Please help me out her guys, I've bought a Roland MC-307 Groovebox

[Grooveboy]

Hi there, I'm feeling a bit stressy at this moment because I bought a Roland MC-307 Groovebox earlier this week and I haven't slept much! Man, this is great stuff, all those great sounds, patches and patterns! It just keeps going on and on...Pitty though that I'm not really that good at working with it right now. The idea was to produce music with this device, but I don't know how!!! I have a head full of catchy tunes, a pc PII, a Roland MC-307 Groovebox and and a Roland midi keyboard, a microphone, an amplifier and two huge speakers to begin with. What do I need more???
other Q:How can I integrate vocals with the songs that I compose using the Roland MC-307 Groovebox ? What's the best software to use on my pc (I've heard about cubase, but its a bit to expensive for the moment because the Roland gear just set me a good $1000 back already so...)
So in short: What else do I need to produce professional tunes with the gear that I allready have, how do I connect one to another and how do I use it? I've already used PlayerPro; (works with MODfiles - but I reckon that this isn't a real professional software packedge) but to be real honest, except for the fact that I have a good feeling for rhytm and ryme and a dream to make it as a producer, I am TOTALY new at all off this, so, any comment tha can set me on my way will be greatly appreciated!
Thanx in advance guys!
Andy

 

[endoraver]

I've tried the 307 at a store here. It's really amazing and i think it will be really easy to pump out track after track after track with it! You have a PC, so thats a plus. You'd have to get MIDI cables to attach it to your PC. (You've no doubt have heard about MIDI before.) Once you get these cables and hook em up you'll need some software. I dont know what software u use but i use Cakewalk Home Studio 9 wich is very capable and affordable. So, u want to add vocals too? Hook up your mic into your sound card's LINE IN. (not the MIC IN because i dont think cakewalk can record audio from the mic input). Then it's all a matter of learning your software wich will be easy with Cakewalk because of the video tutorials.

For more info for all begginers out there, check out

www.sonicspot.com

Later and congratz on your nice-@ss purchase!

 

[mano 1]

i used to have the mc303 and my advice to you is: train yourself over and over again... don't be impatient. in a few months, you'll know this machine so well that you'll produce tunes directly on it.

I dont use any groovebox anymore but I used to love it
Youll have fun

take care

-mano

 

[MAD T]

cakewalk mic in recording

I have recorded from both the line in and mic in on cakewalk pro audio 9 using my SB Live. You just have to make sure that the mixer settings (for your soundcard) are set for the right input you want to record.

 

[Mike Lobo]

have fun

First of all rest ur mind ! Any of Roland groove boxes are cool, u will have pleanty of tweeking and digging around, since u have a computer a keyboard and the roland u just need to find a software package to get u into the composition. Get a Cubasis Audio to start (if u like steinberg) and if u have at least a decent soundcard u will be doing ur tracks very soon. enjoy

 

[SonOfMan]

Roland

Roland
Roland
Roland gear is great, its almost all I buy, how ever, I would like to kill who ever writes thier manuals. My 505 was hel to learn how to use!. The 307 looks cool, I like its DJ set up. But just a warning, use it, donb't let it use you. There's alot of folks using roland groove stuff now and you don't want to sound like any one else.
Sonofman

 

[Hoover Tech]

I have a 307. I thought it was the bomb when I got it too but it wasn't long at all before I hit the limitations of it. The engine starts to gag on complex tracks too easily and the sequencer just isn't flexible enough. It's been retired in my studio to the status of "box with some usable sounds in it" while I try to get the hang of sequencing with logic. The more you listen to it side by side with other, better gear, the less impressive and more thin the sounds become. Now, I'm not trying to discourage you but it's just not the all-in-wonder that it first seems to be. It is a great tool for learning the basics though and for useful loops and patterns, step sequencing is so nice but it can only go so far.
Get yourself a copy of Computer Music magazine for $13 or so and get Logic Fun or Cubasis or some other full free version of a decent MIDI sequencer off the CD and learn how to use it. It'll give you a lot more sequencing power than the 307 has itself and you'll get around 4 audio tracks to play with for integrating vocals and other samples.