DEAR ROLAND... MC101 updates we want

Roland MC101 is an interesting portable groovebox, but there are still a few things keeping it from being really awesome. In this video I go over some community feedback.

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[ProfessorSynth]

Thinking further on this, there is a bit of a conflict of interest with the issue of firmware updates. Manufacturers naturally want people to buy new products and continue revenue streams so improving older products may impact on people’s willingness to buy new ones. This is clearly a very different issue when comparing companies like Korg or Roland that have many products with a company like Synthstrom Audible for instance who have very few as Bo points out.
Maybe there could be some appetite for paid for updates which are just improvements in functionality with free updates for bug fixes. I realise that this is increased workload for software engineers to separate updates like this but it may be a way to improve user experience and continue to bring in revenue from older products?

[littlehopeleft]

It's very satisfying to watch this video after 1.8 update :).

[Diskoboy]

Sample slicing is my #1 most wanted feature.

[alphawecker]

Well, I guess a simple undo/redo function for both the 101 and 707 would be very handy

[droussel]

Me again a year later 😅 I know you are taking the summer off, but it could be great to revisit this in the future. With all the updates until now (1.7) they now implemented a lot of those things. It's great to see Roland supporting their devices.

[AWJD]

I’m an MC101 owner. I would like to see the following:
Definitely a chord mode or setting.

I find the four control knobs a bit clunky I find myself altering sounds on different tracks when I don’t mean to. I would like a setting whereby if I select Track 1-4 the four knobs effects only the track I’ve selected and by pressing sound, FX buttons etc I can drill down and and control the effect of each parameter with all four knobs.

[alexandrosroussos]

A killer feature would be to bring a "audio/midi class compliant" mode in the firmware of the MC-101. That would relieve us from driver obsolescence and more importantly enable sampling from an iPhone/iPad, which would be really nice on the go. I guess it is also required if they want to make a companion app for tablets.

[ThatBonsaipanda]

Roland could've had a massive hit with the MC-101 (I have a feeling that it actually was) had they approached it more as a portable sound generator than just a demo box for the MC-707 (that's what it feels like).

This has been plaguing a lot of Roland's recent products - the products are awesome, but there's always some unbelievable oversight or brainfart that makes it into the final product, making it "neat" instead of "holy flopping cow balls this is amazing!".

I'm still waiting for an update that will enable complete MIDI conversation with the machine - program changes and patch editing (both are easy to implement and wouldn't require a complete documentation if the device sends out the MIDI data you want to tweak, similar to Access Virus).

[greyroom]

Thank you for putting this together and getting it out there.... I think you hit the nail on the head with a lot of these requests. I'm thinking that Roland will listen...

[alphawecker]

Thank you Bo for using your channel to mediate our demands. I‘d highly appreciate to be able to star/fave patches/presets.

[gonya]

Dear Roland, please think about updating the TR-8S too. The only thing we need is a good sample manager, inside or outside the machine. Right now assigning a sample to a sample group must be done one by one and it's extremely counter-intuitive, even just being able to select ✓ multiple samples and assign them to the same group at once would be a huge help... And there's no excuse to say that's not possible because that's exactly how the sample deletion works!


And on a secondary note, it's a huge letdown that the "coarse" setting must be the one in the ctrl knob in order for the pitch motion sequence to work, If I make a bassline or a pad or anything with melody the ctrl knob is rendered useless because I need to keep it at "coarse" if I want to have a moving melody. This is possible with other, much useless settings, so why not the most useful one?

[khalylehagood]

Not just trust, anyone on the fence about buying in (like myself) can be swayed by updates. The circuit getting patch editing made me buy in.

[honeydisco]

There is one very important feature that also needs to be included in a next update. Start the sequencer with first note play. I am holding to my electribe for that function alone. Nothing beats starting to play and record a new sequence with the first note. It’s really nice and fun

[ross_ykm]

well done Bo, Roland products are so often brimming with cool features and hardware touches and then...just left. Highlighting Novation as an example of how to support hardware products long after launch is a great example.

[DaraM]

Channel identity very strong, nice update to BoBeats look and feel.

[tientienyao]

Dear #Roland,

Please listen and implement what this guy says. I bought your #MC707 after watching his videos and having him answered some of my noob questions.

Could you also lend him a #SP404A or #SP404SX so that he can make a video on how it can gel with the MC-707/101?

Since we are on the topic, could you also commission @bobests to make a noob starter video on how to produce within the MC-707 because your user manual is really coaster material? Fortunately you have decided not to print it.

Last but not least, frequent software updates is the way to go. Think, Tesla and Fujifilm. Thank you.

[AxelsoftMusic]

I can't believe no one else has mentioned this, but I wish you could latch Scene Mode - it would really help when performing to be able to change scene with one finger... Great video Bo. Best Regards, Axel.

[zaquemwhc]

I love how cute and small the mc-101 is

[Joel-rejz]

This is great. You should do an update on the "updates" made by Roland to see where we are at.

[zonetripper]

Am I the only one who wants some kind of chord mode on the 101? I feel like I'm spending way too much time shifting octaves and scratching my head when sequencing chords on the thing.