mooseherman « Ancient machine that has great sounds »
Publié le 21/10/10 à 03:36
(contenu en anglais)
This is an old-school analog drum machine. This was in development in the 80s and from what I understand is incredibly obscure nowadays. This machine is notable for being a tape-based drum machine, which is an older technology than the more familiar MIDI-based drum machines that came later and more or less are in use now (digital drum machines are based mostly on MIDI). There aren't exactly a whole lot of options in terms of sounds (16 different ones) but the ones that are there are good.
This is too old to use Mac or PC software, so it's lacking in that regard. There are no updates to be had either.
UTILIZATION
Actually using this machine, assuming it's working, is pretty cool. It has pads that respond actively to you playing them, which allows the user to program a "natural" feel into the drums. There is also a really cool interface that lights up when the notes are played. It makes programming really easy, especially since all the functions are grouped really close together, which isn't always the case with drum machines this old.
SOUNDS
These drum sounds aren't necessarily realistic, but in my opinion, no drum machine really is, so I guess that is not to be dismissed. They also aren't the most expressive sounds I've heard but they certainly beat the majority of drum machines that came later, and were MIDI-operated. I think that this drum machine is better suited to 80s style rock and pop music than hip-hop, so I would keep that in mind if you plan on trying to use one. The converters are really not that transparent, but that might just be because the one I tried was really old. Using some of the settings on this machine reminded me of The Cure's album Pornography, which is notable for having a few tracks that are really drum-machine oriented. I don't know whether or not they used this particular machine, though.
OVERALL OPINION
While it's expensive to use, it has a really interesting, unique sound for a drum machine and it works surprisingly well for a tape-based drum machine. If you are more into hip-hop or later genres, this might not be great for you, but if you play in a cliche indie band with an inexplicable love for the 80s, as so many people seem to do nowadays, you might really enjoy this machine. I would caution you that getting it fixed will absolutely be a nightmare, so think hard about getting one. I personally don't know if it's worth the price, let alone the hassle, but I will say that it's a lot cooler than most drum machines and it sounds really good.
This is too old to use Mac or PC software, so it's lacking in that regard. There are no updates to be had either.
UTILIZATION
Actually using this machine, assuming it's working, is pretty cool. It has pads that respond actively to you playing them, which allows the user to program a "natural" feel into the drums. There is also a really cool interface that lights up when the notes are played. It makes programming really easy, especially since all the functions are grouped really close together, which isn't always the case with drum machines this old.
SOUNDS
These drum sounds aren't necessarily realistic, but in my opinion, no drum machine really is, so I guess that is not to be dismissed. They also aren't the most expressive sounds I've heard but they certainly beat the majority of drum machines that came later, and were MIDI-operated. I think that this drum machine is better suited to 80s style rock and pop music than hip-hop, so I would keep that in mind if you plan on trying to use one. The converters are really not that transparent, but that might just be because the one I tried was really old. Using some of the settings on this machine reminded me of The Cure's album Pornography, which is notable for having a few tracks that are really drum-machine oriented. I don't know whether or not they used this particular machine, though.
OVERALL OPINION
While it's expensive to use, it has a really interesting, unique sound for a drum machine and it works surprisingly well for a tape-based drum machine. If you are more into hip-hop or later genres, this might not be great for you, but if you play in a cliche indie band with an inexplicable love for the 80s, as so many people seem to do nowadays, you might really enjoy this machine. I would caution you that getting it fixed will absolutely be a nightmare, so think hard about getting one. I personally don't know if it's worth the price, let alone the hassle, but I will say that it's a lot cooler than most drum machines and it sounds really good.