In his latest loopop review, host Ziv Eliraz shares an in-depth review and demo of the new Roland TR-1000 Rhythm Creator drum machine.
The TR-1000 builds on Roland’s drum machine legacy, combining the analog capabilities of the classic TR-808 and TR-909, digital synthesis, sampling and more.
The hour+ video digs into the TR-1000’s sound engines, the user interface, build quality, sampling, sequencing and more.
Eliraz cites the Roland TR-1000’s cost and massive size as potential cons. On the pros side, he calls the TR-1000 “The most performance-oriented, versatile and feature-rich drum machine I’ve ever used.”
Topics covered:
0:00 Intro
1:40 Overview
2:35 Generators
4:25 Project scope
6:05 Instrument
7:10 Kit scope
8:30 Workflow
10:05 Knobs, macros
12:25 Play modes
14:50 Morph
16:10 I/O
17:15 Build
17:35 TR-1000 app
18:20 Analog 808s
23:25 Analog 909s
26:50 Other ACB
27:15 FM
27:55 VA
28:25 PCM
29:10 Sampling
32:05 Timestretch
35:25 Slicing
36:50 Layer filter
37:25 Layer amp
38:00 Inst FX
39:00 Inst presets
39:35 Send FX
41:55 Master FX
43:25 Analog FX
45:15 Sidechain
46:40 Sequencing
50:55 Performance
52:00 Pros & cons
54:45 Factory patterns
Check out the Roland TR-1000 drum machine review, and share your thoughts on it in the comments!
A Great Drum Machine!
Hoping for smaller, analog, offspring !
Nice
Too expensive for mass consumption. Another elitist instruments for the rich types.
Nice..but the price. ?
$2700 I saw somewhere.
$2,699 at Sweetwater. Not an impulse buy. It has everything but an espresso machine. Buyers will be either pros or the seriously obsessed. I think you could piece most of it together with lesser boxes, but that’s not what flagships are for. I’m glad I’m covered in percussion in my DAW. GAS starts making your privates hurt around $2K.
Was most certainly an impulse buy for me. 10 minutes after I saw it an available on Sweetwater I had it ordered.
I must have this. And I will
or youtube synthfluencers.. oh wait they get these for free 😛
more like: “Roland just send it to me, no money exchange hands, they dont get see the contents of this video before publishing or have any influence whatsoever over it.”
Proof/evidence: Trust me bro
Holy Hades, $2700. Roland’s first release in their new “Let Them Eat Cake” hardware series.
How long do I have to wait before they show up on the Korg USA Reverb outlet at SQ-64 blowout prices?
my MC-505 cost me $1,300 in 2000. And I was a broke teenager who could only afford it on a payment plan. In today’s day my 505 would cost $2,500. This beast is a so much more powerful and basically the same cost So I’d say this is definitely worth the price.
Then you could buy a behringer 808, 909 + a digitak and still have money left over and much more features on top 🙂
But I want it all in one box and environment. Much more convenient. And money isn’t an issue. My wife and I both have good paying jobs and the only real big bill we have is a mortgage. So I have plenty of money for my hobbies.
It would sound less than half as cool, honestly. This thing is a big comeback for Roland. Extra features don’t mean better.
You could also simply use free software and still have much more features on top 😉
Yeah but I already have an insane amount of software and literal terabytes of samples, loops, patches etc. I could do everything this can and more and more easily and faster. But I think hardware is more fun to play with and get hands on with. I don’t really feel inspired to play with my software. And I have Push 2 and Maschine Mk. 3 for some more hands on control.
A SR909 Kit costs 999, the acidlab Miami costs around 808$, add a tr8s in the mix and you‘re almost there.
I’d buy a VST version of this.
You wouldn’t be able to buy a vst version. You’d be allowed to rent a vst version.
@Jason
They’ve recently had the lifetime versions of the 808 and 909 on sale for $50 each.
Wow! This machine is going to make the world of music better. Nothing looks to be lacking.
I had to LOL when I read this.
just reinforces my desire for the erica/hex thing.
Yeah, my Erica Techno System has immunized me to this. But damn, it’s a powerful beast it looks like.
Waiting for the drop.
Is it just me or is this really not a beautiful device, to say the least, compared to all the sexy stuff around?
they have plugins in hardware now!
At last, something without the disgusting color scheme lights
Well, preordered mine already, I’m in AU so have to wait little bit longer…
Can’t wait…
Btw; unlike some of the comments above, I actually love the design and choice of colours and materials:-)
Part of my decision to buy one…
Looks pretty good to me. And under $3k is fair in 2025. I like all the outputs this has and should work very well with all kinds of gear and in your DAW.
I sold my TR-8S to fund a Perkons, and the Perkons is the coolest, most immediate rhythm machine I’ve ever used. The TR-1000 looks awesome, but it was that ‘set everything up, then perform’ on the TR-8S that made me yearn for something more immediate – even made me miss my OG TR-8 that I never should have sold.
It’s not that the 8S was hard to use, it just felt like there was a ‘layer’ between the grooves in my head and actually getting them out of the machine that I didn’t gel with. I’d love to check out the TR-1000 as it just looks so dope and Roland FINALLY delivered, but I hope that actually jamming on it feels more fluid than the TR-8S did for me.
Soooo …. I think is a little crazy , we are in 2025, right ?
Akai just release MPC III , an all in one , with 3D-sensing, ultra-responsive, and designed for more nuanced expression and performance pads ever seen on a workstation, touch screen, deep MIDI and CV control, for 1700 $ .
And Roland …. Just give us a lot of knobs to twist for 2700$.
price of analog, I’m afraid. If it is analog, add $1000. If there are wood panels on the side, add another $750. If it is made by teenage engineering, double it.
TR-1000 is Great and i like it!
The question now is: This or 10x Drumbrute impact ? XD