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Drum Machines?

gimmeagig

gimmeagig

Feb 25, 2004
2,891
1,198
Coeur D'Alene,Idaho
#1
Hi,
I have a trio voc,bass,keys.We're doing some standards, some ballads but also some groove tunes and some Latin.Some tunes work in the trio format very well, but others really do need some drums.I do want it to be tasteful and not robotic sounding.I used to have an Alesis SR 16 and wish I still had it.It really was pretty good.But that was 5 years ago. Right now our keyboard player uses the drumloops of his Korg Triton which sound much better that the Alesis did,it even has a swing pattern that is not annoying, but still the patterens and sets need to be tweaked some more to be really musical.Our keyboardplayer does not really get into the guts of his Triton to make that happen, so I want to look for another drum machine.Before I get another SR 16,I want to ask some of you, is there now a machine on the market that might have sounds and patterns that might be superior to the Alesis SR 16? I would like it to be footswichable, maybe with a variation on a pattern also via footswitch just like the SR 16 only more realistic sounding?
 
#3
Just a random thought....doesn't garage band on mac have electronic drums or something like a machine? i saw some kid messing around a few weeks ago and i thought it was fascinating to hear a guy basically playing something like an 8 piece drum set (it sounded like) with just a keyboard. anything similar for programs on windows?

also, I've been interested in working with drum machines ever since I started listening to Agoraphobic Nosebleed
 
#4
i recently picked up an SR-16 just out of curiousity. to me the thing is a pain in the butt to program, but it does sound nice and has versatility. i especially like the multiple audio outs on it. i am very tempted to up to a DR-670 or re-buy an old R-8. as The King of Muff said, you would be hard pressed to find another drum machine as good as an SR-16 in that price range.

to answer scorpionldr, yes you can play drums on a computer keyboard with Garageband. Logic is the same way, you can use the keyboard as a "MIDI controller". IMO every sequencer should have that functionality.
 
#5
Yes, the SR 17 was kind of tricky to program from what i remember amd the grooves were kind of 80s if you know what i mean.You never forgot that it is a machine.I want something more realistic.I'm curious about the Boss DR 77o and the DR 670.
I used to think that it is not possible to have a drum machine with a great swing pattern but on my friends Korg triton keyboard there is a swing pattern that sounds very realistic.I think it's a 4 bar loop that never sounds mechanical.I'm hoping the Boss machines have such a pattern.
 

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