Roland TB-303
Shares rank 2 of 5 synthesizers by recommenders
People praise its accent and glide sequencer for wild dynamic acid lines. Critics say emulations miss its sound.
People praise its accent and glide sequencer for wild dynamic acid lines. Critics say emulations miss its sound.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 3
- approval share
- 73%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 2.7 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Distinctive accent and glide sequencer
“the ability to combine that with accents and produce wild dynamic effects is something you don't find in other synths”
Comment from 11 Mar 2026 in “Building a TB-303 from Scratch” “The accent and glide are core components of the sound, as is the really quite unique sequencer control”
Comment from 11 Mar 2026 in “Building a TB-303 from Scratch” Sparks creative projects and renewed interest
“I love seeing so many brilliant creatives throwing their talents at the 303”
Comment from 11 Mar 2026 in “Building a TB-303 from Scratch” “It warms my heart to see the 303 getting a renaissance”
Comment from 11 Mar 2026 in “Building a TB-303 from Scratch”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Does not capture the original sound
“managing to miss the target every single time in capturing what made the 303 unique and special”
Comment from 27 Sep 2026 in “Boards of Casio” “Not an accurate 303 emulation but definitely a good acid line”
Comment from 11 Mar 2026 in “Building a TB-303 from Scratch” “sounds nothing like a tb-303”
Comment from 12 Mar 2026 in “Building a TB-303 from Scratch”
Other synthesizers people recommend
The four most recommended other synthesizers, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KORG phase8 Acoustic Synthesizer | 21 | 7 | 75% | 2 | — | — |
| Roland TB-303This page | 8 | 3 | 73% | 2 | — | — |
| Yamaha DX7 | 8 | 3 | 73% | 5 | — | — |
| Brume synth | 7 | 0 | 100% | 1 | — | — |
| Zynthian | 6 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | — |
What people said
10 of the 12 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“pretty crappy plastic machines”
“managing to miss the target every single time in capturing what made the 303 unique and special”
“sounds nothing like a tb-303”
“Not an accurate 303 emulation but definitely a good acid line”
“The accent and glide are core components of the sound, as is the really quite unique sequencer control”
“they sync together perfectly”
“I love seeing so many brilliant creatives throwing their talents at the 303”
“the ability to combine that with accents and produce wild dynamic effects is something you don't find in other synths”
“The sync was badly implemented. It lagged, it had latency.”
“It warms my heart to see the 303 getting a renaissance”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.