Roland TR-606

The Roland TR-606 Drumatix is a seven-voice analog drum machine released in 1981 alongside the TB-303 Bass Line. Sharing the same silver casing and form factor, the two were sold as a pair — Roland's pitch to solo guitarists who needed backing accompaniment without a band. Neither sold. Roland discontinued the 606 in 1984, and both flooded pawn shops at $50–100 a piece. Musicians found them cheap and made something remarkable.

Seven Voices, All Analog

The TR-606 generates kick, snare, low tom, mid tom, hi tom, open hi-hat, closed hi-hat, and cymbal — all from analog circuitry. The kick runs two oscillators through a resonant twin-T filter, the same topology found in guitar distortion pedals, which is why it responds so aggressively to overdrive and saturation. The snare uses a characteristic high-pass filter, cutting and snappy. The toms are notably musical and tunable, suited to hypnotic, tribal patterns.

Most striking is the cymbal: six sine wave oscillators routed through parallel bandpass and high-pass filters producing a clangorous metallic crash. Interestingly, the TR-808 uses a closely related approach with six square-wave oscillators — the two machines are more sonically related than most people realise.

All voices respond to accent, shifting subtly in character rather than simply getting louder.

Sequencer

Patterns are 16 steps long with up to 32 patterns stored and 256-bar song chains. DIN sync and trigger in/out allow tight integration with other gear. Uniquely among Roland's X0X series, the TR-606 allows pattern editing during live playback — you can add or remove hits in real time while the pattern runs, a genuine advantage for live performance the 808 and 909 do not share.

The absence of swing pushes patterns toward a strict mechanical grid, which suits certain styles and frustrates others.

The Sound

The 606's circuits were designed by the same Tadao Kikumoto team behind the 808, 303, and 909. But the tone is its own — dry, punchy, and adaptable. Its kick hits rather than thuds. Its snare cracks without dominating. Producers frequently describe it as a sonic chameleon: run through distortion, saturation, or a room, it transforms completely.

The 606 is the only Roland X0X drum machine that never defined a genre — the 808 defined hip-hop, the 909 defined techno and house. The 606 fits everywhere. Sisters of Mercy built post-punk with it and credited it as "Doktor Avalanche." Steve Albini's Big Black named theirs "Roland" and listed it as a full band member. Drexciya used it for Detroit electro. Nine Inch Nails made it brutal on "Closer." Mr. Oizo built a number-one hit around it with "Flat Beat." Blur, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Plastikman, Autechre, and Massive Attack all used it — for almost entirely different reasons.

The 606 is also among the most modded drum machines in existence. Individual voice outputs, MIDI sync, pitch controls, and envelope modifications are widely documented. Its accessible circuit board invites experimentation, though the tightly packed PCB makes it harder than most.

Who Is This For?

The TR-606 suits producers who want analog drum textures without the weight and price of an 808 or Analog Rytm. Original units have risen from pawn-shop prices to $400–$1,200 depending on condition and modification status — still significantly cheaper than the 808 or 909. The mechanical grid suits electronic, industrial, and post-punk. Those who want swing have the TR-06 Boutique reissue or the Roland Cloud version, both of which add shuffle to the original voice set.