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SP-16 - still overlooked, but great.
especially as very playable drum machine, with the pads, assignable touch strip and filter/drive
As others have said, it really depends on what you mean by “playable.” If you means live finger-drumming, I think it’s probably an MPC or maybe an Sp404 - or if you want to use sticks - maybe a Nord Drum.
For me, the analog Rytm is a very uniquely playable drum machine in the sense that it’s fundamentally tied to a sequencer but the performance features really allow you to use the sequencer while also fluidly improvising/altering the sounds and jumping/modifying sequences. The scenes, performance functions and sequence “jumping” really work together to make it feel like you are “playing” the sequencer.
I agree that you have to kind of separate designing a kit from making a beat or else you get lost/lost steam. What I like about the AR is spending some nights really customizing all the performance details/samples of a kit and then other nights having all these ways to improvise when laying down a track and you really feel like the instrument is your own.
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Yes, drum machine, without or without editable sequencer ? Newer MPC pads seems much better than those I used with MPC 1000, as I tested on a cheap Akai Mini Play. I suppose newer MPCs have at least same quality.
I didn’t have a good experience with AR MKI pads, even with Perf.
The best midi pads I used were on Roland HPD15. A lot of pressure parameters to modulate sounds, per group or not. HPD20 is an improved version.
I think using a good midi pad controller with a drum machine you like for its sounds and sequencer can be a good workaround.
(The most sensible pad I used is the Korg Wavedrum Global, but it can’t be midi sequenced; well, unless you hack it with audio in as I did.)
The Syntakt won in the end, comes on friday. Cant wait!
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I wonder if you got the defective, first generation MPC1000 pads that got redesigned quickly, because the 1000s I’ve used had pads almost as nice as the 90s Akais, and the standalone Akai pad controllers I’ve tried all felt awful in comparison. But I’ve never used the original 1000 pads and they were notorious for being almost unusable.
Hard to overstate the playability of the DrumBrute Impact. Every single UI decision was made in favor of live sequencing.
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Programming wise i think TR-8S is fast and good. Usually you want lay down steps fast adjust levels pan left right and auto choke groups. For outright playability i think Maschine is very good.
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Oh man, I’m interested. What kind of hack did you do / how did you do it ?
I don’t think so for the blue, then I had a black. Same. So it wasn’t first generation. I prefered MPC 2000 pads.
I had an HPD 15 before, which have excellent midi pads. Anything after is deceiving.
Newer AKAI pads are definitely better than MPC 1000s.
…first gen mpc 1000 pads were a desaster…
like apples idea of butterfly keyboards…apple and akai both changed their minds at some point and returned to their older concepts… 
most “playable” drum machines remain good old mpc3000/2000…
The answers you don’t want to hear:
Both of the above are about >$450 AUD depending on the sound you want… (buy both?)
I know everyone likes to hate on Behringer but for all intent purposes that RD-9 sounds and works like a OG 909. Both machines offer a largely knob per function (= playable) UI. If you want pads for finger drumming you have enough left over to buy some.
TR-8S is over is ~$1200 for me.
The second-gen MPC 1000 pads feel closer to the pads on somehting like a Novation controller to me. Not terrible but they feel kind of dead compared to the 2000s.
The first-gen Akai MPD had probably the worst feeling pads I’ve ever used but I think they improved them since.
I’ve only had my hands on a 3000 once (still kind of regret not buying it, $500 with a custom hard case was a pretty good deal even in 2012 when, for comparison, my 2000xl MCD was $100 plus another $80 each for new-old-stock, factory sealed output and effects expansions and $15 for a SMPTE chip) and it didn’t have an OS disk so I don’t know what the actual response is like, but I remember the feel of the pads actually being a little closer to the 1000 than the 2000, and that’s part of the reason I didn’t get it - I’d have had to sell my 2000 to afford it and as much as it’s a classic I preferred the feel of the 2000 pads.
I’d love to see Linn release a drum-oriented pad controller based on the Linnstrument sensor and firmware but with a thicker, more MPC2000/2000-like playing surface. Honestly, adding a mode to the firmware that grouped cells in the sensor as 2x2 clusters and an optional, replacement silicone sheet with MPC-like pads that covered a 4 sensor cluster per pad would be enough. If I coded, I’d take a stab at branching the firmware myself, actually.
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With 16 sound variations (scenes), crossfader and fills, the OT can be an amazingly playable drum machine.
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Original post :
I find Tanzbär 2 to be nice and hands on when jamming/playing live. Simple enough to tweak stuff while playing.
The ugly duckling Drumbrute Impact.
It’s lightning fast to get a beat going, switch it up, copy it over, do crazy stuff.
You can change the scale of the beat, polymeters, loop rolling–and then have it all come back to perfect sync with the master clock, right where it would be as if it hadn’t been messed with.
It’s fantastically performative.
It sounds… well, it sounds pretty ok. The kick is great even.
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How you getting on with the syntakt?
why not
