Bad Gear - Akai XR-20 - The Last Digital Drum Machine??? 

I like how the episode closing tracks are genuine bangers. This is why people love your channel my friend!

Funny thing about this channel is that each episode clearly shows that it doesn’t matter what gear you have; you can make almost anything sound cool if you try hard enough. Everyone always says that gear doesn’t matter but this guy really puts that to the test.

this channel has instantly become a part of my weekly routine! one more reason to love fridays!

This drum machine is a real gem in disguise. Mega super drum rompler full of classic and modern electronic and hip-hop drum sounds. The trick is to make classic 808, 909, 707, acoustic drum kits with the included samples and do some choice edits to some of the preset drum kits. This one bangs -

I don’t think I’ve ever laughed at a filter. 🤣 Thank you.

romplerwave is coming and when it finally does us XR-20 owners will be rolling in the dough

When you ask for an MPC for Christmas and you get this.

Absolutely brilliant, per usual. The hero we need, but definitely not the one we deserve. Thanks for your selfless and ongoing contribution to electronic music.

Another piece of equipment I own and cherish being absolutely roasted ( but also showcased ) haha thank you brother

I knew this day would come, it further confirms that every single part of my old rig (circa 2012) was in fact bad, bad gear...

ahhh shit, AudioPilz breaking out the footwork. Now he’s really covered every genre

You are by far my favourite RU-vidr! Keep knocking these out brother, the information you provide to me is truly invaluable

40K wow. Unfassbar, wie du in der kurzen Zeit deinen Kanal hoch bringst. Ich bin so froh, dass guter Content doch noch funktioniert. Gratuliere.

As you makes your way gradually through my gear collection, I am simultaneously thrilled to watch your videos, and horrified that all of my gear is bad gear 😅😅😅 Happy Friday Mr.Pilz

I have this drum machine I bought mine back in 2019.. I haven't really used it that much but I plan on it. You have literally reviewed half of the gear I own.. thank you 😆

I own one and can't imagine parting with it. So much joy. So many limitations. So charming.

I saw your warning at the beginning of this segment of BAD GEAR ⬅️ Favorite channel! I literally do have a seizure disorder and occasionally(albeit extremely rarely) have grand mal seizures that is primarily triggered by certain flashing lights, but mostly just petit mal seizures from extreme stress and the warning is %110 appreciated... But I'll always weather the storm for BAD GEAR!

Was looking for your video to be uploaded yesterday, got hugely disappointed it wasn't, turns out yesterday was a holiday not Friday. Today the Friday evening is saved though by another bad gear banger!

6:06 "I dont know about you but I would dance to this" Me dancing in my room right now.

Those preset patterns sound like demos for killer 90s RnB

I personally hook up the Midi out to Native Instruments MASSIVE or BATTERY or have the Midi In and out connected to a microKORG and use it as a Sequencer. Also the Synth Engine is very powerful. It's easy to hook into Pro Tools and Trigger Play/Record via MIDI to properly record PERFECT loops.

Been trying to find a ZOOM Street Box... It's just my kind of bad gear and it's was also marketed in the same way as this XR20. Thank you for the great videos , I really appreciate them. You bring a lot of love to the bad gear crowd .

to save system settings: press system setup hold save/copy & press rec (do it)

Not only dope jams as always, but this time even a more detailed review. Great content! 👍

I had a look at it some time ago but never decide getting it. I believe is good and portable for quick writing ideas and then sequence them using other instruments. Great work as usual man. Happy to see you kept the Blofeld too. Keep it up ;)

The DAWless jam with the TB-3 was so good. Love that mellow acid stuff

YOu should seriously release an album! the music you make is incredible

I use this drum machine on a lot of my music, but not on its own. Combining harsher sounds from this via MIDI with softer ones works for me . Never done a hip hop track in my life, but would not be without this quirky machine . It adds colour to my electronic music. Thank you for your channel which I love tuning into every Friday! Best Wishes from Maxx

Hi AudioPilz! Big fan, this actually inspired me to pick up the XR20 and I really like what it can do! I wanted to share a quick finding here that I've discovered just in case anyone else who watches this video discovers something similar! I believe that there may be multiple batches of XR20s that were sold with different presets (maybe as demos)? I recently purchased one and it has none of the factory patterns I've seen on videos across youtube. It appears to me that the default launch pattern is ADDIDAZ for most, whereas my XR20's opening pattern (with a factory reset) is called Rock 1. Additionally, my highest one-shot value is 584 and is called Slide 8 and my synth values range only from 585-683 and they're all bass sounds. I'm wholly open to the idea that I may simply be missing a critical detail but wanted to put this comment out into the world and see if anyone else has experienced something similar. Thanks again for all your amazing work!

Awww yeah, first time you review something I actually own! I picked up the Akai XR-20 cause I wanted to play drum samples from pads while live looping but didn’t want to spend over $200 on more expensive sampling/drum machines. So far, it’s worked great! Cool video as always man!

How about episodes about: - Korg microstation - Akai MPK Mini Play - Casio XWP1 - Casio XWG1 - Yamaha Reface DX, CS, etc. - Yamaha Sonogenic SHS-500 and SHS-300 - Pioneer DJ Toraiz AS-1 - BOSS DR-01S - Korg KR-55 - Korg KR-mini - Korg KAOSS PRO+ - Alesis Harmony 54 - Roland Lucina AX-09 - Nord Modular G2 - Alesis CompactKit 7 - Fred’s Lab Tooro - Korg Monotron series - Korg Monotribe Cheers :)

I had this box and really enjoyed using it for a DAW-less experience. I loved the fact that it could run on Batteries and use it on an airplane when traveling for work. I always wanted an MPC, so AKIA had the pedigree. I used it for Hip-Hop exclusively and it was tailor made for it. Great content as always, thanks for featuring this!

This series kicks ass. You've taken gear review to the next level and beyond. I'd love to see some of these bits of gear get the Bad Gear treatment: Korg DS-10+ (Nintendo DSi version) Casio CZ-101 Omnichord OM 32 Yamaha DD-10 or DD-12 Roland DR Rhythm Section

I just love the high editing skills... keep up the good work!

You’re an incredible musician with these bleepy bloopy machines ♥️

Love the genre music, your videos are a highlight of my week

I feel that you have been raiding my studio .. again! The xr-20 is great for quick jams and live performances. I got it last year from a friend and paired it with a behringer td-3 which is a lot of fun. Sometimes I will take a factory pattern, drastically change the kit and tempo and then start muting voices, adding note-repeats for some ad-hoc fills. Instant "genre defying dance hit"! The samples are indeed quite generic 0's vibe, but with a little tweaking of the settings, some creativity and external effects you can certainly make them your own. In the end I feel it's limitations are less of a burden than my experience with the Electribe 2 Sampler, even though that is an actual .. sampler! (video idea? Korg needs some Bad Gear love too :P). My second drum machine was the Alesis sr-16, it's older brother, which has an editor available. It would be great if the xr-20 could have an editor so some of the limitations would be easier to deal with in a studio setting.

Dude!!! Your jams kick ass!!! Your beats are always on point!!!

So... The XR-20 is the unloved child, the Akai Family hides in the basement every time they get visitors? 😅

I love Friday evenings. Thank you AudioPilz!

I still have mine and it is a powerful instrument! Just programmed a custum kit on it and a sequence for my next song on it today. Imo I like how you call almost all the afordable gear bad that way ebay prices will always stay low for this stuff lol.

Are the drum samples 24 Bit like the Alesis SR-18 ?....Really been wishing you did a video on that one too, I'm heavily considering getting one of those

This was a really good episode.

Great episode. Reverb thanks you for improving the marketability of bad gear worldwide.

The boombox murderous track was actually banging.

The most appealing thing is that is looks like a mini MPC.... And I'm glad you mentioned the Alesis SR-16!!!! Good segment!

I think I paid $80 for one of these a while back and it's honestly not bad as a minimal "brain" for playing songs. I'd typically use the MIDI out to drive a module like the DSI Mopho for bass while playing with another synth for leads/pads.

Great ! Amazing channel, I enjoy it very much.

I sold mine back in 2015, almost instantly regretted it, then bought a brand new one a few years later for only $80.

thanks for covering this, i always wanted one of these

that first tune you're playing with the moog filter is a mf banger, mate edit: actually all of them :D

There are so many devices - so many! Thanks for the education, appreciated. Since the summer has begun in Austria, when can we see another bad gear performance from the rooftop?

Another Alesis/Akai crossover product the Alesis Micron/Akai Minak would be an interesting episode. I love my Micron, but pretty sure it still qualifies as bad gear.

Always glad to meet new instruments that were off my radar.

I actually used this to write a double album 5 years ago 😀

That filter was well… Special. Great stuff as always my friend!

The drums in this machine are amazing once you have the Comp/Eq settings on it. It slaps!

Hands down my favorite music channel on RU-vid... Bad gear for life!!!!

End-Of-Show tune is SICK

I was looking at the XR for the last two weeks... but luckily for my wallet I'm subscribed to the AudioPilz :)

This is awesome! I just recently bought this drum machine! I love it even though it has only 700 or so samples. I am thinking it would have been so awesome to be able to load a SD card into this drum machine with your own samples and the ability to sample. It would be a low cost MPC for sure! Why does not Akai make a low cost MPC? I have made some great beats on this machine, even drum & bass. The vocal samples are a bit cringe though :P This drum machine is really good for making those classic hip hop beats.

I just did a doomy industrial EP with one of these. Fun machine!

Awesome little XR20! what a gem. It only has swing in record mode, it can imitate an 8 year old's mixtape using fruity loops in 2004, and it can romple. But seriously I want one. It can do midi sequencing, it's compact, it runs on cells.... and besides that I'm partial to a little retro rompling raggamuffin oohs ahs and orchestral stabs. Great episode! Love the jams

Okay I'm gonna be honest here, those presets sounded quite like the beats I made when i started out some 20 years ago. With fruity loops.

Thank you for the warning. I know photo sensitive epilepsy isn't common , so I really really appreciate it when people take the time to warn the few of us who have it. I have no idea why youtube doesn't just run a simple test on uploads to check for high contrast flashing at the appropriate frequencies

I got one of these for $20 at goodwill, I’m not mad

I love it! I had an Alesis SR-16 that I pawned off a few years ago. This is like a majorly upgraded version with a fairly similar interface.

Seems like a fairly usable machine. Doesn't sound bad either, if that kind of sound is what you want. When in doubt just send it through a smärgasbord of distortion pedals until it barely registers as percussion anymore and bam, profit.

My life got sense! AudioPilz told the world incredible truths. We will watch, listen and obey...

It definitely remembers ever setting you specifically save to it. This is a piece of gear aimed towards hiphop producers who wanna record simple ideas on the fly. You can get this gear for $50-60 used. No need to trash it.. its not even an mpc lol

I always fold the laundry to a new episode of bad gear! Thank you!

I would come earlier, but had to wait two ads

I end up looking up loads of vids and memes from these vids (that skipping car 😂😂😂). Another great vid and genre too!!

How often does that Kafka book get read?

and you are actually using your Blofeld, too --- respect! you are the best!

I currently still own the one that my dad bought me back in 2010/2011 (I picked it out) when I was 14. I’m planning on selling it to a friend, but this makes me wanna give it one more shot. Maybe I’ll plug in a distortion pedal and see what happens

Damn I remember having this back in 2011

Oh, forgot it was Friday 🙋

Sick dude. Again. The footwork jam goddamn.

The only piece of bad gear I've ever owned (but is this a positive or a negative lol?). I would map it to drum racks in Ableton Live and do my best Madlib/J Dilla/MF DOOM impressions while pretending it was an MPC. The reverb was definitely alright.

Top as always, big up!

Dude. 5:35. Shut up, finish it, press it on 12 and take my money.

Audiopils clears the dance floor as the crowd part and point at some top notch dad dancing!

No Kawai yet then!

Every Friday, I look forward to another AudioPilz drop!

I wouldn't call this bae "Bad Gear" at all.

Oh, sweet, a Bad Gear review of something I actually own! My impressions: I was able to program a beat into it pretty easily, but yes the sounds, kits and especially the presets are very hip hop oriented. There are no "normal" named drum kits like "acoustic, jazz, power, electronic, industrial" ect...every kit and beat is WestCoast this or Killa that, LOL. This video will inspire me to dive deeper into the XR 20.

Lol, but dammmmnnnnn! It makes those white folks feet shuffle like River Dance.

Never owned one but always had the impression these were a decent little work-horse of a drum machine at a not unreasonable price. I’m not really a drum machine user, so this was interesting..Thanks for featuring this.

This doesn't even look bad. That is not that bad gear

TB-3 again! You've convinced me and I give in, I want one now...

Made my day. The “Yyyeeaahhhh” 1 shot sample makes me laugh every time!

Every episode of Bad Gear is gold!

Thank you. I love the sounds and it's super entertaining

love your channel, love your cranky euro voice and sharp wit, absolutely hate the intro track, but obviously I have heard innumerous times ;p

You read my mind lmao as soon as this vid started I was hoping for a footwork jam. Thx Flo!

@audiopilz, Have you taken a look at the concertmate mg-1 yet?

Excellent and enjoyable episode as always 🙂 I used to own the XR10, and it had no where near the same bells and whistles as the XR20 (granted, the XR10 was from 1989 AFAIR), but the UI was horrendous on that even for 80s machinery and the sync options were even worse. Great sample library, though, and the AKAI pads were nice and responsive. Would make for a nice bookend review to the XR20 here, hint hint 😉, plus I'd love to hear what you can squeeze out of this big box 🙂

Omg that Moog filter jam is just legendary 🖤🖤🖤

Come home from work.. Have a shower .... Open beer and make a smoke.. Check out bad gear, tiss Friday after all 😁 This has become my routine so please keep them coming 😁👍