'How To' Articles, Product Guides

The Ultimate Guide to the TR-8S Rhythm Performer – Creating Rhythmic Variation with Delay

Delay is the effect commonly used in Audio Production that takes a sound and repeats it after a specified amount of time. Delay times can be either in milliseconds, or musical values like 1/8th notes or 1/6th notes. Delay effects are often synchronized to the tempo of the song or track to which the Delay is applied.

The TR-8S provides a variety of ways of applying Delay to Kits and Individual Instruments, and varying Delay during a performance. Here are some methods for doing just that.

Contributed by Alexander Marlowe for Roland Corporation Australia

Setting Delay for the Kit

Hold Shift and press the Kit Button to view the Kit Edit screen.
Turn the Value Knob to select Delay Type and press Enter.
Turn the Value Knob to select your preferred Delay Type and press Enter.
Turn the Value Knob to select Delay Level and press Enter.
Turn the Value Knob to set the Delay Level and press Enter.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the other Delay Parameters as desired.

Delay Level must be set to a value other than zero in order for Delay effects to be heard. Tempo Sync must be set to “On” in order for delays to be synchronized to the Pattern Tempo.

Setting Delay for Individual Instruments

Press the Instrument Select Button [BD-RC] of the first Instrument for which you want to adjust the Delay.
Hold Shift and press the INST Button to view the Instrument Edit screen.
Turn the Value Knob to select Delay Send and press Enter.
Turn the Value Knob to set the Delay Send Amount.
Press the Instrument Select Button [BD-RC] of the next Instrument for which you want to adjust the Delay.
Turn the Value Knob to set the Delay Send Amount.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 as desired.

To save your changes to the Kit:

Hold the Write Button and press the Kit Button.
Turn the Value Knob to select the destination Kit Number in which to save.
Press Enter, the Display shows ‘Kit Write?’ Press Enter again to confirm.

The Delay settings you just saved serve as a starting point for how much Delay is on the Kit when you first select a Pattern which uses that Kit. Once you start to play, you may find you want to change the amount of Delay on individual Instruments, or on the Kit as a whole, in real-time as your song progresses.

Adjusting Delay in Real Time

To adjust the Delay on the whole Kit in real-time, simply turn the Delay Level Knob, located just above the MID Tom Track on the front panel. To adjust the Delay of Individual Instruments in real-time:

Press the Start/Stop Button to start playing your Pattern.
Hold the Instrument Select Button of the Instrument for which you want to adjust Delay and turn the Delay Level Knob.
Repeat step 2 with all Instruments for which you want to adjust Delay.

Keep in mind the maximum amount of Delay you can apply to any individual instrument will be limited by the amount of Delay overall set by the Delay Level Knob, or by the Delay Level value saved in the Kit. Of course the reverse in also true: if all the Delay Send Values of all the Individual Instruments are set to zero, turning up the Delay Level Knob will have no effect.

PRO TIP

Some interesting effects can result from changing the Delay Time parameter as a sound is playing through the Delay. This method works especially well with higher Feedback Values. Try turning the Delay Time Knob from left to right, going from a shorter to a longer Delay Time, as a sound plays through the Delay, this can sometimes result in a “Turntable Stop” effect.

Article written by Alex Marlowe

Alex Marlowe is a Composer/Producer, Musician and Consultant based in Melbourne, Australia. Alex has placed music in numerous movies and TV shows, and toured worldwide as a keyboardist with major artists. As a Teacher and Consultant, Alex has worked with platinum songwriters, music editors, producers and composers, and conducted courses in Music Production and Music Software, including at the Songwriting School of Los Angeles. You can find more info, and contact Alex at: www.logicproanswers.com