Why drum machines?

[Barfunkel]

i'm struggling to think of something a 16 step drum machine can do that a computer midi sequencer can't.

Nothing really, but some people don't find computers an inspiring or creative environment. Drum machines, OTOH, are fun to use.

[steevio]

i'm struggling to think of something a 16 step drum machine can do that a computer midi sequencer can't.

Nothing really, but some people don't find computers an inspiring or creative environment. Drum machines, OTOH, are fun to use.

i defintely dont find computers an inspiring or creative environment, but i dont find drum machines are that either, there are other ways.

[regler]

my 909 definitely has a 'feel' to it, and i loved that for a long time, now i find it just too limiting. the stock shuffles are all nice, but there are huge gaps in between them, i need my shuffles to be adjustable to the finest degree, i need asymmetric shufffles, i need polyrhyhthms, i need totally control and infinite flexibilty.

I think that the limitations are one of the key things about drum machines.
When working ITB there are too many options to go through b4 you even begin to write the melodic parts like bass, leads.

Couldnt you get better control of shuffle by using the modular as your master clock?

yes thats exactly what i do.

I'm really curious, how do you create shuffle with your modular?

[steevio]

my 909 definitely has a 'feel' to it, and i loved that for a long time, now i find it just too limiting. the stock shuffles are all nice, but there are huge gaps in between them, i need my shuffles to be adjustable to the finest degree, i need asymmetric shufffles, i need polyrhyhthms, i need totally control and infinite flexibilty.

I think that the limitations are one of the key things about drum machines.
When working ITB there are too many options to go through b4 you even begin to write the melodic parts like bass, leads.

Couldnt you get better control of shuffle by using the modular as your master clock?

yes thats exactly what i do.

I'm really curious, how do you create shuffle with your modular?

its really simple. you send a low frequency pulse wave to a mulitple (which effectively clones the wave) send one directly to a mixer send another to a trigger delay then on to the mixer, mix the waves back together.
the resulting mix is sent to the clock input of your sequencing set-up, and each leading edge of the pulse wave acts as a trigger, each alternative one being delayed, and the amount of delay determines the amount of shuffle. the frequency of the oscillator determines the tempo.
but i use 4 delays to create asymmetric shuffles and delayed downbeats etc.
even better would be more delays, so that you can create complex grooves. when i can afford it i'm going for 8 delays.

you can also use oscillators which have pulse phase modulation, (livewire AFG) which means you can 'shuffle' the shuffle and create really interesting elastic grooves whch move around.

[oblioblioblio]

just thought i'd chime in quickly here. ^^^ that probably sounds really complicated but actually it's totally simple as fck... i think the problem is, that when you've spent a lot of time working in that way it seems so obvious (becuase it is), but if you're not familiar it might sound very complicated.

p.s. drum machines suck. (unless you're somone who likes drum machines that is)

[AK]

they suck that much that whole genres have been literally defined around them and people are still using some 20 to 30 years later!

So far since coming here, ive heard, 'digital synths suck', 'VA's suck', a load of analogue synths suck, 'software sucks', 'computer sequencing sucks', 'using samples sucks', 'hardware samplers suck' and now 'drum machines suck'.

Theres not a shitload of gear left if you make electronic music is there? Its a bloody good job I dont listen to anybody or Id have actually believed some of it. Long live drum machines. Lol.

I hope they still get produced, I like the concept of the machinedrum and its nod to the future, just not that crazy about the sounds I have heard from it.

[Phurniture]

I don't think there's much that most drum machines can do that can't be replicated with a sequencer. Having said that, being limited to a drum machine you can get the beats happening and not arse around for ages not making music.

Also, the limitation of a machine can force you to do some creative things with it. When I had the LinnDrum I used to come up with all kinds of cool patterns and sounds, a lot of which required turning the knobs live (I think it was Steevio that said drum machines really come alive when used live...as oxy-moronic as that sounds).

But ultimately you are somewhat limited to the sounds in the box. This is the main reason I got rid of the Jomox X-Base09, which had a nice sequencer with LFO effects, but I really grew tired of the sounds, esp. the snare and hihats.

Just to reminisce, some of the other drum machines I had when I used to collect them: TR-808, TR-727, TR-606, SCI DrumTraks and some weird little digital Korg thing that didn't really work properly. I do really regret getting rid of the 808 and LinnDrum, though...

[AK]

i can totally see why some people might not wish to use them and look for alternative methods though. If it werent for the kick on say the 909 and 808, they may well be used by retro enthusiasts only in this day and age.

Another part of my music making interest is electro, i have always liked the music growing up and some of that involves referencing to the past when creating it. Its nice to have that nostalgic feel by using drum machines that were used for that type of music. Theres just something about using them that I like but I could use other stuff obviously.