Published by Nig on 25 Sep 2020 at 07:54 pm
MC707 V1.60
Another update for the MC-707 and 101:-)
UPDATE HISTORY
[ Ver.1.60 ] SEP 2020
Additional Functions
Please refer to the “MC-707 Update” for detailed information in the [ Owner’s Manuals ].
Arpeggiator Function Added
USB-Related Functions Added (Generic Driver Function)
RANDOM TONE DESIGNER Function Added
SCATTER Functions Added
Sound Pack/SVZ Drum Import Function Added
Functions Added to the Total Effect Compressor
Sequencer Edit Functions Added
Added Shortcuts
Loving the Arpeggiator and the random function does actually create some nice random patches:-)
John on 30 Sep 2020 at 2:59 pm #
Another great update for the MC707. I hope the next update fixes the ‘Memory Full’ bug that you get when trying to import a sampled drumkit from another project. Five updates, but that bug remains. On the Sample Browser, it would be useful to have a Re-Order Sample function that also changes the sample numbers in the project’s patches, and a Delete Unused Samples which deletes them all together. The only other change I’d make to the MC707 is to increase the max number of steps for the clip from 512 to 2048, and add a Start Step function that mutes the instrument until the Start Step, for example a bass sound clip plays for 256 steps but is muted until step 129, effectively improving the ‘song sequencer’, especially if you could also set it on the drum pads individually. But those things aside, what a great machine the MC707 is now! They’ll be selling it in numbers for years to come.
Johno on 02 Oct 2020 at 8:26 pm #
Nice update. Wonder if Roland would consider destructive effects that you could apply to samples in the MC707 Sample Edit screen? Imagine that, you could put any effect on any drum, instrument or vocal sample, and just keep adding effects till you were happy. They could even put a vocoder and harmoniser on there. Since the effects engine isn’t used in the Sample Edit function, I don’t think it would be too difficult to add, just perhaps requiring algorithms for the vocoder/harmoniser. What do you think?
John on 18 Oct 2020 at 5:33 pm #
For your info
The update manual is incorrect when it says use the Exit and Step keys to input a tie on a drum sequence. What you need to do to add ties on a drum track is 1) Press the Note button (if you’re not in Note mode) 2) Press and hold the Func button 3) Hit the step on the sequencer on which you want the tie.
A few months ago, Unit:E posted a video about ‘Sidechaining’ using the MC707 Motion Designer. I’ve worked out alternative way. On your bass track, assign the 4th knob control (the virtual one) to Attack. On each step of your bass sequence that doesn’t have a kick drum playing, hold the step and set the C4 to 0. On steps that also have a kick drum playing, set this value to around 35 (it differs for each different bass sound you use, but I’ve found a value of 30-60 ducks the attack of the bass sound enough to let the kick through)
Best of luck
Johno on 29 Nov 2020 at 8:19 pm #
Something I came across by accident for the MC707. On the Roland Fantom 6 webpage there is a utility called Sample Converter. This is a free download. You can load any .SF2 soundfont file into it and it converts it to Roland SFZ format. These SFZs can be loaded from the SDCard into the MC707 or MC101. In short, you can build your own soundfonts using freeware utilities, save them as SF2 files, convert them to SFZ files, save them to the SDcard, and use them later on the MC707 or MC101. It’s useful for storing lots of samples to go through quickly when looking for a sound, and there are hundreds of free soundfonts on the Web already made.
Nig on 08 Dec 2020 at 6:19 pm #
Looks useful, thanks. Direct links for this below:
Windows
MAC
MC707 Owners Club on 19 Mar 2021 at 9:42 pm #
Does Roland read this website?
If so, Roland can you update the MC707 again please?
1. Fix the sampled drumkit bug that when loading a drumkit from another project gives ‘out of memory’ error.
2. Fix the bug that stops the blending when clips automatically advance
3. Put a better song mode on the device or increase the maximum steps per clip from 512 to 2048
4. Add a new device, vocal recorder, which takes up a full track, saves to system RAM, not looper RAM
5. Add EQ to the looper device
6. Add a Vocoder, Harmoniser and Reverb to the track insert effects
7. Make a tune render facility that stores the entire tune to a .wav on the SDcard
8. Add Step Probability to the Tone Device track, and a pitch probability for the tone track (within a specified chord)
9. Add a random pan position function, timed per note.
8. Make the Scatter function recordable within a track, with a random Scatter available at a specified step in the sequence.
9. Add to the Sample Manager a re-order function that removes all the empty spaces (of unused or deleted samples) and updates each instrument in the project in the tune with the new sample position.
10. Another new function, Delete All Unused Samples
11. Alternate Clip function where you specify an additional clip and the clip alternates between the 2 until the specified overall
clip length ie 512 steps
12. Random clip length, a different length on each pass of the clip.
13. Stochastic Mode added to the direction parameter.
14. Add an FM mode like the TR8S (if feasible)
15. Add Bar Drop mode, that mutes the clip 1 pass in 2, or 1 pass in 4 etc
Cmon Roland, the MC707 is great, update it and finish the job!
Nig on 24 Mar 2021 at 8:20 pm #
No sorry. no roland affliation on this site but agree on a laods of these suggestions if they do ever show up;-)
There is actually a Roland employee that posts on Gearsluts, however, could try there.
Johnny on 29 Mar 2021 at 6:12 pm #
Thank you, might try Gearsluts. The MC707 is great, but it would be unbeatable with a bit of work from Roland. A lot of the features suggested, they could also add to the Verselab which would make it a better proposition. Thanks again.
Johnny on 13 May 2021 at 1:53 pm #
New 1.71 update to MC707. Adds Scene Linking, track input options, Scatter options, various bug fixes. Haven’t installed it yet but looks like a great update. Looks like they’ve fixed the fault with clip transition in ‘Song Mode’ too. Well done Roland, please fix the fault loading sampled drumkits from other projects at some point (out of memory error). The MC707, one of the best things Roland have made, and keeps getting better.
Nig on 14 May 2021 at 7:05 pm #
Must admit I was bit underwhelmed with the new update but loving the scene chaining. Have also noticed that load/save times have improved a lot with this update:-) Hard to know if it’s fixed the memory issues, as they always add ‘minor bug fixes’ at the end, without telling us what the’ve actually fixed.
Totally agree with you tho’, the 707 is the dog’s, but I thought that anyway:-)