sounds that live and breathe. Bubbling synth basses, hard distortion basses, trippy delay sounds, and drippy effects—they’re all here, and then some.

The new TB-3 is equipped with a brightly lit, pressure-sensitive touch pad that lets you seamlessly create patterns and interact with the unit during performance. In addition to pitch and volume, you can tweak filters and even control modulation by simply pressing down on the pad with your finger. It also makes the keyboard a breeze to play.

The TB-3’s evolved step sequencer is a snap to use and allows seamless switching between pattern creation and performance. A favorite aspect of the TB-303 was how it would sometimes generate unintended sounds as the user maneuvered through its complex and cryptic pattern-creation operation. In order to inject that element of chance and discovery, the TB-3 includes automatic pattern generation and random pattern modification functions.

The TB-3’s Scatter function features slicing, reverse, gating, and other effects, allowing you to instantly create variations, stutters, and glitches that would normally require painstaking editing in a DAW. Complex, per-step functions are triggered easily with the touch pad and a single finger. You can keep things fresh and interesting with 8 different Scatter variations and 10 levels of Scatter depth—all controllable in real time and in perfect sync.

The TB-3 looks great, and is designed to work seamlessly with other products in the AIRA series. In addition, you can connect the TB-3 to your computer via USB to send and receive both audio and MIDI data, including MIDI clock information for syncing with external devices and other AIRA units.

Roland TB-3 Touch Bassline Features

• Manage your pattern library with easy backup and restore over USB
• Tuning - control both pattern tune (-700 to 700 cents) and master tune (430-450)
• Pattern tone - assign a specific tone to a pattern so sound will change automatically when pattern is selected
• One-touch transpose - transpose a pattern during performance by simply pressing a note on the touchpad’s keyboard
• User bank - organize your favorite patterns for quick access in live performance with a custom user bank
• Pattern lock - lock the contents of a pattern so you can experiment without losing your original groove
• Pattern pitch shift - quickly change the root note of a pattern by shifting its pitch
• Extended note range - the sequencer now supports notes from C0-C6 for added flexibility and dramatic slides
• Extended transpose range
• Modes - local On/Off and MIDI controller modes determine how MIDI data is sent and received
• External record - record patterns in real-time from external MIDI devices
• Slide and accent - implementation of both slide and accent pattern by MIDI control change
• Scatter - scatter on/off, type and depth can be controlled via MIDI control change
• MIDI off - disable sending of all MIDI messages
• Extended range - note range has been extended from C0-C8 when controlled by external MIDI device

• TB-3 Touch bassline bass synthesizer1

• Instrument Preset Patches134
• Sequencer User Patterns64
• Sequencer Max Step32 steps (each pattern)
• Scatter Preset8
• Controllers
  • Touchpad
  • Control knob
  • Resonance knob
  • Accent knob
  • Effect knob
• Connectors
  • Phones jack: stereo 1/4" phone type
  • Out (L/mono, R) jacks: 1/4" phone type
  • MIDI (in, out) connectors
  • USB port: USB type B (audio/MIDI)
  • DC in jack
• Display7 segments, 3 characters (LED)
• Power SupplyAC adaptor, or obtained via USB port (USB bus power)
• Current Draw500mA
• Dimensions (WxDxH)9.5 x 6.8 x 2.25"
• Weight1.8 lbs