Roland AIRA Compact T-8 J-6 E-4, S1 and bears - oh my!

[Kattefjaes]

Hand on heart this is the first piece of Roland gear (the T-8) I've wanted in a long, long time.

It's not especially groundbreaking, clever, or powerful, but it does look fun to use. And that's what holds the greatest appeal to me these days.

That's just it, it's pocket-sized, impulse-purchase priced, has some nice sounds and is fun. No real point being sniffy about it- looks impressive for the price and if you need something more- get something more and be happy.

Gotta admit, I don't need it- I have a selection of small drum machines and an ersatz 303, but I'm still tempted. Looks like a good time.

[Christopher W.]

Hand on heart this is the first piece of Roland gear (the T-8) I've wanted in a long, long time.

It's not especially groundbreaking, clever, or powerful, but it does look fun to use. And that's what holds the greatest appeal to me these days.

That's just it, it's pocket-sized, impulse-purchase priced, has some nice sounds and is fun. No real point being sniffy about it- looks impressive for the price and if you need something more- get something more and be happy.

Gotta admit, I don't need it- I have a selection of small drum machines and an ersatz 303, but I'm still tempted. Looks like a good time.

Right, it's something that fills a want rather than need niche in my life.

[Back Down the Path]

The J6 will add some more complex musicality to many desktop box YouTube jams amongst the succulents. Don’t sell it short it’s going to improve some music, even if it’s just “that sound.”

[budz]

The internal Lithium cell puts me right off the whole idea, what`s wrong with using AA`s or an 18650 that you can swap out? I think I`ll stick to my MC-101 for portable music making, it does more and it`s cheaper.

rechargeable battery is cheaper in the long run, but most importantly, environment friendly.

I agree, that`s why I don`t even posses any single use batts and haven`t for nearly 4 years now, and also why I said about using an 18650.

imho internal proprietary rechargeable battery which it’s unlikely you’ll be able to replace (would love Roland to prove me wrong though) is *worse* because the entire unit would need replacing when the battery inevitably dies.

[euromorcego]

imho internal proprietary rechargeable battery which it’s unlikely you’ll be able to replace (would love Roland to prove me wrong though) is *worse* because the entire unit would need replacing when the battery inevitably dies.

well, you should still be able to use it powered from USB when the battery dies (and a USB power pack if portability is required).

[Katherine Alicia]

well, you should still be able to use it powered from USB when the battery dies (and a USB power pack if portability is required).

when Li cells start to die or get discharged below ~3v, you`de be insane to carry on trying to charge it!
I wonder, does it have a true on/off switch or is it one of those soft switches that keep drawing battery power even when off?

[euromorcego]

The internal Lithium cell puts me right off the whole idea, what`s wrong with using AA`s or an 18650 that you can swap out? I think I`ll stick to my MC-101 for portable music making, it does more and it`s cheaper.

i would definitely agree that the the mc-101 is better value for money overall.

however, these little gadgets can also be great companions for the MC series, mc-101 in particular. If someone want to jam with vocals, then add a E-4. And with the T-8 you get a dedicated kick, snare and hh, as well as 303 in good quality (imho the 303 emulation on the 101/707 is not very good, so anyone who is into that kind of sound would need something in addition anyway).

T-8 basically adds the channels that were missing on the 101 for a true acid machine.

And it leaves the rest of the mc-101 for other things, sample loops, percussion, pads and such.

And it is still portable (and each device can also be used on its own).

[euromorcego]

when Li cells start to die or get discharged below ~3v, you`de be insane to carry on trying to charge it!
I wonder, does it have a true on/off switch or is it one of those soft switches that keep drawing battery power even when off?

I hope they make sure nothing happens ... it is not a phone that is replaced after a (often too) short time.

Also many phone Li cells can be replaced, so maybe one of all these phone repair shops can also get rid of the battery in the T-8 if it stops working.

[Katherine Alicia]

Very often these flat pack cells are Li polymer (extremely dangerous), but there are much safer Li cell choices out there such as LFP and these would be best for such a device, though most Li cells are Manganese, Cobalt or Nickel based and these can go off like bottle rockets spewing moltem metal everywhere in a matter of seconds! at least if you can see and examine a battery regularly you can tell well before that happens, enclosed in case... not so much! LOL
it`s possible a mobile phone shop could replace it, but a battery compartment would have been easier.

[ludotex]

I like the J6 as a cool mini sequencer to wip out sequences with decent chord voicings to any synth via midi.

[Kattefjaes]

imho internal proprietary rechargeable battery which it’s unlikely you’ll be able to replace (would love Roland to prove me wrong though) is *worse* because the entire unit would need replacing when the battery inevitably dies.

Honestly, at that price, I'd be less worried about dismantling it and checking the battery P/N on Mouser, Dodgeykey et al when that day finally came and it didn't hold a decent charge.

[budz]

imho internal proprietary rechargeable battery which it’s unlikely you’ll be able to replace (would love Roland to prove me wrong though) is *worse* because the entire unit would need replacing when the battery inevitably dies.

Honestly, at that price, I'd be less worried about dismantling it and checking the battery P/N on Mouser, Dodgeykey et al when that day finally came and it didn't hold a decent charge.

I hear you, but this is an outlier scenario - these are consumer devices, most people who buy one won’t know the first thing about changing the internal battery, and the price point makes repair pointless as it would likely cost close to or more than the unit itself.

[Kattefjaes]

I hear you, but this is an outlier scenario - these are consumer devices, most people who buy one won’t know the first thing about changing the internal battery, and the price point makes repair pointless as it would likely cost close to or more than the unit itself.

I suspect that view might be less true than it used to be. As the pushes for "right to repair" become stronger and things like handy iFixit illustrated guides become more mainstream, popping the top of a device to replace a battery really doesn't feel as much like rocket surgery (or brain science) as it used to.
People replace bits inside their phones, they take their Steamdecks to bits, all sorts of more expensive, complex and delicate devices. I'd be surprised if there was much inside these beyond a board with all the gubbins and a battery anyway. The little pocket 303/drum machine is a very low stakes device.

Replacing batteries in consumer electronics is often not hard, nor is it all that uncommon now. Most reasonably intelligent adults with access to google can do this and if they can't, they most likely know someone who can. It's a quiet cultural shift but it's gathering momentum all the same.

Also, just for the record, this is an entire forum of outliers of different sorts

[dubonaire]

Idk. Might point down for the T8. I mean, the 303 section alone with overdrive, delay and reverb is worth more than the TB03, which I’m assuming is the same engine. The E4 would’ve been cool if it was stereo I/O.

Yes these use analogue circuit behavior modeling which what is used in the TB03.

[dubonaire]

At last, someone at Roland has listened to my complaints about the Boutiques just being too damn big.

[Kattefjaes]

More demonstration of these little boxes, they are still cute...

[IR]

That T-8 is kind of weird in that it doesn't have 808 sounds, just 909 and 606, although it does sound good in the demo (and I guess I could mistake it for an 808).

Also, it's a lot like an advanced Rhythm Wolf, the editing procedure for the synth is the same. And both can do 32 step patterns.

[syzygywell]

I just hit buy on all 3. I don't know what got into me but they look tiny and fun which I'm a bit into these days. Especially after some very large ticket items have mostly shored up the 'deep wants for decades' category.

[Kattefjaes]

I just hit buy on all 3. I don't know what got into me

I really fear that this may be me at some point. "Just plain fun" has a case to make, even if you own "proper", "grown-up" gear with all the srsface features that people might nitpick are omitted from these tiny sub-£200 boxes. Even the damn voice channel- like those French electro acts, I might dare to use my voice, if I can disguise it with a heavy vocoder.

[onthebandwagon]

Well, I put an order into Sweetwater for the vocoder like one and received and email the other day that more won't be in until September. I planned to cancel my order anyways as am not spending any more money on synths.

[syzygywell]

Well, I put an order into Sweetwater for the vocoder like one and received and email the other day that more won't be in until September. I planned to cancel my order anyways as am not spending any more money on synths.

My sweetwater dude called me yesterday and said they'd be in as early as next week.

[onthebandwagon]

Well, I put an order into Sweetwater for the vocoder like one and received and email the other day that more won't be in until September. I planned to cancel my order anyways as am not spending any more money on synths.

My sweetwater dude called me yesterday and said they'd be in as early as next week.

LARRY?????

[Kattefjaes]

He's cheating on you with someone else.

[Back Down the Path]

FYI I ordered a J6 from Guitar Center this morning and they shipped today.

[Back Down the Path]

They cover a lot of well-worn territory, but there is no denying that these two sound f’in great.