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In contrast to Pure Nylon, which was designed with warmth and intimacy in mind, Pure Steel is said to sound “bright, crispy and resonant”, capturing the unmistakable sound of a steel-string acoustic guitar. 

The Roland TR-1000 is a bulking, titanic piece of kit. But with that comes immense power and masses of hands-on control. Although it’s big, you could take this drum machine on the road and perform complete tracks without much else.

Before I sent my review unit back to Roland, I wanted to see if I could build an entire track to perform live with the TR-1000. I used the built-in sounds and samples, and the various editing and performance tools this behemoth drum machine has: knob assignments, effect sends, master effects, filters, snapshots and step loop stutter edits.

• READ MORE: Roland’s TR-1000 might be the world’s greatest drum machine

Below you’ll find details of the different elements I programmed and the choices I made, culminating in a final jam performance before I sadly parted ways with the machine. Hopefully, it will inspire anyone else looking to perform with the TR-1000 or any other programmable drum machine.

Sequencing

I first select sounds and then sequence them into a beat. I could opt to use a pre-defined kit, which has the bonus of having parameters already mapped to the main knob panel. However, I’m going to assign specific controls for live tweaking later, so I start with a blank slate and choose characterful sounds for each track.

The fundamental beat uses a mixture of analogue drum sounds, sampled hits and a chopped percussion loop. Although the sequence is only 16 steps, I use the Cycle feature to make certain hits play on different repetitions. This adds subtle variation and makes the loop feel less repetitive. Alternatively, you could use VARI CHAIN to have up to 8 different 16-step patterns playing back to back.

Melodic sounds and effects

Next, I add a few extra elements that include a simple single note bass, a pulsating synth sound, a stab chord, a menacing sustained bass, and a splashy noise hit. These elements can be brought in and out on top of the beat to build up a more complete-sounding track. To give a deeper and more polished sound, I also send some of these to the Reverb and Delay send effects.

Volume throws

The sustained synth and the splashy noise are overkioil as continual sounds. However, they sound great with lashings of delay and short throws of the volume sliders. It can be useful to have a couple of tracks that play continually and be thrown in when needed. Another option might be a vocal loop that can be chopped in like a DJ doing cuts.

Balancing and mixing

Volume balancing is important to get right and can be done with the faders or with adjustments in the Amp section. Ideally, you don’t want to be worrying about balancing on the fly by remembering the fader placements, so using the Amp gain is preferable.

The TR-1000 is incredibly flexible when it comes to refining your sounds. Each track comes with its own EQ/filter, compressor and effects slot. With careful use of volume balancing, pan placement, carving out space in the low-end using the filter or EQ, and the effects, you can create a surprisingly mix-ready output. Effects like the spreader and chorus can give stereo width and 3D depth to mono sounds, and the drive and saturation can add character and thickness.

Master effects, drive and filter

The analogue drive can be used on the entire output to add some final harmonic richness, volume and grit. You could just send specific tracks to it, but I prefer using it to add glue to the entire output.

There’s also an analogue filter that can affect the whole output and be set to LP, HP or BP. The bandpass cuts out too much signal, but the lowpass is great for resonant filtered disco build-ups. Alternatively, the highpass is a quick and easy way to reduce low end for an edit or a sparser section. I’ve opted to use the highpass as it works well with the Morph slider.

When it comes to master effects, you have a lot to choose from. Chorus, flanger, and phaser can add familiar sounding character, while more experimental and glitchy options include DJFX, Scatter and Sideband Filter. Alternatively, you could choose additional distortion, bitcrush, compressor or transient effects to help shape the overall sound.

It’s a shame that there’s no separate master compressor though. I decide to go with the Sideband filter set at 80% wet as it can be used for dramatic edit and build-up type sounds.

Main Panel Knobs

It’s hard to miss the 42 knobs that control the ten tracks of the TR-1000. Each one can be freely assigned to up to 4 different parameters, which is plenty of mappable control to keep you busy. I decide to use the bottom row for filtering and sound shaping, and the second row for send effects. Having a repeatable system like this helps aid with muscle memory. Rather than over-complicate things, I decide to only map a handful of parameters: Kick Drum Decay, Snare Drum Mix, 909 Hat Decay, Bass LP Filter and Delay Send, Synth Sound LP Filter and FREQSHIFT FX, and Synth Chord Stab.

Morph slider

The Morph slider is a fun way to create more complex macros that shift multiple parameters across the entire machine. You can save up to 16 different Morph sweeps, which are accessible using the 16-step buttons after you activate the Morph button. I program a filter sweep on the whole output that cuts the lows, but doesn’t completely thin out the track. I also shorten the kick decay and increase the reverb and delay amounts to create a more washed-out sound. You could potentially mess with the controls and tuning to create a completely different section of a track that can easily be switched back and forth.

Motion recording, step loop and snapshot

The Motion Recording, Step Loop, and Snapshot functions provide different ways to add and perform edits.

Motion Recording lets you record dial movements across the length of your loop. You could create a subtle sense of movement or do more dramatic moves that breathe life into static parts. You can choose if this is something that’s pre-recorded or created new for each performance/jam.

Step Loop lets you perform stutter-like edits in real-time by hitting the steps that you’d like to loop. It could be a single snare hit that gets repeated, or 3 hits taken from different parts of the sequence that create a cool syncopated edit. You have to be a bit careful with this, as it can sound great to you but a bit awkward and gimmicky to the audience. With some practice, though, it can be a useful way to inject flair and detail into your performance.

The Snapshot function lets you take a snapshot of the dials for a particular track and then save it to one of the 16 step buttons. This offers a different and more immediate way to flip sounds, and is also the best (current) way to get tracks to play chromatically, as you can set each key to play a different tuning for the instrument or sample.

Final jam

With all these control options in place, I finally get to have a jam and get a feel for how the parts interact. I instantly find that I’m coming up with structures and edits that I would never have thought of when in front of a DAW. It also leads to ideas for extra parameters that could be controlled or refined.

The TR-1000 offers a flexible collection of tools for performance, so there are many other ways in which it could be tailored to your play style. With time, effort and patience, you could become a drum-machine performance master.

The post How I built a live track from scratch using only the Roland TR-1000 appeared first on MusicTech.

FRCTL Audio has released updates for GRN Granular FX and GRN Lite (the free version of GRN Granular FX).

GRN Granular FX updated to v2.2.1

LFOs now sync to DAW transport, locking to playback position and eliminating drift when used with tempo sync divisions. The factory preset library grows from 49 to 100 across 11 categories (Textures, Space, Lo-Fi, Pitch, Glitch, Rhythmic, Creative, Ambient, Dark, Cinematic, and Subtle), with new subfolder support for organizing user presets into nested browser menus.

The harmony system has been redesigned. The previous 6-mode system is replaced by two continuous knobs, Scatter (how many grains receive harmony intervals) and Direction (up, down, or both), across four modes: Off, Octaves, Fifths, and Oct+5th.

Other additions: Freeze Hold keeps frozen audio playing after transport stop, Mix Lock preserves dry/wet when browsing presets, and a new Settings panel adds text size (S/M/L) and LFO Retrigger options. v2.2.1 fixes LFO clicking with square/saw waves, Freeze Hold on Logic Pro macOS, and several UI scaling issues.

New in v2.2.x:

• LFO sync to DAW transport (phase-locked, no drift).
• 100 factory presets across 11 categories (up from 49).
• User preset subfolders with nested browser menus.
• Redesigned harmony: Scatter + Direction knobs replacing 6-mode system.
• Freeze Hold: frozen audio persists after transport stop.
• Mix Lock: preserves dry/wet when browsing presets.
• Settings panel: text size (S/M/L), Freeze Hold, LFO Retrigger.
• Distinct LFO colors (orange / blue).
• Bug fixes: LFO clicking, Freeze Hold on Logic Pro, UI scaling.

GRN Lite v2.0

The GRN Lite update adds 7 Magic Modes: Shimmer, Ghost, Swarm, Decay, Glitch, Dream, and Default. Each one changes how the grain engine behaves with a single click.

A new engine visibility feature lets users see what the grain engine is doing in real time, removing the guesswork from each control.

What’s new:

• 7 Magic Modes (Shimmer, Ghost, Swarm, Decay, Glitch, Dream, Default).
• Visible engine info – see what the grain engine is doing in real time.

Pricing & Availability

GRN Granular FX is €29.99. GRN Lite is free. Existing users update directly — presets and settings carry over automatically.

Both are available for macOS, Windows and Linux in VST3, AU and CLAP plugin formats.

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Rhodes Music has announced the release of Pianology, a curated collection of three expressive virtual pianos, bringing together a concert grand, an acoustic upright, and a vintage electric grand.

Carefully selected and voiced, Rhodes says these instruments represent sounds that are rare and seldom encountered outside renowned studios, concert halls, or private collections.

Building on the worldwide success of V8 Pro, Wurli, and Anthology, Pianology marks the next chapter in our evolving Rhodes sound library. With three carefully prepared and deeply sampled pianos, Pianology is designed for expressive playability, organic tone, and a close connection between player and instrument. Paired with our effects engine and sound-shaping tools, Pianology reflects Rhodes’ approach to tone and expressivity, placing the playing experience at the heart of the sound.

Dan Goldman, Chief Product Officer at Rhodes

Featured Instruments

The three pianos in Pianology were selected for their distinct tonal profiles, dynamic range, and long-standing presence across recorded music. Each instrument was prepared and sampled by the Rhodes engineering and sound design team with a focus on instant playability:

• Japanese Upright Piano – A widely respected U-series upright known for its bright, controlled tone and direct response. Its compact sound and focused midrange make it well suited to contemporary scoring, jazz, and understated songwriting.
• American Grand Piano – A classic American concert grand with a broad dynamic range and a balanced tonal profile. Its harmonic depth and sustain support a wide range of playing styles, from solo piano repertoire to full ensemble arrangements.
• Japanese Electric Grand – A celebrated electro-acoustic piano featuring real strings and pickups, associated with the sounds of 1980s pop, rock, and electronic music. Its direct signal path produces a clear, present tone that integrates easily into layered productions.

Sound Shaping and Control

Pianology includes a streamlined set of sound-shaping controls designed to support expressive performance and practical production workflows. Global controls include Timbre Shift, Global Tune, Mechanical Noise, and Lid Position for the grand piano, allowing adjustment of tonal balance, tuning reference, and acoustic behavior.

An integrated Amp and Mic section provides access to amplifier models and microphone choices derived from Rhodes V8 Pro, supporting both natural acoustic presentations and more processed, amplified tones. Additional processing includes piano-voiced compression, EQ, modulation, delay, stereo tremolo, panning, and a selection of Rhodes reverbs, including the new Stage and Arena reverb modes. The tremolo effect is based on the Vintage Grand’s circuitry, bringing that character to Pianology.

Velocity curve and velocity depth controls allow the playing response to be adapted to different controllers and performance styles, with presets capturing the complete state of the instrument for consistent recall across sessions.

Pricing & Availability

Rhodes Pianology is available in VST, AU, and AAX formats through the official Rhodes Music store. An introductory offer of 30 percent off runs through April 7, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. GMT.

Standard Pricing:

• GBP: £139.95.
• EUR: €159.95.
• USD: $149.95.

Introductory Offer:

• GBP: £99.95.
• EUR: €109.95.
• USD: $104.95.

YouTube.com/watch?v=g2sZLE_WuN4

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Twelve years on from 100% Galcher, the mixtape that quietly inspired a generation of underground house artists, Galcher Lustwerk isn’t interested in nostalgia. “I’m concentrating on the next release,” says the Cleveland-born producer and vocalist.  “Not trying to chase any trends, anybody or group of people, and keep my head down.” That focus is palpable in his work, with a distinct sonic identity built around considered instrumentation and production.

Vestibule, his first EP in two years, comprises three dance cuts that place you in a hazy, dimly-lit basement club. Galcher moves between woozy introspection and autobiographical rap, recording sounds from a collection of retro ROMplers in a small New York home studio that he describes as feeling like the Mother computer from Alien.

In this Studio Files, Galcher walks us through the techniques that helped him craft the sound of Vestibule, tells us why he doesn’t rely on one piece of gear for the “Lustwerk sound”, and how a Pro Tools mentor taught him the art of reduction.

Hey Galcher. Loving the sounds and refined minimalism of Vestibule. What’s your approach to selecting instruments and sounds, and being intentional about each one?

The sounds on Vestibule were tracked from ROMplers I’ve gained slowly over the course of a few years — specifically, a Yamaha Motif ES Rack, E-Mu Ultra Proteus, and two Roland JV-1010s. All my favourite presets on everything are loaded up and linked to a power supply. I can simply turn everything on and start writing. I like to start with the Yamaha or the E-Mu, then multi-track the rest in.

This is your first release in a couple of years. It’s a fast-moving scene; has anything changed for you in that time?

I’m still making music and DJing. Not trying to chase any trends, anybody or group of people, and keep my head down.

How do you think about the balance of bars and house beats when you’re writing? Is it a conscious decision, or does it just flow out?

I like starting with no words. The instrumental can establish itself. I also like to repeat one verse over and over again. A Lustwerk track to me falls into the house tradition, not the hip-hop tradition, so repetition is fair game. Each beat tells its own story in due time; lyrics find their way in, or they don’t.

Tell us a bit about your studio.

My studio is in a small room in New York City. It reminds me of the Mother computer from Alien. There’s a single 12U rack, with a Novation MIDI keyboard and a Streamdeck. The Stream Deck is hot-keyed up with my favourite plugins, so I can look at the screen less. Keyboard and mouse swivel with the office chair. And as many bass traps as I possibly can, because the low end in this room is a mess, even with these little speakers (IK Multimedia MTM). My Yamaha WX5, which I use with the PLG150-VL on the Motif, sits in the corner. I’ve got a Subpac on the chair, which I mean to use, but keep tripping the cable and breaking adapters.

What’s your latest gear purchase?

RME Babyface Pro for live sets. I needed better gain performance + the ability to EQ/ring out the mic before it hits Ableton. Since I like to keep the mic gain high, I deal with a lot of feedback issues in clubs. The Zoom interface I had before wasn’t cutting it. It’s difficult to replicate a spoken word voice in a 100db environment.

How do you see your sound and studio evolving in the next two years?

I’ll have sold everything and got a whole other workflow! The GAS is never-ending. Next stop is an iZ RADAR. You can’t pinpoint the Lustwerk sound on any specific gear; I vary the sound by constantly switching my gear and plugins up.

Were there any instruments or gear that were crucial to Vestibule?

The Yamaha Motif ES and its two PLG 150 expansion cards, AN (virtual analogue modelling) and VL (wind controller compatible sounds) were crucial, especially on the sax solos for Wet Bulb and Vestibule’s tenor sax solos. For Shorty Out, I used an AN sawtooth as a base layer, and combined it with three other pad presets and effects on the Motif. Once tracked i,n I used VSTs sparingly, with Fab Filter Pro Q4 for EQ, and Eventide H3000 or Acustica Firethepan to get extra space where needed.

The piano on Wet Bulb is a nice contrast to the gritty synth bass. A lot of your other releases also have tension between the instrumentation and notes. Is this always intentional?

i just start with a nice sound and go from there. Any contrast is serendipitous. I’ll gravitate towards playing certain keys, of course, which evoke a dramatic mood. The piano and orchestra sounds on Wet Bulb are from the Motif, and the synth bass is from a Waldorf Blofeld, which I’ve since sold.

100% Galcher has been called an “all-timer” by fans online. How do you view that record now, and does the legacy weigh on you when you start a new project?

It can feel like fighting against nostalgia. I’m concentrating on the next release while people are hung up because of personal preferences and what-not. I get it. I can only hope they feel something special and current with my new music.

Do you have a dream piece of gear?

Some exorbitantly expensive AD/DA converter like a JCF Latte, just for the hell of it. Dr. Dre’s known to use a Lavry converter for clipping but I don’t really clip stuff.

What’s a music production myth you think needs debunking?

Oversampling. They just want you to buy more RAM and upgrade your computer for no reason. If you can hear the difference between 2x and 8x oversampling, I feel bad for you.

Who gave you the biggest lesson in your career? Can you tell us about how it impacted you?

I attribute Morgan Louis to taking my production to another level. He was already Pro Tools certified when I met him. When we would work on music together, I would add something, and he’d delete half of it. I add more, and he’d delete even more. He had a reductive way of working, and I learned to listen closer and find the foundation of the groove before filling things in.

The post Galcher Lustwerk: “You can’t pinpoint the Lustwerk sound on any specific gear; I’m constantly switching it up” appeared first on MusicTech.