Weeklybeats is a 52 week long music project in which artists compose and publicly release 1 song a week for the entire year.
Starting January 1st 2024 GMT each participant will have one week to upload one finished composition. Any style of music or selection of instruments are welcomed and encouraged. Sign up or Login to get started or check our FAQ for any help or questions you may have.

WeeklyBeats.com / Music / cTrix's music / MC303 at 5:05am

MC303 at 5:05am

By cTrix on April 10, 2016 7:13 pm

*censored*.  Weekly Beats lost my description on upload!  Waaaaa (Been a bad week for tech)


Short version: 


I made this on an MC303 that I bought when I was a teenager.  (I'd broken up with my band / GF, etc).  I decided I was going to produce live electronic music so bought the 303 because it apparently did everything!   Within a year I'd upgraded to an MC505 / sampler and I haven't made a track on this "Groovebox" since.


I lost a tune earlier tonight because I'm an idiot and copied another version over it.  I gave up at everything in that moment and was going to just go to bed and rage quit weekly beats for 2016.  Then I saw this unit on my top shelf slotted next to my C64 stockpile.  I figured it'd have something stored in it from the 90's I could press play on and twiddle.  But instead I stayed up till 5am and sequenced a whole track from scratch.  Then banged a 3.5mm to 3.5mm straight from the headphone socket into my mac line in.   


I ended up going down the MC303 rabbit hole.  It is 100% the MC303 sequenced internally but mixed in Reaper with some post reverbs.  If you've ever owned an MC303 you will instantly recognise the sounds because the unit only has presets and the tetra-chorus effect is super Roland!


Also - don't buy one of these unless it's seriously cheap :-P .  I could write 4 or 5 tracks before I run out of preset sounds that I'd actually use! 


nailed it bro! i still don't think the MC303 sounds as bad as you say it does xDDD

hehe mc303 still has some charm big_smile

Thanks for reminding me that the MC303 is still heaps of fun wink
(My envelope knob is falling apart)

I have a MC-505 as well now too, but my god. I had borrowed an MC-909 for a short while once!!

Great work on the track in the circumstances you found your self in.

Ah, man... those strings!!! those stabs!!! Your track is so f***ing dope you almost make me forget what a pain was to edit a phrase on that babe... I learnt a lot of electronics with my (now long sold and gone) Groovebox fixing those flimsy encoders and buttons. Super-dupa production values here, I really enjoy how you squeeze every good sound out of it.

Thanks for not giving up on WB and us (your avid listeners) yet smile

I feel you, BTW: I'm suffering a severe case of sleep deprivation thanks to WB

Now have a good rest, mate. You earned it by far smile

laguna wrote:

Ah, man... those strings!!! those stabs!!! Your track is so f***ing dope you almost make me forget what a pain was to edit a phrase on that babe... I learnt a lot of electronics with my (now long sold and gone) Groovebox fixing those flimsy encoders and buttons.

I've got a couple of wobbly buttons but luckily bought a hard case for it very early on.  The trick is not to ever edit a phrase, do it in a live take then quantize and gate limit it ;-)  Thanks for the support.


Aday wrote:

Thanks for reminding me that the MC303 is still heaps of fun wink

Mostly fun :-P  Just a bit facepalm with it's internal clock / timing sometimes!  The 505 so much more solid (I can use that thing in my sleep!)

OP-1 Kenobi wrote:

nailed it bro! i still don't think the MC303 sounds as bad as you say it does xDDD

Just don't ever listen to the demo files or it's acid patches :-P

Phil Harmonic wrote:

hehe mc303 still has some charm big_smile

/* some */ !!

Love the old skool sound to it. I have THE exact same machine gathering dust somewhere. Kinda makes me wanna use it again too. Very cool track!!!

This happens to me all the time, try the Lazarus Form Recovery plugin.

"Limitations are the basis of true creativity" (profound enough for you?) ::)

i like the charm of these sounds.  CONGRATS ON NOT GIVING UP!  WB is a team effort!  I am in this with you, my man!

Yeah, this hardware is full of character! I especially like the raindrop-ish sample halfway in - works very well

This is badass. Thank you for going to the extra effort of making this one!

Sounds like that 303 bass and filter sweeps... You got some good bass drum groove out of it.  I have an MC 303 that been acting as a doorstop for 8 years or more. Had issues or got fried somehow.

You need to login to leave a comment.
Login Sign-up