A History Of The Roland TB-303 In 12 Songs


The latest Captain Pikant video takes a look at the history of the Roland TB-303 in electronic music through 12 songs.

The video discusses some early tracks that featured the 303, and unfortunately repeats the questionable statement that Charanjit Singh ‘invented acid house’ with his album Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat.

Beyond that, thought, the examples are well-chosen and showcase the evolution in the use of the 303:

*Note that the video features the Din Sync RE-303, which is essentially a unofficial full-size reissue of the 303 that should have the same sound and sequencing as an original 303. The developer recreated the PCB’s of the original 303, and uses the original parts, so the parts and boards can be used as replacement components to fix the original.

The video also touches on a variety of additional copies of the 303, and the musical examples show the programming and suggested effects for recreating the original basslines.

View the video and share your thoughts in the comments!

Kraftwerk Announces 2025 North American Tour Dates


Pioneering synth pop group Kraftwerk has announced plans for a 2025 North American Tour, featuring 25 stops across the US and Canada.

The tour marks the 50th anniversary of the band’s first North American tour in 1975, when the were featuring Autobahn, their first album to achieve mainstream success.

The tour will kick off March 6th, 2025 in Philadelphia, and continue to the last stop in Dallas, April 24th.

Here’s the current schedule:

06 MAR 2025 PHILADELPHIA FRANKLIN MUSIC HALL

07 MAR 2025 PITTSBURGH STAGE AE OUTDOORS

08 MAR 2025 TORONTO MASSEY HALL

10 MAR 2025 MONTREAL PLACE DES ARTS

11 MAR 2025 BOSTON BOCH CENTER WANG THEATRE

13 MAR 2025 BROOKLYN KINGS THEATRE

14 MAR 2025 NEW YORK BEACON THEATRE

16 MAR 2025 WASHINGTON THE ANTHEM

17 MAR 2025 CHARLOTTE OVENS AUDITORIUM

19 MAR 2025 ORLANDO DR. PHILLIPS CENTER

20 MAR 2025 MIAMI ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER

23 MAR 2025 ATLANTA THE EASTERN

24 MAR 2025 NEW ORLEANS ORPHEUM THEATRE

25 MAR 2025 MEMPHIS OVERTON PARK SHELL

26 MAR 2025 NASHVILLE THE PINNACLE

28 MAR 2025 DETROIT MASONIC CATHEDRAL THEATRE

29 MAR 2025 CHICAGO THE AUDITORIUM

30 MAR 2025 MINNEAPOLIS ORPHEUM THEATRE

31 MAR 2025 KANSAS CITY THE MIDLAND THEATRE

02 APR 2025 DENVER ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE

06 APR 2025 PORTLAND KELLER AUDITORIUM

07 APR 2025 VANCOUVER QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE

13 APR 2025 INDIO CALIFORNIA COACHELLA FESTIVAL

16 APR 2025 T:B:A: SALT LAKE CITY THE UNION

20 APR 2025 INDIO CALIFORNIA COACHELLA FESTIVAL

23 APR 2025 AUSTIN BASS CONCERT HALL

24 APR 2025 DALLAS MAJESTIC THEATRE

Visit the Kraftwerk site for details.

 

 

The Ultimate Moog DFAM Kick Guide


Synthesist Frisqo shared this ‘Ultimate DFAM Kick Guide’, exploring how the DFAM can be used as a kick drum synth.

Note that the vocal audio on this video is noisy and would have benefitted from a better mic or some cleanup in post-processing. But the audio from the synth is clear and the presentation is well organized, emphasizing audio demos:

*Note that everything in this video should apply to the Behringer Edge synth, which is a knockoff of the DFAM, but the resulting sounds may be a little different because of changes Behringer made to the oscillator and filter circuits.

If you’ve got your own tips on DFAM kick drum sound design, share your tips in the comments!