drum machine helps?

[ovialexm]

Hello there
I am a beginner bass player and I would like ask if anybody is using drum machines for practicing. If yes what model is the best I can use. Any suggestion will be more then welcome.Thanks for help!

[kaih]

Hey

I myself do that, not with a conventional drum machine however, but I load up Abletone Live and use a drumming plugin called Stylus RMX wich is basically a loop player on steroids.
I prefer this over the metronome.

Edit:

I do use different loops for different tempo's, since some will start to sound really weird if i go say above 160 BPM. Some loops are more suited for higher tempo.

[ovialexm]

thanks...looks like not many other people are using drum machine...waiting for more oppinions...tx

[Ibanezzer]

I just picked up my first drum machine and its been helpful for working on my time. I'm using it mainly to jam against. I've got the boss dr-880. It definately takes some time to get used to programming it but after a couple times of messing with it I got things figured out. I will add that it helps to understand some basic music theory regarding the values of notes when working with one as you may get frustrated without understanding that. I've been playing for a few years and kept holding off on getting one, i'd say its a worthwhile investment.

David.

[Depth_Charge]

Hi. I've started "re-learning" bass, so I've been using a metronome a lot more these days, but earlier this year I was utilising the drum machine function on my RP80 guitar pedal. It's got a lot of pre-programmed rythms to get you started.

I just put it through my behringer BX1200 amp and jam for fun.

I also write my own drum tracks in Guitar Pro and jam to those.

Cheers,

D_C

[mikeyswood]

GarageBand is really good if you are a Mac user

[Falcynn]

I normally use the drum machine that comes with my BP80 pedal which has a bunch of pre-programmed beats. However when I feel like trying to come up with my own rhythms I use hydrogen
http://www.hydrogen-music.org/?p=main
it says it's primarily for GNU/linux, but they also have a download for a windows version. IMO it's fairly easy to work with.

[ovialexm]

interesting..I was thinking the same to use a Boss 880. thank you guys sharing with me your experiances...

[Skeletomania]

Some of the bass parts I'm learning right now can be flat out boring, especially when I have to repeat the same line till I get it. The drum machine can truly liven up the practice time you spent learning. Also, after a while with the metronome; my ears tend to drown out the ticking sound. It makes it that much harder on me to focus on time.

[Vandelay]

I've really enjoyed having a drum machine. The Alesis HR-16 and SR-16 are oldies but goodies -- they sound good, they're reasonably easy to figure out, and you can find them used on eBay for a cheap price. Note that they don't have a headphone output or a speaker (just stereo output jacks), so you'd need to connect it to some sort of amplifier or powered speakers to hear it.

[Ibanezzer]

Originally Posted by Skeletomania

Some of the bass parts I'm learning right now can be flat out boring, especially when I have to repeat the same line till I get it. The drum machine can truly liven up the practice time you spent learning. Also, after a while with the metronome; my ears tend to drown out the ticking sound. It makes it that much harder on me to focus on time.

i totally agree with this, it makes it a ton more fun when playing simple things repetatively that i normally would have been bored with in like 2-3 minutes. I think its also helpful in the fact that it gets you used to hearing various drum beats and patterns and stuff, that way you'll be a little more comfortable when playing with a real drummer.

[steve66]

I use the ZOOM Micro RhythmTrack MRT-3B. Pretty good to jam with