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Description
The Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309 is a synthesizer that embodies the spirit of the '90s rave scene, delivering authentic, dance-ready sounds straight to your setup. This unique groovebox combines a drum machine, bass synth, and sequencer, presenting musicians with a versatile tool for live performances and studio productions.
Equipped with a powerful onboard sequencer, the Rave-o-Lution 309 allows for intricate pattern creation with ease. Its user-friendly interface, adorned with intuitive knobs and buttons, gives you direct access to real-time sound shaping and modulation. With its rich palette of sounds—ranging from punchy drums to lush basslines—it is tailor-made for electronic music producers who crave that classic, energetic soundscape.
Perfect for both beginners and seasoned electronic music producers, the Rave-o-Lution 309 provides ample opportunity for creativity and exploration. It offers MIDI connectivity, ensuring seamless integration into any modern setup, and supports expansion with additional sound cards, allowing you to customize your sonic arsenal further.
Whether you're crafting the next big techno hit or experimenting with ambient textures, the Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309 is a reliable partner in your musical journey. Immerse yourself in its vintage charm and let your creativity flow without boundaries.
Key Features:
- Built-in drum machine, bass synthesizer, and sequencer
- Intuitive interface with real-time control options
- MIDI connectivity for integration with other gear
- Expandable with optional sound cards for additional sounds
- Suitable for live performances and studio productions
Videos
Electronic Vibes
QUASIMIDI RAVEOLUTION 309
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309.
Features and functionality
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Fully expanded units provide more of existing sounds, notably adding distinct noise elements that differentiate them from stock units.
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Display glitches and tempo issues may occur, often linked to battery problems; switching from MIDI slave (EXT) to MIDI master (INT) can resolve some sync issues.
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The jog wheel may malfunction, only changing values in one direction, often due to battery issues rather than hardware failure.
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Value and pricing
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Expansions were more affordable when Quasimidi operated; current costs may impact value perception.
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User experience
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Despite selling it 20 years ago, some owners still feel nostalgic and occasionally desire to repurchase the Rave-O-Lution 309.
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After prolonged inactivity, users report unusual behavior, such as glitchy displays, requiring battery replacement or factory reset to restore normal function.
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Some owners have experienced similar defects in multiple units, emphasizing the jog wheel as a common problem area.
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Setup and maintenance
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Owners often face issues with the internal battery, leading to erratic behavior; replacing the CR2032 battery is recommended to maintain stable operation.
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Factory initializing the unit can resolve glitches but will erase saved patterns, so backing up data is crucial before performing a reset.
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Owners have resolved jog wheel issues by replacing the internal battery and performing a system initialize.
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Mods and upgrades
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It’s recommended to replace jog wheel encoders rather than clean them, as cleaning offers only temporary relief.
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4.5 out of 5
Based on 2 Reviews and 10 Ratings
175
Wizardry in a Box
An absolute classic piece of sequencing / drum machine / groovebox magic. Oozes charm and makes you want to play it.
Fantastic onboard kicks, hats, percussion.
Great sequencer. Loads of hands-on tweakability, tune knob for most sounds, decay, twist a knob real-time to scroll through the different sounds seamlessly, tone knob, etc etc. Excellent synth part with glide, VCA envelope, filter env, resonance, cutoff, tonnes of different sounds.. minor chord stabs, majors, noise...
Used by Beastie Boys for a full albums’ worth of remixes, also used by Daniel Miller (Musician and Mute Records owner Depeche Mode / Vince Clark / Nick Cave) for a full album of remixes.
Also used extensively by Klaus Schultz.
This box is truly wicked. Put it through some nice compression and bring the overall sound up to a fully modern punchy level and it’s a bona fide classic.
Get one with the input/output expansion board for even more processing options, run ext gear through the filters and envelopes.
5 stars without a doubt.
Artist usage
Add artist
Trent Reznor is confirmed to have used the Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309 during the recording of "The Fragile," as it is listed in the equipment section of the Fragility Tour program, according to the source nin.wiki.
Kraftwerk used the Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309 as part of their equipment lineup during their 1998 world tour, as detailed in the Kraftwerk FAQ.
Klaus Schulze is listed as using the Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309, as noted on the "Klaus Schulze's Instruments" page.
Quoted from this article by Rolling Stone:
“Mike D and Adam Yauch want to release a remix EP of the hip-hop songs from Hello Nasty, which Horovitz put together using his new drum machine, the Rave-O-Lution 309..”
"One thing I use a lot these days is the Quasimidi Rave?O?Lution 309. It's got great sounds and memory facilities, and it's very programmable — it's just very enjoyable to use, which is how instruments ought to be."
Album Usage
The Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309 has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309, it is most commonly used with the following gear.