TR-606 Drumatix

Released in 1981, the TR-606 Drumatix may be small in stature but it punches above its weight. Designed to be a low-cost, portable instrument to accompany the live musician, it eschews the metal case of previous rhythm instruments in favour of lightweight plastic and can be powered by mains or batteries. Although its circuits are derived from the TR-808, they are simplified and the instrument offers only a small selection of its older sibling’s sounds. But, lest we think this is simply a cut down TR-808, those sounds have a distinctive quality that sets them apart from any other Roland drum machine. If the TR-808 is warm and deep, the TR-606 is brittle, biting and perhaps even harsh. This chapter includes a detailed exploration and analysis of the design of TR-606 sound circuits and the use of its palette in genres as diverse as Techno, Industrial and Electronic Body Music. The chapter continues by investigating the ongoing appeal of the instrument in its original, remade, emulated and cloned form as well as the myriad hardware modifications that extend and bend the circuits and provide the real time control absent in the original instrument.