Roland TR-909 to make a comeback on #909Day?
Is Roland bringing back the legendary TR-909 next month? They’ve certainly been teasing us about it.
If most media channels (us included, now) are right then Roland could very well release this iconic drum machine on 9 September which they’ve dubbed #909day. 9th in the 19th month…. Get it?
What we do know is that they have just announced the first-of-its-kind 24-Hour Online Music Festival they are calling ‘The Future. Redefined.’ 30 new products will be launched during a 24 hour live streaming festival that will include, from what we can tell from their website, 5 brand new synthesizers planned for the launch and 3 new dance/DJ products.
Could the TR-909 be one of the new dance/dj products?
Why the TR-909 could be reintroduced
Just like vinyl seems to be making a comeback globally amidst the digital onslaught, hardware is also enjoying something of a renaissance. By launching a dedicated Roland TR-909 portal to celebrate 33 years of the drum machine, there’s a chance that it’ll make a return.
Here’s an official Roland statement;
“For 33 years the TR-909 has been one of the most definitive sounds in electronic music and the beating heart of DJ culture,” Roland announced via press release. “Join us as we celebrate 33 years of the “909” with the release of many new and inspiring electronic instruments.”
Although Roland does have the AIRA range now, the TR-909 could potentially be reinvented as part of the Boutique range much like the Jupiter-8, Juno-106 and JX-3P synths were re-imagined as stripped down versions of the former.
The TR-909 was discontinued in 1985 and along with the TB-303, TR-808 and many other vintage Roland gear, fetches silly prices on E-Bay etc but if they do add it to the Boutique range it will certainly open a lot of doors for a lot of producers
