Hey guys,

I've recently have been thinking about picking up a drum machine. I tried a quick search in the forums but didn't find a post about them.

So a few questions.

1. What is/are considered the best drum machines at the moment?
2. What are some of the pros and cons of the current best drum machines
3. If you have a drum machine, what are your thoughts of it?
4. Are there any new drum machines coming out soon?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Zlaught

Well, the Dave Smith Tempest looks like one of the better drum machines these days, but I don't own one, so I can't answer your questions. Elektron Machinedrum is pretty freakin cool, too, but I don't own one of those either.

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quote:

Originally posted by Zlaught 1. What is/are considered the best drum machines at the moment?

Elektron Machinedrum I think is the best ever!

quote:

Originally posted by Zlaught 2. What are some of the pros and cons of the current best drum machines

Pros-
1.Fun to just program a beat and not have to turn on a computer.
2.YOu have all your drums sounds in one box no need for a sampler cd.
3.can give your music a groove that you can't get with software.

cons-
shit can brake or some one can steal your stuff!

quote:

Originally posted by Zlaught 3. If you have a drum machine, what are your thoughts of it?

I do have a drum machine a Roland D2 and I love it and its fun. It give me the grooves that was missing in my music!
I have all my tr-808 tr-909 sounds all in one box.
But I am going to buy a Elektron Machinedrum soon!

quote:

Originally posted by Zlaught 4. Are there any new drum machines coming out soon?

yes but they look like they suck!
Elektron Machinedrum is the way to go!

My top Drum Machines picks
1 Elektron Machinedrum
2 Akai MPC 2000xl
3 Roland TR-808 Roland TR-909
4 Roland MC-505 groovebox / D2
5 Roland MC-303 groovebox
6 Reason Redrum
7 ReBirth
8 Korg electribe
9 any thing roland

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Last edited by atxbigballer1 on Jan-30-2012 at 04:57

Although Native Instruments Maschine isn't really a true "drum machine" but a software/hardware integrated solution for sequencing drums, I'd say it's sheer usability, vast library, and functionality is pretty much top notch.

The problem is that it's not the most useful for gigging, as you need a laptop and a sound card, since it itself is just a controller for the maschine software. However, it can also act as a pure MIDI controller as well, which is quite handy IMO

quote:

Originally posted by J.L. Although Native Instruments Maschine isn't really a true "drum machine" but a software/hardware integrated solution for sequencing drums, I'd say it's sheer usability, vast library, and functionality is pretty much top notch.

I love my Maschine and I wouldn't trade it for any of the "real" drum machines, but one big con IMO is the lack of multi-layering for samples. Of course, the easy around this is to just load up a plugin that does support multi-samples (e.g., Battery 3). The fact that you can load virtually any plugin is one of Maschine's biggest advantages.

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Got a TEMPEST and JOMOX Mbase 11
ITB I got METRUM, Drumazon, Nepheton and Groove Agent 1

In the past I had a machinedrum, XBASE-999, TR-909

I'm not interested in MACHINE type solutions as these are basically a VSTi sampler with dedicated controller, but bring nothing new to the table soundwise.

Biggest difference for me:
- for TEMPEST & JOMOX > Unprocessed analogue sounds. Sounds like NOTHING you have ITB, this is good if this fits your genre (80'ties and old skool techno, but "bad" for modern Beatport type trance, house and electro, as you will need a lot of old skool processing to get towards the modern sound.
besides that, you'll have analogue osc's so you can tweak your heart out.

Swing wise you can copy all groove quantization templates into the box, so that's no longer really an advantage.

I didn't like the Machinedrum, it only started to sound cool using sample packs i was already using ITB, I also found the sequencer very cumbersome.

So for me the decision criteria would be:
- soundsource rather than sample collection
- sounds you can't get ITB (dynamic sounds, kicks with real LFO's etc)
- fun sequencing (if you're into that, jam with the PC off)

BUT: If you like Plug&Play samplepacks, use loops often and prefer ITB workflow then you WILL be very dissapointed with what an outboard drumcomputer brings to the table. as it's a long road from how these units sound raw towards the modern processed sounds everybody is using nowawdays. (which is a good thing as it becomes hip again to work with minimalistic unprocessed / unlayered sounds again)

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quote:

Originally posted by Raphie Biggest difference for me: - for TEMPEST & JOMOX > Unprocessed analogue sounds. Sounds like NOTHING you have I

until you record it to your computer which it then sounds exactly like the sampled versions of said producers you can buy at a fraction of the cost. Pretty bad allocation of funds. But that is your speciality.

The only reason one would get a drum machine is if you require drum sounds that are not static and evolve rather than just a one hit sample that never changes.

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quote:

Originally posted by Raphie So for me the decision criteria would be: - soundsource rather than sample collection - sounds you can't get ITB (dynamic sounds, kicks with real LFO's etc) - fun sequencing (if you're into that, jam with the PC off)

You really don't read, now do you?, ofcourse one could make sounds in VSTi synths as well, those these most of time are 1: not analogue and 2: don't have fast enough envelopes for percussive sounds

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Analogue Mastering
Esoteric sound for the discerning ear

you say you can't get it in the box. unless your chain is 100% out of the box, your drum machine is identical to those sample cds. Escpecially those ones you mentioned which have sampled every single parameter.

Dynamic sounds ? all sounds are dynamic. You need to pick up a book or something. Your grasp of audio jargon is appalling.

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"This is why Superman works alone." GC
old stuff from days gone by (2001-2004)
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An LFO evolves, every hit is different, samples only capture maybe 5 snapshots of a sound palette of thousands, and then i decide to tweak the pitch as well, or change the sine into a square, why are u arguing that every single combination of parameters is sampled?
let alone the small inconsistencies in analoque sounds by it's nature.

But hey, for the sake of debate you may "win" not in the mood

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Analogue Mastering
Esoteric sound for the discerning ear

for 15$ you can buy like 100 variations of each drum. Or you can spend alot of money and convince yourself you are going to need those extra settings in between for a static drum sound.

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"This is why Superman works alone." GC
old stuff from days gone by (2001-2004)
Mad For Brad's gay little contest

quote:

Originally posted by Raphie I'm not interested in MACHINE type solutions as these are basically a VSTi sampler with dedicated controller, but bring nothing new to the table soundwise.

U should really try it out before u make that statement. For one thing, it has mpc/sp1200 emulation on all pads, which sounds amazing and you can use on any sound, and besides using vsts, alot of the effects built in sound amazing imo. Its for sure not just a vst sampler. You can build full tracks in it, and I don't know, its pretty unique to me. Even the swing on it, it has one knob and has a percentage, but, to me it sounds different than any swing I have tried in other daws and it sounds good. All I'm sayin is should at least try it before you knock it.

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