To celebrate the iconic monophonic synthesiser, which also turns 35 years old this year, Roland have re-released the TB-303 as VST plug-in through their Roland Cloud subscription platform, allowing a new generation to access the mind-bending sounds and sonic freedom offered by the original unit.
While it’s certainly not as exciting as a physical reissue of the original hardware unit, the new 303 VST retains the workflow and functionality of the infamously squelchy synth, as well as offering some modern updates such as drive and delay effects. Opening up the Edit window will allow you to access the sequencer to create and manipulate patterns, while the randomisation feature allows for some gnarly happy accidents – just like the original.
Roland’s new VST also lets you store 64 different patterns in 64 banks, giving you instant access to filthy acid house tones without the need to overwrite a whole pattern, a source of frustration for many original acid pioneers in the ’80s.
If you’re interested in reading more about the TB-303 and how it revolutionised electronic music, Roland have also created an in-depth history of the instrument to celebrate the legacy of the infamous synth, which you should read right now here.
Get the Roland TB-303 VST now via Roland Cloud. In the meantime, revisit the emergence of Acid House in our Musicology column here.
