Cheaper Drum Alternative to Machinedrum (which I own)

Elektron Gear
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The ND sequencer won’t be ‘really disappointing’ because it doesn’t have one. This is why I said with a good sequencer. You can kill it with the DT, for example. He’s got an Octa already…

2s are expensive. You can get 3Ps cheap for what they can do though, a fraction of the cost of a MD. You get pads thrown in and can MIDI control other drums with them, or just ignore them and treat it as an amazing module.

I have both. Love them. I know there are some phys mod software instruments - haven’t tried them - but don’t know anything else in hardware that sounds so organic and real.

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Analog Rytm MKI is considerably more affordable and is a universe of sound plus it has better sample capability. I’m selling mine!

There’s also the Korg Drumlogue which is around $400 new and Digitakt OG which is going for around $500.

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Syntakt or LXR-02
… both for better results :wink:

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LXR-02 is probably closest to Machine drum on the market. Dirtywave M8 can also be an insane drum machine if you’re down with the tracker workflow. Very easy to synthesize (or sample) drums on it.

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You have an mpc one. Dig into the drum synth on it. It’s pretty good.

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A few thoughts about the LXR-02 and the Syntakt, maybe that is of some help:

The LXR-02 has 4 outs if that is important to you, because most of the other machines mentioned here have only 2, but the machine drum has 6.

Sequencer is good, but you can only p-lock 2 parameters per sound, so if you routinely lock more parameters per sound, you’d have to use an external sequencer and send CC (that’s what I do). Since LXR-02 receives all parameters for all tracks on a single MIDI channel, a substantial amount of parameters are only available via NRPN. I found most of those are not parameters I’d like to automate anyway. Which is good, because the sequencers I have at hand can’t send NRPN.

Also, you can’t copy individual sounds between kits. Even if you’re prepared to wrap your head around the algorithms and create all your kits from scratch, that might slow you down a bit, because you can’t just spend some time with the machine to create lots of sounds, and mix and match those later into kits for your tracks.

To actually copy a sound, you’d need to write down around 40 parameters scattered over 12 or so pages on a fucken piece of paper. I did that once. Can’t recommend. Won’t hold my breath for an update to remedy that, either.

Sound is amazing, though, a really nice touch are the sampled transients, you can do a lot with those. Though I must admit I’m still pretty far away from being fast with it.

Syntakt is a much smoother ride, it’s so easy to learn from other people’s sounds because you can easily browse sounds, and if you find something interesting, it’s easier to see how it’s done because you can see 8 parameters on a page, the LXR has a smaller display that shows only four.

Editing on the Sytakt is fairly simple with 8 encoders, on the LXR it’s noticeably slower.

Also, Syntakt algorithms are much more straightforward, since they offer only 8 parameters per algorithm, LXR2 has a lot more parameters, but only 4 algorithms, which are hardwired to tracks, you get 3xDrum, 1x HH, 1xSnare and 1x Clap/Cym, and there’s no way to change that.

One other thing I really like about the Syntakt is the modulation setup for Mod Wheel, Breath Controller etc. It’s so easy to add expressive modulations to a sound with a simple MIDI controller, there’s no way that can be achieved on the LXR-02 without extra hardware.

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Nord microModular :wink:

As far as you don’t mind virtual patching it is a great machine to have, experiment, and enjoy.

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I think one of the best drum machines I’ve had is the Analog Four. Mk1’s are cheap if you can find them. You can sound lock with it, so you can have a different drum sound on 64 different keys on a keyboard. All digitally controlled analog. Kind of something like the Octatrack, where it can take you lots of different places, or you could just use it as 4 mono synths. Great percussive envelopes. Wouldn’t have that dirty digital from the Machinedrum, but really deep basses and great fm percussion.

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Lots of good suggestions and advice already! I’ll chime in and double down on the Nord Drum 3P (don’t see the appeal of the Nord Drum 2 over the ND3P at the premium second hand prices, minus maybe the form factor) and/or the Analog 4 mk1 as a drum machine.

I also like the digital, rough sound of the LXR-02 but handling doesn’t sound amazing as per what @Lizard-of-Oz wrote here.

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+1

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My takeaway from the answers so far is that there is a lot to think about in this decision! And you’d be served well by isolating what matters to you. Do you need more than 2 outs? How down and dirty do you want to get with programming? Do you want a macro-based editing system? Do you want access to every parameter?

I’ll second that the ND3p has a sound that fully rips. But I just sold mine because the interface wasn’t quite right for how I work.

To explain a little more:

I found the parameter choice be optimized for drum synthesis, not necessarily the kind of drum sequencing I like to do. I’m having a little trouble articulating what I meant, but maybe this will do it: The chosen parameters make it fairly quick to dial in a great sound from scratch – but I didn’t find many of those same parameters worth automating in a sequence.

I found myself missing Elektron-style macros. There were times with the ND3p I would modulate a parameter and then wonder if it actually changed the sound at all.

As for the organic sounds that people are excited about – that’s totally real. But, in my experience, that is a function of the dynamic filter, which responds to the velocity of hits. It’s fun, and super effective, especially if you’re playing the device with sticks. But it’s a somewhat limited way to think about velocity modulation if you’re sequencing the ND3p with an outside sequencer.

YMMV on any of these points, but I ultimately found gestalt of the ND3p to be different from that of an Elektron device or even the LXR. It’s not built specifically to be sequenced like those devices are. It can be sequenced, and to great effect – but that never felt like its primary application to me.

So in my case, I moved on to DrumSpillage and some VSTs. I sequence these from my Push and my Digitone. They offer more flexible modulation of parameters (and I can build macros, if I prefer!).

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I have A4-mk2.

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Thanks for all the great ideas.

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Lxr 1 with the user firmware updates, that I posted a link to in the LXR thread a bit ago, and a Nord 3P. Use a Digitakt MK1 to sequence and using program change and ccs for the LXRs morph, you can get pretty cray cray results. I’ve made presets on my DT so I don’t have to keep setting up the CCs. You can even disable the playing pads and place you DT on the 3p if you don’t intend to use them.
The Rytm 1s can be found super cheap sometimes. I’ve seen a few over the years being sold because the pads weren’t working anymore, which is an easy $12 replacement that you can do yourself.

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Learn to use MD to its fullest before selling it.
MD Mk2 UW+ is an incredible instrument, the kind you can make a whole live session with nothing else. Maybe add some Strymon Deco, OTO Boum or Analog Heat to add different flavors.
It’s the kind of machine you regret having sold.

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Agree with this. The OTO Boum and the MD make a fantastic pair.

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Would a Modor DR-2 fit the bill?

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Thanks. I have Boum and Analog Heat-1. MPC One sounds fantastic for drums etc. with s2400. (recently sold Live-2, didn’t need the speakers/fluff). With all the feedback here, I’m reluctant to sell the MDM, since I dont absolutely need to.

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never tried one, will check it out.

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Modor 2 is more expensive than my Machinedrum (at $1500 used). I’m looking for something as good as the MDM for $400-700.