I agree 100%
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iPad seems to be fun.
A friend of mine is using it with Machine+, it’s impressive.
I prefer my grooveboxes but I do understand the appeal for the ITB approach.
And I guess Overbridge is very useful then.
Niaaah. There’s two of them! And now I have to look. People love sending other people in rabbitholes… 
I mentioned 3 mfbs - and just trying to be helpful 
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Ha yes I was only joking thanks for the suggestion.
MFBs I don’t know… I’ve listened to the Tanzmaus which sounded much like any analog groovebox (pretty much like a Drumbrute Impact). I’d still like more flexibility in the sound. Have to look at the Tanzbar.
Good luck!
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Tanzmaus sounds miles better IMO, and way more flexible.
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Tanzmaus sounds miles better IMO, and way more flexible.
Have to listen to more videos. Care to share one you deem impressive?
I’ve had the time to look at some vids on my lunch break.
- I can confirm that the Nord Modular will be too tedious to program (for me)
- I like the Tanzmaus but they seem to have a number of QC issues, the Tanzbar2 is hard to come by. Also they have a quite limited, Berlin-centric, sound palette.
- Still really like the Tempest. Impressive versatility! I guess it’s because it’s not fully analog, as is the Syntakt.
(the sequence at 5:00 is neat, go listen to it it’s impressive)
But the more I look at it the more I feel like I’ve overlooked the TR-8S. It seems to fit the bill:
PROs:
- Nicely priced (currently 650€ new)
- Loads of synthesis options, including FM, and effects
- Individual outs
- Samples too (I don’t like sampling but it’s nice it’s there just in case, and the built in library seems comprehensive and nice)
- Samples are on an SDHC card. I like that it’s more durable than a soldered +Drive.
CONs:
- Can’t be used to sequence other synths, as the Digitakt and the Rytm (in a lesser extent) can.
Those who went the TR-8S way, do you regret some features of Elektron boxes?
There’s no perfect drum machine. For me, the TR8S checks more than enough boxes. I’ve also got enough Elektron boxes to cover the small niggles I have with the TR8S.
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Is iPad a box? More like “getting back on the slab” I think
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Haha yeah! ITS! You first read it here!
But for me it would be a laptop and Live. So I would stick to ITB. But not yet.
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I have A4mk1, DT, and TR-6S. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, I have fun with all of them, and I wouldn’t give up one in favour of the other two (unless forced to).
The TR-6S has a nice immediacy, being able to mix and match kits and patterns is quite nice, and I like variations (including selecting ones as fill-in). It can be menu-divey, and Roland’s documentation makes me wince. Scatter is a mystery. The ACB models sound great, and the factory samples are quite good.
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An A4MK1 for drums is still a very valid option to complete my A4MKII for not-drums! Plus I already know the workflow.
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There’s definitely a lot to be said for that option! I really like the A4 for drums.
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I’m coming back around to the TR8s after a few years playing livesets with my Digitakt on drums & a bit of midi sequencing. Why?
- Faders. I can’t overstate this, but having faders that just work is really hard on the DT due to the global mixer midi cc bug (where DT locks up momentarily when using midi mapped to global controls)
- Sound. ACB is really, REALLY punchy. On DT, it’s tough to gainstage right and get low end to punch through a busy mix due to the internal sidechain ducking the source as well as the rest of the mix. Can be done with careful programming and EQ of course. Hard to explain but ACB just sounds more ‘alive’ - perhaps it’s psychological / marketing…
- Sidechain. One of the only boxes out there that has built in sidechain of both internal and external sources.
- Variety of internal effects and effects per channel.
- This one’s small but for me it matters: although the TR8s footprint is bigger, I think audiences connect with it more emotionally vs the DT. The TR8s looks like a drum machine in a very visible way, and this helps people connect with what i’m doing onstage. Digitakt looks like a calculator. This gets back to the fader thing - throwing a kick fader / audibly hearing the kick come in is a lot cooler looking than just unmuting a DT track.
- Swing. Roland’s swing implementation on this one is just reeaaaally damn groovy.
Things i miss already -
- Depth of p locks. The motion recording is cool but it’s weird that there’s an ‘on/off’ for it. Also plocking notes/chromatic tuning per step is a lot smoother on DT.
- Sample/sound locks. With that and plocking it’s a lot easier to create interesting perc grooves on DT with just one track instead of 2-3 on TR8s.
- 2 LFOs PER TRACK. TR8s has one GLOBAL lfo.
- Elektron UI that makes sense despite its depth. But i’m convinced i’ll get over it with muscle memory and set and forget it kits on TR8s.
Not selling my DT for a while, maybe never;) I’m just so productive on it. But i’m curious to see how the TR8s experiment pans out this summer at gigs
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Didn’t even know about the sidechain option of the TR-8S, how does it work?
Edit: Ok got it:
Currently in one configuration I send the kick of my Rytm to a Pill pedal which takes care of ducking the A4 which is routed to the Rytm INs. But if I can ditch the Pill it’s even better.
Otherwise very compelling arguments. Still only one LFO on last firmware? And to say I wanted a second LFO per track on the Rytm 
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If the main measure of the machine is the sound OOTB - I’d go with the Jomox Alpha Base.
Things I’ve tried:
TR8S
RYTM MK2
Machinedrum MK2
MFB Tanzbar 2
Vermona DRM
Jomox Alpha Base
What remains:
Machinedrum and the Jomox.
Great machines.
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Modor DR-2 seems to be fairly flexible, but I haven’t played it so far. Also Erica LXR-2 has a lot to offer.
But you can’t go wrong with the A4. Never!
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Honestly sounds like you need to build a eurorack drum machine to check off all of these boxes. Probably the only way to do it.
That said, some things overlooked that could also do the job in some way even if they don’t check every box - PerkonsHD, LXR-02, Digitone (amazing drum machine), Digitakt using Single Cycle waveforms to turn it into a drum synth which is super fun and sounds great…
But yeah, the only way to have a perfect drum machine for yourself, is probably by building it in modular. Maybe jump into VCV Rack 2 (free) and test out some ideas?