All the drum machine threads on this forum are looking a bit dated. What's new in the drum machine world or is the Alesis SR-16 still king?
I'm looking for something with 'realistic' sounds but that also has mad sounds to combine with the real sounds so that the sound will be familiar, but have the drum machine feel. I know you know what I mean.
I don't want to programme 'real' drummer patterns - a drum machine is a drum machine.
I don't want to use a computer. I have a copy of Reason but a computer screen does not help me create. It just doesn't work for me.
I have a Zoom Rhythmtrack234 - it's a joy to programme but sounds like poo.
I would like to have a decent amount of memory. The newest top line Boss drum machine apparently struggles in this area which seems bizarre to me.
I've started selling much of my stuff in order to get a nice acoustic guitar (please see old thread), a decent drum machine, and a couple of good microphones (please see future thread).
Thanks.
Drum Machines 2006
2there is a machine that is THE best drum machine ever but probably is too much and too pricey for you:
the elektron machinedrum
http://www.machinedrum.com/
then, in overall, the market for drum machines is pretty dead, because everyone is using computers or samplers. and they are right, because they are more versatile and they sound much much better, and most importantly, they sound they way you want.
perhaps the best thing is not to search for drum machines, but for samplers, like the mpc2000 or 1000, used in countless hip hop and electronic recordings (dj shadow made all his 'endtroducing album' only with an mpc2000)
http://www.zzounds.com/item--AKAMPC1000
this sampler is pretty cool, specially for making loops and using them live:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--ROLSP404
and this drum machine is great, but forget about 'realistic sounds'. this one is pure electro goodness:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--KORER1MK2
hope this helps!
the elektron machinedrum
http://www.machinedrum.com/
then, in overall, the market for drum machines is pretty dead, because everyone is using computers or samplers. and they are right, because they are more versatile and they sound much much better, and most importantly, they sound they way you want.
perhaps the best thing is not to search for drum machines, but for samplers, like the mpc2000 or 1000, used in countless hip hop and electronic recordings (dj shadow made all his 'endtroducing album' only with an mpc2000)
http://www.zzounds.com/item--AKAMPC1000
this sampler is pretty cool, specially for making loops and using them live:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--ROLSP404
and this drum machine is great, but forget about 'realistic sounds'. this one is pure electro goodness:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--KORER1MK2
hope this helps!
s.f.m.c.e --> sorry for my crappy english
Drum Machines 2006
4tmidgett wrote:Has anyone ever used the E-mu MP7 or XL7?
mixed opinions on the mp7. the rza was paid to endorse it and subsequently made a few of his worst tracks with it. the sounds are ok and the sequencing is decent, there are some decent filters and good other fx, but this is a rompler without a sampler and thus you need to be really into the sounds for it to work for you.
for the original poster... i highly recommend that you just get a good sampler and get the exact type of drum sounds you want. these are not terribly hard to find, and doing it yourself is often a good idea. sample vinyl (from a turntable and decent preamp) for the most thick/punchy drum sounds, sample live drums (from a mic/etc setup) for the live drum sound, and if you can find a real analog drum machine you should also sample that. drum samples come in many strange shapes and sizes, it helps to scout out your own rather than using whatever happens to come with a piece of hardware. if you want i can send you samples online (live drum samples, 808/909/etc drums, vinyl samples). as far as good samplers go, check out anything by ensoniq (the asr-10, the eps-16+). the boss sp-303 and sp-404 are great samplers that dont cost very much. as far as the mpc series goes, those are definitely overpriced (especially given how nobody uses more than 20% of their features).
Drum Machines 2006
5BClark wrote:tmidgett wrote:Has anyone ever used the E-mu MP7 or XL7?
mixed opinions on the mp7. the rza was paid to endorse it and subsequently made a few of his worst tracks with it. the sounds are ok and the sequencing is decent, there are some decent filters and good other fx, but this is a rompler without a sampler and thus you need to be really into the sounds for it to work for you.
for the original poster... i highly recommend that you just get a good sampler and get the exact type of drum sounds you want. these are not terribly hard to find, and doing it yourself is often a good idea. sample vinyl (from a turntable and decent preamp) for the most thick/punchy drum sounds, sample live drums (from a mic/etc setup) for the live drum sound, and if you can find a real analog drum machine you should also sample that. drum samples come in many strange shapes and sizes, it helps to scout out your own rather than using whatever happens to come with a piece of hardware. if you want i can send you samples online (live drum samples, 808/909/etc drums, vinyl samples). as far as good samplers go, check out anything by ensoniq (the asr-10, the eps-16+). the boss sp-303 and sp-404 are great samplers that dont cost very much. as far as the mpc series goes, those are definitely overpriced (especially given how nobody uses more than 20% of their features).
Thanks for the advice.
Hmmm. I never thought I would buy a sampler. But it seems borderline foolish to buy a drum machine, unless I want the magical output stage of some magical old drum box or something.
My misfiring Alesis HR116 isn't cutting it for me any more.
Drum Machines 2006
6If you want any of those old school drum machines there are sites on the internet where you can download all the sounds as well as CD's.
If you have a sampler you can get one of those Electrical drum sample CD's of drums recorded for sampleing from electrical studios. People and reviewers say they sound super.
If you have a sampler you can get one of those Electrical drum sample CD's of drums recorded for sampleing from electrical studios. People and reviewers say they sound super.
Drum Machines 2006
7Many thanks for the excellent reply. From doing some research today, and from your post, I'm starting to think one of those Boss/Roland samplers might be the best thing for me. I'd never considered one before but maybe they're not as scary as I thought?!
Funnily enough I've just sold one 'old school' drum machine and have just advertised another. I need the money for a 'new school' device.
Funnily enough I've just sold one 'old school' drum machine and have just advertised another. I need the money for a 'new school' device.
Drum Machines 2006
8The Boss sampler probably won't do what you want for this application, but it's a very cool piece.
Get a proper sampler, and load your drum samples into it. Do you know what General MIDI is as it relates to drums? Look into that. Basically, there is an order that things like drum samples will load into a keyboard based sampler. Low C is a kick, so is C#, D is snare one, open high hat at A, closed at A#, etc. (not sure about the exact notes, but you get the idea).
That way, when you set up a sequence, no matter what patch you're sampler's on, the snare will always be the snare (or the so-called "snare" like the 909 sounding "pish", etc.).
This is the best way to get a real drum sound. Loads of samples out there. Battery is pretty phenominal. I believe some of the drums were done at Electrical.
There is a lot of free stuff out there. A few free patches are available from almost anyone selling software. You can cobble together some good things that way. When you see that one company in particular is doing what you like, give them your money - buy their program.
Now, use a hardware based sequencer for your triggers. I recommend an old Alesis MMT8. They are about $100 on Ebay and dead simple to use.
It's just like an 8 track recorder, really, only you can edit and quantize, unlike with tape, and it records 1's and 0's instead of sound.
Everybody gushes about the black model. It doesn't matter if you get black or grey, just make sure you're running the last OS (1.11, I believe) - that's what makes it reliable. Any OS before that is not stable for live use. I can tell you from experience.
Personally, I would just use Reason. Instead of using the Redrum program, which I think is brilliant and easy to use, use the NNXT or NN19 sampler, load in drums, and play them the way I described above (General MIDI), using a keyboard. Use Reason as the sampler, and quantize if you want to.
You essentially have any key/synth solution already with Reason. If it can be done some other way with hardware, Reason will get you there as well, more than likely. Even though I'm a guitar player, I've been nerding around with synths since back in the CV days, and I'm amazed at what Reason can do. Most people are using it to about 10% of it's potential at best. I didn't upgrade to 3.0 because I'm still dicovering new things in 2.5.
Feel free to shoot questions back this way. For once I feel like I have a good grasp on something on the Tech board. I have a lot of Karma to pay back to you fuckers.
Best
-A
Get a proper sampler, and load your drum samples into it. Do you know what General MIDI is as it relates to drums? Look into that. Basically, there is an order that things like drum samples will load into a keyboard based sampler. Low C is a kick, so is C#, D is snare one, open high hat at A, closed at A#, etc. (not sure about the exact notes, but you get the idea).
That way, when you set up a sequence, no matter what patch you're sampler's on, the snare will always be the snare (or the so-called "snare" like the 909 sounding "pish", etc.).
This is the best way to get a real drum sound. Loads of samples out there. Battery is pretty phenominal. I believe some of the drums were done at Electrical.
There is a lot of free stuff out there. A few free patches are available from almost anyone selling software. You can cobble together some good things that way. When you see that one company in particular is doing what you like, give them your money - buy their program.
Now, use a hardware based sequencer for your triggers. I recommend an old Alesis MMT8. They are about $100 on Ebay and dead simple to use.
It's just like an 8 track recorder, really, only you can edit and quantize, unlike with tape, and it records 1's and 0's instead of sound.
Everybody gushes about the black model. It doesn't matter if you get black or grey, just make sure you're running the last OS (1.11, I believe) - that's what makes it reliable. Any OS before that is not stable for live use. I can tell you from experience.
Personally, I would just use Reason. Instead of using the Redrum program, which I think is brilliant and easy to use, use the NNXT or NN19 sampler, load in drums, and play them the way I described above (General MIDI), using a keyboard. Use Reason as the sampler, and quantize if you want to.
You essentially have any key/synth solution already with Reason. If it can be done some other way with hardware, Reason will get you there as well, more than likely. Even though I'm a guitar player, I've been nerding around with synths since back in the CV days, and I'm amazed at what Reason can do. Most people are using it to about 10% of it's potential at best. I didn't upgrade to 3.0 because I'm still dicovering new things in 2.5.
Feel free to shoot questions back this way. For once I feel like I have a good grasp on something on the Tech board. I have a lot of Karma to pay back to you fuckers.
Best
-A
