Roland MC-707: build a kit

13 drum sounds this box makes on its own, in the order to build them.

Record each hit with the sampler, recorder, or DAW you use.

This block draws on the MC-707 Reference Manual eng02, pp.50-75; its values are starting points.

Everything else about the Roland MC-707

1KICK 1Tight kick, tuned down, no tail on it
kick · hard
Routing — OUTPUT ASSIGN DRY keeps the kick clear of whatever the kit MFX is doing
- LEVEL118(0…127)
- KEY OFFSET-2st(-24…24 st)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET24(-100…100)
- TVA DECAY TIME OFFSET-34(-100…100)
- TVA RELEASE TIME OFFSET-46(-100…100)
- OUTPUT ASSIGNDRY(DRY, MFX, COMP1, COMP2, COMP3, COMP4, COMP5, COMP6)
- REVERB SEND LEVEL0(0…127)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as KICK 1.
2KICK 2Long low kick that owns the bottom of the kit
kick · dark
- LEVEL122(0…127)
- KEY OFFSET-7st(-24…24 st)
- FINE TUNE OFFSET-12c(-50…50 c)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET-18(-100…100)
- TVA DECAY TIME OFFSET42(-100…100)
- EQ SWITCHON(OFF, ON)
- EQ LOW GAIN4dB(-24…24 dB)
  Hold [SHIFT], press [SOUND]
- EQ LOW FREQUENCY63Hz(20…16000 Hz)
- OUTPUT ASSIGNDRY(DRY, MFX, COMP1, COMP2, COMP3, COMP4, COMP5, COMP6)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as KICK 2.
3SNARE 1Flat, forward snare with the tail cut short
snare · hard
Routing — OUTPUT ASSIGN MFX puts this pad through the kit effect; the kick stays DRY
- LEVEL112(0…127)
- KEY OFFSET1st(-24…24 st)
- TVA ATTACK TIME OFFSET-28(-100…100)
- TVA DECAY TIME OFFSET-24(-100…100)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET18(-100…100)
- REVERB SEND LEVEL14(0…127)
- OUTPUT ASSIGNMFX(DRY, MFX, COMP1, COMP2, COMP3, COMP4, COMP5, COMP6)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as SNARE 1.
4CLAP 1Wide clap sitting above the snare
clap · bright
- LEVEL104(0…127)
- PAN9(-64…63)
  Shown as L64-0-63R; negative is left
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET38(-100…100)
- FINE TUNE OFFSET18c(-50…50 c)
- TVA RELEASE TIME OFFSET22(-100…100)
- REVERB SEND LEVEL34(0…127)
- DELAY SEND LEVEL10(0…127)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as CLAP 1.
5RIM 1Dry rim, hard left, nothing on it
rim · clean
- LEVEL78(0…127)
- PAN-34(-64…63)
  Shown as L64-0-63R; negative is left
- KEY OFFSET3st(-24…24 st)
- TVA DECAY TIME OFFSET-62(-100…100)
- OUTPUT ASSIGNDRY(DRY, MFX, COMP1, COMP2, COMP3, COMP4, COMP5, COMP6)
- REVERB SEND LEVEL0(0…127)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as RIM 1.
6TOM 1Low tom, pitched down, long enough to bend
tom · dark
- LEVEL100(0…127)
- KEY OFFSET-9st(-24…24 st)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET-12(-100…100)
- TVA DECAY TIME OFFSET36(-100…100)
- REVERB SEND LEVEL26(0…127)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as TOM 1.
7CLOSED HAT 1Short closed hat, choking the open one
closed-hat · clean
Routing — Same MUTE GROUP as the open hat, so one cuts the other off
- LEVEL88(0…127)
- PAN-14(-64…63)
  Shown as L64-0-63R; negative is left
- MUTE GROUP1(OFF, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET46(-100…100)
- TVA DECAY TIME OFFSET-52(-100…100)
- TVA RELEASE TIME OFFSET-58(-100…100)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as CLOSED HAT 1.
8OPEN HAT 1Half-open hat, more air than sizzle
open-hat · dark
Routing — Same MUTE GROUP as the closed hat
- LEVEL84(0…127)
- PAN16(-64…63)
  Shown as L64-0-63R; negative is left
- MUTE GROUP1(OFF, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET-22(-100…100)
- TVA RELEASE TIME OFFSET-14(-100…100)
- EQ SWITCHON(OFF, ON)
- EQ HIGH GAIN-5dB(-24…24 dB)
  Hold [SHIFT], press [SOUND]
- REVERB SEND LEVEL20(0…127)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as OPEN HAT 1.
9RIDE 1Ride let ring, cutoff opened off the kit
ride · bright
- LEVEL96(0…127)
- KEY OFFSET0st(-24…24 st)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET62(-100…100)
- TVF RESONANCE OFFSET12(-100…100)
- EQ SWITCHON(OFF, ON)
- EQ HIGH GAIN5dB(-24…24 dB)
  Hold [SHIFT], press [SOUND]
- OUTPUT ASSIGNMFX(DRY, MFX, COMP1, COMP2, COMP3, COMP4, COMP5, COMP6)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as RIDE 1.
10METALLIC 1Detuned metal hit, resonant and slightly wrong
metallic · dirty
- LEVEL92(0…127)
- KEY OFFSET7st(-24…24 st)
- FINE TUNE OFFSET-34c(-50…50 c)
- TVF RESONANCE OFFSET58(-100…100)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET30(-100…100)
- EQ SWITCHON(OFF, ON)
- EQ MID GAIN6dB(-24…24 dB)
  Hold [SHIFT], press [SOUND]
- OUTPUT ASSIGNMFX(DRY, MFX, COMP1, COMP2, COMP3, COMP4, COMP5, COMP6)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as METALLIC 1.
11GHOST PERC 1Quiet percussion filling the gaps, half of it missing
ghost-perc · soft
Routing — MUTE is a *mute* probability: 0 sounds every time, higher drops more hits
- LEVEL56(0…127)
- PAN22(-64…63)
  Shown as L64-0-63R; negative is left
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET-30(-100…100)
- TVA DECAY TIME OFFSET-44(-100…100)
- DELAY SEND LEVEL22(0…127)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as GHOST PERC 1.
12NOISE 1Noise pad struck on the grid, resonance up and top end open
noise · dirty
- LEVEL88(0…127)
- KEY OFFSET0st(-24…24 st)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET48(-100…100)
- TVF RESONANCE OFFSET64(-100…100)
- EQ SWITCHON(OFF, ON)
- EQ MID GAIN4dB(-24…24 dB)
  Hold [SHIFT], press [SOUND]
- OUTPUT ASSIGNMFX(DRY, MFX, COMP1, COMP2, COMP3, COMP4, COMP5, COMP6)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as NOISE 1.
13IMPACT 1One-shot crash marking the top of a section
impact · hard
- LEVEL116(0…127)
- KEY OFFSET-3st(-24…24 st)
- TVA RELEASE TIME OFFSET64(-100…100)
- TVF CUTOFF OFFSET26(-100…100)
- REVERB SEND LEVEL52(0…127)
- OUTPUT ASSIGNMFX(DRY, MFX, COMP1, COMP2, COMP3, COMP4, COMP5, COMP6)
- SHUFFLE0(-50…50)
  One setting for the whole clip, not per step
  Hold [SHIFT], press [CLIP] (below the [C2] knob)
Record one hit with your recorder as IMPACT 1.

1KICK 1Tight kick, tuned down, no tail on it

2KICK 2Long low kick that owns the bottom of the kit

3SNARE 1Flat, forward snare with the tail cut short

4CLAP 1Wide clap sitting above the snare

5RIM 1Dry rim, hard left, nothing on it

6TOM 1Low tom, pitched down, long enough to bend

7CLOSED HAT 1Short closed hat, choking the open one

8OPEN HAT 1Half-open hat, more air than sizzle

9RIDE 1Ride let ring, cutoff opened off the kit

10METALLIC 1Detuned metal hit, resonant and slightly wrong

11GHOST PERC 1Quiet percussion filling the gaps, half of it missing

12NOISE 1Noise pad struck on the grid, resonance up and top end open

13IMPACT 1One-shot crash marking the top of a section