TR Drums for Everyone
The TR-606 was a programmable drum machine released in 1981. Originally designed as a companion to the TB-303 Bass Line, its size, price, and ease of use lowered the bar for quality music production, making it accessible to just about anyone.
The Indie Alternative
The punchy midrange kicks, popping toms, and sizzling hi-hats were a hit with DIY musicians and appear across an array of genres, from ‘80s new wave and punk to electronic styles. It’s the backbone of numerous classic tracks, and musicians continue to seek out the TR-606 for its alternative approach to the Roland TR sound.
Plug In Your Own TR-606
Original TR-606 units are increasingly hard to find and sell for significant sums on the used market. Using our proprietary ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) technology, we’ve painstakingly recreated the original analog circuits that are the essence of the TR-606’s sound. Our plug-in sounds identical to the original TR-606—with all its nuance and detail—while adding new features that greatly expand its sound and creative capabilities for modern musicians and producers:
- Tuning and decay on each instrument, plus the ability to overdrive the internal circuitry for fat and gritty new sounds
- The classic TR-606 step sequencer, expanded with lanes for each sound to enable faster and more fluid programming
- Each pattern has eight variations for evolving sequences that keep things interesting
- Drag and drop audio or MIDI patterns from the plug-in directly into a project
- Adjustable flams, sub-steps, and soft hits for creating detailed fills and ratcheted sequences
- Each instrument has its own “last step” and shuffle settings, so you can play with timing, experiment with complex meters, and dial in just the right groove
Hardware Integration
The TR-606 plug-in integrates seamlessly with our TR-8S Rhythm Performer and Roland Boutique TR-06 hardware instruments. Transfer patterns from the TR-8S to the TR-606 plug-in, or create beats in your DAW and send them back to the hardware for live performance. And with its pre-mapped controls, you can use the TR-06 for hands-on operation of the plug-in.
Join Roland Cloud today for the raucous sound of the TR-606, along with a host of other legendary Roland instruments. Curious to hear what came before the TR-606? Check out its equally influential siblings and dance music staples, the TR-808 and TR-909.