newbie question;
see all you cats talking about drum machines.. why use them?
I remember I had a rinky-dink drum machine when I was a kid.. it made beats..cool.
but what makes it so different then opening my ultra beat, building a kit and taping in squares with my mouse? is there something analog about it?
Why drum machines?
theres only something analog about it if its analog I guess. I think its a hardware, hands on thing for me. I havent had a load of drum machines but I do prefer it myself.
Before the days of vst Id either owned or used these: tr 808, sequential drumtraks, dr 550, tr 707, then later, dr 660, yamaha rm1x, korg electribe er1mk2, korg emx1 and even though some of those are really poor by todays standards of samples, I liked the sequencing aspect on them. I dont like computers for making music, I just cant gel with them so its more to do with that for me.
Having said that, a drum machine has a certain coolness about just turning it on and making beats. Havent tried the mpc for sequencing samples or a deep drum machine like the elektron but I will prob get the latter at some point. No idea what ultrabeat is like but if you are happy with it, whats the issue?
Before the days of vst Id either owned or used these: tr 808, sequential drumtraks, dr 550, tr 707, then later, dr 660, yamaha rm1x, korg electribe er1mk2, korg emx1 and even though some of those are really poor by todays standards of samples, I liked the sequencing aspect on them. I dont like computers for making music, I just cant gel with them so its more to do with that for me.
Having said that, a drum machine has a certain coolness about just turning it on and making beats. Havent tried the mpc for sequencing samples or a deep drum machine like the elektron but I will prob get the latter at some point. No idea what ultrabeat is like but if you are happy with it, whats the issue?
i dont like drum machines, which might seem weird coming from someone who's always used one in their music.
i only use a drum machine (TR909) now for the analogue sounds, and never use the sequencer itself.
for me, drum machines seriously limit the potential for experimentation with rhythm, but they shine in the live senario.
i've recently got heavily into building my own customised hardware sequencer, and it makes me even more convinced of the limitations of most drum machines.
i think software sequencing / drum programming would be more powerful coupled with dedicated control surfaces, the ones available are nowhere near complex enough to enable hands on deep expeimentation.
edit;
another factor to consider is the fact that you can get infinitely more variety and control, crossmodulation, morphing of sounds, hybrid percussive/melodic elements, etc etc.. from synthesizing your percussion, rather than using fixed voices or samples.
maybe drum machines are trying too hard to emulate real drummers to an extent.
when i think of percussion i just think of a blank canvass on which i can place textures and tones which have the potential to morph into other textures and tones in any rhythmic pattern i desire.
i only use a drum machine (TR909) now for the analogue sounds, and never use the sequencer itself.
for me, drum machines seriously limit the potential for experimentation with rhythm, but they shine in the live senario.
i've recently got heavily into building my own customised hardware sequencer, and it makes me even more convinced of the limitations of most drum machines.
i think software sequencing / drum programming would be more powerful coupled with dedicated control surfaces, the ones available are nowhere near complex enough to enable hands on deep expeimentation.
edit;
another factor to consider is the fact that you can get infinitely more variety and control, crossmodulation, morphing of sounds, hybrid percussive/melodic elements, etc etc.. from synthesizing your percussion, rather than using fixed voices or samples.
maybe drum machines are trying too hard to emulate real drummers to an extent.
when i think of percussion i just think of a blank canvass on which i can place textures and tones which have the potential to morph into other textures and tones in any rhythmic pattern i desire.
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mo's taverne
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have you tried an Elektron Machinedrum? surely, nowhere near analog but this is a percussion synthesis monster.steevio wrote: another factor to consider is the fact that you can get infinitely more variety and control, crossmodulation, morphing of sounds, hybrid percussive/melodic elements, etc etc.. from synthesizing your percussion, rather than using fixed voices or samples.
maybe drum machines are trying too hard to emulate real drummers to an extent.
when i think of percussion i just think of a blank canvass on which i can place textures and tones which have the potential to morph into other textures and tones in any rhythmic pattern i desire.
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Casanova808
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because drum machines have different quirks that impose a certain feel on a pattern. You can program the same beat on a Linn Drum, an 808, a 707, an RZ-1, or a DDD-1 and they are going to have a different feel. That feel doesn't just come down to the sounds, it is about how the sequencer deals with midi clock, how it handles accents, how tight the sequencer is...
I find it funny that people think you can replicate old drum machines by buying sample sets and working in a daw or sampler. That isn't how techno is supposed to be made. The trick is to have all of those sequencers running at the same time with slightly different feels. You can't get that ITB or with an MPC. You need several machines dealing with the midi clock in a slightly different way with a little lag between each unit in the chain.
I find it funny that people think you can replicate old drum machines by buying sample sets and working in a daw or sampler. That isn't how techno is supposed to be made. The trick is to have all of those sequencers running at the same time with slightly different feels. You can't get that ITB or with an MPC. You need several machines dealing with the midi clock in a slightly different way with a little lag between each unit in the chain.
i'd rather not make or listen to techno if thats the case.Casanova808 wrote: I find it funny that people think you can replicate old drum machines by buying sample sets and working in a daw or sampler. That isn't how techno is supposed to be made. The trick is to have all of those sequencers running at the same time with slightly different feels. You can't get that ITB or with an MPC. You need several machines dealing with the midi clock in a slightly different way with a little lag between each unit in the chain.