In 1985 Roland released the TR-727 Rhythm Composer—the Latin percussion packed sibling of the now-famous TR-707. Lesser known but no less loved, the TR-727 found its way into a wide range of styles over the decades, from tribal and acid house to pop and techno. And it’s perfect for afrobeat, reggaeton, and other more exotic contemporary styles. Thanks to our Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology, you can now have the authentic sound and experience of this classic percussion machine right inside your DAW— with modern upgrades that take it into all-new territory.

Before the TR-727, Roland released the now-legendary TR-909, which was developed as an analog-digital hybrid rather than a fully digital device. Memory chips and digital-to-analog converters were costly at the time, so there was concern that an all-digital design would make the product unaffordable for many musicians and would have limited sound shaping options. However, after the TR-909’s release, Roland embraced the trend towards digital technology with a Latin percussion machine that combined sampled sounds with the user-friendly TR interface—newly enhanced with the hands-on immediacy of individual faders.

The blue-highlighted TR-727 could take any track to new heights with its 15 Latin percussion-inspired sounds and powerful sequencer. It’s a classic to this day because even with its limited palette and no sound editing capabilities, it’s one of those things that “just works.” And while this software recreation nails that vintage vibe, it introduces tuning, decay, and other manipulations that make the creative possibilities bloom.

Developed in the mid-1980s, the TR-727 had a 25 kHz, 8-bit (or 6-bit for some tones) sample playback engine that was primitive by today’s standards. These low bit rates caused quantization noise during the sound’s decay, so non-decaying PCM waveforms were used, with decay introduced later in the analog circuitry. Furthermore, deviations in the clock and the analog circuitry downstream of the D/A converter caused variances in the pitch and decay characteristics. And though the TR-727 lacked the ability to edit sounds, the combination of these factors ultimately led to it being highly sought after for its iconic sound and infectious groove.

Even though the TR-727 was primarily a digital device, it’s impossible to perfectly capture its unique sound using samples. To replicate its sound in software, we started with the original PCM wave data found on the classic machine, then used our advanced circuit modeling to completely recreate the PCM output stage, carefully including all of its quirks and instabilities. Modeling the analog envelope and amplifier stages that came after the D/A converter allowed us to implement tuning, decay, PCM clock adjustment, and other parameters available in the plugin but not present on the original unit.

Great care has gone into making the TR-727 feel special to use, just like the original hardware. Realistic new and aged skins match your vibe, and all 15 original sounds and 64 original patterns are included. But these recreations go way beyond vintage with 43 kits and patterns for modern genres, wicked sound-shaping options, powerful sequencing, drag and drop audio/MIDI to your DAW, multi-out, and more. The TR-727 even works right alongside the available TR-707, with matching kits and patterns that complement each other perfectly. Load a kit, load a pattern, and let the magic happen.

Taking inspiration from aftermarket modifications, our advanced circuit modeling offers parameters that let you dig under the hood and modify the sound in all manner of ways. Every sound has ultra-smooth tuning and decay, and you can even overdrive the internal circuitry, tweak how each PCM waveform behaves, and adjust the PCM clock from 6.25 kHz to 100 kHz for some serious sonic mischief. This kind of sound-shaping capability makes the TR-727 feel new and exciting, with endless creative possibilities for today’s music.

While the sequencer on the original TR-727 was the most advanced we’d ever made, the updated sequencer here goes much further, incorporating features that let you add detail and nuance to your grooves. Opening the sequencer’s expanded edit panel reveals individual sequencer lanes with mute, solo, and adjustable shuffle for each instrument. Per-step accent is included, and each step can trigger hard or weak hits, alternate sounds, three types of sub-steps, and nine types of flams.

The TR-727 Software Rhythm Composer brings the totally authentic experience of using this classic machine direct to your studio. And while it captures the percussive power of the original instrument, it’s thoroughly modern in its support for today’s workflow. The detailed user interface is fully resizable for any display setup, and you can drag and drop MIDI and audio patterns directly to tracks or cells. In addition, the TR-727 plugin is VST3, AAX, and AU compatible and has native support for Apple silicon.

Features :

• Proprietary ACB (analog circuit behaviour) creates an indistinguishable sound from the original
• Utilises the original sample ROM
• Faithfully includes all the original 64 patterns and 15 sounds from hardware unit
• Includes newly designed 43 patterns and kits for a modern style
• Tuning, Decay, Gain and Sample Rate Adjustment dials help to create a unique sound
• Highly-versatile sequencer to program flams, sub-steps, last-step and per instrument shuffle
• Drag and drop audio or MIDI patterns directly to your DAW tracks or cells
• Includes two skins, orignal and aged
• VST3, AU, and AAX support to work with most major DAWs
• Native support for Apple silicon

Specifications :

System requirements :

• Operating system:
  ◦ Mac:
  ▪ Mac OS X 11, Mac OS X 10.14, Mac OS X 10.15
  ◦ Windows:
  ▪ Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 10 (64-bit) - Not compatible with Windows RT, Windows Phone or virtual machines such as Hyper-V, Virtual PC or Boot Camp.
• Host application:
  ◦ Mac:
  ▪ VST instruments (VSTi) version: VST 3.6 compatible
  ▪ Audio units (AU) version: V2 Audio Units compatible
  ▪ AAX compatible
  ◦ Windows:
  ▪ VST instruments (VSTi) version: VST 3.6 compatible
  ▪ AAX compatible

General :

• Sampling Frequency: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz
• Memories per bank: 128 patterns, 128 memories
• Maximum Polyphony: 11 voices
• Instrument tones:
  ◦ Bongo (Lo/Hi)
  ◦ Hi Conga (Mute/Open)
  ◦ Low Conga
  ◦ Hi Timbale
  ◦ Low Timbale
  ◦ Agogo (Lo/Hi)
  ◦ Cabasa/Maracas
  ◦ Short whistle
  ◦ Long whistle
  ◦ Quijada
  ◦ Star Chime
• Step sequencer:
  ◦ 11 instrument parts
  ◦ 16 steps per 1 measure
  ◦ 8 (A-H) variations per pattern
• CPU:
  ◦ Intel Core 2 Duo or better
  ◦ Apple M1 Chip
  ◦ RAM: 2GB or more
  ◦ Hard disk space: 400MB or more
  ◦ Display resolution and colour:
  ▪ Mac: 1280 x 800 dots or higher, 16.7 million colors or more
  ▪ Windows: 1280 x 800 dots or higher, 24 bits Full Color or more

Other:

• You'll need Internet connectivity to activate this software.