Roland is celebrating 909 Day 2026 with a live workshop in Detroit, led by none other than techno originator Kevin Saunderson.
909 Day is the annual celebration of the TR-909 Rhythm Composer, first introduced in 1983. This year’s event will pair hands-on music-making with a look at the people and culture behind it. Held at the Underground Music Academy in Detroit on Saturday 12 September (tomorrow!) from 3-6pm EDT, the event is completely free to watch online.
Creators are able to join the Roland Cloud Academy livestream for an interactive session, or check in via a YouTube stream. The free session pairs the original TR-909 with the TR-1000, focusing on the 1000’s next-generation 9X engines, and walks attendees through sequencing, sound shaping, and performance technique.
Saunderson is one third of the Belleville Three, and helped to pioneer Detroit techno as an early champion of the TR-909. The workshop brings that history into the present, putting Saunderson behind the machine in the city where techno took shape.
The 909 Day celebrations are also accompanied by a new installment of Roland’s animated series, The Rhythm Creators, specifically focusing on the TR-909 and narrated by Saunderson. Take a look below:
“The 909 was the first drum machine I ever got my hands on, and it inspired me completely,” says Saunderson. “It had me building patterns and rhythms, mixing them into my DJ sets, and then adding basslines through sequencing in the studio with a couple of synths.
“That’s really what turned me into a producer – someone who wanted to make music – not just play it. Everything was raw in the beginning, but I kept developing…kept learning the machine. It became my go-to for every project I was creating at that time. It’s the best drum machine I’ve ever experienced, and one I fell in love with.”
Right now, Roland is also offering a 909 Day discount on the Roland Cloud TR-909 Software Rhythm Composer, currently available for $49 USD (66 percent off its regular $149 price) until 30 September 2026.
Find out more information on all of Roland’s 909 Day activities.
Rachel is a DIY musician who began learning guitar and keyboard from her bedroom at 14. She has written news and features for MusicTech since 2022, and also has bylines across Kerrang!, Guitar.com, and The Forty-Five. Though a lover of heavy music, her guilty pleasure is 2000s pop.
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