Regular dates are beginning to take on popular cultural significance. May 4th has become Star Wars day, and we’ve just experienced the Roland themed 808 day in honour of the iconic TR-808 drum machine. And Roland has decide to continue this theme by making some huge announcements on 9th September — yes #909day.
First, watch the above video and come right back here.
And this is what Roland has to say about it on their Facebook page:
Musical instruments are constantly changing, reshaping our lives as they evolve. Their spirit and influence transcend the status quo through processes of fusion and transformation—acoustic and electronic; digital and analog; recording and live performance; private and networked. But what will the future actually sound like? “The Future. Redefined.” is Roland’s 24-hour “must-watch” online music festival, held across multiple time zones and broadcasting from some of the world’s major cities. With artist performances, interviews, and over 30 brand new product announcements, “The Future. Redefined.” showcases how technology will enable boundless creativity. Find out for yourself on #909day
So… it’s clear that Roland is making a rod for its own back by doing this. Each 909day, gear hungry hordes will be expecting Groundhog Day style epic product launches on each and every 909day from here on in. But for now, let’s focus on what might be coming in a few weeks.
Apparently the future. will be. redefined. And that’ll be done with “30+ products and services”, across these categories:
For us, the most interesting is the “Dance Dj”. And there will be live streaming from all over the world too.
So it does appear that Roland is dipping its toe into the DJ pool again. Again? Yes, for this is not their first paddle in the every changing DJ pool. Anyone remember the DJ1000 and DJ-2000 mixers? We’ve been around for almost 13 years now, and they’re before our time. I’m told that they were pretty awful bar an awesome filter.
AND SAY CHILDREN – WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
As you might expect, the close-knit DJ industry cannot make such waves without gathering at least a tiny bit of attention. But even after shaking the grapevine hard, I cannot confirm anything more than Roland is making DJ gear. What that gear might be is anyone’s guess though.
But putting together whispers, seemingly unrelated things, and a healthy scoop of stuff I’m not supposed to know about, when I join the dots lightly in pencil, I’m getting a pretty solid but relatively nuts hypothesis about what could be about to happen. And it could be huge, sending shock waves through the industry. Some of team DJWORX is skeptical of my theory, while others believe it might just happen.
I’m not going to lay my thoughts out in front of you here. Instead, I’ll let you speculate yourselves, otherwise my tinfoil hat rambling will become spread as fact because that Gizmo dude off of DJ works said it so it must be true. Been there – don’t want to go again.
SPECULATE AWAY
What do you think Roland is up to? Rebadged OEMs? Stuffing an 808 and 909 into a mixer? Something more producery? DJ is a very generic term these days right?
What’s the betting that the 24 hour release schedule has been carefully crafted so that the DJ releases are at stupid O’Clock my time?
I have a DJ-2000. The effects and 3 band isolator are phenominal. The eqs are pretty good. The rest is garbage. Poorly made garbage. When I finally have time for a new side-project, I’m going to put the fx + iso in their own box and throw the rest away.
What was garbage with it? I’ve played a lot on the DJ-2000 in various clubs who had it installed and it worked flawless and sounded great.
Hope is not a bedroom dj midi controller with, yawn, jogweels and, yawn, powerful remix functionalities.
New variphrase groovebox.
Better be something i can use and want
just release a new tr808 and tr909 they just dont get it
It’s called the TR-8. They did get it.
you mean the green monster?
Yep
Seems that my gut continues to serve me well. Fun times ahead.
I think we will see a few new Synth Modules released and some more AIRA stuff. Since they put eh 909 sounds in the TR-8 I doubt they will do another device dedicated to it. But only Roland knows for sure….
Roland is putting out a black turntable with green highlights that interfaces with Aira. It also has an output section that gives the user control over cutoff, resonance, and tuning pulled out of the 303. When connected to other Aira gear, the turntable allows the user to scratch output audio – including sequences – in a kind of slip mode.
In related news, Davey Dave has left Pioneer to accept a position heading up Roland’s new DJ division. Ken Jordan is rumored to occupy the role until Dave gets back from a worldwide tour with Uberzone (sponsored by Roland) playing all new material to show off the new system.
This may be the single greatest comment in history.
But what if it’s one of those answers to a question like “Why do you have all this crazy hunting gear,” and the main characters answer “Because we’re going monster hunting” and everyone laughs, but that’s actually what they’re doing… o_0
Incredible… But i don’t like green, will they do it in different colours…
Some of this is correct. The TT does not interact with anything. just a normal TT. The reissues of the classic boxes are what got me excited. Ooooh, I’m so stoked to get some of this “new” stuff. Acid lives!
And now I’ve probably said too much
Amazing! Okno… :(
http://tfr.roland.com/eu/products/product-20
They could but they would?
Give me a AIRA branded standalone sampling groovebox.
I figured that they were up to something, the acquisition of the controlling interest of V-Moda went off way too quiet.
After getting the low-down for this just now, Roland is most certainly putting Pioneer in their crosshairs. They are putting the entire industry on notice. Roland is back and not half steppin’. I haven’t been this excited for new shiny in a looooong time.
That being said, if you just mix A-B, this won’t “pitch your tent”, so to speak
This sounds made up. Nobody but nobody gonna take down big P
I’m not convinced Roland know what DJs actually want in 2016, their recent track record suggests some interesting ideas yet let down with some puzzling design executions… Lets see though, more innovation/competition in the DJ market wouldn’t go amiss.
Seen on Imgur…
http://imgur.com/a/QHjXH
Turntable groovebox finally and from Roland (who has variphrase!), finally!
Let’s see prices and if they release somekind of sp 909 too…
http://tfr.roland.com/eu/products/product-20
They’re going to release their own version of the Pioneer 909 mixer w integrated Serato. There. Boom. Hashtag megaton.