Beat Box: Roland's Most Underrated Vintage Drum Machine

I don’t think there’s any doubt whatsoever that the first thing that comes to people’s minds when they think of a vintage Roland drum machine is either the TR-909 (used in countless techno, house, and pop standards from the late 80s through the 1990s), or the TR-808 (used in pretty much almost anything that didn’t involve a live session drummer). 

Regardless of the ubiquity (and desirability, hence the $1500+ price tags) of the 808 and 909, Roland also produced several additional drum sequencers during that period that get very little press coverage. One of them is the TR-727. 

The Roland TR-727 is probably Roland’s most under-appreciated drum machine. The TR-707 (a direct sibling) was considered a “poor-man’s 909” as it utilized many of the sounds of it’s big brother. However, it was not an analog machine; it merely played back the 909’s samples. You could also only edit each sound’s volume; the ability to edit things such as attack, pitch, decay, etc. were out of the question. The 727 had the exact same functionality of the 707, however it incorporated a series of samples not utilized on any other Roland drum machine: Latin percussion sounds. 

Latin percussion remains quite popular in modern dance music as it appeals to a wide range of ethnicities and their use often implies happiness and energy when used within the context of a song. The 727 includes 15 samples, such as bongos, claves, maracas, whistles, chimes, and agogos. It not only has a step sequencer similar to that of the 909, but also includes an editor screen that shows which samples are used on each beat as well (what the 909 lacks). Also includes a separate output for each instrument as well, so you can go nuts adding guitar pedals or other effects devices!

The TR-727, similar to ALL of Roland’s vintage drum machines, is very tough to find nowadays. Ebay is the most obvious place to look, but be ready to pay around $500 for one.

Modded TR-727 for $600

Nice video below of the 727 in action, alongside the 707, generating some lush deep house beats.