analog drum machines

[ummohyeah]

good evening,

i've been struggling with drum machines lately. have the digitech sdrum and the korg volca beats drum machine. kind of looking for a good sounding, all-analog drum machine to play along to. the sdrum doesn't go slow enough for me (it does great as a metronome but it doesn't do slowcore, i can't get it slow enough!), and the volca beats is a bit too... idm-sounding (think that's the point though). would really love a warm, dark sounding drum machine i can set and play to. something that can do a simple snare/kick

throw suggestions at me. i'm aware what i want is probably my own drum kit but i'm trying to avoid that, this is for songwriting mainly.

thanks.

[manymanyhaha]

I had a bit the same problem so that's why I bought a kick and snare, stand the kick upright so I play both drums with my hands, and mic them into a looper. Problem solved for me: I get the beat I hear in my head instantly (with my musicianship limitations, of course). I also record them separately so that later, if I don't like their sound, I can replace them easily.

[retinal orbita]

I’m no expert on drum machines but I recently picked up a used Arturia Drumbrute and it’s got enough features that I need to use the manual, but also easy enough to plug and play and do really simple. The reverse cymbal is really cool as well. And I was able to see enough on Craigslist that I was able to negotiate, I think I paid $400 CAD for one basically brand new in the box.

[lordgalvar]

Clockworks, a boss dsd-2 (not analog, I know), and any one of the cool Roland/boss drum pads.

Clockworks and delptronics little drummer boy.

Add a.bastl klik or other comparator and copy slow tempos.

[resincum]

drumbrute sounds great if you're committed to that analog feel

[JTurbide]

Maybe not what you are looking for, but have you heard about the Soma Lab Pulsar-23 ? It's a drum modular synthesizer, it's gonna be expensive released around next year I think but damn the prototype demos are great !
I'm thinking about getting a drone synth and a basic drum machine but I feel like I might find it restrictive early, a real drum synthesizer would be alot more flexible..

[popvulture]

You can get a Mk1 Analog RYTM for a pretty good price these days. I have one and love it.

[Antlerface]

I’ve been seeing the Arturo’s Impact going for like $250 used recently. I absolutely adore my original Drumbrute with pedals.

[JonnyAngle]

This is the reason I sold my volca Beats. I got the sample instead and got the drum sounds that i wanted.

[ummohyeah]

thanks for the suggestions. this is a bit outside of my experience.

some of the recommendations are cool -- but expensive. i came across a roland tr-66 and i found a few demos of it slowed way down... i think running it through some light analog delay and spring reverb will make it sound pretty awesome.

any other suggestions though let me know! cheers.

[codetocontra]

Drumbrute Impact is only $300 new, can be found on sale recently for $250. Only missing a few non-essential sounds from the OG version. Both are super simple to program with that sequencer.

Be on the lookout for Zoom MRT-3 or even an RT-223. Both are cheap but might need a little learning but fairly easy.

I wouldn't recommend a Rhythm Wolf. It sounded terrible to me but a few people around here liked them.

[chromandre]

an akai mpc500 and load it with roland cr78 samples

[kaeth]

I would also throw my hat in for the Drumbrute. With that filter, it lives in dark & warm. It can be very complex, but at the same time, all the complex features can just be ignored. Lately I've been using it minimalistically. One 64-step beat with a little randomness and some well-timed track muting can be plenty good for a song.

If the DB is not to your taste, you could also check out a used BOSS DR-110. It's analog, small, and very simple. If you outgrow it's limited functionality, there are plenty of mods online to give it better connectivity and sound-shaping options.

[coldbrightsunlight]

This is the reason I sold my volca Beats. I got the sample instead and got the drum sounds that i wanted.

Same.



On the analog thing, are analog drum machines not kind of inherently dance music oriented? Not that it's a bad thing or that the sounds can't work well in other music.

[popvulture]

On the analog thing, are analog drum machines not kind of inherently dance music oriented? Not that it's a bad thing or that the sounds can't work well in other music.

Well, yes and no, I suppose? I mean, lots of that stuff is indeed dancefloor ready but it's also heavily used in plenty of industrial, hip hop, indie rock, and plenty of way more esoteric ambient/IDM-y things.

I think the big key takeaway for me in owning and subsequently selling a Drumbrute was that analog drum machines, really almost ALL of them, can be pretty dry, uninspiring, and lifeless without effects. A little reverb, delay, and dirt are pretty much crucial. I ended up moving to the Rytm for two reasons—1, built in effects, and 2—the ability to integrate or replace the analog sounds with samples if desired. It really makes for a ton more variety in one box. You can most certainly do tons and tons of things with another drum machine plus whatever effects you want, but I just found it very nice to have it all in one place.

I know tons of people do stuff totally differently and it sounds amazing, hence the plenty of other recommendations for Drumbrutes, Volcas, etc.. Try to get your hands on something to try if you can, because really what you're most comfortable with is going to be the most important.

I think if I were trying to make something sound like real drums, I'd just use a DAW. This is pretty much what I do all the time when I write more rocky/poppy stuff in Logic, and it's always been pretty perfect for doing that job.

EDIT after taking another look at your OP, I will say that there is absolutely zero reason for you to worry about anything being all analog. That's an easy trap to fall into and a lot of it is based on hype—just do what you like! If it happens to be analog, so be it. If not, no worries!