Building Drums With Roland Cloud’s 909, 808, 707, 727 & 606

In this chapter, I introduce the Roland Cloud drum machines and explain why solid drum grooves are the foundation of any great house track. I also share my experience with these tools and what you can expect to learn throughout the course.

In this chapter, I dive into the 909 and show you how to program punchy drum patterns, use presets for inspiration, and customise sounds using tuning, decay, and levels. I demonstrate sequencing, creating variations, and dragging MIDI into your DAW for full control and workflow flexibility.

Here, I break down the 808 and how it differs from the 909, focusing on its deeper, more rounded sound. I show you how to build grooves, use preset patterns, layer drums with other machines, and quickly generate ideas that lock in with your project tempo.

In this chapter, I explore the 707 and its percussion-focused sound. I demonstrate how to extract and shape percussion elements, remove unwanted parts, and layer them with other drum machines to add groove, rhythm, and character to your track.

In this chapter, I focus on the 727 and its unique, funky percussion. I show you how to build groove-driven patterns, use variations creatively, and add movement and swing to your drums, perfect for house and acid-style productions.

Here, I cover the 606 and its tight, crisp hi-hats and rhythmic capabilities. I demonstrate how to use it for adding top-end energy, shaping patterns, and combining it with other drum machines to complete a full, layered drum groove.