Drum machines have defined and redefined several genres of popular music for nearly five decades. Many of the most recognizable electronic drum sounds originated in analog units manufactured by Roland in Hamamatsu, Japan. After six years of building pre-programmed models designed to accompany organ and electric piano, Roland released the CR-78 as their first user-programmable drum machine in 1978. Phil Collins is anecdotally credited with popularizing the CR-78 – and the irony of him being an accomplished drummer is not lost on me. Blondie, Gary Numan [Tape Op #125], and Tears For Fears [#147] also influenced broader adoption of the CR-78, even after it was discontinued in 1981.
Roland released the TR-808 in 1980, but many songwriters were initially reluctant to embrace it. I find that bit of trivia endlessly amusing now, as I consider the ubiquity of TR-808 sounds and the current price of vintage units. When the TR-808 hit the market, rap music was gaining momentum as a funk-based genre along the lines of Sugar Hill Gang and Kurtis Blow. Meanwhile, rapper, producer, and DJ Afrika Bambaataa was more inspired by the electronic sound of Kraftwerk and borrowed compositional elements from their “Trans-Europe Express” for a new cut called “Planet Rock.” Producer Arthur Baker famously suggested using a TR-808 in the song instead of acoustic drums, and when the “Planet Rock” single dropped in early 1982, modern rap production was born. Roland retired the TR-808 in 1983, before the new format it had inspired found a home in mainstream culture. In that same year, Roland released the TR-909. It was a transitional design, offering updated analog drum voices along with digital samples of hi-hats and cymbals. The bass drum sound in the TR-909 was especially punchy, and some DJs in Detroit took notice. They harnessed the TR-909 and their own inspiration from Kraftwerk to pioneer a new kind of dance music known as techno. That driving sound influenced new wave, industrial, and myriad subgenres with distinctions still debated by hipsters and historians. Back in Hamamatsu, it seems that Roland was unaware of their contribution to the techno revolution in Detroit. They promptly discontinued the TR-909 after only a year of manufacturing.
The Roland team soon abandoned analog instrument design and leaned into digital technologies, so subsequent drum machines were stocked with samples and emulations of classic analog presets. Some of those models inspired a new generation of artists, but Roland loyalists never stopped praying for an analog revival. The answer came in October 2025, when Roland unveiled their first machine since 1983 to include true analog voices: the TR-1000 Rhythm Creator. The hardware engineers at Roland carefully replicated the analog circuit from the first edition of the TR-808 and the hybrid circuit of the TR-909, each with tunable analog voices. Although the maracas and claves of the TR-808 did not make the final cut, the balance of iconic presets from both models live on in the Analog Generator (sound bank) of the TR-1000. The ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) Generator includes presets from the CR-78, TR-606, TR-707, and Latin percussion TR-727. The ACB versions of the TR-808 (including maracas and claves) and TR-909 feature advanced circuit-bending parameters. The FM (Frequency Modulation) Generator includes harmonically interesting presets with adjustable FM processing. The PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) Generator includes a massive collection of high-resolution samples from every era of Roland's drum machines, along with some synth sounds from their Grooveboxes.
The last generator in the TR-1000 is the Sampler. Its native resolution is 16-bit/48 kHz, and the internal storage will accommodate hours of imported audio. The Sampler software can analyze audio and apply non-destructive edit points in various modes, such as transient isolation. This function makes editing loops, extracting custom drum sounds, and tempo-matching to the internal clock quite efficient. The TR-1000 stereo Sampler can be loaded from external sources in analog or digital form. Internal resampling of processed sounds or full patterns is also possible.
To expand the sound-sculpting capabilities of the TR-1000, Roland included a deep assortment of digital effects that can be applied to individual channels or in parallel via channel sends to the master bus. Effects include reverb, chorus, compression, and drive. A multi-mode analog filter is strapped across the master bus. The default mode of the Filter (cutoff frequency) knob is low-pass, but high- or band-pass modes and resonance level may be accessed in the menu. The filter section also includes a Drive knob for introducing analog saturation and organic dirt that is sonically distinct from the digital drive effect.
The TR-1000 would not be a drum machine without a sequencer on board, and this one is powerful. It can record stepped and real-time performance input. Patterns can be up to 16 steps, with up to eight variations per pattern. Each song can include up to 128 patterns. The options go deeper still, including adjustable micro-timing per track or step, alternate playback modes, and automation of every imaginable preset or effect parameter. Further, the Morph control allows seamless transitions between user-configured variations or alternate mixes of a sequence during playback.
All of that functionality deserved a tactile interface. Roland delivered with 62 knobs, 63 buttons, 10 channel faders, and a fader for the Morph control. A small OLED screen rounds out the user interface. Alternatively, a free app from Roland allows broader visibility and control of TR-1000 functions from a connected computer. The TR-1000 chassis is about 19 inches wide, 12 inches deep, 5 inches tall at the back, and about 2 inches tall at the front edge. The bottom, front edge, and back panel of the chassis are powder-coated steel, and the top and side panels are made from a single piece of anodized aluminum.
The back panel of the TR-1000 is loaded with a full complement of connectors for integration with most any workflow. The main pair of outputs, a pair of effects outputs, and ten direct channel outputs are all 1/4-inch TS jacks. The channel outputs may also be used as analog triggers for external hardware. CV jacks for Trigger In, Trigger Out, Filter Mod In, and Clock Out allow further integration of the TR-1000 with modular systems. A pair of TS inputs facilitates the sampling of analog sources. There are also two types of USB ports. The USB-A 2.0 port may be used to import digital samples or update firmware from a flash drive. The USB-C port is for DAW integration with support for sample imports, MIDI, multi-channel audio playback, and firmware updates. The TR-1000 also has DIN MIDI: one In and two Outs. The second Out can be set to Thru function, and both Out ports can be set to Sync mode to play nice with vintage hardware. A headphone jack and dedicated volume knob reside on the front edge of the chassis.
Before digging into the TR-1000, I asked my assistant engineer, Brian Camp, to grab his Roland SH-4d synthesizer and come over. Even though he and I are very comfortable with synth-related hardware, the TR-1000 appeared to have deep levels of functionality that we had to get our heads around. Indeed, the manual is as thick as three print copies of Tape Op. I measured it myself. Fortunately, the bulk of that girth is attributable to the inclusion of multiple languages. The firmware version installed on my review unit was 1.11, but it was updated to version 1.13 during the testing process. The online manual reflects the most current firmware version.
My first impression of the TR-1000 was formed while previewing analog presets. Brian and I marveled at their presence, clarity, and refreshing lack of hype. Then came a comparison between the SH-4d and the TR-1000. We were very careful to match drum sounds and levels, to be fair. The SH-4d honestly sounded thin, small, and underwhelming next to the TR-1000. I then understood that the TR-1000 is not simply a grab bag of repackaged circuits from other Roland models but more like a remixed, remastered compilation of sounds and creative tools. Brian has several TR-808 and TR-909 sample packs from reputable companies. We have used them all on demos or client projects. Comparing the best of them to the real thing – albeit built with some newer components – was enlightening. Popular sample packs sound overcooked because the samples in them are often compressed or otherwise enhanced for maximum impact. The TR-1000 sounds like a real instrument, with character and dynamics.
Basic pattern sequencing on the TR-1000 is not too difficult, especially with any past experience. Some of the more advanced features involving micro-timing, playback modes, motion recording for automation, and setting up snapshots for the Morph control could become second nature to anyone dedicated to learning the TR-1000. Sending a MIDI sequence from Logic to the TR-1000 over USB-C and receiving multi-channel audio required a download from the Roland website, but it was relatively painless.
Once we had the TR-1000 playing nice with Logic, we printed TR-1000 sounds on some synth-pop songs in progress. We evaluated factory and custom kits while sequences played. In every case, the TR-1000 smoked the original drum machine samples we used. The TR-1000 tracks sat better in mixes and simply made every song sound dramatically improved. The original samples sounded very hard and fatiguing to our ears in comparison.
The TR-1000 is a powerful tool for producers and songwriters. It is also a playable instrument. For me, the real magic of the TR-1000 is in its exceptional sound quality across the board. If someone wanted real TR-808 sounds in a box built by Roland, the TR-1000 is a bargain relative to the vintage hardware. Further, there is no longer any sonic advantage in an original TR-808 or TR-909. The Analog Generator presets in the TR-1000 sound superior in every way, but the realism of the ACB presets, innovative FM presets, classic PCM presets, and versatile Sampler each hold their own. It took Roland 42 years to improve upon their legendary analog circuits and then push their digital algorithms to hit like analog. The future has arrived, and it was worth the wait.