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Artists build a Roland TR-909 drum machine for giants

Roland made some of the most iconic drum machines used in electronic music, and its TR-909 is entering its 30s. So, what's the best way to celebrate three decades of tones? Well, you could build a 9-foot long playable version of the unit to rage on with your mates, and that's just what Scottish audio/visual outfit Ray did. The frame is constructed with a combination of aluminum, steel and wood with a TD-12 module (from a set of V-Drums) and AIRA TR-8 drum machine providing the sounds. That Roland gear wrangles rhythms from a dozen PD-8 drum pads mounted underneath the super-sized buttons, and MIDI signals beam visuals to a projection system for added effect. Don't take our word for it though, there's a short clip of the massive gadget in action just after the break.