Roland
The TB-303 was a synthesizer/sequencer produced by the Roland corporation in 1982 and 1983 that had a crucial role in the development of contemporary electronic music.
Description
--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TB-303 [Apr 2005]Roland and house music
By the time [the Roland 808] had really started to make its mark around 1987, it was almost a decade old and the cabaret pianists who had originally bought it had also forgotten about it. It’s sad to say that despite its quaint charms, the 808’s familiarity has bred contempt. Although it can be heard used in an almost inspirational manner on Rhythim Is Rhythim’s ‘It Is What It Is’ and it’s distinctive bass drum boom is still sworn by, it never really had the punch to power house like the TR 909.
Still, Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing is built around it and many mid-eighties soul records would be largely empty had it not been made available. Add to this the fact that, even now, you can’t make an electro record without sampling the endearingly crap cowbell sound, and it’s clear that the TR 808 will go down in rhythmic history. - John McCready
http://www.mccready.cwc.net/guide808.html
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