FUTURERETRO'S 777 is an analog tabletop synth with some 303 emulations capacities, but it goes far beyond. It has a built-in sequencer. The sound is generated by 2 main OSC, and you have full control over the sound. The filter has two modes : 3 poles and 7 poles for extra bassy sounds.
It's more a fresh new analog synth than a real 303 clone, because it has way more control than a real TB-303. But you can achieve excellent TB simulation too !
Here is a review of the 777, courtesy of Legion :
Well I just spent the better part of an entire weekend playing with my new Future Retro 777 machine. I also went through the archives and read almost evey post on this sucker before and after I got it and realized most of the things I want to say have already been said better by others. Still, I thought I add a few points I haven't seen made in other posts and throw a "me too" in here and there along the way.
First of all everything everyone says about the company being great is true. I Sent some email to Jered early this month to check up on the waiting list a low and behold a used unit came up the next day. I bought it and was a little aprehensive about contacting FR when I was having some Power supply problems. I needn't have worried at all.
Jered answered the phone (how nice for the maker/Predisdent to answer a phone!:)) and quickly sized up the situtaion over the phone. I told him I got a unit used and he offered on the spot to transfer the warrenty and assured me everything was covered for ME up to a year from the original purchase date. Now some people may not think that's a big deal but given the stormtrooper tactics of some companies recently regarding new/used transfers I was quite surprised. He also spent some giving me ideas on how to mod the PS I have and offered to sell me a new PS for a few bucks (we're talking less than radio shack here folks) if it came to that. So starting on the right foot I took the unit home wired up the PS and turned it on for the first time.
It lit up and I pressed what I assumed to be play or some pattern buttons.
Nothing.
It lit up but no sound came out. I was wondering whether I fried it by accident with the PS (Jered had told me this would be difficult as the unit was wired so that it had backup saftey systems in place just in case) and then I remembered the damn thing could sync ot midi clock. I poked in the manual for 30 seconds, reset the clock to internal from ext. and tried again.
B-ING-O! Slides and swooshes galore. Buzzing, rasping, and punching all over the place. *nice*. The archives are full of descriptions of this unit but two things that struck me from the get go haven't been said.
1. This unit is designed from the ground up to be an old type analog synth that can do some new things. When I tried to dial up a "preset" for a pattern I discovered something odd for a new synth; there *are* no presets. The knobs on the front control the synth and the settings you get are exactly what you see. there is no "superbassboom #28" or "Phattrax #9" on this box. You must learn to set up your sound just as you would with a Pro One, Arp Odysessy, or (dare I say it?) TB303.
Personally I *like* this. It is more organic and forced me to learn more about the box than dialing in a new sound. Plus you always know where the settings are by looking at it (something everything from my Juno 106 to MAQ sequencer confuses me with). To be fair I'm sure there are people who will *not* like this. If you need to get from one sound to another superfast live or while recording you need to do some damn fast knob twiddling instead of pressing a new number in. Obviously it's a bit of personal taste either way but like I said this is fine by me.
2. This box is a true analog monster in it's own right but it really is a very impressive updated Uber-TB303/Percussion synth. The sequencer NAILS the 303's quirkiness note for note, slide for slide (something I've moaned about for years). It *is* the damn sequencer but it is much easier to actually program. I was concerned about this before I got it but again this was just unfounded. The accent and slide are all there even easier than before. And then some.
Yes this box can do *much* more than a TB303. In a way I don't agree with some of the pro one comparisons though. It has a decay only envelope with a lot of controls over it rather than the two full ADSRs on a P1. OTOH it seems ot be to be more liek a cross between a MC202/TB303 with some basic but powerful mod routings, a TB303like sequencer, and an old style simmons or tama techstar drum synth. It also has some just plain *weird* features. For example, it has all the original knobs of the 303 but you can over ride each of these and split them apart. The accent can be sent to the filter and/or VCA and it's 100% variable via a knob on both. You can over ride the sequencer gate and adjust the decay of accented and normal notes with two separate knobs as well. The Saw/Square wave choice is now a variable knob adjustable bewteen as opposed to one or the other and instead of one VCO you have two each with a separate volume and sub OSC volume as well (Four separate VCO sounds!)
Then there are the changes and new features not on the 202/303:
White noise is featured with it's ownvolume pot. FM out the wazoo . Modulate VCO1 by , VCO 2 by 1 (each with a varaible waveform knob and amount knob). that one damn ENV setting is all over the place on this showing up in the FM section and filter modualtion section each with an amount and waveform. there the switchable 3/7 pole filter with a new knob called Resonance maximum which cranks up the squelch even more. Etc etc etc.
All this to say yes it does the 303 thing to a T (TB?) and it goes way beyond BUT it *is* a certainly taste that might not be for everyone.
If you love the TB303 you will go crazy for this. Really. If you hate the TB303 you may find you like this. It does *great* weird percussion and analog drum sounds.
If you hate squelch and the TB303, hate acid and/or harshness, and dislike the quirky elastic bounce of the 303 sequencer you *may* not like this. I say this because this is not built as a new synth like a monopoly or CS15. It's versitle certainly but still a bit harsh and bouncy. It can be smooth but it excells and seems designed through and through to do new quirk that quite frankly there are other pieces out there for smooth and buttery that may be more suited.
I don't mean the above as a drawback at all. In fact this issue is then dimissed even more when you realize it has midi in and OUT (yes this will drive a midi module) and cv/gate/accent out (I'm looking forward to an evening with this and my Fenix!) *and* CV/Gate/Accent IN! No kidding this is a Nice feautree for those of use who dig the FR sound and don't do midi that much. As odd as it may seem I ran the damn thing from my Arp sequencer. What a sound! may be overkill for some but I'm glad to see someone making a new synth with all the connections for new and old skool geeks. I also have to say the FR777 sends the accents out via midi (as vol=127). This is GREAT as even the MC202 doesn't send accents out it's gate. for the first time in months i dusted off my bassStation rack and it came ALIVE with the slides and accents like I always hoped it would (don't get me started on novation's failed CV/gate INs on that unit!)
Is it a 303 killer? Well is can do everything the 303 can IMO. I actually ran the FR777 into the ext in on my 303 and copied patterns note for note and then tapped them from the 303 into the FR by going back and forth between the two. The FR now has copies of all my favorite 303 patches I used live and this is the ONLY box I can say successfully duplicates these sequences. The 303 still has it's charm and magik IMO. (hey it's still smaller and runs on batteries) but for the first time *ever* I'm considering letting my silver box go because I found something that will let me not only duplicate, but create, warp and interface the results with all my other gear CV and midi. I ran my CZ101 from this today and didn't even get started with the full live sequencing features. I'm looking forward to making room for this box for a long time to come.
Well, for not saying anything I did go on quite a bit. It's just this machine has really made quite an impression on me. NO, it's not perfect and of course everyone has something they would like to change on it, but it it such a step froard as a UBer303 and percussion piece plus full CV and midi hardware sequencer I really can't say what I'd add to it that it can't interface with and run.
I'm the type of person who can sit on the couch and twiddle a Tb303 into a delay for hours at a time and actually enjoy the sound and freak factor. I own a MC505 and I don't even do techno! I just love small self contained units with sequnecers and odd sounds. Not everyone is that touched but for those who are this machine makes an hour grow into an afternoon or evening and you don't even notice.
More info can be found at Future Retro's web page: http://www.future-retro.com