Hi all,
My current project requires me to use a drum machine live in lieu of a drummer and I'm wondering what you would recommend for this purpose. I'm going to be playing guitar during these songs so ideally I'd be able to have them programmed and simply hit a button to start the song. I'm not so familiar with the world of drum machines/sequencing so any suggestions are welcome!
💯 you could buy the “best” drum machine ever but if you don’t practice with it for months you will still think it’s crap.
Not true, the 606 is flash from the get-go.
I don't disagree but damn...What you get from the get-go is also all you're ever gonna get lol.
I like that it’s the proto-808. 808 is also a classic but been done to death, risen from the dead, studied and you can get those sounds everywhere now.
What I like about the 606 the most is -
Kick is weaker than 808 but punchy Snare is strong, snappy, noisy, gritty. Hi/closed hats are also gritty and aggressive Handclaps are raw Toms don’t really sound like toms but the character is great. Cymbal - Eh Battery powered, little piece of shit with big sounds.
A true underdog but I also like how it’s been used on tracks. It’s refreshing to hear and you know it when you hear it. Prefer to all later Roland machines.
Sample stuff like DMX and LM-1 also fond of. Lots of good music made with those. But not the same to me.
Ultimate drum machine now is literally just a computer
"in lieu of a drummer" not in lieu of a TR-808
MPC1000 is pretty reputable for this use case. You’ll see this or the MPC Live in a lot of bands that play shows with electronic drums. Bonus points for external midi sequencing capabilities if you want to delve into that.
Another choice is an SP404SX to run as essentially a backing track with the drum machine prerecorded. Having done both - I will say the former often sounds better out of the box than the latter but is more complicated to work with.
The best thing about the old models of the MPC is they accept a footpedal switch so you can start, stop, and overdub with a footpedal
I agree that a drum machine with a footswitch jack is the way to go for this, but the only MPCs that have footswitch jacks are the MPC 60, 60II and 3000. The 1000 doesn't have one, nor does my MPC2000XL or the 2000.
No you’re mistaken. The MPC1000 has 2 they’re right on the front. You can google a picture of one if you don’t believe me. The 2500 has two as well as does the 4000, 5000, renaissance and maybe some others.
My old band used an MPC1000 with an 808 sample kit for everything. We programmed entire songs into that thing. Criminally underused it looking back. The folly of youth.
Agrees, pretty much any stand alone MPC is the way to go for sure.
You might want to take a look at a Singular Sound Beat Buddy. Not your typical drum machine but it was designed for just this type of application.
Yeah, beatbuddy or another pedal-based machine is a good choice if OP is gonna play guitar
TR-6S has been amazing, can only imagine how fire the 8S is.
I have both and they are awesome.
I plan on upgrading soon but I'll probably keep the 6S in the setup to help with buildups and transitions! Even if it doesn't stay in the setup being able to take the 6S places is awesome!
I use a Corcuit tracks for playing live and just bring a couple of smaller aynths, usually volcas, and a 6S and a couple of pedals. I use the Circuit Tracks for its 2 synths, plus it's two dedicated midi channels for the vocals. Then I use the four drum tracks as filler drum and then use the the 6S for the main drums
I have both the TR 6s and MC-101(my synth and samples). Both are great small companions!
TR-8 is the best performance drum machine of all time in my humble opinion. I have 17 drum machines (I'm fond) & have used many More. Nothing compares. Tr8s is very good, especially for studio use, but for performance & as an actual instrument, I'll go TR-8 all the way.
What does the TR8 do better for performance than the S? I thought the S was basically everything the original had but with sampling.
I've played a TR8 and had a blaat with it, but I was planning on buying the TR8s sometime.
I’ve had the TR-8 and now have the S. I think you might be right in your assessment of the two machines and their capabilities. I kinda wished I still had the 8 over the S though, due to its simplicity and immediate fun factor.
I owned both and i dont follow how is more immediate than the s
Does the s have a menu? Yup. Cos the TR-8 don't.. does the s have loads of FX parameters? Yup. The TR-8 has delay & reverb. Does the s have an lfo & a mod matrix? The TR-8 doesn't ect.
I meant that there aren’t more choices of sounds to sift through on the TR-8. Just the classic 808, 909, and the other Roland kit sounds you can opt for. Sorry, I can’t remember what the other kits are. I just felt like I could get to jamming quicker which I felt equals more fun.
But, the same thing can be done on the S too. I just find myself searching for sounds and experimenting most of the time rather than jamming. I’m also not playing out with it so it’s purely a studio drum machine and I’m really happy I have it.
How is the TR8 better than the 8s? Not going to argue, but the 8s is just the TR8 with more abilities. It’s a monster machine. I can see maybe too much of a good thing with the 8s, like so many choices it’s hard to decide on the best workflow. Especially when it first came out, and the updates just made it better and better. I think the interface for the TR8 was simpler and maybe more immediate though? Just curious what your thoughts are.
I prefer it. It's one of the best sounding 808/909s out there. The fx are great & have their own character. Everything is immediately there! No menu diving cos there pretty much ain't a menu. It's always in the same state it was when you turned it off. Same settings, BPM, delay going off. It's just great to be able to concentrate on playing, not Menu diving. It's just a better instrument. The tr8s has much more going on, admittedly, & the TR6s is excellent (I use the TR8 & the TR6s in a live set recently) but the TR8 gets used way more than anything else. Just cos of the playability. That's what I love.
I agree that it's the best machine for programming drums live, but as OP describes it I'd probably go with an MPC instead in order to be able to program a whole set of songs beforehand. The MPC One would be my recommendation.
Can I say "Digitakt OG" again?
If you're not going to be 'playing' the drum machine then why do you even need one?
Just set up a backing track. Use a DAW and/or VST to create it.
Otherwise an Alesis SR16 for 'traditional' drums or a Roland TR-8 for electronic drums.
This. If all you’re going to do is hit play, create the loops in a daw and play them from there or record them into a recorder and play them back.
Rytm
I’d consider the 404 MK2. Cheaper than most suggestions here and very flexible - you can program lengthy sequences, or just play back very long pre-rendered backing tracks (e.g. a song per pad). Tracks can be assembled as sequences and then bounced straight to a pad, giving you the best of both worlds. For the use case here I’d consider this a better fit than the Digitakt - there can’t really be a much easier configuration than hitting pad 1 for song 1, pad 2 for song 2, etc.
Are you sure you want sequenced drums and not looped samples? Depends on the style but I much prefer the sound of drum breaks. Also if you're not going to be making changes while you play anyway, you could just loop samples of drum machines.
I think the drum synths in the comments are more useful if you want to mute certain instruments, adjust filters, change patterns, etc. but I imagine that's not too relevant for a guitarist.
My 2 cents is Analog Rtym mk2.
Given the context of what you're doing here, I'd suggest something simple like the Alesis SR-16 or SR-18. Plenty of "normal drum" sounds, song mode, etc.
Some of the other models being thrown around here are much more suited to live electronic music, which is a different beast altogether.
For reference, this is a NIN-style band (electronic elements meshed with guitars).
Ignore the recommendations already made, we need more info or recommendations are just based on personal prefs:
What do you want from it sound-wise? Something that sounds like real drums, or something that sounds electronic? What kind of genre(s) are you hoping to use it for?
Do you want a hardware solution, or a software solution you can use on a laptop? Or do you even care?
How complex do you want the songs to be? Simple beats with just intro, verse, bridge, fill, chorus and outros? Syncopated patterns of different lengths that intertwine with each other?
Sound-wise: ideally, a mix of both. The songs I'm composing often have a Linn kit and/or an acoustic kit. The band is a NIN/LCD Soundsystem-esque blend of electronic instruments and traditional instruments.
Don't care re: hardware vs. software, but I generally prefer hardware due to tactile sensation.
It's definitely the latter. Lots of syncopation.
Have you got a budget in mind?
My immediate thought is something by Elektron, but the price point is maybe higher than you're looking to spend.
Ideally less than a grand
Then the Digitakt is in your price range, has the sonic and programming capabilities you would seem to need. If you're prepared to look at pre-owned, you could hunt for a RYTM mk1.
Ahhh just reading your use needs. Get an MPC Live!
Analog RYTM for me hands down, but I’m a sucker for the brute punch of the analog processing and real compressor.
Korg KPR-77
Depends what style you are going for but an MPC One could satisfy a few things for a guitar based project:
You can pick from lots of kits or load new samples in
Song mode is great if it's playing songs in a linear fashion
Can also sample loops or other drums to play as backing
Also could add in guitar or synth layers to flesh your sound out
I use one in combination with tr8s which is also a great drum machine sounds amazing through venue speakers
i’m seeing a lot of MPC Lives and Keys at work nowadays
the roland can be synk with serato so roland would be my first choise for serato users
Haven't seen anyone mention the Digitech SDRUM yet. It's a pedal but it has a kick and snare pad on it for on-the-fly programming. The kits aren't the best in the world but I've found them serviceable with a little bit of mix and effects. It's pretty good at understanding the beats if the player has a decent sense of rhythm, but the strum-based drumming feature sucks.
You can save like 36 sequences on it, and it's a wonderful jamming tool too!
Straight up. No hesitation... it’s the 808. Post your project here.
Another vote for the TR-8!
Software then press party ob whatever device
Good old SR-16 for preprogram the drum song and one press for live performance.
A machinedrum paired with a Roland Tr8 Performer
Make sure you get a drum machine with a footswitch jack, so you can hit play with both hands on your guitar.
I use an MC101 for this, because it has a song mode. You program the whole thing. I tried with a TR6s but it requires input to switch patterns, so wasnt as suitable. Also, the MC101 can have other backing tracks, bass, keys etc.
I always big up the SR-16 just for the fills and A/B parts, also foot pedal inserts for start/stop and fill switch 🤙. It’s sounds are dated and the programming isn’t the best but it’s the easiest to operate with one/no hands. Also the Drumbrute Impact is cheap and sounds great, super easy to program and the repeat strip is nice for fills
use ur fone.
underrated
They’re called drums. Just use drums.
Love my Perkons
He just wants to hit play and let it run while he plays guitar though.
Or overkill for the use case. A volca or even just a phone/tablet sounds like all that's needed. Or maybe an old sampler like an SP-404.
I think those are good points. And the digitakt definitely seems more gig-worthy (and not prone to unexpected updates) than a phone/tablet/computer.
And ya I'm personally not one with the patience to figure out a Volca Sample, which would be the de facto option unless OP is ok with the sounds of the Volca Drum or Beats.
That's what I was leaning towards. I guess how I'm wondering how it would work for multiple songs though?
Different project per song, same as any other DM. As long as they don't flow into each other.
Couple other alternative options:
Make the beats on computer DAW of choice, use a playback machine instead. Akai MP8x, zoom/tascam handhelds for example. Or phone+1/4" interface.
Also, ipad+1/4" interface. Basic one with a few good apps will be cheaper than most DM's, and more flexible.
Fyi.
I’ve been thinking about this also. Could you assign MIDI start/stop to footswitch?
Tr-8 or Tr-8s or get a push and use live?
The real answer is the one you know and practice with in the setup you’re using.