TB-3 · MX-1 · TR-8S

A.1

Module tour · three boxes, one rig

Read TB-3 for articulation, MX-1 for routing, TR-8S for grids — then the clock section so they start on the same downbeat. Each block cites Roland’s publicly linked manuals without rehosting PDFs.

1. TB-3 · fold-out · FILTER / TOUCH

   TB-3 · touch pad as filter performance

   The TB-3 is Roland’s AIRA take on the TB-303 bass line: a mono acid voice with cutoff, resonance, envelope modulation and decay, plus a touch pad that turns filter moves into choreography. Accent and slide still live in the sequencer — they are not optional garnish; they are the instrument.

   Start with a short pattern (8–16 steps), leave the filter half-open, and practise one continuous pad gesture per bar rather than stabbing random XY spots. The ear learns the envelope of the filter before the fingers invent a dance.

   CUTOFF / FILTER

   Brightness of the voice — the main performance control.

   RESO

   Emphasis at the cutoff; high values whistle like classic acid.

   ENV MOD / DECAY

   How hard and how long the filter envelope bites each note.

   ACCENT / SLIDE

   Step flags: louder/brighter hits, and pitch glides between notes.

   TOUCH PAD

   XY performance surface mapped to filter (and related) parameters.

   Practice · Write a 16-step pattern with three accents and two slides, then perform cutoff only on the pad for one chorus.

2. TB-3 · fold-out · PATTERN WRITE

   TB-3 · pitch-then-time writing

   Classic 303 workflow is pitch first, then time: enter the note numbers for the phrase, then decide which steps are rests, ties, accents and slides. The TB-3 keeps that mental model even when the UI is a touch pad and step keys.

   A good teaching pattern uses a narrow pitch range (a fifth or less), sparse accents, and one slide into the downbeat. Complexity is for later — the filter needs room to speak.

   STEP KEYS

   Select which sixteenth (or subdivision) you are editing.

   NOTE / PITCH

   Scale degrees for the bass line.

   REST / TIE

   Silence or sustain across steps — the ●○– language from the 303 manual.

   CLEAR / COPY

   Safe ways to iterate without rewriting the whole phrase.

   Practice · Program eight notes, then convert every other note to a rest and add one slide — hear the phrase breathe.

3. MX-1 · fold-out · CHANNEL / USB

   MX-1 · channels as a live patchbay

   The MX-1 is the hub of an AIRA live rig: analog and USB returns, per-channel tone and FX sends, and a master bus with scene recall. Treat each channel as a labelled cable into the mix — TB-3 on one, TR-8S on another, laptop stems on USB — then mix with your ears, not with solo buttons forever.

   The supplementary signal-flow diagram from Roland is worth printing once: it shows how USB audio, external inputs and the mix bus nest. Knowing that diagram prevents ‘why is my kick in the reverb twice?’ nights.

   CHANNEL FADERS

   Relative level of each source in the live mix.

   TONE / FILTER

   Per-channel high/low tilt so boxes sit together.

   SEND / FX

   How much of a channel hits the shared effects.

   USB AUDIO

   Bidirectional audio with a DAW — stems in, mix out, or both.

   SCENES

   Snapshot mixes for verse / drop / breakdown.

   Practice · Park TB-3 and TR-8S on two channels, duck the bass slightly under the kick with tone, then save a ‘drop’ scene.

4. MX-1 · fold-out · MFX / BFX

   MX-1 · bus FX as arrangement

   On a mixer, effects are arrangement tools: a short delay on hats, a filter sweep on the master, a temporary kill-EQ. The MX-1’s bus and master FX let you perform transitions without rewriting patterns on every box.

   Rule of thumb: dry vocals/leads stay dry; rhythm and acid can share one tempo-synced delay. Automate FX amount more than FX type mid-song.

   MFX / BFX

   Master and bus effect slots — choose type, then amount.

   TEMPO SYNC

   Lock delay / rate parameters to MIDI clock.

   CUE / MONITOR

   Preview a channel before it hits the house mix.

   Practice · On a four-bar loop, open a master filter for bars 3–4 only — feel the drop without changing the TB-3 pattern.

5. TR-8S · Owner’s p. 4–10 · INST

   TR-8S · instruments as small synth voices

   Each TR-8S track is a tiny synthesizer or sample player with its own tune, decay, and effects. The Manual chapters on envelopes and noise map directly onto kick, snare and hat parameters — you already know the jobs (source, shaper, mover).

   AIRA’s strength is mixing classic TR modelling, FM, and user samples in one kit. Keep kits purposeful: one boom-heavy kit for house, one clicky kit for techno, rather than one kitchen-sink bank.

   INST SELECT

   Which voice you are editing (BD, SD, HH…).

   TUNE / DECAY

   Pitch and length — the two knobs that define most drum characters.

   CTRL / LAST STEP

   Performance and pattern length (odd lengths = tension).

   EFFECTS

   Per-instrument and master colour (drive, reverb, delay).

   Practice · Mute everything but BD + CH, set last step to 15, and write a broken house groove before adding snare.

6. TR-8S · Owner’s · TR-REC · Reference · MOTION

   TR-8S · TR-REC and motion

   TR-REC is step programming with the classic 16 illuminated pads. Motion recording lets knob moves become part of the pattern — the same idea as filter automation on the TB-3, but per drum voice.

   Accent and flam (where available) are performance flags, not ‘more velocity forever’. Use them sparingly so the ear still hears the grid.

   TR-REC

   Enter/exit step write for the selected instrument.

   CLEAR / COPY

   Iterate patterns without blank-canvas fear.

   MOTION

   Record parameter moves into the pattern.

   FILL / VARIATION

   A/B pattern flips and fills for live arrangement.

   Practice · Record a filter motion on the hats for one bar only, then mute motion to A/B the difference.

7. MX-1 · MIDI · TR-8S Reference · MX-1 MIDI

   Clock · who is the boss?

   Pick one clock master. Common live choice: TR-8S as master → MX-1 passes or slaves → TB-3 follows MIDI clock. DAW sessions often flip that: laptop is master, everything else slaves.

   When patterns drift, check cable type (DIN vs TRS MIDI), clock in/out settings, and whether USB is also sending clock (double clock = chaos).

   MIDI CLOCK IN/OUT

   Receive or transmit 24 PPQN tempo.

   START / STOP

   Transport that resets sequencers together.

   USB MIDI

   Same messages over USB — disable duplicates if DIN is already live.

   Practice · Slave the TB-3 to the TR-8S, hit Start once, and confirm both loop points land on the same bar.