This week’s Bad Gear got me thinking about it. I don’t love the 707, but…
Ha!
The only one I’ve never actually used is a 909 and probably never will, but I do love the sounds. I think I’m a little weary of the 808.
808
909
707
606
DR660
In no particular order
Super tricky question. Totally depends on what you do with them.
Example. all the TR machines can sound like crap unless you know how to work them.
My favourite is TR-8S. Since it has all the classics, and all the processing required to get banging sounds just with that box.
Only had a 505 + 606 and I still miss the slick kick of the 606 over those hi-hat/closed-hat & cymbal.
TR909 for the sounds.
TR909 samples from Samples From Mars loaded into the Digitakt is the ideal for me.
TR8S emulation of TR909 if I didn’t own a Digitakt.
I own both a TR8S and a Digitakt and have worked out that Digitakt with quality samples of Roland drum machines is the way to go, for me at least. More flexibility, far better sequencer, one quarter of the footprint (TR8S is awkwardly large in my tiny setup).
RSD-10
On sound alone this thing is up there with early akai with its lush weird audio rate.
It’s got a built in compressor that does something (nice?) too.
I haven’t used the pitch shifter (Gantz Graf!?) or chorus from this range but would assume they’re all lovely.
Wait the boss sampler thing?? How do you get drum sounds out of it, are they built in?
I’m a fan of the reverb and distortion from this series…
Only just saw the “drum” part of this thread.
You can certainly get them into it…
909 overall
606 except for the kick
808 only for cowbell
I’ve never used any of them and don’t plan on starting. But as far as sounds go:
606
808
909
I don’t have strong enough opinions about the rest to include them in any kind of ranking
