Does anyone still use drum machines?

[~skyborg12]

Just curious. I know some guys in a band called Orgasmatron that makes sweet stuff all on hardware. I could never get anywhere with drum machines. I was wondering if anyone really uses them anymore.

Vielen Dank.

[~pop]

Sometimes, I use MPC2000 for the sequencer.
You can easily get inspired from banging on big button pads.

[~skyborg12]

I never got my hands on of the MPC2000 to try it out. A lot of old skool synth pop groups used them. (like Anything Box) Would you consider this a must have? It seems like it used to be.

[~pop]

MPC is known for very tight sequencer. It is also good as the master sequencer for triggering samples from your sampler.
That can be very useful for live. Lots of people use MPC live and bring few racks sampler to trigger the loops.
It is up to you. If you enjoy programing various beats, it is a good buy. The result of beat programming will sound different than using a computer sequencer, because it forces you to work very different. It isn't an necessary tool.

[Synthpopalooza]

My music is currently devoid of drum machines and samplers (all hardware) ... well, three synths: A Yamaha DX-100 (which provides much of my kick drum sounds), a Korg Poly-800 II, and a Kawai K1-II. http://www.mp3.com/synthetik

I would also check out much of Joy Electric's material ... I know for a fact that Ronnie Martin does not use drum machines for much of his material from "We Are The Music Makers" up through "The White Songbook" ... and on his latest "The Tick Tock treasury" he doesn't even use MIDI.

Travelogue is another such artist ... I believe much of his music is done with the help of a modular synth, and done exclusively on an 8-track recorder.

[~arronc]

I still dig out drum machines. For writing stuff they are very much quicker than a computer, and more hands on. No so much for the sounds though, an the only one I still record with is a korg ER-1, which is pretty cool.

[~pop]

Sometimes, it is good to have tools that modify your work flow.
It is always good to modify your traditional habbits.
Just like drinking beverage out of a straw might feel little different.
Electronic musicians concentrate too much on sounds. Sometimes,
it is good to think about changing your workflow habbits in writing. I am only suggesting. There is no right or wrong way
in writing and recording. If it sounds good, press the record button. That is the whole point. I am sorry. I haven't slept for while.
I hope it makes sense.

[~arronc]

Pop : i think you are right. For me, its about avoiding boredom and stagnation. Just a kind of : ill do this for a bit now.

I dont find it uber-productive in itself, but sometime after hours sat in front the computers, its worth remembering you should //enjoy// playing your instruments, not spend all your time pulling your hair out because you cant work out how much pre-delay your reverb should have on it. LOL ;)

[~skyborg12]

I always LOVED making music on all hardware. I found it more challenging. My trance album from 03/2000 was all hardware based. It was really fun making it in the studio.

The problem was making the music I really wanted was very limiting. It was really hard to get the drum tracks I wanted and heard in other songs on a machine. Once I tried Fruity Loops, my problems were solved.

Now I long for all hardware based music production, but I can't get the sound I want.

Such a dilemma.

[~pop]

Sampling!!!
Sample the riffs!!!
The beauty of modern samplers.
Is it a recorder or an instrument?

[~MidiRipper]

I think they should make a hardware controller for Re:Drum. Who's with me?

'Ripper

[~spankmix]

We use our ESX-24 software sampler for most of our drums. But still have our TR-909 and Sequential Drumtraks in our rig. Sure we could sample all of the sounds. But why when you have the real thing! Besides, there's some sounds on those boxes that have ajustable settings on the fly that just can't be replaced!

Randall
www.tristraum.com

[~hornblas]

Originally posted by MidiRipper
I think they should make a hardware controller for Re:Drum. Who's with me?

'Ripper

There are a number of hardware controllers available. If I am not mistaken you don't need a specific controller for ReDrum, just a hardware controller of your choice. Evolution makes a couple of different hardware controllers the UC-16 and the UC-33. These are essentially boxes with knobs and sliders that you assign to the "virtual" knobs and sliders of ReDrum. There is also the Novation ReMote 25, Korg's Microcontroller.

Originally posted by MidiRipper
I think they should make a hardware controller for Re:Drum. Who's with me?

'Ripper

http://www.kentonuk.com/homepage/index.shtml

[~nwdve]

I still use a drum machine, but mainly for getting the creative juices flowing when I want to experiment with song ideas. By the way, has anyone here tried out a plug-in program called drumagog (may not have spelled that correctly)? It's a fantastic program for adding more realistic drum sounds to a mix.

[~WorldUnderFire]

Well I can only imagine people use drum machines. Some have expanded into "groove boxes" which can do almost anything and everything. Perhaps some are moving to software based stuff. I limit myself there because I really don't like making beats with a mouse or a keyboard. The MPC 2000 is an ideal tool for me. I like to mix live and step recorded rhythms, personally. Korg has been pumping out lots of these cheap groove box, drum, sampler, etc things. I couldn't get into them but a friend of mine made some sweet tracks with em. Personally, if I was to invest in one drum machine, I'd get the Elektron Machinedrum. Never heard a bad review. But it depends on your budget because it's over a grand brand new. Long live the drum machine.

[~Joe Ramey]

Yes, I still use a drum machine- I use the Alesis D4 rack mount module..

That one will date me back a few years..hehe..

Joe

[~Sean X]

Originally posted by MidiRipper
I think they should make a hardware controller for Re:Drum. Who's with me?

'Ripper

I think they should make a hardware ReDrum, period. Frankly, I think the single thing that lets down 99% of hardware drum machines is that they're not like the ReDrum.

There are exceptions, and I'd love to afford a MachineDrum, but I have to win the lottery first.

[~paxyll]

We still use an Alesis DM5 for a few hi-hat and cymbal crashes. We also tweak around with a Quasimidi Ravolution 309 for sounds. Recently though, we've been utilizing more software and sample discs for studio percussive stuff (Reaktor, Battery, etc.)...

I still use the DM5 with pads for live purposes...

[~intervox]

I still use my dm pro. I still have my first sequencer, a kawai q-80, but I don't use it anymore. But what I could do with step recording and a data wheel, lol. ;)