DinSync RE-808
This time, a true legend landed on my workbench… or rather, a replica of a legend. The Roland TR-808 drum machine, in the form of the RE-808 replica made by DinSync. This is not just an ordinary clone but a true 1:1 replica, built really quite well (although that still doesn’t justify its price). My task was to install the Tubbutec uniPulse module, which equips the instrument with a MIDI interface, adding MIDI synchronization and, more importantly, Velocity support (including four new drum sounds).
The job initially seemed quite straightforward because the module’s manufacturer had prepared a very detailed installation guide, although the recommended installation method does not seem particularly professional from my point of view, as it relies on so-called “dead bug” wiring. Moreover, the module itself is not a particularly complicated device, yet it costs a fortune (just like the replica itself, for that matter). Well… legends play by their own rules.
Unfortunately, after the installation it turned out that the module was not working correctly (it triggered only one instrument regardless of the incoming MIDI messages, while all the others remained silent). In the end, I wasted several evenings trying to find the cause through reverse engineering, completely unnecessarily, because the brand-new module turned out to be defective. On the positive side, Tubbutec’s customer support was excellent—very responsive and genuinely interested in solving the problem – and they offered to send me a replacement module free of charge. Well… for that kind of money, they should ;-). Eventually, I managed to get all the functionality promised by the manufacturer working, although I had wasted a lot of time in the process. A good lesson for the future when it comes to pricing this kind of favor ;-).
