acid
what it is
'Acid' is a sound typically produced by playing a repeating note pattern on the Roland TB-303 (or imitations of the 303), while altering the filter's cutoff frequency, resonance, and envelope modulation. The TB-303's accent control modifies a note's volume, filter resonance, and envelope modulation, allowing further variations in timbre. A distortion effect, either by using a guitar effects pedal or overdriving the input of an audio mixer, is commonly used to give the TB-303 a denser, noisier timbre--as the resulting sound is much richer in harmonics.
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✦ who's making it, level by level
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make acid a playlist
turn these 26 artists into something you can press play on.
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questions
What is acid?
'Acid' is a sound typically produced by playing a repeating note pattern on the Roland TB-303 (or imitations of the 303), while altering the filter's cutoff frequency, resonance, and envelope modulation. The TB-303's accent control modifies a note's volume, filter resonance, and envelope modulation, allowing further variations in timbre. A distortion effect, either by using a guitar effects pedal or overdriving the input of an audio mixer, is commonly used to give the TB-303 a denser, noisier timbre--as the resulting sound is much richer in harmonics.
What are good acid albums to start with?
Try Filth by Venetian Snares, Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat by Charanjit Singh, Soul Enforcer LP by Dax J, and YosepH by Luke Vibert.
Who are some women making acid?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/acid/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making acid, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20





