Last month, hardware manufacturer Roland unveiled a whole range of new products during its #909day celebrations , which—in addition to kick-ass new products like the 808-enhanced DJ mixer created in partnership with Serato —saw them confirming their legendary 303 and 909 machines would return with updated models for the new generation.
The revived machines are the TB-03 and TR-09, miniature versions that are part of Roland’s Boutique line of instruments. Over the weekend, screenshots of the new hardware retail boxes appeared on the web, with the TR-09 offering a special nod to the Detroit dancefloor history that its parent machine helped create.
“The TR-909 was the first drum machine with MIDI, and due to the limitations of the mid ‘80s technology, it blended analog kick and tom drums with 6-bit digital samples for the hi-hats and cymbals,” the retail box states, before moving on to acknowledge its Detroit brethren.
“While other drum machines aimed for realism, the 909 found its true calling within the burgeoning techno scene of the late ‘80s, adopted by the pioneering producers of Detroit and Chicago… the beating heart of house and techno, as strong today as it was back then.”
Check out the tweet below from Detroit original Kenny Larkin featuring the box shots.
Props to @Roland_US for acknowledging on the box of the TR-09 the real origin of dance music! Detroit/Chicago!! #knowyourtechnohistory ! pic.twitter.com/jlM61Svy4S
— Kenny Larkin (@kennylark) October 1, 2016
