Roland TR-606 - Composing the Rhytlim Track

ADVANCED
COURSE
ICont'd)
Composing
the
Rhythm Track
So far, we have used
many
ol tlie
TR-6Q6 per-
lorrnance
cpntrob
iq
produce crt^ative
and inte-
resting results,
but a function that complulely
sets tlie
rR-606
apart from any other device
is
its ability to record an entire composition's
percussion
score (which we call the Rhythm
Track).
A Rhythm Track
is
composed
(as we call it)
in
real lime, and in
mucli
the same way as you
have
proarammed Rhythm
Patterns, by
using
the
Rhythm
SELECTOR
Switches (K) to
change
from
one Programmed
Rhythm to
another. Wa
will program
a
sliort
Rhythm
Track
from some
of the Rhythms you now
have
in memory.
Track Memory
The
TR-606 contains eight
different tracks
which
can be used for eight different
songs or
for a less
number
of
songs
longer in length.
Each
of the Tracks
#1-7 contains enough
memory
storage capacity
to
create
songs of
up
to
64 bars in lertgth. For songs
that are longer
than
64 bars,
these
Tracks can be run together.
Lip
to
4
Tracks can be
chained
in this
manner
to create
songs of 256
bars
in
length
(4
Tracks
X
64 bars each
=
256).
The
last Track
#8 contains more memory than
any of
the
others having 256 bar
storage when
used
by
itself. However, even when
chained
with other
Tracks,
the
maximutn storage
of the
Chained
Tracks remains
at 256 bars.
Composing
the Track
To compose
a Track,
first stop the Rhythm,
then
set the
MODE Selector (B) to
TRACK
WHITE
and
select
a Track to write
into by
rotating
the
TRACK/INSTRUMENT
Selector
©.
For
now,
begin with Track
#1 . By setting
the
THACK/iraSTRUMEiaT Selector
(C)
#1
position, you
ensuie that the
Track you
are
composing
will begin on the
first
bar of
Track
1.
Next, select
from which
PATTEHW GROUP
(N)
you
will be choosing
Rfiytlims by pressiiig
the
PATTERN
GROUP button (N). Only one
Pattern Group
can be selected
for
the
Track.
Re-set the fiisi bar of the
Track by pressing
the
CLEAR/RESET button
(£).
The
CLEAR/
RESET
button (F) functions
as BAR RESET
when stopped.
Press
the RUN/STOP
button
@
and choose
the Rhythm Pattern that
will start the Track
by
pushing
one of the
SELECTOR
Switches
(K). You
will
liear the
Rhythm Pattern
begin to
play, but
it is
not yet recorded
into memory.
The Rhythm Pattern selected
will
be recorded
in
the computer
memory when you
press the
TAP button
@.
This motion writes the Rfiy-
ihm
Pattern into memory,
and advances the
memory to the Next
bar to be
programmed.
The
track lias now advanced to
Bar
#2
and
the
Rhythm Pattern
playing
is
the Rhythm
Pattern
that was
previously programmed
in
Bar #2.
To
cliange
Bar #2 to another pattern,
simply
switch to another
Rhytlim Pattern and
again
press the
TAP
button
@,
writing
it
into
memory.
Chained
Rhythm Patterns are selected
in
the
same
way as
they
were written,
by pressing the
first and last
SELECTOR switches (R)
in
the
chain
simultaneously.
All of the Chained
Rhythms
are memorized
as
a
group by one
press of
the TAP button
(Q).
Continue
switctiing
Rliythm
Patterns and
logging
them
in
memory
by pressing the
TAP
button
(M).
At
the
last bar, choose the
last Rhythm Pattern,
then
press the CLEAR/RESET
button
(F)
before
pressing the
TAP button
(^.
The
CLEAR/RESET button
©
assigns the D.C.
bar
in
the
Track memory when
running. Press the
TAP
button
(Q)
and
stop the Rhythm
by
pressing
the
RUN/STOP button (ij).
Now,
you
have
programmed
tlie
TRACK.
After
pressing
the
CLEAR/RESET button
(F)
to re-set
the TRACK
to the
1st
bar. and
start
the
Rhythm, you can check
the program from
the
1st bar of the
track by only pressing the
TAP button
@.
This allows you to manually
step
through the Track
and
if
you find
a
wrong
bar,
choose
the
rigtit Rhythm Pattern and press
the
TAP
button (ivj)
to
write it into the TRACK
memory.
When
the
Rhythm stops the
TAP
button %A)
increments the
current
bar.
Track
Playback
To
hear the
Track you have
just composed,
set
the
MODE
Selector
(B) to
TRACK PLAY,
and
press the
CLEAR/RESET button
(£)
which
re-
sets
the Track
to the
first bar. Press RUtsl/
STOP
(H) and
the
Track
will
begin playing
back. Just as you had
written it
into memory.
When
the Track
is
finished.
Press RUM/STOP
The
Pattern
group
is
selected
automaticaly.
Automatic
Track Selection
When
selecting a Track for
a long composition,
(more
than 64 bars),
all
that
is
necessary
is
to
select
which Track
will
be the
beginning of the
composition.
It
is
not necessary
to manually
switch
to
the
next
Track once
you have used
up
the 64 bars of memory
in the first Track.
The
switching
will
be
done automatically for
you.
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