Roland MC-101 Groovebox

Introducing the Roland MC-101 Groovebox

Produce and perform music on the go with Roland’s MC-101. This powerful four-track Groovebox lets you enjoy a clutter-free experience, along with high-quality sounds, sequencing, and effects from the expansive MC-707, all from one compact and portable device.

Get started with an inspiring collection of ready-to-go patterns, and craft your own unique style by importing custom sounds, loops, and clips that sync to tempo. You can also perform with the MC-101, by triggering clips and shaping your sounds with direct control. The MC-101 is not just a scratch pad for simple ideas, it’s a professional production tool that allows you to produce fully fledged tracks or create backing tracks and accompaniment for live performances.

Solid-yet-light, the MC-101 provides artists with roughly five hours of run time on four AA batteries, so you can design sounds, create drum patterns, and compose musical phrases from almost anywhere!

Your pocket-sized production studio

The MC-101 shares many of the capabilities of its bigger sibling, the MC-707, only within a more compact design. It's smaller, lightweight design makes it a go-to choice for gigging musicians and artists that want to explore their creativity from just about anywhere!

Unleash your creativity

This device has a four-track sequencer optimised for creating original electronic and dance-focused music. You can use the 16 RGB pads to create drum, bass, and synthesiser patterns. Explore and combine loops and one-shots with melodic phrases, including your own MIDI sequences and imported audio recordings. Compose and chain scenes or clips, rearrange, re-sample, and record automation. And share clips with other MC-101, MC-707, and VERSELAB MV-1 users for remote collaboration.

The legendary ZEN-Core synth engine

The MC-101 uses the ZEN-Core Synthesis System—Roland’s most advanced synth engine. ZEN-Core delivers Roland’s signature sounds, which have defined electronic and dance genres for over forty years. Legendary instruments like the TR-808, TR-909, JUNO-106, and SH-101 are all here, ready to replicate classic sounds or be combined, tweaked, and processed into something entirely new.

Expandable sounds, patterns, and phrases

Compose from a curated collection of projects with built-in beats, phrases, and sounds, all expertly crafted by renowned artists and sound designers—with even more available to download. The MC-101 is also compatible with ZEN-Core Sound Packs. So when you’re ready for more sounds, or want to explore new genres and styles, it’s easy to change things up.

Play custom audio in perfect sync

Each track contains a powerful sample player, so you can import your own custom sounds, use your own voice, or add a favourite instrument from your computer. Imported audio can sync with the MC-101’s tempo or be processed with the arsenal of built-in effects and hands-on controls.

Explore the wide range of pro effects

With the MC-101’s wide range of pro effects, your music will sound polished and fully produced. Each track has independent effects processors with a huge number of variations. Chorus brings depth to pads and other synth sounds. Delays and reverbs create evocative spaces and add movement to delicate sequences. Overdrive, distortion, and amp simulation inject grit and intensity into synths, guitars, drums, and more. You can also run your entire mix through master effects like filters, bit-crushers, and a master bus compressor that combines it all together with punch and clarity.

Play your own custom audio in perfect sync

Each track contains a powerful sample player so you can import your own custom sounds. Use your own voice or the sound of a favourite instrument from your computer. Imported audio can sync with the MC-101’s tempo or be processed with the arsenal of built-in effects and hands-on controls.

Share your music with the world

When you’re ready to share your creations with friends and fans, simply connect the MC-101 to your computer with a single USB cable. It has advanced USB audio interface capabilities and can record an entire mix or all four parts to individual tracks in your DAW. Or sample sounds from your DAW to capture backing tracks, stems, or the sound of your favourite software synth for your next live show.