ilovefuzz.com

Definitely not a full-fledged drum machine, but I'm really enjoying my Teenage Engineering PO-12. Perfect for someone that doesn't want to spend too much and wants to just noodle a bit

Singular Sounds: Beat Buddy

This is a drum machine in the form of a guitar pedal. It's major stroke of brilliance (to me) is that it separates using the machine from programming. You don't program on the unit itself, do it on your computer and transfer in a super convenient and standard SD memory card.
Notable features:

1. 24 but uncompressed non quantized wav files - thing sounds natural as all heck, it is recording quality audio
2. 1 button operation (though there is a foot switch available that adds a accent and pause) can be mastered in about 15 minutes.
3. Shit-ton of resources - You can add patterns from MIDI files, as well as kits and whole songs. Very active user community and the vendor themselves keep offering new stuff as well as 3rd party companies are jumping on the Beat Buddy band wagon (such as groovemonkee.com)
4. Won NAMM Best of Show.
5. Includes 200 songs in a crapton of styles and each song you can change the kit and tempo on the pedal
6. Connectivity - Has both stereo inputs and outputs (with L as mono) and miniplug headphone jack. You can plug your modeler into the input and run some headphones through for private practice.
7. Comes with a 4Gig SD card and can accept up to a 32 gig.
8. MIDI connectivity (via optional cable) that can either send or receive tempo data
9. Frequent firmware updates in response to user requests (I've kept my firmware stock).
10. The unit give visual feedback as to where you are within the measure.

I've had mine for over a year (got the first batch). Before that pedal, I rarely played with drums because of the PITA factor, I had an integrated drum machine on my BR600 as well as Micro Cube Bass, but it wasn't until the BB that I attempted to create a full length song (which I did, sucks but it's an accomplishment).

You will never upgrade from a Beat Buddy, let me clarify you CANNOT upgrade from a Beat Buddy.

I recorded this plugging the BB directly into my interface:


if you want to see it in action, I have a "Beat Buddy Cam" in this video: https://youtu.be/caJ-fe5Nmvo


...yes I'm a big fan of this machine.
http://mybeatbuddy.com/

JereFuzz wrote:

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?

I don't think you can, unfortunately. you have to queue them manually. I ended up returning my TR-8 funny enough.. ruiner inspired me to go for a machinedrum or octatrack I've been watching videos all day like

resincum wrote:

JereFuzz wrote:

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?

I don't think you can, unfortunately. you have to queue them manually. I ended up returning my TR-8 funny enough.. ruiner inspired me to go for a machinedrum or octatrack I've been watching videos all day like

Go with the Machinedrum so we can learn together and talk about it!

Although I only use it for drones now, my Sp-404 OG has been absolutely beast. I filled it with a ton of my favorite 606-808 sounds and some drums sample off vinyl. The compression plus effects can lend to some really crazy drums and I used it for a noise band but now I just use an actual 606 put through a distortion. I really like xoxox sequencing so if playing the drums by hand arent your thing you may not have fun.

MrNovember wrote:Definitely not a full-fledged drum machine, but I'm really enjoying my Teenage Engineering PO-12. Perfect for someone that doesn't want to spend too much and wants to just noodle a bit

Was actually talking last night about making a party rig with a friend for throwing impromptu events, and discussed the pocket operators. I'm wondering how easy/intuitive it is to improvise on the PO-12?

Anyone here use a surface controller and soft drum machines? I'm thinking about doing that to have a more tactile, I'm-playing-a-thing-and-not-programming experience, as opposed to getting a self-contained drum machine.

psychic vampire. wrote:

MrNovember wrote:Definitely not a full-fledged drum machine, but I'm really enjoying my Teenage Engineering PO-12. Perfect for someone that doesn't want to spend too much and wants to just noodle a bit

Was actually talking last night about making a party rig with a friend for throwing impromptu events, and discussed the pocket operators. I'm wondering how easy/intuitive it is to improvise on the PO-12?

I find it pretty easy and straight forward. The buttons are spaced out enough that even my large fingers have no trouble finding them. Programming a simple progression is really easy. I'm still trying to figure out some of the more complex things like clock divisions and how to use the effects properly. I believe there's also a lead and bass synth that you can program on top of all the drums, which I also haven't figured out. The preset patterns are all pretty fun actually, although I somehow keep deleting them, which is rather upsetting

echoraven wrote:Singular Sounds: Beat Buddy

This is a drum machine in the form of a guitar pedal. It's major stroke of brilliance (to me) is that it separates using the machine from programming. You don't program on the unit itself, do it on your computer and transfer in a super convenient and standard SD memory card.
Notable features:

1. 24 but uncompressed non quantized wav files - thing sounds natural as all heck, it is recording quality audio
2. 1 button operation (though there is a foot switch available that adds a accent and pause) can be mastered in about 15 minutes.
3. Shit-ton of resources - You can add patterns from MIDI files, as well as kits and whole songs. Very active user community and the vendor themselves keep offering new stuff as well as 3rd party companies are jumping on the Beat Buddy band wagon (such as groovemonkee.com)
4. Won NAMM Best of Show.
5. Includes 200 songs in a crapton of styles and each song you can change the kit and tempo on the pedal
6. Connectivity - Has both stereo inputs and outputs (with L as mono) and miniplug headphone jack. You can plug your modeler into the input and run some headphones through for private practice.
7. Comes with a 4Gig SD card and can accept up to a 32 gig.
8. MIDI connectivity (via optional cable) that can either send or receive tempo data
9. Frequent firmware updates in response to user requests (I've kept my firmware stock).
10. The unit give visual feedback as to where you are within the measure.

I've had mine for over a year (got the first batch). Before that pedal, I rarely played with drums because of the PITA factor, I had an integrated drum machine on my BR600 as well as Micro Cube Bass, but it wasn't until the BB that I attempted to create a full length song (which I did, sucks but it's an accomplishment).

You will never upgrade from a Beat Buddy, let me clarify you CANNOT upgrade from a Beat Buddy.

I recorded this plugging the BB directly into my interface:


if you want to see it in action, I have a "Beat Buddy Cam" in this video: https://youtu.be/caJ-fe5Nmvo


...yes I'm a big fan of this machine.
http://mybeatbuddy.com/

Sounds badass. It has one feature that most hardware drum machines don't have and that's the ability to program a song using your computer (graphical user interfaces are always easier than menus) and moving that song to the drum machine. I'll keep my eye on it.

Ruiner wrote:

resincum wrote:

JereFuzz wrote:

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?

I don't think you can, unfortunately. you have to queue them manually. I ended up returning my TR-8 funny enough.. ruiner inspired me to go for a machinedrum or octatrack I've been watching videos all day like

Go with the Machinedrum so we can learn together and talk about it!

I still think its worth buying an SR-16. I found one on my local Craigslist for $60 with two footswitches. ZZsounds has them for $100. With MIDI, this would be complimentary to the machinedrum. It does have a learning curve since its old school menu driven, but it's not too bad. The SR-16 is a fascinating piece of equipment because it is a product that seems like it should have been discontinued over a decade ago but it's still in production. People are still buying them. I love the idea of not changing/discontinuing something people really like. Here are two, Alesis-produced tutorials:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYdYTR_FAqM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZJjL0JrLrg[/youtube]

Craig Anderton is doing the tutorial. He, of course, is a fuzz legend. He designed the Tube-like fuzz circuit that appeared in a book, electronic projects for musicians which came out in the early 80s/late 70s. The cirucuit is the basis of many CMOS fuzz pedals. I believe the Way Huge Red Llama is nearly an identical replica.

Again, this SR-16 is super feature-rich ...

I know I am a little late to the party, but NI Maschine is the best drum machine I've found. Huge sample library including old kits like 70s abby road and new stuff like 808s. You do have to have a computer to hook it up but it goes way beyond a drum maschine. Get a small interface with it and then you can sample and chop up your playing and lay it over you drums. Now you have a drum maschine and rhythm track to work with. You can put effects on your kits for like nice natural reverb or delay on the snare for some psy music.

I just couldn't imagine going to any other drum machines when the MASCHINE does all I could ask for and more. And not sure if I am alone on this, but I cannot stand running drum through a guitar amp, the freq range is just not ideal and I tend to record with my drum machine so I just couldn't have it in the middle of my recordings on my guitar tracks.

D Rock wrote:I know I am a little late to the party, but NI Maschine is the best drum machine I've found. Huge sample library including old kits like 70s abby road and new stuff like 808s. You do have to have a computer to hook it up but it goes way beyond a drum maschine. Get a small interface with it and then you can sample and chop up your playing and lay it over you drums. Now you have a drum maschine and rhythm track to work with. You can put effects on your kits for like nice natural reverb or delay on the snare for some psy music.

I just couldn't imagine going to any other drum machines when the MASCHINE does all I could ask for and more. And not sure if I am alone on this, but I cannot stand running drum through a guitar amp, the freq range is just not ideal and I tend to record with my drum machine so I just couldn't have it in the middle of my recordings on my guitar tracks.

Get a keyboard amp

Ruiner wrote: Go with the Machinedrum so we can learn together and talk about it!

did you go the UW+ route?

resincum wrote:

Ruiner wrote: Go with the Machinedrum so we can learn together and talk about it!

did you go the UW+ route?

I did. Should be here Monday or Tuesday

JereFuzz wrote:

Ruiner wrote:

resincum wrote:

JereFuzz wrote:

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?

I don't think you can, unfortunately. you have to queue them manually. I ended up returning my TR-8 funny enough.. ruiner inspired me to go for a machinedrum or octatrack I've been watching videos all day like

Go with the Machinedrum so we can learn together and talk about it!

I still think its worth buying an SR-16. I found one on my local Craigslist for $60 with two footswitches. ZZsounds has them for $100. With MIDI, this would be complimentary to the machinedrum. It does have a learning curve since its old school menu driven, but it's not too bad. The SR-16 is a fascinating piece of equipment because it is a product that seems like it should have been discontinued over a decade ago but it's still in production. People are still buying them. I love the idea of not changing/discontinuing something people really like. Here are two, Alesis-produced tutorials:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYdYTR_FAqM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZJjL0JrLrg[/youtube]

Craig Anderton is doing the tutorial. He, of course, is a fuzz legend. He designed the Tube-like fuzz circuit that appeared in a book, electronic projects for musicians which came out in the early 80s/late 70s. The cirucuit is the basis of many CMOS fuzz pedals. I believe the Way Huge Red Llama is nearly an identical replica.

Again, this SR-16 is super feature-rich ...

I've been needing a drum machine and have given up on software because it spoils it for me
after reading reviews, and fucking godflesh uses it,
been after the sr-16 because I read the newer hr-16 is more confusing on how you program
anybody use both?

and how are people liking the volca beats for a simple analog drum sequencer?
think they could compliment each other