I think you should be able to replicate the workflow pretty fast with any (Elektron) sampler that has threshold recording and asks you whether you want to assign the sample you’ve just recorded to a track and if so, which track. I don’t think this aspect of Drumding is innovative or revolutionary in any sense. You could also replicate that exact workflow with a Rytm: design a sound with the onboard synth engines, record it into the onboard sampler and assign it to a track. You wouldn’t even need any cable and could do it all internally.
What’s unique about Drumding is that you have hands on controls for designing the drum sounds plus quick access to the sampler. It also lays out all of the parameters available with knobs, so it’s more open than AR or ST, which have “machines” that restrict what you can do with sound design. That means less jumping around pages compared to Elektrons, which usually leads to a different experience and is more fun imo. And you have the convenience of having it all inside of one machine that also has some tricks like the alternative trigs.
I think you may be underestimating how important the speed factor is with drumDING’s sampling, I think that being able to immediately store a sound into a track buffer with a button hold + button press is arguably an innovation upon the standard method, particularly so when the synth is integrated into the unit like this.
It’s not a huge leap, but an important repackaging and rethinking of preexisting concepts. Simply by having the sampling record action correspond with an intended destination, and to also have it trigger the sound that will be sampled in the same moment is a superb and important bit of streamlining of a common music making chore. There’s no special mode or prior setup to do, just tweak > press the combo > sequence the sample > repeat and keep moving. The more time we spend being musical vs being technical the better.
I don’t have an AR, but having looked at videos of how it’s done it’s really not the same kind of experience. It’s the usual record mode save and assign thing, nothing like as immediate as the drumDING or Octatrack.
I have to agree with @GurtTractor here, it’s certainly the most effeicient way I can imagine to get the synth sound converted into a sample, while everything is still running.
In my opinion, the DrumDING will shine as an improvisational tool and experimental sketch pad. I think it has its strength in its immmediacy more than anything else.
Personally I wouldn’t buy this and think of it as a drum machine, the synth will make tonal stuff (fine tuning may be an issue though), and I guess you could build polyphonic parts quickly. Despite its limited sample editing tools, I found it easy to expand each sample’s usefulness/flexibility in the sequencer. If you hit a wall with the onboard synth, you can sample an external source or load your own samples.
I think they’ve hit a near perfect balance here between versatility and speed of use. Some people will possibly find it too limited, but in my book it’s guaranteed fun
All drums, besides the little shaker, are from the Drumding and the atmospheric stuff is all field recordings, with too much reverb.
Yeah this thing sounds really really good. If anyone finds more clips please post them here.
Does anyone know of a comparable drum synth unit/module (or a monosynth?) that can produce a similar range and quality of sounds? I’m considering maybe picking up something to pair with my OT now that I know I can fairly easily emulate the sampling + effects side of the drumDING.
The listed instruments are wildly different with regards to functions, interface, strenghts/weaknesses, price etc. You need to ask yourself what you want and need first.
Yes the listed machines are very different. But given I have a Digitakt just wondering what other of these “flagship” drum machines might complement or even replace the Digitakt. The Tonverk is more of a groovebox, no? Although also a very capable drum machine. Yeah, the ARMk2 is most definitely considered a flagship machine.
Looking at this list looks like there is indeed room for a drumDING and a Polyend Drums in the high specs range.
Groovebox is not a very descriptive term, everybody has their own idea about what that is. Some people even call the DT1 a groovebox, even though the tracks are clearly labeled as different drums.
TV is a 64-voice polyphonic sampler with 8 tracks, 4 busses, 29 simultaneous effects and a sequencer.
Yeah, I just read that too. In many ways the TV is a souped up DT2, but not really a dedicated drum machine format that I am considering in this case. TV is very capable, no doubt, but if I put this in my shortlist, it’ll definately replace my DT2. Maybe I should, since it’s almost like a cross between a drumDING and a DT2. Lots to think about.
I’m curious where you see the difference. If a dedicated drum machine requires analog or digital drum models, TV is not a dedicated drum machine, but in that case devices like Alesis SR-16, LinnDrum (old or new), DMX (BMX) or Korg DDD-1 aren’t “dedicated drum machines”, either.
Apart from analog or digital drum models, TV lacks nothing these other drum machines have in common, except for the knob per function approach (which is debatable for the DrumDING).
Drum machines are more limited than TV, that is the main difference.
Just because TV is not marketed as a drum machine, that does not mean that it can’t be a better drum machine than those devices that are.
I agree, the TV has lots of built in sound design tools to shape drum sounds, and it has a drum machine sequencer that’s better than that of most drum machines. You can also recreate the options for performance you have on more hands on drum machines with velocity layers:
If you want to synthesize all of your drum sounds in a more straightforward way, a machine like DrumDing might still be the better choice though.
On my side, I separate each machine for a specific duty, my brain prefers to work that way and in the meantime, the mixes are easier to do this way. So, if you need a dedicated Drum Machine, which drumDING seems to be, go for it. If you prefer a one-box-does-it-all-almost, go for that.
All I’m saying is: TV can be your dedicated drum machine if you use it as such.
To me the main appeal of DrumDING appears to be a really streamlined workflow for taking static snapshots of the synth voice into an extremely limited sample player.
Maybe it works equally well for sampling external sounds, too, but I haven’t seen a demonstration of that.
But if it does, there might be a market for a version without the drum voice for a more reasonable price. Because I do think the “sampling without noticing you’re sampling” is useful for a lot of people, but maybe not for €1500 (where many would expect more options for shaping the sound).
