I did this with my SH101 with surprisingly good results
Can you buy all the cards and insert what you need or are they soldered in? I have a S2400 but getting a Caladan too.
They are insert as needed!
Maschine drum synth instrument sounds really amazing and doesn’t get enough props.
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I do this with the OT and the Nord Rack 2
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Found it
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According to you Elektronauts, which modern drum machine needs the least in terms of external processing?
I often read that the 808 and 909 need a lot of processing to really shine. I never heard one in person and I don’t know shit about music production, but on Youtube demos the vintage units sound great to my ears. Might be the YouTube compression though.
TR8s:) typical Roland: sounds ready-baked right out of the box.
Edit: kinda cheating cause each track gets its own dedicated insert effect, and there are plenty of saturators/compressors/drive options to choose from
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One that you can put samples in.
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Syntakt, Rytm well some Eq possibly, but their filters help here ofc.
I would wish for better pattern generators, euklid was really appreciated, but pingpong, pattern randomization for velocity etc would be cool.
The sound coming straight out of more or less every synthesis-based drum machine* will sound at least a little weak compared to drums of any kind that have been compressed/ saturated/ properly EQ’d. Learning the very, very basics of compression and saturation alone will make any drum machine sound good. Hell, if you use Ableton, slap the basic Saturator plugin on, crank it 6db, lower output by the same amount to compensate for the volume difference, you’ll have better sounding drums already. I think it’s well worth spending an hour on YouTube watching a couple tutorials and practicing in the DAW.
*assuming the drum machine doesn’t have a built-in compressor etc.
With this in mind, the technically correct answer is:
Drum samples - sample packs, loops, whatever- have almost always been compressed/ saturated/ EQ’d to sound full and “right” so you can throw them on your MPC/ Digitakt/ Model Samples and go to town.
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Thank you for your answer. I had a drum sampler once (Toraiz SP-16) and it was great fun.
The reason I am looking for a synth-based drum machine has less to do with the sound and more with the UI. I dislike going through heaps of samples and would like a simple machine with minimal menu diving. Like a 909 or a Perkons, or even a Drumbrute Impact.
But from what you’re saying I think that maybe I could get a better deal with a sampling groovebox and a midi controller for extra knobs.
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I’ve gotta say, as much as “just use a sampler” is the technicaly correct answer for “best sounding drums” straight out of the machine, I still prefer using drum synthesis in a lot of cases. It’s just more fun for me than digging through samples, and it takes a lot of effort for me to curate a sample collection I like to use whereas I can manipulate a synth on the fly in ways I can’t manipulate samples.
For more specific answers and context, as far as drum synths I’ve owned: both Drumbrutes, Machinedrum, Syntakt, a handful Eurorack drum modules, and a Model: Cycles. I’ve made my own drum sounds on my Peak, Microfreak, and Taiga, and a lot of software synths. Then there’s manipulating samples into drum sounds on the MPC, Digitakt, and in my DAW.
Out of all of these, Syntakt is my absolute favorite for its ease of use and range - the new Acoustic engines are especially great. I loved Drumbrute Impact and Machinedrum, but I sampled and sold them both at some point because Syntakt does everything I wanted out of them and more. I also sold my Digitakt and I actually really miss that - it’s the fastest breakbeat chopping machine in my opinion, and I’ve been doing a lot of that lately.
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same here.
sample-based workflow is waaaaaaaaay too cumbersome and time-consuming.
notable exception: ROMplers.
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If you like saturated 909 sounds, the Erica Synths techno system is really good, really fast workflow and very flexible onboard sound (especially saturation seems possible at every stage). You just need to add a nice compressor module with sidechain and you have a great system.
I’d second the Roland TR-8S suggestion, they can be had at reasonable prices used and it really does have a lot of very tweaktable sounds. All the ACB based sounds are great as are the FM ones, but it also does samples. Only downside is that it is somewhat fiddly to adjust more than one parameter at a time. It is the definition of menu-divy. But it is also something you can get used to, and get quite fast at.
As the TR-6S has all the same sounds as its big sister, I’d recommend that even more to test if you like the sounds. It is great to use as just a sound module as well if you have something else to sequence with, like a Digitakt.
The TR-8S sequencer is pretty amazing though for on grid sequencing. Super fast and one of the few that lets you play one variation while adjusting a different one
Edit: oh! And the effects - they are not the best or most obvious, but there is a good selection that are actually pretty useful to tweak the sounds further, with EQs, saturation, filters…
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Yeah I don’t like it either. I use a drum machine, the Roland R-8 to be exact. It actually may be worth looking into since the sounds are more processed than the TR-8s. The TR8s still need to be processed, while the R-8 has a lot of punch coming out of the box.
Typically true drum machines need processing though, which is why your original comment made me think it’s better to use one that plays samples.
Perkons needs some processing. Possibly a lot if you want it to sound more like a Roland. A rack R-8 with a 909 card (expensive part) is one of the best sounding machines ever made if you like Roland sounds. It just boils down to if you need a sequencer or not - if not go rack, if yes go with r8mk2.
Guys, concerned about the question of the year.
Maybe someone has a personal opinion on choosing the next dram machine?
Today I’m choosing between DR-2 and Alpha base 1 or 2, it doesn’t matter. I plan to use exclusively for hard techno. It would be ideal to get one complete device and supplement it with one synthesiser, most likely a modular for improvisation.
Of course this drum machine should be flexible and to some extent playable during 1,5 hours live. I mean to have a wide palette of sound and not get bored after 30 minutes. Conditionally) There are thoughts of going for a sampler but I’m still talking myself out of it because I’ve never used a sampler out of principle) Also anlg/dgtl doesn’t matter. Today I have LXR-02, DRM1, Perkons HD-01, Tanzbar and still I lack the desire to mix all sounds in parallel.
I just want to find a device like a groovebox or something. Or is it elusive?
P.S
I am very disappointed with roland’s design.
If it was a black iron box with simple red light indicators. I would definitely go for it.
I might still consider an AR or ST but then I’d have to change a lot of my workflow. Although all my friends and their modular drummers for some reason discourage me from buying equipment like AR and ST))) And I don’t want to build a rek for drums like Erica Techno system, but who knows. Fck I want to save presets.
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I feel that most of the ‘perfect drum machine’ hypotheticals listed in this thread are just various descriptions of AR
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What draws you to these two drum machines?