I have no shame. My first drum machine was the Mattel Synsonics Drums, back in 1981. I was a young teenager, wanted a drum machine, but could afford a Roland TR-606. I still own it and works just as well as it did in 1981.
I think you missed the most important detail to these drum machines...that being what ones are velocity sensitive?...That was the game changer with the Alesis HR 16 to me and many others...this made it sound like real drums...Also the way the sequencer worked you could record it like you where recording to tape as one big song....The rolands and yamaha's i owned where not velocity sensitive...and Never sounded real...
I am aware of that, and it was an improvement back then. I purposely didn't want to talk about velocity. I believe that folks who are looking for an 80s drum machine, are not going to consider velocity a deal breaker. they probably have plenty better option for drum sounds. Thanks for the comment.
The Roland R-8 is a great drum machine but you missed its biggest cons: 1. The power supply has a proprietary plug. There are no aftermarket replacements. You have to spend close to $100 or more if you lose it or it breaks. 2. The reason why so many of them look so beat up isn’t necessarily that they were used so much but that the strange rubbery paint they used gets sticky, rubs off or both. 3. The best sounds are found on the sound cards. You can spend $100+ each for the best cards. The MkII remedies this somewhat but you pay extra for the convenience. 4. The pads rely on a plastic hinge that wears down and breaks. Replacements are hard to find.
Yup that's true especially for number 2 and 3. The sticky body had already been improved in the MkII version. Even if MkII accommodates the best of sounds from SN-R8-01 to 11 (but not all sounds in every cards), improved Pad Bank accessing, more memory and features, but some of the drum sounds featured in the original version, I call it MkI, were removed in the MkII, and some of them were replaced, such as the hihats and cymbals. In my opinion the cymbals in the MkI are still better than the MkII version, and some of the best drum and percussion sounds in the MkI have become the standard in the Sound Canvas series as the General MIDI Drum Kits, as you've heard in the GM Instrument in Windows.
I have definitely noticed how the SR-16 never left the market. It on its own has probably kept Alesis alive when their other ventures have been hit-and-miss. I even considered getting one myself, even though I don’t sequence drums and Alesis had uploaded most of its sounds to my first synthesizer, the QS6. What you said at the start, Jeff, about how drum tones can be interchanged (if I remember that right) but that a drummer is worth their weight in gold easily “hits the downbeat” with me. During the upper 80s, Don Dorsey issued 2 electronic interpretations of the classics, *BachBusters* and *Beethoven or Bust.* He sequenced most of it on a Synclavier II and output the parts to various outboard synth models for both. In the liner interview from *Beethoven or Bust,* Don mentions how he had no qualms about sequencing drums; he said that having been a drummer himself, he was only “replacing himself”. I hold to the same attitude whenever I play the percussion on my own tracks; I’m only replacing myself (only my self-titled debut, *Eric Benjamin Gordon,* features a regular drum kit). This comment is in March 2024. Since September 2018, I have used a Yamaha DTX Multi 12 for my drum tones. The glory part for me is how it includes samples from the RX5. An original one is sitting here but without a power supply.
Yeah definitely and quite a nice looking Drum Machine too. I have the DDD5. I like it but the sounds are a bit limiting scope wise and no individual outs which makes finessing it difficult!
The Yamaha RY30 is also a good choice. It ranges from $250-$400. It has a stereo out plus two assignable individual outs. The pitch wheel (yes it has one) can be used for pitch, filter, pan, etc. for some real-time modulation. You can kit-bash any two internal samples together to create "new" sounds, which was great for alternative percussion creation. Being a product of the very early, early 1990s (circa '91), it's close to this list. But it's well worth it if you're looking for a stand-alone drum machine.
I have a pristine Boss DR110. Really lovely simple Drum Machine with quite decent sounds and an awesome display similar to the 707! Bought mine for £90 I recall!
That laptop in the background has issues, lol. They keyboard is going insane. Anyway the point of a drum machine is real time manipulation of the synthesis going on, can't do that with samples.
I think maybe the reason you don't currently own any drum machines is because you have a history of using drum machines with unpleasant interfaces! The 707 is the only one of those that looks fun to program. 😂 Well... the HR-16 looks a lot like the MMT-8, and people love that thing. If you're buying a physical drum machine you're either doing it because of the interface, or you're doing it for some kind of nostalgia. You can get a TR-6S for under $300 on Reverb, and that has all the ACB 808/909/707/727/CR-78 sounds and a bunch of other stuff. Or maybe you want to play with the knobs on something analog, then a used Behringer RD-9 is a lot of fun. If it doesn't have a good interface, I'm going to sequence it with something else, and then I might as well use an M1 or some random rompler that has a ton more sounds than any drum machine. Well, unless you want to sequence something analog externally, then you definitely need a Jomox, or a ridiculous eurorack percussion setup. That would be hilarious if the MBase was someone's first/only drum machine. An MBase and a SQ-1! Now that's a good first drum machine!
Aww! Ive got the HR16 I still use and I’ve also got the Yamaha RX7 the cheaper version of the RX5, the only difference is the amount of outputs for external effects and strangely the RX7 has 100 internal sounds compared to 24 on the RX5
Actually you need to mention Roland TR-727 along with 707 here, because 727 is for those who need more percussion sounds, and both of them can be linked together through MIDI sync capability. But in the same year when 707 and 727 were popular, there was a low budget drum machine from Roland but brings the complete drum and percussions, although the sample quality may not as good as the older brothers, but the individual outputs make us able to mix the sounds faithfully and individually. It is Roland TR-626.
Roland TR-707 shouldnt really be in this list as the current prices are not a bargain. Same for the Roland R-8. I agree with you about the TR-626 though that should be here instead.
If the Boss DR-110 looks interesting, consider the DR-220. Same limitations, half the size! Same excellent display, surprisingly intuitive programming after the first few attempts. No MIDI, but a CV port that can be used as either in (slave) or out (master), and hooks up nicely to other era gear like a Boss DR-PAD. The 220A has passable percussion sounds, but the 220E is pleasantly similar to Simmons. Either 220 can usually be found for under $100; I've paid as little as $40.
I recommend the Boss DR-660 from 1992. Huge soundset, velocity pads, Sysex dump, and most importantly for me, it can do kit changes via MIDI program change -- very useful when you're in your DAW and want to experiment with different kits to find the right sound without having to get up from your chair (You can't do MIDI program changes on the SR-16 -- glad I only paid $40 for it). You can also build your own kits with ANY of the sounds AND it has a layer mode for layering drum sounds -- most useful for snare and kick. I bought this because I got bored with the limited drum sounds on my TR-707 (and those sounds are in the DR-660! Try latering the TR-707, 808 or 909!), which I gladly got rid of. I still have mine. I also have an RX5.
Also as a drummer here must say a Used R8 (with extra sound cards) or R8 mk 2 is the winner on this list as far as sound quality and what it could do for the time. Incredibly flexible and nuanced machine. The drum track “Sunlight” from the Pat Metheny album Secret Story is peak R8 programming. At the time it fooled me into thinking it was a real drummer. But it’s all R8.
Speaking of Pat Metheny. I remember hearing this Amtrak Commercial in the late 1980s. The music was "Last Train Home" Just loved the synth lead, only to find out it's guitar when I stumbled across a live video. Great song.
The SR-16 doesn’t have a rotary encoder. That’s actually just a big volume knob. On the newer SR-18, it is a rotary encoder. Unfortunately, when you’re in pattern mode on the SR-18, it’s easy to accidentally change patterns by bumping the encoder.
I'm still kicking myself for not buying a Yamaha RX-5 for $140(!!!) that was for sale a couple of moths ago. I'll check if you have "Top 11 - I Wish I Had Bought That" list.
I might add that maybe it's because the Boss DR-5 is complicated to program but hands down it's the best overall programmable rhythm composer available at low cost. It's actually much more than a drum machine. It features synthesizer sounds and a 8 track sequencer as well with hundreds of assorted preset multi-instrument rock, soul, funk, & jazz built-in background tracks. All this in a lightweight practically handheld size sturdy module.
There's a lot of utility in the DR-5. Kind of underrated for its time. Probably true for several products with the Boss label, that didn't get as much love as when the company just branded it Roland.
The Korg DDD-1 doesn’t even make the list? Affordable, lots of i/o, lots of control over the sounds, expandable via multiple card slots, SAMPLING, and so much more!!
As a drummer, I agree ... you can get GREAT drum sounds from just samples and samplers. Even cheap samplers. However, as a drummer ... there is no way I am not getting recreations of my favorite drum machines (I just purchased a used RD-8 mKII on Reverb for $275 last night)! Thanks for putting this list together!
@@JeffreyScottPetro Thank you. I forgot to mention the one I have from the list is the SR-16. I have had it since 1995 and there are plenty of videos of me using it on my channel. The first drum machine I programmed was the HR-16 in 1988 and 1989. It belonged to someone else. As for synths, I love the drum sounds from the Roland D-70, but I not interested in obtaining one of those.
What someone thinks of drum sounds whether good or bad, is subjective. I have an HR-16, and from a realistic standpoint and no effects, I personally find it being one of the best. Even a lot better than the SR-16. Having said that, it has a whole lot of limitations, as you stated.
I don't have an HR16 but I know it's highly rated and has some brilliant drum sounds. For me the thing I never liked about it was it was damn ugly otherwise I agree could be a contender for number one spot!
I think the RZ1 is a nice looking Drum Machine and the sampling is a great feature but the PCM sound set were pretty forgettable though man. 😂 Has a real charm though! Personally would have made the RX5 number one because you can now dump sounds to it via usb cards etc.
@@JeffreyScottPetro I think the RZ-1 is one of the nicest and coolest looking Drum Machines and I have been after one as it happens for a little while but comparing it to say a 707 it's not quite there. For me it's main shortcomings are the stock sounds and the limited display. Obviously being able to load samples in is a massive plus as well as the individual outs!
Yeah that's what I was thinking too. To be honest the 626 is pretty versatile sound wise but lacking certain classic character compared to say the 707 and 505 which can be had dirt cheap!
@@TheBroDotTV Will have a listen to those machines thanks. Take any of the old drum machines into a modern studio and the engineers can make them sound great 👍
@@Whitelight77 The 707 was the Chicago House drum machine basically. Obviously they used the 909 too but I guess it has a vibe because the 707 was synonymous with chi house and acid and it has a brilliant swing and flams. The 505 is a slightly different drum machine but I really dig the sounds as they're actually pretty punchy off the bat. I find em good for both house and hip hop. Thing is people say they're limited because of the display and no individual outs but there's no reason not to have two of these as they're so good and to run them in parallel with different sounds on each so you can say eq them differently or say apply certain FX to one and say have other sounds dry for instance. I have both!
I don’t really know why I’d go for one of these. If I’m on a budget, software is fine.. if I’m going to go for hardware.. I want it to have a real advantage over software. There are any number of.. on the market drum machine and groove boxes that aren’t that pricy.. and in many cases could be less then the ones you mentioned.
Agreed. It's more from a nostalgic point of view, which is why I don't own a drum machine, but have a lot of percussion sample libraries. Thanks for the comment.
If you are using it live, like in a one man band scenario, hardware can be more functional. For instance, it would be difficult and clunky to replicate the A/B/Fill foot switching of the SR machines with a computer live.
When my Drumulator went out on me, I too bought the brand new Korg "Super Drums". What a piece of junk! I was glad when my Drumulator only needed a factory reset to start working again! Funny story: I sold the Super Drums to my bandmate and neighbor...a guy we called Maynard...and he ran it through a distortion pedal to use for his pre-Tool C.A.D. tape project. I had the RZ-1 as well, and, at the time, actually had fun with the sampling feature! I used the RX-11 too...a LOT! But I never did care much for most of the sounds. Fun video...thanks for the memories!
@@JeffreyScottPetro You can get a card for it now which allows you to load tonnes of samples into from WaveRex via usb. Just a shame there's no big display ala the 707 or easy step sequencer otherwise history would have been quite different!
In the South East Asia, Roland R-8 and R-8 mkII were the most popular drum machines. That's because the genre of the music in South East Asia were pop-oriented, and most musicians were interested in the drum samples than synth-oriented like 808 and 909. Of course there are some alternatives from Yamaha and Alesis, but Roland R-8 wins the market. Before R-8, Roland TR-707 and 727 were popular, and often accompanied with Roland S-50 or S-550 to expand more percussion sounds not existed in 707 and 727.
i've owned most of these (all but the RX15, RX11 HR16 and TR707 (though i tried a couple of time on that one...)) but the only ones i still have are your top 2 - the RZ1 requires an OS chip upgrade before the samples will play in time properly but the faders make it a party in a box! my RX17 was absurdly cheap on ebay...£15 i think? - i like that it's velocity sensitive over MIDI (works real nice with yer beatstep pro), great source of classic 80's drums. typically i replace the kick for both with a jomox mbase01, both of them have more of a pop than a thud...
Alesis HR-16 & Casio RZ-1 rank among my favorites on this list. DR-110 is a solid contender, but I tend to compare it directly with the TR-606 (non MIDI, battery power capable analog), and the DR loses ground for obvious reasons. I realize the 606 no longer qualifies as a bargain, but I still tend to compare them on traits alone. I guess I should spend some more time with the Yamaha RX family, see if a rapport develops.
Thank you Well done and good analysis.I owned a few of these and my favorites would have been the R8 and the RX5.The RX5 suffered from lack of touch sensitivity but could be overcome by programming from a MIDI keyboard.I look forward to Behringer doing an upgrade with new or interchangeable sounds a larger screen and sampling (Maybe RX1 finally) The RX 5 sounds were also easily dated.The R8 despite its proprietary cable which can be obtained from Amazon was also wonderful because of its quality sounds which still sound full and usable today.Additionally the human element with ghost notes etc was revolutionary. The refusal of Roger Linn to build another drum machine beyond the will known "2nd Linn Drum" hampered the industry by removing that top end competition when larger screens greater sample times etc became available. I look forward to your high end listing and analysis.I hope to see the R70 and DR880 in that group.BTW the TR 707 could also be paired with a percussion unit the TR 727. It would be good to see these return upgraded. However with cheap loopers and a combination of sample units such as the Roland SPDX pro and Alesis Pad unit I think the 80's style drum machine may be history.
Were any of these commonly used in commercial synthpop or dance music between 1986 and 1989? It's just that I've heard about the early 80s drum machines but I want to look up if there are any good emulations of the late 80s ones.
Pseudo Echo used a Yamaha RX11 (with a RX15 as a backup) in the late-1980s. Madonna's Like A Virgin tour also used a Yamaha RX11 for percussion rather than the recorded LinnDrum - because the RX11 had MIDI control.
roland r-8 (original and mkII), tr-707 and yamaha rx-11 ❤❤❤ I had them! and I totally agree when you say they can be replaced using a nice samples lib!