RE: Suitable Drum Machine Model (help?)

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by monsterjazzlicks, Oct 12, 2021.

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  1. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Hi folks,

    (I hope it is permissible for me to post such a topic here. If not, Moderators please feel free to relocate.)

    I have been thinkin’ of forming a duo (with, say, a saxophonist) now that lockdown is over. I would be playing left-hand bass on one keyboard, and piano/rhodes/organ on another ie. (with my right-hand).

    Now, my question is specifically in relation to drum-machines. Cast your mind back to the 80’s (or earlier) and drum-machines provided the user with preset ‘patterns’ (or ‘styles’, as they have also been called). You had choices of: Bossa Nova, Swing, Pop, Funk, etc. Often you had an ‘intro’ and’ ‘outro’ dedicated button (or pedal-trigger) to get you in and out of the song, and a ‘fill’ button (or pedal-trigger) so you could have it perform a one-bar-fill at any given moment. I used to own a Yamaha QY20 which was also great for individual practice/jamming with.

    Anyway, I’m sure you get my drift here. You did not really have to faff around to much with programming if you did not want to.

    But do such devices still exist?; I mean, do we have modern day equivalents? Or have the manufactures completely done away with such models nowadays? There are lots of fancy boxes like ‘Maschine’ but they are just way above and beyond what I need for a duo type setting.

    Many thanks in advance for any kind assistance offered here.

    Best,

    Paul David Seaman (UK)
     
  2. FrankieP

    FrankieP Forum Resident

    Beat Buddy by Singular Sound. You might also want to visit Gearspace for your query.
     
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  3. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Picture saves me a few words:
    [​IMG]
     
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  4. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Hi Harby,

    I never even knew of this device, thanks! I'll take a look . . .

    Paul
     
  5. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Hi Frank,

    Much appreciated, I will check it out . . .

    Paul
     
  6. guestuser

    guestuser Chillin

    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    The unit @harby mentioned is a great option. Also, Boss DR-3 Dr. Rhythm Drum Machine is another good option that let's you create full song-length drum patterns from presets. You can find them used for less $100 on eBay.
     
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  7. somnar

    somnar Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC & Amsterdam
    This is it. Super cheap, too.
     
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  8. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    And any of these are a bit limiting. With a real drum machine, you can customize drum kits and patterns for particular songs and name them, switch between rhythms for verse & chorus, even program the whole song if you don't need spontaneity. Tap the tempo without audience hearing tempo adjustment. Bass lines. MIDI.

    Here's stock patterns from an Alesis used for performing:


    99 stock presets (two patterns and fills each): https://www.reddit.com/r/edrums/comments/b9ediu/alesis_sr18_preset_list/
     
  9. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
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  10. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
  11. arem

    arem Forum Resident

    If you have an iOs device I highly recommend the DS-1 Drum Machine app. It emulates many popular vintage drum machines and is very flexible in how you can program and arrange songs with it. I just recreated the drum track from New Order's "Blue Monday" on it for fun.

    ‎DM1 - The Drum Machine
     
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  12. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Hi Arem,

    Many thanks but unfortunately I'm on Windoze.

    Cheers,

    Paul
     
  13. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Harby,

    I did actually watch that video of the SR18 a couple of weeks ago - but felt that the drum sounds and patterns sounded a little dated, in my opinion. But I can appreciate it is a very popular unit.

    Did you not find the demonstrators piano drowned out the machine?! lol

    Paul
     
  14. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Somnar,

    I think I'm looking for is little more sophisticated than the Korg KR Mini, if I'm honest. Obviously this would mean playing more but I feel the extra cost would be fully justified.

    Paul
     
  15. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Hi Guestuser,

    The DR-3 Dr. Rhythm is very similar to the model I owned some 20 years ago, although obviously it's been modernized in certain respects. I checked out a few You Tube videos this morning, thanks.

    As I say I'm looking at the BeatBuddy at present.

    There is also a unit called Trio+?

    Paul
     
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  16. Carrman

    Carrman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    There are tons of modern drum machines currently on the market. My advice would be to pick a price range to narrow down the options and then watch some model specific tutorials/reviews on youtube to see what would work best for you.

    Drum Machines & Samplers | Sweetwater
     
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  17. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Yeah, she does waste a lot of time to only show like 10 stock patterns.

    I just monkeyed around with my Alesis SR-16 for five minutes for you, a few custom patterns of mine, but mostly going through the sounds of different stock kits. There's 233 individual drum sounds, 12 pads, 50 preset and 50 user drum kits, 50+50 of both stock and user patterns, songs.

    http://hotnova.com/sr16kitz.mp3

    Mono because I put it through a digital delay pedal.
     
  18. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Hi Carrman,

    I appreciate the link, thanks.

    Gee, yes, there are many many choices out there as you say! . . .

    Paul
     
  19. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Hi Harby,

    Ha ha, I'm glad you agree the OP dragged out her demonstration to an eternity, and without actually disclosing anything relevant!

    That was VERY kind of you to take the time and trouble to upload a demo here, many thanks indeed. And you are a talented guy also. :D (I liked that reverb-spring effect half way though, btw!)

    I totally hear the sound you are going for (as I used to attain this, well almost) a few years back with my Boss Dr. Rhythm unit. It's a good sound (and very 'classic') but I'm lookin' to move sideways from this (my music and instrumentation has changed, as it does over the years).

    As I mention, I have been lookin' at the BeatBuddy (there's a full and reduced version, it seems); I do need to delve deeper though . . .

    Best,

    Paul
     
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  20. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Hi,

    Regarding the BeatBuddy, I have been trying to gain more insight into the steps one has to take to expand upon the default library.

    I have seen user comments stating that the customer has to pay a further 250GBP in order to access the additional library!

    Is this really true? I mean, that's basically the full cost of the pedal once over!

    Paul
     
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  21. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    That's just a few patterns for one song.. One has to see through the pattern used to demonstrate the kits to see the potential when a drum machine is programmed and in a song.

    Here's a song for example - fully fleshed out - programmed on a drum machine (with an entire band pantomiming...).

     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2021
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  22. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    And those drum sounds demonstrated for you on the drum machine used (sold for $1600)


    Of course, your first post leads one to suspect you just want a "bossanova" button from that Conn organ. You'll run out of fun fast.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2021
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  23. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Harby,

    The intro by the concert band is a rip-off of "Ride Like The Wind"! - do you not think? (ie. F# Minor to E Major, etc).

    So is the drummer 'miming' in that video?

    Paul
     
  24. monsterjazzlicks

    monsterjazzlicks Holly~wuud! Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wirral, UK
    Harby,

    That's actually a very good demonstration of the Simmons. At least you don't have to put with annoying You Tube channel presenters like you do nowadays!

    Paul
     
  25. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Christopher Cross? Don't see much similarity to that Quarterflash other than they are playing Western music; this chorus is F#, A, E; C# "fill"

    It was very common in shows like American Bandstand or your Top of the Pops to just have acts lip-sync to the album track. See Nirvana on TOTP take the piss, they got a live mic but don't even pretend to play the instruments.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2021
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