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I'm a big big fan of Native Instruments Maschine. Out of everything that I have available to me, this is my #1 preference. The sounds are really nice and very diverse, and the controller is great. Helps you to get away from that feeling of programming on your computer.

I have a pretty good drum setup with my Eurorack modular. This isn't recommended though since it gets super expensive real fast. It is superior to my other options when I know that I want something, but I don't quite know what I want. I am able to come up with real interesting patterns in the time it takes me to patch up a couple of modules.

I recently got an Elektron Machindrum. Even though it is a really powerful piece of kit, I think that an A4 would fit in with my setup a bit more. Still, if you're looking solely for a drum machine, it is a good one to consider.


Again, if I could only pick one of the above I would choose the NI Maschine. It's so powerful. The type of music I make, depending on mood, is industrial, alternative, electro-pop, triphop, blah blah blah. You could use it to make any type of music really. And it is so easy to use. I've written whole songs using nothing but the controller, and NI software. I see you are using some sort of DAW. I have set up some send/returns inside Pro Tools just so I can use pedals with my sessions.

I have the iElectribe app, a volca beats, and a DR-660. Korg drum machines have the fastest learning curve I think, that step sequencer is great, but the DR-660 is way more powerful in sounds and programming. The volca is super limited in what you can do with it, it is great though for down time.

Honestly if it's intuitive workflow, I really want to back the First and second gen Electribes. The Es-1 or (better yet) ESX-1 can hold samples, which means you can load them up with 808s, 909s, acoustic drums, industrial junk, non-percussive samples, and whatever. They have as many outputs as a TR-8, cost less, and have held up well. Also, the ER-1 is beautiful and that it is only recetly getting recognition is sad.

Alternatively, the Vermona DRM-1, mostly because I am about to sell mine, but 8 analog drum sounds with individual and stereo outs, a veritable shit ton of knobs, MIDI and an easy mod to make it hook up to eurorack are also cool. But it needs an outbaord sequencer.

Or get a Machinedrum. All I hear is how it splits opinions harder than anything else, but folks who like it seem to be actually in love with the box, so that is a thing.

Or there is the Sonic Potions LXR. It is DIY but I really wish I has one. The ability to morph drum kits mid sequence is cool.

Or wait for the MFB Tanzmaus and Tanzbär Lite to come out. They look like fun and I want one/will never have one.

I love individual outs, personally, but I don't do enough the one machine I have that has them to warrant it. Any good machine these days will give you some combo of onboard effects/enough controls to do interesting things/ind. outs.

Have an iPad? Get Patterning, hands down the best drum machine I've had the pleasure of using.

I got rid of my hardware stuff and have Maschine now, which was the worst decision I've made (personally) for music.

Maschine is easy to use, powerful, and is set up for live performing but I've never ever had so many problems with a program before. I've probably installed and uninstalled the program over 40 times because this is NIs 'tech support' solution to everything it seems. If you have a problem with some of their other stuff with it like Kontakt, and god forbid Komplete...you want to eat a bullet. Komplete takes 8 hours to install.
Something else thats gone awry with it is that the controller has not been very durable, the knobs used for truncating samples wore out and a couple pads don't function very well anymore even though I never used it as a performance tool. Even if those didn't exist, it's just not nearly as much fun or as inspirational to use (for me!)

The sounds are good with Native Instruments stuff but computer stuff is a bummer in that it presents so many options, and its so powerful, you get lost just clicking a mouse a billion times and nothing seems to be very satisfying compared to tweaking knobs. I could sit at my monomachine and machinedrum for hours and hours just exploring the more limited options hardware stuff presents and making stuff that felt good to make. Having hardware stuff kind of presents a box of options. Software is like being lost in a cloud, its limitless but mushy, foggy. Having some boundaries to push on is much more satisfying.

The 'drawback' to the Elektron gear is it takes tweaking after to get really big sounds..by that I mean right out of the box into a mixer/amp/interface, they don't present a strongly as some other stuff. The sounds out of the MPC1000 I had were extremely punchy, they're not so much with the Elektron stuff, but for making big washes of ambient sounds and grooves, I think the thinner sounds would be a positive characteristic instead of a negative one.

i love my weird little yamaha mister10

repoman wrote:I got rid of my hardware stuff and have Maschine now, which was the worst decision I've made (personally) for music.

Maschine is easy to use, powerful, and is set up for live performing but I've never ever had so many problems with a program before. I've probably installed and uninstalled the program over 40 times because this is NIs 'tech support' solution to everything it seems. If you have a problem with some of their other stuff with it like Kontakt, and god forbid Komplete...you want to eat a bullet. Komplete takes 8 hours to install.
Something else thats gone awry with it is that the controller has not been very durable, the knobs used for truncating samples wore out and a couple pads don't function very well anymore even though I never used it as a performance tool. Even if those didn't exist, it's just not nearly as much fun or as inspirational to use (for me!)

The sounds are good with Native Instruments stuff but computer stuff is a bummer in that it presents so many options, and its so powerful, you get lost just clicking a mouse a billion times and nothing seems to be very satisfying compared to tweaking knobs. I could sit at my monomachine and machinedrum for hours and hours just exploring the more limited options hardware stuff presents and making stuff that felt good to make. Having hardware stuff kind of presents a box of options. Software is like being lost in a cloud, its limitless but mushy, foggy. Having some boundaries to push on is much more satisfying.

The 'drawback' to the Elektron gear is it takes tweaking after to get really big sounds..by that I mean right out of the box into a mixer/amp/interface, they don't present a strongly as some other stuff. The sounds out of the MPC1000 I had were extremely punchy, they're not so much with the Elektron stuff, but for making big washes of ambient sounds and grooves, I think the thinner sounds would be a positive characteristic instead of a negative one.

I agree with what you're saying and that's exactly why i was looking for hardware. Thinking the Elektron Machinedrum SPS-1 UW MKII + may be what i go with....

I can't say enough good things about Elektron. Their User Experience is second to none. Only thing I am kind of irked by is clock drift. You have to hard synch it to something like your DAW or a rock solid midi-clock. On it's own, your beat will slide all over a timeline. Frustrating if you are doing anything multi-track with it. That being said, I didn't want to work in a box and my MD and MnM are the most musical, intuitive little jammers around. IF you are fine with working in a computer, I'd be hard pressed to tell you why you should dump $$$ into hardware right now. So much can be done in the box it's silly.

repoman wrote:I got rid of my hardware stuff and have Maschine now, which was the worst decision I've made (personally) for music.

Maschine is easy to use, powerful, and is set up for live performing but I've never ever had so many problems with a program before. I've probably installed and uninstalled the program over 40 times because this is NIs 'tech support' solution to everything it seems. If you have a problem with some of their other stuff with it like Kontakt, and god forbid Komplete...you want to eat a bullet. Komplete takes 8 hours to install.
Something else thats gone awry with it is that the controller has not been very durable, the knobs used for truncating samples wore out and a couple pads don't function very well anymore even though I never used it as a performance tool. Even if those didn't exist, it's just not nearly as much fun or as inspirational to use (for me!)

The sounds are good with Native Instruments stuff but computer stuff is a bummer in that it presents so many options, and its so powerful, you get lost just clicking a mouse a billion times and nothing seems to be very satisfying compared to tweaking knobs. I could sit at my monomachine and machinedrum for hours and hours just exploring the more limited options hardware stuff presents and making stuff that felt good to make. Having hardware stuff kind of presents a box of options. Software is like being lost in a cloud, its limitless but mushy, foggy. Having some boundaries to push on is much more satisfying.

The 'drawback' to the Elektron gear is it takes tweaking after to get really big sounds..by that I mean right out of the box into a mixer/amp/interface, they don't present a strongly as some other stuff. The sounds out of the MPC1000 I had were extremely punchy, they're not so much with the Elektron stuff, but for making big washes of ambient sounds and grooves, I think the thinner sounds would be a positive characteristic instead of a negative one.

This is really depressing. I had my heart set on getting a Maschine because it's in my price range and I've heard nothing but good things about it. It seemed less complicated than Elektron stuff.

I tend to hear unexciting things about Native's tech support, but I refrained from saying it because second hand shit like that can turn into gospel pretty quickly. That said, I'll add that repoman's experience has been echoed to me by other people.

I've decided... check the whats in the post thread in about 20 minutes or less to find out what... as well as a few other things! Big spending day.

Hyphen Nation wrote: So much can be done in the box it's silly.

twss

Brandsmannen wrote:What is it gonna be used for? I had a volca beats for a while, and it was cool and all, but I found the limited amount of sounds to be very... limiting? I also have a Zoom RT-234 which is okay I guess. I don't know man, I think I'm generally bad at drum machining

I think the RT-234 is underrated. If you have an MIDI controller it's a nice little bass/synth as well as drum machine. The secret to programming it is using the FAST method.

Ruiner wrote:Yeah i'd be open to hearing about software choices / plug-ins as well.

I have Superior Drummer 2 which is fine for all the post rock, metal, stoner rock stuff that i do.

I want something for more experimental stuff. From 808 sound to industrial and everything in between. I like the idea of a drum machine so i can run it through pedals and reverb it out, glitch it out, etc etc. If plug-ins can do that too then cool. It'll need to go from good indie drum sounds a la dark electro pop (think more modern 80's) to hip hop / electro / industrial ish stuff....

That MK3 seems pretty cool!

Cool. Get multiple drum machines and a mixer with an FX loop. That way you can choose which drum gets the FX treatment. So if you have a 4 channel mixer with an FX loop you can run one drum machine in channel 1, another in channel 2, and another in channel 3 and apply the FX to the channel you want. There is going to be a knob to "mix in" the FX for each channel. Most drum machines of modern make can accept MIDI (or send MIDI) so that you can sync up the machines for timing. Your analog machines are going to be more limited than your digital full feature machines. A good full-feature, easy to use, machine is the Zoom RT-223. I've seen it as low as $120 if you look hard enough. You can find the Alesis SR-16 on Craigslist for maybe $60-$80. There are normally tons of them available. Find one that's been listed for a long time and lowball. The Alesis is harder to program but there are great pro tutorials online. The SR is designed for live use and has MIDI in/out/thru; it also very footswitchable.

resincum wrote:have you messed with any before? I had an Akai XR20 and absolutely hated the menu diving necessary. from what I know about the SR-16, it seems the same. tried a bunch of app based ones, but still felt clunky. I recently got a TR-8 and am just in love with how forward it is. it's loaded with tricks and you can customize the shit out of the kits. it feels and is meant to be played like an instrument, so if you're just looking to program for backing tracks or play with pads you should try one of the aforementioned. some people *click* with them from the get go, but I became frustrated quickly.. only thing that bothers me about the TR-8 is you can't copy patterns from A->B. should be fixed soon

Can you create whole songs with multiple patterns with the TR-8?