Drum Machine Worth Buying? Options

[showyourfist]

So, I was thinking of purchasing a drum machine. I've had the Boss DR-880 in mind for awhile.

I was curious, what do you all make of them? are they worth buying? I used too jam with a few people who used one and I thought they were fantastic for practicing and composing songs on when on a tight budget and I've seen several being used when recording.

Thoughts? should I go for it?

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[skennington]

Been wondering the same thing man. I'm leaning more toward a computer based program like Addictive Drums or EZDrummer. For the cost of the 880, you could get some nice expansion packs with these two programs. However, the downfall would be that you couldn't take it with you...

I'm interested in others thoughts against the two.

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[skennington]

So if you had an midi keyboard, which I do and plenty of ram and not going mobile, which would you go with?

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[showyourfist]

Personally, not the EZdrummer, as I don't have much experiance with using the programs too run it anyway.

I'd fine the Boss easier too use simply because of the way I work and compose, I'd love too learn how too use something like cubase one day, there's never anything that explains it all properly step by step

And the fact I'd need a considerable amount of money before I can buy the computer rig too sufficiently run it to the standard I'd be satisfied.

If however you have all that, then go for it! whatever works best for you, if you know how too use it, you can create some amazing tracks!

my recomendation though, get the standard pack and get the drumkit from hell expansion and something else more exotic. That will pretty much cover every percussion you'll ever need.

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[skennington]

The standard pack with the kit from hell was exactly what I have been looking at. I would be using it in Reaper as vst. With my computer being a duel core machine with 3gb of ram, I'm not to worried about performance issues.

Thanks for your thoughts and good luck with what you decide on..

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[Ivan Milenkovic]

That's a great machine, definitely useful for practice. If it has some kind of a looper option so you can record guitar along side with drums then go for it. If it doesn't it should have bass grooves, and possibility of upgrade.

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[showyourfist]

That should work fine then! I set it up in reaper but used it in cubase. I remember finding instructions on how too mount all the instruments. After installing the VST you have too do each instrument seperatly. Pain in the ass I remember, there's probably another way though.

Please let me know how you get on with it!

Cheers Ivan, yeah you can program entire Bass tracks from it, another reason I was considering purchasing this one, it can also be tweaked and modded.

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This post has been edited by showyourfist: Jan 4 2009, 01:55 AM

[Ivan Milenkovic]

This machine is good if you plan to use it when you don't have a computer. I use Toontrack products for drums on PC and very satisfied. Never used MIDI controller for making drum tracks, cause EZD has premade grooves. Also Nuendo/Cubase are far more flexible and easy to use then any drum machine, you just need to use it for a while and do some tutorials. But, I say again, if you plan to use drum machine without PC, then it's a good way to go.

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[Bogdan Radovic]

Well I think that Boss drum machine is a very good unit...I would get it for jamming , practicing etc...I like to be least dependent on my PC when playing...I sometimes use grooves from PC through Ezdrummer and similar but I also sometimes "doesn't bother" starting up all the programs needed to start jamming with drums so an external device with grooves one button away would be great...

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[Ijdgaf]

I haven't used the DR-880 myself, but Roland does make good equipment, so there's nothing to worry about from a quality/sound perspective..

the question is what do you exactly want to do with it and how do you want to incorporate it with your current equipment/setup (if you have any)? is mobility an important factor?

is it just for jamming to a pattern, or would you as well like to record short sequences into the drum machine, that you than can build on top of (i.e first record a backing guitar track, and you can solo on top of that)?
if so then you should look for a device that actually has an onboard sampler (like for instance the akai MPCs, however they don't have their own built in drum-samples, so you need to load drumsamples into that machine first)

In my home-studio I used for instance an e-mu mp-7 as hardware-sequencer and controlled multiple standalone-samplers and sound modules (like for instance an Akai S950, S6000 or Yamaha motif rack) with it and friends of mine were jamming on their guitars and i recorded all of this onto a multitrack-recorder..
the e-mu mp-7 doesn't have a built in sampler so in your case this wouldn't be useful for recording your guitar sounds, unless you only create drumpatterns and some background tracks using a midi-keyboard and the onboard-sounds and record it all via a mixer into i.e. a computer or multitrack-recorder..

now i do all my sequencing using logic pro, because it's simply easier and i have a better personal workflow (and due to the fact that exporting projects for taking them to another studio is much easier)

so to sum it up:
the first question is, what do you want to do with the device and will it actually fit your needs and your future needs (this is important, as i know how it is to buy some equipment and then it can't really do what you hoped it would )

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[showyourfist]

Thanks for the insight.

well you have too remember, i'm low on cash.

I'd just want too use it too jam out ideas, like this, or create full tracks, too jam too with guitar.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0ukvvfDLlqc&...re=channel_page

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[Ijdgaf]

you're welcome about the insight, i'm always glad if i can help out

the cash factor is of course an important one, and my equipment summed up over years, so i know how it is to be on a tight budget, but especially then it's even more important to look at the different options and possibilities and to check if the equipment you want can actually do what you expect it to

i believe the link you have sent is not a really good reference point to start out with (even though it's pretty impressive), because that just shows you what is possible when you master the device, and only the drumtrack by itself is a fairly complex arrangement for a drum machine already..
that's like showing this link to a guitar-beginner (like me).. it's impressive to see what's possible with the guitar, but it's years of hard work to get there (well, ok the drum-machine IS a bit easier to program, but i guess you get the picture)

i started playing drums about 18 years ago, and to be honest i don't really enjoy creating drum-arrangements in a drummachine, because it's too time-consuming and it limits me too much by not being able to use my hand and feet at the same time

my best advice: if you have a store in the neighborhood that sells such equipment: go there and test some devices for yourself, to see if the menu and the programming fits you.. if you like the pads (very important!) and if they feel comfortable to play with..
this doesn't necessarily mean that you need to buy it there, if you can get it cheaper somewhere else, but usually you can find people working in such stores that are really into music as well (not necessarily the first salesguy you talk to, but after a short talk you should be able to realize if that person's in it just for the job or for the passion), and they can help you and give good advice..

P.S: again: i'm not intending to say this is a bad machine and the more i look at the videos i am convinced that the DR-880 would be a smart move

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This post has been edited by ijustdontgiveaf: Jan 4 2009, 03:08 PM

[showyourfist]

The link was just an example too show how I'd use it.

I wouldn't use it too create full perfect arrangements, just like an "ideas machine"

I was messing around with one like I said last year when I used too jam with a few people, he was really used too using it, and the stuff that came out of that machine was amazing, they used it too create full tracks.

Of course like you said it would take awhile too learn, but doesn't everything have a learning curve?

I tried EZdrummer before, but for me, it took hours too work a simple beat, the premade grooves took a bit of fine-tweaking in order to be useful, and I could never quite get what it was I was looking for.

Cheers anyway! I think I'll do some more research.

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[Scott Gentzen]

i started playing drums about 18 years ago, and to be honest i don't really enjoy creating drum-arrangements in a drummachine, because it's too time-consuming and it limits me too much by not being able to use my hand and feet at the same time

Um. MIDI triggers on your kit into the MIDI ports on the drum machine.

These days, there's a ton of choices to make when you're considering stuff like that. Real drums, software/plugins/electronic hardware. They all have their good points and bad points. It all comes down to what you're comfortable with and what your priorities are.

Just sticking to drumming, I use Reason and the drum machines in it (Dr Rex as a slicer/sample looper and ReDrum). It runs on my laptop, I can play it with my cheap MIDI controller (EDIROL PCR-50) and I got it free (won it in a giveaway at AudioMIDI last year) and it does what I want it to do, mostly. I can't record in Reason, like I could if I was using a drum VST in Cubase or whatever, but I can make it work.

My constraints at the moment are physical space and finances. I don't have the cash on hand to lay out for a drum machine when music is pretty much just a hobby. I also don't have any place to put an actual drum kit. Hardware drum machines take up less space, but for me it starts down a slippery slope...there's a couple diffferent drum machines that I'd like to own...a couple hadware synths too...modular synths...and when I have a bunch of MIDI driven devices, I'm going to need an external MIDI clock device to keep them in sync....ends up soaking up a ton of space and cash quickly. It's a lot more immediate and tactile when you have real buttons and knobs to touch while makng your music, but at this point in my life, the sacrifice I have to make to get that is too much.

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[Ijdgaf]

Um. MIDI triggers on your kit into the MIDI ports on the drum machine.

that would make the whole drummachine obsolete because then i would record into my sequencer in the studio
same with e-drums..

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