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In 1985 Roland released the TR-727 Rhythm Composer—the Latin percussion packed sibling of the now-famous TR-707. Lesser known but no less loved, the TR-727 found its way into a wide range of styles over the decades, from tribal and acid house to pop and techno. And it’s perfect for afrobeat, reggaeton, and other more exotic contemporary styles. Thanks to its Analog Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology, you can now have the authentic sound and experience of this classic percussion machine right inside your DAW— with modern upgrades that take it into all-new territory.
Before the TR-727, Roland released the now-legendary TR-909, which was developed as an analog-digital hybrid rather than a fully digital device. Memory chips and digital-to-analog converters were costly at the time, so there was concern that an all-digital design would make the product unaffordable for many musicians and would have limited sound shaping options. However, after the TR-909’s release, Roland embraced the trend towards digital technology with a Latin percussion machine that combined sampled sounds with the user-friendly TR interface—newly enhanced with the hands-on immediacy of individual faders.
The blue-highlighted TR-727 could take any track to new heights with its 15 Latin percussion-inspired sounds and powerful sequencer. It’s a classic to this day because even with its limited palette and no sound editing capabilities, it’s one of those things that “just works.” And while this software recreation nails that vintage vibe, it introduces tuning, decay, and other manipulations that make the creative possibilities bloom.
Developed in the mid-1980s, the TR-727 had a 25 kHz, 8-bit (or 6-bit for some tones) sample playback engine that was primitive by today’s standards. These low bit rates caused quantisation noise during the sound’s decay, so non-decaying PCM waveforms were used, with decay introduced later in the analog circuitry. Furthermore, deviations in the clock and the analog circuitry downstream of the D/A converter caused variances in the pitch and decay characteristics. And though the TR-727 lacked the ability to edit sounds, the combination of these factors ultimately led to it being highly sought after for its iconic sound and infectious groove.
Even though the TR-727 was primarily a digital device, it’s impossible to perfectly capture its unique sound using samples. To replicate its sound in software, Roland started with the original PCM wave data found on the classic machine, then used the advanced circuit modelling to completely recreate the PCM output stage, carefully including all of its quirks and instabilities. Modelling the analog envelope and amplifier stages that came after the D/A converter allowed to implement tuning, decay, PCM clock adjustment, and other parameters available in the plugin but not present on the original unit.
Great care has gone into making the TR-727 feel special to use, just like the original hardware. Realistic new and aged skins match your vibe, and all 15 original sounds and 64 original patterns are included. But these recreations go way beyond vintage with 43 kits and patterns for modern genres, wicked sound-shaping options, powerful sequencing, drag and drop audio/MIDI to your DAW, multi-out, and more. The TR-727 even works right alongside the available TR-707, with matching kits and patterns that complement each other perfectly. Load a kit, load a pattern, and let the magic happen.
The TR-727 Software Rhythm Composer brings the totally authentic experience of using this classic machine direct to your studio. And while it captures the percussive power of the original instrument, it’s thoroughly modern in its support for today’s workflow. The detailed user interface is fully resizable for any display setup, and you can drag and drop MIDI and audio patterns directly to tracks or cells. In addition, the TR-727 plugin is VST3, AAX, and AU compatible and has native support for Apple silicon.
Features
- Analog Circuit Behaviour technology captures every detail of the original hardware
- Uses the original TR-727 sample ROM
- Includes all 15 original sounds and 64 original patterns
- 43 new patterns and kits for modern styles
- Get modern sounds with tuning, decay, gain, sample rate adjustment, and more
- Powerful sequencer with flams, sub-steps, last step, and per-instrument shuffle
- Drag and drop audio or MIDI patterns directly to DAW tracks or cells
- Original and aged skins along with LCD-style sequencer windows
- Multiple outputs for flexible effects processing with plugins like ZENOLOGY FX
- VST3, AU, and AAX support for popular DAWs
- Native support for Apple silicon