Acidlab Bassline vs Roland TB 303 Bassline

This video, via AudioCentralMagazine, captures a listening test of the Acidlab.de Bassline clone (on right audio channel) against a vintage Roland TB-303 Bassline (on left audio channel).

It’s an interesting comparison, but the combination of the Acidlab Bassline plus the Roland TB-303 sounds pretty awesome to our ears.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Technical details:

Analog drums courtesy of an Acidlab Miami drum machine.

The two Acidlab units are under MIDI Clock from Doepfer Dark Time (here, only as clock source); the TB-303 is under Sync Out from MIAMI. Some fiddling with parameters on both bassline(s).

12 thoughts on “Acidlab Bassline vs Roland TB 303 Bassline

  1. Definitely a difference, but pretty durn close. I’m using some rather crappy speakers at the moment, but the Acidlab sounded brighter and/or fuller (depending on the cutoff and resonance).

  2. Gonna have to give it to the acidlab. It’s in the bent notes where you can really hear the difference, at least to my ears. I’m not sure if it’s the timing or what, but it just sounds nicer to me.

  3. I like Acidlab gear but I think the original TB303 sound will always have an edge over an emulator.
    A copy of the Mona Lisa no matter how good, will always be a copy of the Mona Lisa.

    1. you can´t discard something people obviously put alot of effort in just on the grounds of a philosophic principle. btw museums do exhibit facsimiles of well regarded masterpieces.

      1. A copy or an original – which would you go for?
        I have a 303 and a modded x0xb0x – the acidlab bassline sounds closer to the x0xb0x!.. which isn’t a bad thing.
        The TB has the heritage – it was first, it’s the original so no debate there.
        I do like Acidlab and this unit is good but this review was (the plaintiff versus the defendant type) and for me the 303 will always win.
        If you had a TB you would understand this.

        Anyone out there with a 303 disagree?
        I

  4. Listening through Genelec monitors there is a slight difference, but I’ll bet that if you get two 303s side by side there’d be similar differences. After all this is analogue gear we’re talking about.

    The 303 has one thing going for it that all the clones don’t; it’s the original. People like to be able to say they have an original 303, so they remain popular. I’d personally be happy with a Bassline, they have a great sound about them and I’ll bet they’re a fraction of the price of the 303.

    1. Pit a x0xb0x clone against a 303 and do a little knob twiddling and you can’t tell which is which. You can hear differences, but two 303’s have just as many differences.

      I’d love to have a 303, but would get a x0xb0x for playing.

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