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.
With 16 sound variations (scenes), crossfader and fills, the OT can be an amazingly playable drum machine.
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.
How you getting on with the syntakt?
why not
