To answer a conversation a few of us were having, the Drumtraks is indeed a hybrid of the same samples found on the Oberheim and Linn machines, albeit it at lower fidelity. I compared the DMX snare to the Drumtraks snare (at tuning 4) in my DAW and they're identical: instagram.com/p/B0GVA09hg0Y/?igshid=8to55lz5nul2 Roger Linn also talks about it in this NAMM interview from 1:20 (thanks to madFame for the link): www.namm.org/library/oral-history/roger-linn He refers to the TOM and the Linn snare and Oberheim hi-hat, but I think he means the Drumtraks and the Oberheim snare and Linn hi-hat. Anyway, the Drumtraks was not only more affordable, but gave the same sounds.
Your style of video is brilliant. No long intro with music 3 times louder than the speech. No shameless product placement or sneaky advertising. No waffle, just straight factual information presented in a very easy way to follow. If I could, I would give this 1000 thumbs up.
You are spot on, Nik! I pay for RU-vid Red to avoid having to watch advertising, but most content creators are now sneaking advertisements into their videos. I don't need Norton VPN or SkillShare or any online learning, Thank You!
Wow! You can't BEAT the free samples. Hope this HARD HITTING video DRUMS UP lots of subs for you and STICKS around. It has motivated me to BRUSH up on my drum sequencing technique, and avoid the SNARE of prefabricated rhythms. Boy, I'm on a ROLL now. A whole SEQUENCE of bad puns. And this is just a SAMPLE!
Drum machines were magic... especially by the late 80's and early 90's. The sequencers were kind of basic but really easy to work with. I had a Yamaha RY30. It was so well thought out. But saving alternate patches and kits was pretty limited unless you were willing to do a ton of SYSEX dumps.
I own a Linn 9000 (fully upgraded to F9000), Linndrum, and Drumtraks. I have nothing negative to say about the drumtraks. Super solid and well built machine.
I love all the detail you go into. It just gives me so much more respect to the machines, the time period and the tech. I can only imagine how much time it takes to do the research. Love it! Also, I’m taking full advantage of the sample pack! Thank you!
Thanks. Yes, very interesting to see what limitations they worked within and yet what they pulled off. Research - David Abernethy's book was a big help for people, places and prices. Recommended it if you're into the history.
I've always been a silent watcher on this channel, but I'd like to let you know your content, knowledge, pedagogy, and truthfulness is incredible and it stands out from the crowd soo much. Thank you Alex !
Great to have confirmed my suspicion that Drumtraks used samples from Linn and Oberheim. I have older sample libraries from that machine and in some of these the samples are completely different so I guess it's really hard to know which was the original soundset.
Fun fact: the technician at Roland who co-developed MIDI with Dave Smith was the ex-drummer of DEVO, Jim Mothersbaugh (Mark’s brother). Jim left DEVO to develop instruments, and MIDI was partially created due to DEVO’s need for a standard amongst all their gear.
You are legend bro. I adore and love your DX samples, which I'm very thankful for, but this as well! You sir, are too GENEROUS! I'm gonna download this right away, since it will be sick to have these sounds when creating compositions! Thank you!
Right from the start, you have a cool pattern (with more to come)-no “traditional” patterns here. An informative video, with free samples to boot! Thank you!
Aside from the great information, I love all of the thought that goes into the actual video. The film grain, titles, transition choices, etc all reflect the content and makes the video that much better. Keep it up!
Already did the Linn LM-1 about a year ago, that video is on my channel. It includes samples. 808 and 909 were both covered in my Roland documentary "Land of the rising sound", although I didn't give away samples. However, I have multisampled an 808 if I find time to chop them up and arrange them into a library. Thought it wasn't needed as there's so many 808 libs out there.
@@retrosound72 Understandable. "The Rolls Royce of drum machines" as it was dubbed. Only played with a LinnDrum a couple of times, shame the prices have gone so high!
Awesome video as always dude! Always great to get the history behind and the details of the vintage gear on your channel. And thank you SO much for taking the time to sample everything!!! Going to go and have a play right now!!!
Have fun! They combine very well with the Oberheim DX sample pack I made too. I use DX kick, snare and hats with Drumtraks percussion. That was the combination in the recent Mono/Poly video.
@@AlexBallMusic Thanks! I think its gonna be a late one haha! Excellent, I don't know how I missed that one but I'll go and check it out! Once I've figured out how to get these samples over to Kontact to play through my Maschine MK3 haha!
Nice video and thanks for sampling and providing them! Also my first drum machine. I just sold mine last year after picking up a TR8S. I never *loved* the sounds except the ride and claps, but always loved the sequencer.
Always fancied one of these to go with Multi-trak that I don’t really get on with. One knob for everything is a real pain to program. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of fun messing about with the samples though. Top job, as always!
One of the interesting things about this particular machine and how successful it was in the market is that, it came out along with a group of other Sequential Circuits products which pretty much tanked on arrival: the SixTrak, MultiTrak, Split-8, MAX and sequencing/editing software for the Commodore 64 computer. They were attempting to reach out to consumers with all of these products, but they failed. The success of this machine looks almost like a fluke, amidst all the turkeys. You know what would be awesome, Alex? You should do a video comparing this one with the RX5. Last year when I got my DTX multi 12, I created a drum kit using RX5 samples that Yamaha had uploaded to the hard drive memory. I would not be surprised if their R&D department had utilized the same EEPROMs in the design of that model.
Absolutely right. Experiments with synths and sequencers setup to work with computers flopped and ironically became the norm years after Sequential went under. I played a Max and Sixtrack and they have a nice sound, but are pretty unworkable without computer control. Drumtraks was a success in the midst of that, as you say. Think the TOM did OK too.
@@AlexBallMusic I think the Sixtrak was a swan amongst those turkeys. I still use it today with a SixTweak controller box from Stereoping to bring the functions to the surface. Based around the CEM3340 VCO its six voice Unison mode is just marvellous!
Had one and liked it, lots of fun. But couldn't get decent quality ROM chip sound sets for it. The one's I had (808/909) were very poor and weren't recorded properly by the person who sold them to me. So I sold mine as I had a lucky opportunity to buy a TR707/606 and 808 for the same as I sold my Drumtraks for second hand!! I do kind of miss it, but not that much...
Thanks, Alex! Little by little more friends of mine are starting to buy some pieces of your gear, you're having so much influence on us all... Hugs. Santi from B. O. F.
I love the 'one sample split into four parts' stored on 4x 8k EEPROM. Whereas now we can have an infinite amount of high fidelity samples stored on terabytes of storage... My main library is on 4x 2TB externals. Then there's the cloud services plugin for many more :) Watching this really puts it into perspective. Thanks for the sample pack, it's most appreciated and great historical info to boot 👍
My first drum machine, mid 80s. Very obvious combination of Linn and Oberheim sounds but lesser fidelity, and I’ve always strongly disliked the feel. Traded it in and got the originals it was worth it.
Great video Alex, the drum tracks was a great machine I got one after my linndrum broke. As replacement it was pretty good as it sounded similar plus you could use the 2764k eprom chips from the drumulator & oberhiem dx inside the machine and you had midi as standard.
@@AlexBallMusic Thanks for the educational video. It's surprising that to see they had to use four separate roms for the cymbals, i thought i would have just been one for each. It's like the limitations of the hardware made them let creative on how to use the space.
@@theshyguy1580 Yes, creativity from limitation I guess! On a related note, the most amazing thing Roger Linn did with the LM-1 is that the hi-hat sample is actually an open hi-hat and the machine takes a random snippet of it and envelopes it to create a fake closed hat. As the snippet it grabs changes with every new trigger this means that you get round robins from a single sample. Incredibly clever.
I'm suspicious the samples are LinnDrum and DMX. They're lower fidelity but the wave forms look pretty identical and they sound basically identical. The snare is DMX and the kick is Linn I think.
My first drum machine mid 80s. Immediately clear that it was a very obvious combination of Linn and DX samples, but less fidelity. Nice touch having tunable sample memory, but I sold it due to the feel of it, or lack there of.
@@AlexBallMusic Damn... nailed it. Another steal of theirs is the crash which, if pitched properly (EDIT: Alex you found it at "Tuning 10" in your zip file), is clearly the LinnDrum's. Plus those hihats sound like DX and the toms are DMX.
Great video, I have that prophet 5 book by Mr Abernethy and agree it’s a great book but what happened to your signature greeting “hey I hope you’re well?” Used to give me a warm fuzzy familiar feeling 😁
"Hey, I hope you're good.." Does that feel right now? :) Yep, David's book is perfect. Would be amazing if one existed for each manufacturer in such detail.
I don’t mind admitting Alex, that I get kind of sentimental when you put out these videos. I simply loved that period and all these wonderful machines. Good work mate! 👍👍👍
Thanks. I sold mine some time ago, and didn't sample beforehand. Check out Dark Entries issues of Patrick Cowleys film soundtracks (School Daze for example) for extensive and superb use of the Drumtraks
Great video man I can say, and a long time coming. The Sequential Circuits Drumtraks, hell and Sequential Circuits Drum machine is hard to find information on. You wouldn't happen to have a Studio 440 that you can review would you?
I don't have a Studio 440 or even know where one is unfortunately, but there's a chance I could borrow a Sequential TOM or a Linn 9000. Possibly a LinnDrum too if I'm very lucky. Will see whether the stars align on any of those.
Can you please expand on what digital to analog conversion means? Will this machine essential sound analog if used in a mix as opposed to using digital samples in my daw? Thanks!
The original tone sources are digital samples, but in order to hear them they have to go through analogue converters. Similarly, your DAW is digital, but when your computer is connected to an audio interface or sound card, this contains D/A converters so the audio that comes out of your speakers is analogue. But they are both inherently digital. D/A converters vary massively and are part of a devices sound quality.
Ha. Well, I mentioned that and played 10 seconds of metal in my Roland documentary, but I don't know enough about it to make something like that myself. I also did a video with it on the Juno-6 recreating Daft Punk. I have got a very specific guitar pedal thing I'm hoping to do if I can pull it off...
Alex Ball This is understandable but a real shame. I was relistening to the series the other day and they work on so many levels educationally, insightfully, humourously..etc. I wondered whether you’d be able to approach a tv company to finance a series on tv or maybe an open university type programme. You clearly have the compositional and ‘comprehensionable’ chops to understand and interpret the scores, and can also script the programme in an interesting, involving and enlightening way. I imagine the viewing numbers are diminishing under weight of youtube uploads and a thirst for the latest release...I think if more people were aware the ‘spiffing series’ was out there the numbers would increase expedentionally. Whatever your ambitions/ inclinations I look forward to every upload you make, so will be around for the long haul as you are my favourite youtuber!
They were fun to do, but as they became more in depth I was having to more and more work to make the videos. The last one on woodwinds involved about two months of reading theory books and going back and forth to the scores to find key elements to extract quintessential examples. A year later and it's had a trickle of views and the views have dropped with every episode I made. I started a brass one and got about two weeks into it and it was hard going. I knew it would take weeks and weeks to research and get very little response, so I totally lost motivation. My channel has also changed direction quite a bit and so I think it would seem completely bizarre to the 20,000+ subscribers who've joined since I last uploaded one. I also don't want to be involved with production companies because I work in TV and my RU-vid channel is an outlet for things I want to keep separate from that. Sorry it's not worked out. I know there's a handful of people who enjoyed them. Maybe someone else could finish it off.
Alex Ball I appreciate you taking the time to respond so fully. You’re right to follow your instincts. I’ve loved everything you’ve done so far, so will welcome whatever direction it takes. Is it ever possible you will ever run out of old gear to review?! No need to answer - I await your next adventure!
Oh yes! Little trick: Take a Drumtraks clap and the Oberheim DX clap from my other sample pack, stagger them so they're not in sync and pan one left and one right with your snare in the middle it sounds amazing.
So I have one of these end wondering about the time keeping - it’s slowly goes off the grid … so it’s starts ok but after the first bar the latency starts and slowly stays more and more behind the actual grid …. anyone ?
Off the grid? When clocked via midi clock? Have you set the correct PPQN value? If you haven't, then it will drift. Edit: Just checked the original manual and midi clock setup is in section 10. PPQN configuration is on page 50. www.vintagesynth.com/sites/default/files/2017-05/DrumtraksOperationsManual.pdf
Love that Bass drum! But I too could only afford the KPR-77 at the time. Not a bad little box. But then when Depeche Mode made it famous on their Speak & Spell album, it was time to move on. LOL
I've heard others say the same. Seems the Drumtraks was a bit of a Frankenstein in terms of EPROMs and there wasn't one set of standardised sounds during its production.
Nice video. You made one minor mistake regarding the backstory, though: I believe Tom Oberheim was also involved with the creation of MIDI. Still, great video, and interesting to learn that despite its price, it was like the original Linn LM-1 in that all sounds could be tuned. Will download the sounds to try out for myself soon.
Don't think Tom was involved other than agreeing to drop his own system to support it in order to pressure others to follow suit. Think there were suggestions on what it should include from a number of parties (including Tom) but it was only Dave Smith and Ikutaro Kakehashi who were awarded the Technical Grammy for its actual creation.
