Old style drum machine

MartinBush · July 2022

Does anyone know of any simple drum machine that would allow me to use drum sounds and rhythms that you would find on old electronic organs?

I don't need a fancy machine - I'm not capable of programming one, and don't want to go down the DAW route. I just want something I can set going and play along to when the mood takes me.

Doesn't have to be vintage, but does need to be cost effective/ cheap

This is amongst the range of sounds I have in mind. And no, I don't have space for an organ... Timmy Thomas - Why Can't We Live Together (1973) - YouTube

octatonic · July 2022

This but good luck finding one.

https://www.vintagesynth.com/hammond/auto-vari-64-drum-machine

octatonic · July 2022

Also this:

https://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/cr78.php

I can't think of anything modern that doesn't have to be partially programmed.

Check out some videos of Alesis SR16/18, Elektron Model Samples.
They are easy to use.

LastMantra · July 2022

I've been looking at phone apps for something to play simple rock grooves (and not doing great so far) but there are lots of old style drum machine things coming up. Don't know how good they are especially through a phone speaker if you don't have anything else to play it through.
There's some great stuff though, some I think would take a while to learn how to get the best out of them.
Maybe not quite as good as what @octatonic can recommend though I expect

MartinBush · July 2022

I think actually @LastMantra what you describe may work for me. Do you have any particular app names I could look up?

I has an Alesis SR16 which I quickly moved on as I'd no idea how to get to grips with it. The Elektron looks interesting though @octatonic ;

goldtop · July 2022

iPhone/iPad with Garageband - just set the Drummer going (complex or simple as you want) and ignore everything else.

rze99 · July 2022

goldtop said:

iPhone/iPad with Garageband - just set the Drummer going (complex or simple as you want) and ignore everything else.

This I was about to say identical. If you carry your phone around it's the easiest cheapest thing to do.

Funkfingers · July 2022

MartinBush said:

Alesis SR16 which I quickly moved on as I'd no idea how to get to grips with it.

Understandable.

After decades of Roland TR machines, I found the Alesis counterintuitive.

If you want an organ top box full of preset rhythm patterns, an old CR-1000 should suffice.

Just wondering out loud whether @HarrySeven has anything along these lines.

HarrySeven · July 2022

@Funkfingers - I do, but it’s all ancient (and thus £££) stuff.

HarrySeven · July 2022

I reckon the Garageband option is the best/cheapest.

HarrySeven · July 2022

Old stuff does turn up frequently though…

https://i.imgur.com/pLhTG74.jpg

personalnadir · July 2022

Behringer have a LinnDrum inspired machine in the works (though with the chip shortage it might be a few years away). Sounds are from the LinnDrum, but it’s got a lot of functional differences, so wouldn’t call it a clone

https://www.musicradar.com/news/behringer-lmdrum-linndrum

goldtop · July 2022

personalnadir said:

Behringer have a LinnDrum inspired machine in the works (though with the chip shortage it might be a few years away). Sounds are from the LinnDrum, but it’s got a lot of functional differences, so wouldn’t call it a clone

https://www.musicradar.com/news/behringer-lmdrum-linndrum

But it'll need programming, which the OP doesn't want to do. (And Behringer is pumping out so much vapourware at the moment, that I wouldn't hold my breath.)

Funkfingers · July 2022

HarrySeven said:

Old stuff does turn up frequently …

… but YOU usually grab it first and add it to The Collective.

LastMantra · July 2022

MartinBush said:

I think actually @LastMantra what you describe may work for me. Do you have any particular app names I could look up?

I has an Alesis SR16 which I quickly moved on as I'd no idea how to get to grips with it. The Elektron looks interesting though @octatonic ;;;;;;;

Oh don't really know the names there was things I'd heard of like 808s and classics but just look up drum machine or something on Google play and you'll find loads of stuff. Don't know how good they are though, think you'd just need to try a few and see.
I was looking for free stuff too, so maybe not the best.

EDIT
Ones I've been trying are...
RD4 (demo) - bit more EDM but nice to use.
SPC (demo) - ditto above.
Drumgenius - more what I was looking for, lots of pre-made grooves in different styles, but you can only choose 3 with the free version. You can change kits and sounds easily. Might actually pay for some more grooves for this one. It's pretty much what I am after, simple rock (has lots of other styles) loops to jam over.
Seqvence - basically like a piano roll that you can easily make your own loops.

I downloaded a few "virtual kits" to mess around with too but not tried them much yet. They all seem quite similar so far.

MartinBush · July 2022

I have found one with a couple of useable patterns, so thanks for the tip @LastMantra ;

Thanks for everyone else's ideas too. I don't have Garageband, but this thread has helped and I have another idea I am working on.

I'm one of those people who simply can't understand MIDI - no idea why as I am not a technophobe. If I did I am sure it would open up a whole new world for me.

Jalapeno · July 2022

Boss DR 550/660/880 simple old fashioned drum machine.

personalnadir · July 2022

The drumgenius app might be worth looking at, though you have to buy the loops https://www.projazzlab.com/drumgenius/

Stratavarious · July 2022

https://youtu.be/HAr33w-6kp8

About £35 new

LuttiS · July 2022

The old M-audio black box might be worth a look. It's like an MFX box, with a tempo + start stop for drums, 99 drum rhythms to choose from. Nothing fancy to the beat, but very straight forward for messing around with.

Alternativly, the digitech trio "analyses" what you're playing and will add drums/bass to the loop.

MartinBush · August 2022

Thanks chaps.

I have a bid on ebay for something in the same ballpark as what @Stratavarious suggests above. If that falls through I may look more closely at the SA-46

The Black Box isn't something I'd heard of before now. Again, I will investigate.

Creed_Clicks · August 2022

DRM-16 app. Basic, and turn a few knobs, and away you go

wolsnah · August 2022

Would something along the lines of a Yamaha RY8 fit the bill? I picked one up cheap a couple of years back just for messing around on. Possibly worth keeping your eye out for one as they're usually not too expensive.

MartinBush · August 2022

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on this one. Lots of interesting ideas.

I've now sorted something which may or may not work out for me - if it does I will record and post a track on here and see what people make of it.

maltingsaudio · August 2022

Late to the party but a hacked copy of band in a box would possibly suit the bill depending on your computer sound card

greejn · August 2022

Boss DR-3 is one I really like, simple but great sounds, IMHO

marxski · October 2022

If you mean a real old sounding analog the TT-78 by Cyclonic is a take on a Roland TR68 but no presets you have to program them from scratch. However there is a free/ donationware plugin call BucketPops which is modelled on things like the Korg Minipops and has organ style cha cha bossa nova organ style presets. If you are after that David Bowie Low, Jean Michelle Jarre type of sound then it does it very well.

https://www.fullbucket.de/music/bucketpops.html

LordBucketHead · January 2023

I use this quite often. Just use the presets on the preset button (scroll down to see the full list). Alter the speed to suit.
https://tinyurl.com/2dubr9x6

Funkfingers · January 2023

Fingerlabs DM-1 is available for both iPhone and Android devices.

Shedloads of kits. Easy step time programming or simply hit the Randomizer "button" until it spits out something usable.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Old style drum machine

Comments