The 303

shorthand/abbreviation for the Roland TB-303 Bassline Synthesizer. Probably the most sought after synthesizer ever, except for maybe the 909. The machine is responsible for an entire genre of electronic music known as Acid (AKA acid house, acid techno). At first glance, the synth looks less than mediocre. They're small, and usually they aren't in great condition because theyre so old (1982-1983). It was originally designed to sound like an actual bass guitar and replace a bass player in a band, but it didn't really do that too well. The sequencer is a pain to program, and you'd be wasting the rest of the possible sound spectrum if you wanted it to just sound like a bass guitar. It became popular by using the accent function on certain notes, and tweaking the filter and the accent knob while it plays, creating really squelchy and random sounding effects. Nowadays, their price can range from around $800 to $1500. There are emulators and clones, but purists say that only a 303 is a 303.