Does the MFB-503 sound like a 909? Other 909 alternatives please?
I am already planning on getting an MFB-522 for a poormans 808, seems like it is a very good option.... But, I still am on the hunt for a poormans 909.
522 is obviously similar to a 808. But, what about the 503? Do you think the 503 is close enough to a 909's thuddy kick and snare to warrant a purchase?
Before, I was thinking of buying a 707/727 pair combo as a poormans 909, even though PCM sample based. Since 707/727 are just PCM, I am thinking of just using samples of them in my MPC60 and that should satisfy me.
Then, I see 503 vids and was thinking, wow, analog that might be similar to a 909.
What do you guys think would be a good poorman's 909?
And, what would you rather get: a PCM based 707/727 combo (prolly cost around 600-700) or an MFB-503 (cheaper at 400ish) which is cheaper and at the same time analog goodness.
It is 909-like in a way like Jomox.
Circuits based on the 909 but lot cheaper quality.
It is programmable and portable so not a bad choice if you prefer these.
Anyway I am really poor so I built the true 909 clone.
Many many hours work but both cheap and sounds amazing.
I also added digital control to some parameters and like to build more circuit based on 909 and 808.
Hmmm...I was set on getting the 503 as a 909 alternative, now I don't know lol. I also read that the 503 has a lot of noise.. is this true?
909 alternative decision: 503 VS a pair of 7x7 VS [other??]?
But, for sure I am decided on the 522. Sounds good and close enough to be a poormans 808.
I must look for alternatives, as I wont have the kind of nuggets for a 909 nor 808 anytime soon or ever. Any recommendations for other 909 alternatives welcome
Hmmm...I was set on getting the 503 as a 909 alternative, now I don't know lol.
909 alternative decision: 503 VS a pair of 7x7 VS [other??]?
But, for sure I am decided on the 522. Sounds good and close enough to an 808.
I must look for alternatives, as I wont have the kind of nuggets for a 909 nor 808 anytime soon or ever. Any recommendations for other 909 alternatives welcome
Wait wait wait... please don't take too much stock in what you hear here!
If YOU like the 522 as an 808, then maybe the 503 is exactly what you want.
Trust your own taste and ears... I'd bet half the people commenting here haven't even heard one!
Trust yourself before you trust some random anonymous dude on the internet... trust me
Is noise an issue though with the 503... i reads someone's theory it might be from the interference from the big bright screen, which makes sense in that small little thing.
I've wanted my own pair of 7x7's sooner or later anyways... great seq and layout, but they're so untweakable which turns me off...the 503 has some nice snares that's more tweakable than a 909 kick & snare it seems like which is turning me on. And the 522 sounds good.
Edit:
I've now been researching the DRM1 and the vids of it looks/sounds stupendous. The Jomox bigger units, eh, read too much of it's quirkiness. Now, I am thinking of just getting a DRM1 mkII or III and sequencing it with my MPC60 and sound really nice with the swing in the 60...and maybe a Kick Lancet down the road to get more kick which seems really custamizable enough to get a close 808, 909 kick or anything else.
Now my decision: DRM1 or a pair of MFBs (522 & 503) or a pair of PCM Roland TR-7x7's
The drm1 is really getting me wet as the build looks 1000x more solid than a plasticy MFB and the tweakability of it just seems good...opinions or other recommendations please?
...which would you pick? I know, very different machines as one is PCM and the others analog with mass tunability..
(btw: my choice will be my only main analog drum machine in my set up (I am broke and only have money and can afford for one of each: 1 mono, 1 poly, 1 seqcr, 1 analog drum, etc.. My setup includes MPC60, Mirage Ensoniq, Casio RZ-1, TR-505 and soon purchasing with my next paychecks a Juno 60, a Yamaha CS10 or Roland SH-09, Kenton boxes for both,)
i owned a drm and now own a 503 but didnt use & test it that much. noise is/was an issue with both of them.
i remember most of the drm's noise coming from the 'multi' instrument, disappearing while turning the 'multi' volume down.
the 503 snare and kick have individual outputs and i think you can avoid noise by using them.
both machines sound outstanding but very different. i fancy the 503 kick a lot more. to my ears, it has got the typical techno/house sound which should derive from 909 kicks and snares, though it misses the typical 909-hats. but i must admit that i never had a 909 to play with.
the vermona has a very unique sound, is built like a tank and their customer support (via mail) was great.
so i would advise you to check out a used 503 first. i got mine for about 140€ used. if you dont like it, you can still use it as a (3-channel) sequencer for the vermona (if its equipped with trigger inputs) or the analogue solutions eurorack modular 909-kick clone?!
Buy an MFB because you want an MFB. Not because you think it will replace X or Y or Z. So if you want a 909, get a 909. Save the money, get a second job, sell some other gear, whatever, do whatever it takes. Its only time and money.
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Originally Posted by Smaug
I wasn't going to do this use a quote for your signature thing, but then I saw this...
MFB does sound better for deep house (what I want to make), though the DRM can do that too in it's own way, but to me the demos can sound a little more "laser'rayish", nu school minimal/techno than the deeper, older grittier sounding of the MFB stuff.... the DRM's build quality is enticing, but that only the looks department lol. Hmmm decisions decisions. Damn DRM trying to seduce me with looks, while little ol MFB's TR style step seq and button layout and some deep kicks and big snares/claps are sounding a safer bet for deep/classic/old house.
Lol, yeah..perhaps I will...a pair of MFB's sounds a lot more powerful and versatile than a pair of TR-7x7's..though the 7x7 pair is always sexy and welcome with me.. I think I should just stick with my original plan of MFB instead of trying to find and research more analog stuff that's "similar" to 808/909s, this darn forums' got me reading non-stop and making it harder for me to decide, lol.
Not many reviews on the MFB is the only thing. All the youtube and reviews on the sound seem good. Only con of the MFB units I have really been finding is of course the little knobs and plasticy build... but in the end, sound is what matters.
I'll just mention that one fun thing about the MFB-503 is that it automatically stores the sounds with each pattern as you edit them, so you can make a song with a sequence of patterns and the sounds will automatically change with the sections of the piece. OTOH, the MFB-522 has real pots for the controls on each sound, so it's easier to tweak several sounds in real time, but it does not store the sounds with a sequence. Both types of machine can be useful.
Interested in the MFB's..but I also have been eyeing that Vermona Kick Lancet too for some time..not many reviews or demos though.
If my decision was certainly the 522 (good because it sounds nice and all the instruments are usable/good and analog as well) and a Kick Lancet (to try to coax 909, 808 and whatever kicks out of it) , would it be dumb or unnecessary to get the 503 also (since the 503 only has kick/snare/tom, i'd probably be only using the snare [but then again, the 522 snare is similar to the 503] and sometimes the tom it it actually sounds good).
What would you do if you are buying a 522 or had a 522 already and wanted an additional analog drum or something closer to a 909? ..the 503 or Kick Lancet... or both?
im confused at where you'd buy one of these? The products home page doesnt have any links to buy it.
If you're talking about MFB, you can order direct from the manufacturer in Berlin. Directions and price are at the bottom of the description of the unit on the website. You contact Mr. Fricke by email.
What would you do if you are buying a 522 or had a 522 already and wanted an additional analog drum or something closer to a 909? ..the 503 or Kick Lancet... or both?
you would have a re-creation of the 909-kick's circuits, trigger it via the 522 sequencer and still have some space left to add some modular filter, sequencer, what have you.
What would you do if you are buying a 522 or had a 522 already and wanted an additional analog drum or something closer to a 909? ..the 503 or Kick Lancet... or both?
I suppose I would get the 503, since I got that instead of the 522. I don't know how close it is to a 909, because I haven't worked with one, nor do I care, as the sounds are often mangled beyond recognition, run through my amps, etc., etc. There is a good range of sound available from each voice and particularly the bass drum, which has the most adjustable parameters.
It's also a very handy little unit for songwriting and composing, since sounds store with patterns (and can be edited in real time via MIDI commands) so you can get a varied performance out of it without having to tweak it by hand while it plays.
IMO, the good things about the 503 are:
1) cheap
2) small
3) plenty of memory slots for songs, patterns, instruments and kits
4) sounds save automatically with each pattern
5) the kick sound is very versatile
6) all the sounds have a broad range of decay time from very short to long enough
7) patterns program via the familiar Roland style 16 button row
8) separate outs for BD and snare, all outputs are strong signals
9) the sounds work together just fine to create a really wide range of drum kit sounds, even with relatively few voices
10) other tunings/mixes of drums and cymbals are available via MIDI as is real time control of all sound parameters via sysex
11) the cymbal and hi-hats actually sound OK and are fairly versatile, though they are samples played through a VCA for controlling decay. Tuning, mix and decay gives a fairly good range of sounds.
Not so good things:
1) MIDI in only, so no sysex storage of any data from the machine
2) Relatively few voices: bass drum, snare, three toms (share one voice), cymbal, Open HH, Closed HH.
3) Can edit only one sound at a time
4) A bit of quiescent noise, doesn't bother me, but opinions vary.
It is 909-like in a way like Jomox.
Circuits based on the 909 but lot cheaper quality.
It is programmable and portable so not a bad choice if you prefer these.
Anyway I am really poor so I built the true 909 clone.
Many many hours work but both cheap and sounds amazing.
I also added digital control to some parameters and like to build more circuit based on 909 and 808.
Did you build it from a kit? If yes can you recommend one?
Very good quality design. No sequencer, just MIDI.
The well-known mods are also in the circuit (+3 parameters for the kick, +1 for the Hi-Hats).
Beats Jomox sound-wise but lacks automated control on the parameters so I started to step further and added some more controls and think about a sequencer.
No mega-rare components but needs time to build.
Good worklog here: 9090 Work log
...if you want a 909, get a 909. Save the money, get a second job, sell some other gear, whatever, do whatever it takes. Its only time and money.
You're right... I will just get a real 909 with any extra cash, or camera gear I sell or save up. "buy right, buy once" philosophy always saves money and will make me happier in the long run, also from what I experience with camera gear.
Going for the real 909 as it is a drum machine that has yet to be replicated, not even close.
As for the 808, it seems like it is much easier to replicate and there are many clones out there that can get 808 type sounds closer than that of a 909. MFB-522, Miami, MBase, etc, etc all can be similar to the 808, but none can get close to the 909 sound.
So I will just get a true 909, and just use samples or the MFB-522 for the boooms, cowbells, etc for the mean time until I get a real 808 sometime next year... problem solved :D
You're right... I will just get a real 909 with any extra cash, or camera gear I sell or save up. "buy right, buy once" philosophy always saves money and will make me happier in the long run, also from what I experience with camera gear.
Going for the real 909 as it is a drum machine that has yet to be replicated, not even close.
As for the 808, it seems like it is much easier to replicate and there are many clones out there that can get 808 type sounds closer than that of a 909. MFB-522, Miami, MBase, etc, etc all can be similar to the 808, but none can get close to the 909 sound.
So I will just get a true 909, and just use samples or the MFB-522 for the boooms, cowbells, etc for the mean time until I get a real 808 sometime next year... problem solved :D
Ahhh....now your getting all slutty! thumbsup Don't get me wrong. I am not out to make you spend a ton of cash. If its what you want, then that is what you should get. Anything else will only leave you feeling dissatisfied. Trust me, you won't regret it and if you do, just sell it for the price you paid. Nothing against MFB products in any way.
Personally I have owned 3 different 909s. The first died and was replaced within days. The second I sold, and my 3rd arrived yesterday.
You can see a pic of my new baby here on the last page.
To be honest I was half tempted to post a pic in your thread here and ask you if you thought it would do the MFB sound.
Since you are new to music production, I took the liberty of pulling a couple threads on the 909 for you. (Psst.... They all come with midi.) Some early version Eproms have midi sync problems. You can avoid this by purchasing a later model machine.
Yeah, i've caught that topic, "midi sync probs" here and there on a couple of threads. But I also heard it's mostly/exclusively a problem with DAW/software heads, is this true?
I am NOT using any DAW. I am going 100% hardware (well, except recording the entire mix on cheapy Audacity). And I am planning to use it with my MPC60 as the main seq/master and having all other drums/synths synced up to it, the 909 running on it's own sequencer; and maybe once in a while use/experiment having the MPC sequencer trigger the 909 sounds; but mostly plan to use the 909's own sequencer (with midi only?, or can it DIN it too?)
Yeah, i've caught that topic, "midi sync probs" here and there on a couple of threads. But I also heard it's mostly/exclusively a problem with DAW/software heads, is this true?
I am NOT using any DAW. I am going 100% hardware (well, except recording the entire mix on cheapy Audacity). And I am planning to use it with my MPC60 as the main seq/master and having all other drums/synths synced up to it, the 909 running on it's own sequencer; and maybe once in a while use/experiment having the MPC sequencer trigger the 909 sounds; but mostly plan to use the 909's own sequencer (with midi only?, or can it DIN it too?)
I don't try to sync it to a DAW so its not a problem for me. Mainly I use midi. The 909 to drives a sampler. Add some effects on the mixer and enjoy. Its fun. It works for techno, which is what I like. Thats where its at for me. I think it can be quite deep and creative if you approach it in the right way.
you would have a re-creation of the 909-kick's circuits, trigger it via the 522 sequencer and still have some space left to add some modular filter, sequencer, what have you.
like someone other say it here. i would say no if you want something like a 909 jomox is thing. i can really sound like 909 and totally different too. and the kick has a lot more punch & deepness in it.
like someone other say it here. i would say no if you want something like a 909 jomox is thing. i can really sound like 909 and totally different too. and the kick has a lot more punch & deepness in it.
909 is the thing. jomox can be more versatile and all that, but can't sound like a 909, nothing can, otherwise there wouldn't be a million threads talking about it.
The best you can do to sound like a 909 is to use samples, there's no clone for the 909
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so I built the true 909 clone.
remember theres no clap on the 503 ... tho on the 522.
) Some early version Eproms have midi sync problems. You can avoid this by purchasing a later model machine.
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