New Gear Review: Roland TR-06 Drumatix
Roland adds to their Boutique range the TR-06 Drumatix, inspired by the original TR-606 Rhythm Composer.
A few months back, I had a look at Roland‘s TR-6S Rhythm Performer, a versatile, feature-laden drum machine that packed a ton of sound design possibility into a small, battery-powered frame.
At the same time, Roland also released a new model in their Boutique range, an updated version of their classic TR-606 Rhythm Composer drum machine. This Boutique model is called the TR-06 Drumatix, following the naming system that started with the TR-09 Rhythm Composer and TR-08 Rhythm Composer.
Having been impressed by the range of sounds the TR-6S can deliver, I was looking forward to seeing what the TR-06 can bring to the table. Can it become one of my go-to drum machines? What exactly about the TR-06 is particularly noteworthy? Read on to find out, fellow rhythm fanatics!
Features
The TR-06 shares many features with the TR-08 and TR-09. The main output comes courtesy of an 1/8” jack, which is going to be either a negative or positive based on the rest of your studio setup. Next to the main output is a headphone output, and a Mix In jack, which allows you to connect another audio device straight to the TR-06’s main outputs. These are both also on 1/8” jacks.
The main volume control is on a small knob on the back of the machine, just like on the TR-08 and TR-09. Note that there is no way to control the volume of whatever is connected to the Mix In port, so you must use the volume control of the other device. This isn’t a huge issue as most users will mainly use this feature for quick off-the-cuff jams and not for more complicated recording setups.
There are full size MIDI In and Out ports, which are always preferred over the mini MIDI jacks that are becoming more and more prevalent on modern gear. The Micro-USB port is the only way to power the TR-06 besides using batteries (four AA batteries power the machine). Importantly, the USB connection also holds more usefulness than just providing power, as we’ll see later on.
The TR-06 features the ability to store 128 patterns total, held in 8 tracks with 16 patterns apiece. As there is only a numerical LED screen, there is no way to remember or recall which pattern is stored where besides using the old fashioned analog way—pen and paper! Patterns can be up to 32 steps each, though it’s easy to think that they are limited to 16 steps, as expanding a pattern to the full 32 steps available involves a button combination press.
Taking a quick glance at the front panel of the TR-06, it’d be easy to mistake it for a vintage TR-606, as the two machines are almost the same size and feature nearly the same knob layout. Like the original 606, the TR-06 features trigger outputs, expanded to five outputs total over the original’s two. Importantly, there’s also a trigger input, so that you can use another sequencer to dictate the timing of how the TR-06 moves through its own sequence.
However, there’s also quite a bit different here with this new TR-06, which is not surprising given its modern lineage in the Boutique range. The main controls are simply the five volume knobs for each of the instruments, although there are actually seven sounds total (bass drum, snare, low and high toms, cymbal, open and closed hi-hat). Both toms and both cymbals share volume controls. There is also a knob to control accent level, a knob to control the built-in overdrive, and depth and time knobs for the built-in delay effect.
At first glance, it seems like the stock 606 sounds are all that you are limited to, but the TR-06 actually has the ability to swap in a few other sounds. Both the bass drum and snare drum can utilize either 808 or 909 sounds, the high and low toms can be swapped to either rimshot, clap, noise tom, or a synth percussion sound that is close to something you’d get from a Simmons drum machine. In addition, the cymbal sound can also be clap, rimshot, or a gated cymbal which harkens back to the 80s in a nice, nostalgic way. Once these sounds are changed in the menu, they apply globally to all patterns.
Both the overdrive and delay can be swapped out for other effects using the menu navigation, which greatly increases the sonic palette available in the TR-06. The drive options available are saturator, bit-crusher, distortion, and curiously, a combination low-pass/high-pass filter, which of course isn’t a drive at all but is still a welcome inclusion. Each of these drive effects sound great despite the fact that there is only one knob to control their depth. Their usability is also greatly enhanced by the fact that you can select which instruments are sent to this effect. Want to just crush your hi-hats and leave your kick and snare intact? Done. Want to turn your kick drum into a monstrous bump but keep your snare drum nice and crisp? Also done. I had a lot of fun playing around with these drive settings, and they really do transform the sound of the TR-06 into something completely different from its vintage cousin.
Similarly, the delay effect has six variations, each with a very different flavor—digital delay, panning delay, tape echo, reverb, flanger, and a unique sounding side band filter that can create some almost vocal-like effects. Given that the delay has two knobs (time and depth) as opposed to the drive’s one, you have a bit more control over what’s going on. It’s also worth noting that Delay Sync can be turned on in the menu, so your repeats will be locked into the BPM of the sequence—very useful.
Speaking of the TR-09, the TR-06 carries over its compressor on the bass drum and snare drum, which sounds excellent and can add quite a bit of extra “thwack” over the sounds sans compression. The snare drum also has a snappiness control that is accessible in the menu as well, making it a bit more 909-like than your old 606. Furthermore, each sound has individual tuning, decay, and pan settings, which can either be accessed in the menu or via a combination of holding down the Menu button and tweaking either the Time knob (for adjusting Decay) or the Drive knob (for adjusting Tune).
Finally, each instrument also has individual gain controls beyond the volume knobs that can be set in the menu, allowing you to tailor your kit even more to your liking. Note that the word “kit” is singular here, as there is only but one kit available to you at a time. Whatever global settings are applied are represented in the kit you are hearing, and there’s no way to quickly recall another kit without manually changing each setting. Some will bemoan this limitation, but for me it only added to the immediacy of the machine.
In Use
The TR-06 can be used in a number of ways. The first, most obvious way is as a standalone drum machine, with or without other hardware. Secondly, it can also function as a full, multi-output digital device when Roland’s Drive is installed on your computer. This allows each instrument to be ported into its own channel in Ableton or your DAW of choice, and makes the TR-06 a very useful production tool. The analog output still works while using it in this manner as well, so you can record the main output through your mixer or pedal chain while also recording crisp, clean individual outs digitally—very useful. Lastly, the TR-06 can be used as a drum sound module, ignoring its internal sequencer completely.
This last method however loses out on some of the tricks that the TR-06 holds up its sleeve. Just like the ”hidden” features of the sound engine, the sequencer has been modernized in subtle but important ways. Steps can be input when the Pattern knob is set to the Write position, and it’s possible to either input steps manually while the sequencer is running with the sixteen step buttons or using the large ”Tap” button to the right of the sixteen steps. Whichever instrument is selected via the Instrument knob is inputted with the Tap button, much like the functionality on the TR-08. Curiously, you cannot program steps using the step sequencer buttons while the sequencer is stopped, as it always shows which pattern is chosen in this mode. It would have been nice if this was possible.
The TR-06 Drumatix in its natural habitat.
Where the TR-06 sequencer shines is in its ability to go far beyond the old 606 sequencer. First off is the ability to add probability per step, as well as a global probability that affects every step with a probability of less than 100%. Changing the global probability if no steps have their own individual probability will have no effect on the pattern.
Secondly, each step has the option of adding sub-steps/ratcheting. This is done by holding down the Menu/Sub-step button during playback, selecting which step you’d like to add sub-steps to, and then turning the main value knob. What’s more is that the sub-steps can also have their own probability values, so you can have the main step be played 100% of the time while the sub-steps are triggered far less often. You can imagine that the possibilities here are quite infinite once you get a handle on programming these in.
There are two last things to note in regards to the TR-06 sequencer. First off, I’ve concentrated solely on the intricacies of programming individual patterns, but just like on the TR-606, it’s also possible to program a sequence of patterns into a whole song, known as a Track. Most users are going to skip this part of the TR-06 completely, however it is useful if you’re playing other instruments and want the TR-06 to perform along with you and follow the structure of your song.
Lastly, Roland has included a Step Loop button, which, when pressed, loops the steps on the sequencer that you hold down, much like a beat repeat effect. Using the Step Loop function can (and did) provide many hours of fun. It’s these small details that really make the TR-06 greater than the sum of its parts.
To Be Critical
As mentioned, there are quite a few features hidden behind unlabeled ”Shift” button presses or in the menu, and these do take a bit of memorization or manual referencing to get used to. The TR-06 also still uses 1/8” as its main output, which isn’t ideal for most studio tasks. Furthermore, the placement of trigger inputs and outputs gets in the way of messing with the effect knobs at times. Lastly, some users will find its programming input style archaic, while others will appreciate its authenticity.
Summing it Up
Despite these reservations, I found Roland’s TR-06 Drumatix a fun, great-sounding drum machine that proved inspiring in a number of uses. While I have far more complicated drum machines at my disposal, there’s something refreshing about simply being able to turn on the TR-06, punch in a few steps, tweak the volume knobs, and just jam over top of it.
The fact that Roland expanded the range of sounds beyond just the 606 drum sounds also greatly expands the palette of what’s possible. In fact it’s possible to use the TR-06 and make it sound nothing like an old TR-606 at all! The variety of effects, while not super tweakable, also adds a lot of sonic versatility, and the trigger input and outputs means that interfacing with modular gear and Roland’s SH-01A is greatly expanded.
Priced at $399, I believe those who invest in the TR-06 are going to be very happy with their purchase. It takes cues from the previous Boutique drum machines but does away with the miniscule knobs, instead choosing to focus on an uncluttered front panel and a hefty sonic footprint. I hope to be making use of this machine for years to come.
Leo Maymind is a producer, DJ, and writer living in Los Angeles, CA. He is obsessed with sound, and you can reach him at lmaymind@gmail.com.
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