Happy 33rd Birthday Roland TR – 909

Roland is showcasing some of its old & new kit today as part of its 33 year anniversary celebrations of the iconic TR-909 drum machine.

https://www.roland.com/global/promos/roland_tr-909

It was designed by Tadao Kikumoto, designer of the iconic 303 and launched in 1983 a few years after the TR-808 as a hybrid— analog – sample-based unit for cymbals and hi-hats.

Heres a clip from Frankie Knuckles talking to Redbull Academy about how Derrick May had lent him the machine and its subsequent impact on him ..