Roland MC-707 Review 2021: Worth It?

Damn bro, you're in SLO? Im in Ventura. I purchased the circuit tracks after watching tons of your videos. It is super fun, but quite limiting. It would have been perfect if they hooked it up with two more synth tracks. Nevertheless, the unit served its purpose in affirming that I want to get a little away from the daw and into a groovebox. I play piano and guitar, and theres nothing like sitting with your instrument and jamming. I feel like the laptop adds unwanted friction to the composing process. Maybe ill give the mc707 or the akai force a look.

Every 6 months or so I consider one of these. Then I hit the same brick wall every time: that screen is horrible. That it should be so, so small (yet detailed) for such a big device is just a shame. Would hate to have to squint at that thing.

How will I feel with this coming from an old school mc-808 or MC-909 to this modern version. Is it loaded with patterns like the old ones or is everything build from scratch. I am not an ableton person and scenes have never been my thing and i hear this is like making scenes.

The first good souding music I ever heard on 707. Good Job! Wow!

I have the mv1 and the mc101… and I want a TR….So I am wondering if the 707 would replace them all?

Super tempted to get this. Theres one used near me for cheap. But i also have a circuit tracks coming lol

You need a deesser

The primitive user interface/screen on this device doesn't match the $1,000 price tag at all.

Hiyo Gabe.

Loving my 707 but missing a song mode. Do you have a recommendation for entry level daw to control this? All sounds will be from the 707, zero pc sounds.

Can I hook my DJ mixer to this and use it like a live looper to record my scratching and build up layers ?

I'm a guitar player first and I dabble in synths. I have Logic X but I really like the hands on feel of an external piece of equipment. The MC-707 does so many things in the moment that I've grown to require. I use the MC-707, Maschine MK3, and a Roland TR-8S to create rhythm and backing tracks, then record them into Logic. The hybrid workflow works best for me and the MC-707 is an integral part of that process. I'd love a bigger screen but I find it's adequate for most things I do.

But is there a synth (software or hardware) with RANDOM generator of sounds/patches/pads that randomly creates a synth sound of various complexity, so I don’t have to create it from scratch. And if I like that randomly generated sound/patch I can further edit/modify it and save it for future use. I guess it would be some kind of FM synth etc. Right? Any suggestions??
Much appreciated , bro ❤

You can get next level sounds out of the MC 707 there's a learning curve though you can do live performance recordings and pair it with a DAW.

Flow state sounds immense

Are you saying that you can download entire songs in to it then remix them?

imagine if that had the screen of the MV-1

Thinking about selling my MC 101 to get a 707 just because of how much faster the work flow could be especially with sound design. Having to menu dive for each and every single parameter when manipulating synth design is soooo tedious. Nice vid dude, keep it going, would love to see you do something with the Elektron products!

I love your videos Gab! Super useful and the music you create with these machines is 🔥 :))))

Can you export MIDI tracks with this as in a song mode of another sequencer? I'd like to build song MIDI ideas and send them to the PC for finishing. I am between the MPC Live 2 and this. I like these sounds more, but I wish this had Roland FA-06's sequencer's microscope view. It was so easy to use ans practical in song mode.

Excellent review. When a machine is capable of that much detailed editing, it really needs a display to match. Has someone created a box where you can buy an optional bigger display that plugs in, so you can do all your creating on, and then unplug it when you go and jam??

great review thankyou! i have an akai force and a mc-101 and will switch to this because i love the hybrid intuitive workflow and i will definitly sell the force. i never got decend jams out of the force rather than the mc-101. what you said is absolutely true! if you wish to have a full dawless all in one studio groovebox and your skills might not be the best then go for the akai force or mpc as it offers a lot of out of the box music making workflow where only little knowledge is needed. its the perfect device for beginners but if you like me and would like to have something to jam with, come up with ideas and further work with your daw on your pc then go for this one!

=> im running an analog synth to just jam around and when im feeling it i quickly jam a beat and a baseline into my 101 but i wish it would be able to record audio this is why im upgrading to this.

Good video, another thing to mention would be the great firmware maintenance Roland keeps providing, adding new functions actually requested by users.

Can you upload samples into the MC707 and you them firing like a drum machine ?

Nice

How soon do you think Roland may release another Super Drum Machine like this one.

CHOPPING is way way easier now. Just record it in to the newish recorder mode and has auto slice and easy save to pads. ( note; there are three different recorder modes that record to temporary making it easy to add to each pad; to project pool , and to tone . You still have to use export if you just want to use the sample in a different project unless you load the whole clip)

Excellent review! I’m obviously interested in one and I already have an Integra 7 and a Korg Kronos, and of course other items, but I have a feeling I’ll be able to get a really great work flow going in this direction! Thank you so much!

Crazy question, the 707 has 3600ish presets so does the Fantom 08 I essentially will be using either as a Sound Module. Spence is also at a premium should I just go 707? Yes I know the Fantom has 16 part MultiTimbral ability vs the 707’s 8 and the Fantom has 256 note Poly vs 128 on the 707. Thanks oh and I already own a nice Komplete S49 controller with lovely semi weighted keys.

I think it looks epic.

Very pragmatic review, thank you Gabe ☺️

How do you make mpj files mc-707

Sampling is also possible. Step lenght can easily be adjusted by holding shift and the measure arrows.

Does MC-707 have pattern scene switching and mute memory toggle like RM1x?

Can l use this as a looper to play a keyboard part while l play the drums and record everything in Pro Tools? I've looked at midi loopers but wanted something l could also manipulate in real time.

by far the best groovebox. Not even close

You mentioned a chord mode. That makes it sound like it's feature to work around a monophonic voice. The MC707 is polyphonic too though, right? Like I should be able to play a two-handed part from a MIDI keyboard into it?

Cal Poly Broncos

give mme a 12 band parametric eq.and a MC-303 and i will melt some new gear.

Roland needs to have a chat with Elektron regarding workflow and UI.

Does it actually have full synth engines in it or is it just a ROMpler?

I don't understand the menu-diving complaint; it's the only way to offer options for power-users & appease the plug & players...I have an mpc live 2 & I feel like I'm always looking for new menus/screens (then selecting tabs) to perform anything deeper than playing the pads once a sounds is loaded. Additionally, the 707 was meant to be a loop-sequencing live performance machine. I speculate, but I don't think many of the features Roland has added in the firmware updates were originally projected. Users are asking for features beyond the intended use & Roland is doing what they can to implement them. JAT

I can't understand why these devices don't have an hdmi output so you can connect ANY modern LED screen to it, so menu diving gets asier?
tiny OLED screens are just a copout. Every music machine should have ports for monitor, mouse and alphanumerical keys.

I just bought the tr-8s last Christmas now I kind of regret it. Maybe it was better just the buy the mc 707 so I don’t have to buy a separate synth?

Nice review.
What the Octatrack should have been. What I wanted the Octatrack to be but wasn't.
Take my money.

2 requests: "automated random ghost notes" for the drums and at least 1 track with "unlimited" measures, so one improvise/record for a few minutes. that would be so helpful!

my only problem with the mc707 is the sample looper. fucking 60 seconds in the whole project is a joke. i wish they had made it at least like elektron with there 64 MB of sample ram. so the whole machine is useless for me (becaus i work with a lot of long samples and loops :( ) thats why i sent it back to the retailer.

Would this be the one machine to buy secondhand ( 500 euro range ) if I would like to fiddle around and make some techno inspired fun ( Just me as an audicience). I do have daw experience, but that leaves me lost searching for plugins, making no music at all. I fantasized over buyingthe mc505 back in the days!

Hi Gabe! Thank you for a great video 😊 I have a question regarding the drum engine, are the 808 & 909 sample based or emulations like the tr-8s? Thank you 🌼

How many patterns can you have in each song? Are they called clips, because the manual says on 16 clips per track. Older Roland boxed had 100-200 patterns. Doesn't seem like you can compose a real song on it?