Time for an AR cowbell only challenge? 
I don’t like claps, toms, I wish snares could be snappier without effort. Yes Length vs End is sad! Lfo on Start doesn’t work properly apparently. Couldn’t use an rdm lfo on Start for a drum sample chain. Maybe a workaround…
Was interested in the Tejada album so looked up the link:
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jepp. That’s what I experienced. Some effort or sample layering needed most of the time.
I guess as with A4, you have to know the sweet spots and tricks. I know many for the A4 fortunately, but was too lazy to dig into AR.
But maybe digging for sounds is exactly what the OP wants 
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Just go buy the Behringer 808 clone or the Roland TR8s.
Case closed.
+1 for TR8S. It sounds so good and it’s so performable. Lots of tricks up its sleeve.
I listened to a couple of demos and wasn’t impressed. Not really my cup a tea. Even in the eighties couldn’t get used to the Roland boxes (I have owned a few). I’m looking for a more experimentation oriented device. I really narrowed ir down to the AR or the Tempest, the latter being beyond my budget the choice is really between a AR MKI, and just keep doing wat I do now: AK+DN+SP16 for sound and pattern creation, and then resample. I’m tempted by one of those drum machines because I expect a more spontaneaus workflow from them. Lots of helpful observations here, thanks everyone for chiming in!
After OT and AK, you’d be familiar with AR very quickly.
Well, if you need something quick and spontaneous I would check also Arturia Drumbrute, at the price of less experimental and less weird sound manipulation unless you chain in it with some fx units.
I had a Microbute time ago and the only regret I have it about selling it is about its quick and easy good sound to get, of course at a cost of experimentation diving if used alone.
Otherwise, if you need something that can let you go far beyond the standard drums, I would suggest, on top of the AR mk1, also a used Machinedrum (if you find it at a reasonable price, eventually to pair with a MegaCommand box to get extra features like different length per track like newer elektron boxes etc).
Ah, I looked at that one too (I even demoed it in a store before lockdown) and absolutely hated the sounds! But the MD could be an option indeed. I do admit that I got lost in the different namings of that device (looked to me like there are versions, and options, subversions and over-options… in short I don’t understand which is which and what I should be looking for and what price is right for which version so I kind of abandoned that idea). But it’s a good suggestion!
Rytm is my favourite box.
It is an excellent drum machine, the sound is massive though, rather than precise like the Rolands.
I almost always use a mix of sample and analog. I hate sample management too, but I just find a small handful of my favourite snaps, claps, hats, and mix it up from there. Lots of people do find the analog machines not to their taste, so do take your time to listen and try one if possible. There are some great examples of analog only tracks.
Lots of good advice here already, so just reinforcing some of the points:
- A4 makes awesome synth drums. Definitely consider it if that’s really where you want to go. Doesn’t get as massive as the Rytm tho.
- Rytm’s secret sauce is the compressor and distortion. Take a few stock samples then play with the dist and comp to find your preferred style. It can take a while as everything interrelates.
- Rytm scene and performance macro modes are brilliant.
- Mk1 is tops, best form factor. If you hate sample management why bother with the mk2? They sound as awesome as they ever did too.
- AK and Rytm work really well together - direct jump and same pattern change types.
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MKI - > 2 bars max
UW - > sampling (2.2/2.5 MB max)
+Drive -> 128 projets instead of 1, sample storing…
UWMKII+ is the best you can get, but I think having OT+DN kills MD in all territories, especially drum synthesis. Unless you prefer limited lofi. PITA for tuned drums.
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