Anyone still using a Roland PMA-5?

[mrx]

Flamers: Yes, I know it's off topic, and yes, I know there's a Roland forum (I posted there, as well).


As I've been looking for a drum machine with bass sounds (like the Roland DR series, and Zoom RT units) it occured to me that I own a PMA-5. I never used the sequencing features in the past because it was the pinnacle of Roland's quest to create the worlds most "user un-friendly" equipment.

My thought now is that muting everything except the bass and drums, using the internal patterns, and recording directly to my MR-8 might make it a pretty powerful little drum box.

I'm interested if anyone has worked with this box and found it to be worth the trouble?

Thanks!

 

[mrx]

No responses (other than the guy on the Roland forum who was drunk and high...)? I'm dying a thousand deaths - there's an RT-123 at work tomorrow I could snag for a hundred bucks...

 

[Axe4Yahweh]

No responses (other than the guy on the Roland forum who was drunk and high...)? I'm dying a thousand deaths - there's an RT-123 at work tomorrow I could snag for a hundred bucks...

I pray you snagged it! Good deal!

CR ><>

 

[mrx]

I pray you snagged it! Good deal!

CR ><>

LOL - things where so f***ed up there today I totally forgot to ask him! Been fooling around with the PMA-5, though - it's a pretty capable little box once you get past the cryptic design.

 

[bdbdbuck]

"it occured to me that I own a PMA-5."


UH........you own that much equipment that you actually forget about stuff? Dude, I need to come and visit you. You need anyone to clean out your closets? You know.....just get rid of some of that old junk you got layin around? Which closet do you keep that POD in again?



bd



BTW....I have no ideas about the PMA-5, I'm still tryin to figure out the DR-5 I got a couple of weeks ago.

 

[mrx]

I know - I thought the same thing when I wrote the post! I was tearing apart the garage to find my Alesis drum machine, when I literally went "wait a minute...what about the PMA..." At least that was easier to find than the Alesis!

I cringe thinking about all the cool gear I've left at people's houses, or given away. Now that I have space, it would be cool to have everything back and plugged in at once.

 

[bdbdbuck]

Ah yes, SPACE......When I first got involved with this home recording thing, all I had was my computer, a mixer and a mic on a stand. No problem swingin a guitar around....I had a little makeshift table for the mixer....everything was cool. Now I have added "a few" pieces of equipment and have no room at all here. I do have a large shop here in my basement that I plan on converting to a studio, but I need to build a shed to house all the junk I've got in there! Weather's been downright nasty here, so it aint happenin any time soon. Oh well.....I'll get around to it someday.


bd


BTW....I bought a Behringer V-Amp yesterday. Whoa, all the stuff I've been missin out on over the past 17 years is simply astounding. Great little unit, just what I needed. Very user friendly for people like me who are "technically challenged".

 

[bdbdbuck]

Hey MRX,
Check your PM's. I just realized you haven't read my message.


bd

 

[oldbluesman]

I use the PMA-5. I use it as a backup rhythm section.
I figured out a way to store up to 150 rhythm patterns for use during live performances. It worked so good that when my bassman and drummer were stuck in a traffic jam the guitar, keybd and myself started the gig and the owner didn't realize we didn't have a real drummer and bassman up there. Also use it with my Fostex X34 with great results. I have all the computer s/w programs (ie., cakewalk, ntrack, sonic loops, jammer pro, etc) plus a Fostex VF160 recorder but its something about that warm analog sound that turns me on. I use wave clean to get rid of the any tape hiss but I get very little hiss with the X34. Again PMA-5 works great for me. Oh yeah. I also can create midi files with (jammer pro or Harmony 2) and down load to PMA5 for full song recording with fills , breaks, etc.