Are There Any Drum Machines Designed For Live Use?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bryan R. Tyler
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Bryan R. Tyler

Bryan R. Tyler

Elrickophile
I've been looking into drum machines for recording and live use, but I'm not sure what to get. The DR-880 looked nice but Roland says it's not intended for live use (has no onboard RAM) and it seems like the software is a bit confusing. I'd want something more advanced than the old SR-16, and I'm not going software (no laptop), and preferrably something that sounds decent. Any suggestions?
 
depends on what kind of music your playing. There is all sorts of stuff out there
 
I use an alesis SR-16 and one of the more simple Boss Drum Machines. But, niether are great live. I usually just record with them...and, then I use a wav. file of Drum tracks only on CD to perform them. Most Drum Machines aren't very reliable for a live performance.
 
I just got a Roland TD-20 kit about two months ago and haven't looked back. I don't think there's a trick you can't make this set do. Although it's not for extremely finesse players (or starving artists), I can say that hands down, it was the single best "investment" I've made in my recorded drum sound for years...and that's over buying nice drumsets and mics. I don't care much about it's programmability because I like to hit the pads instead of pushing the brain's buttons. It satisfies my needs and alot of wants. One shortfall is the capability to load your own custom samples and assign them to take with you all in one box but it can still be accomplished by other means if one were inclined to do so.
 
petermiller said:
the drummer from the roots
Click to expand...

He's not widely available for sale yet. I could have one shipped in from California, but I fear the shipping costs of sending a 200 lb. man through UPS.
 
i think ?uestlove is pushing more than 2 bills.

Might have to go with ground freight
 
JenniferNorth said:
I usually just record with them...and, then I use a wav. file of Drum tracks only on CD to perform them. Most Drum Machines aren't very reliable for a live performance.
Click to expand...

+1 :cool:

that or just program drums via software and then burn them to cd.
 
Hi folks. While I am a member I haven't been here for a while but I don't think that there is a better drum machine than the SR-16. We have been using them for fifteen years now and have over 200 songs in the can with them. I even bought 2 more that aren't even opened yet so that I will still have them when they no longer in production. And they are cheap now. We payed about 4 bills for the first one. I gave a buck and a half for the other 2.
The SR-16 is so versatile that even today nothing I have seen compares to it. Most look like toys by comparison.
I've heard people say the drums don't sound good, etc. but I think people just don't realize what can bee done with it. It can be a bit overwhelming at first but the more you work with it the easier it becomes.
It is totally programable you know. All drum sounds can be modified for volume and tone and even the reverb can be tweaked. We created our own drum kit that suits the sound of our music and most people don't realize that it is a machine. It all depends on how much you want to work on the parts. You can go as simple or as complicated as you want. We typically spend about a week creating drum parts. Sometimes utilizing the onboard patterns, sometimes note for note, often a combination of both. We even get double kicks out of it, so what is there to bitch about.
For the cost and the functionality there is nothing better. I guess that is why the machine is still in production, unchanged, for 17 years now.
As for using it live, we have done this many times, mostly as a twosome when we are trying to get reaction to new material. You know, take a couple amps and a mixer to a shot and a beer joint, play for free and get reaction to the material.
Of course I have assigned the sounds to all four outputs instead of just the mains, So the kick is on one channel, the snare on one channel and the toms and cymbals on their own respectively. That way everything can be panned and tweaked with the EQ.
I use a Alesis Microverb 3 at Plate 2 settings and get a good sound to the mix overall.
Many people have told us that if you didn't know better you would swear there was a live drummer there.
But like I said the SR-16 is very versatile and you are only stifled by you own imagination. So don't be afraid of it, show it who is boss, kick its ass, and it will be your buddy for life.
 
Hi,

My band uses a Boss Dr 202 Dr Groove. We use it as out drum kit sound bank triggered by a sequencer, however Dr Groove can be programed as a stand alone drum machine. It can also be edited by someone while the song is playing as it was designed to be used by DJ's to create drum patterns on the fly. You can add rolls,, change patterns, mute different drums etc while the song is playing.

Great little drum machine with good sounds including all the old Roland stuff, has been around for a few years so plenty of second hand ones on the market.

Cheers

Alan.
 
<random talkbass and connecticut shoutout from joejnyc>
 
Bryan, I've never used a drum machine live, but if I did, I'd look for multiple outputs, above all. Trusting a machine to balance and EQ a drum kit is asking for bad sound. Multiple drum tracks in the studio--and on the road--would be my choice.

J.
 
Look at the "BFD Zen Drumming" video, on the right side of this page.
 
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