mc-101
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Roland MC-101 review: Beats, bass and batteries
If you think Roland's nostalgia-infused music gear is a new thing, think again. As far back as the mid-'90s (and maybe beyond), the company was cashing in on the gravitas of some of its legendary instruments. In 1996, the company introduced the MC-303 groovebox. It might have had "303" in the name, but the similarities with the iconic TB-303 pretty much stopped at the color scheme. The real news with the MC-303 was the birth of the beloved groovebox series -- all-in-one music-production machines. The latest in that line is the MC-101, and it's small, somewhat affordable ($500) and surprisingly powerful -- and a welcome addition to the oft-forgotten family. Notably, it doesn't trade in nostalgia (at least, not in the way the MC-303 did), but it should still appeal to music enthusiasts who love Roland's classic music boxes.
Roland's pioneering MC groovebox line is back
While, what we've come to call "grooveboxes" have been around for some time, it was Roland that first used the term and really pioneered these sort of all-in-one music production boxes. But, the company quietly let its MC line of loop-based musical instruments die in 2008. 11 years later though, it is attempting to steal back its crown with the all new MC-707 and the MC-101.
