Does anyone know if this exists? I'm looking for a drum machine that will allow me to record vocals onto it as well, I tend to do everything in a strange way but i find producing songs so much easier if I'm putting music down to a lead vocal line, I've tried using DAW's and I can only think that my PC doesn't have a good enough sound card as I always have issues with it, plus I've lost loads of songs in the past with PC's crashing or just getting arsey for no reason, connectivity issues etc, so I'm looking away from DAW's. Don't mind old tech as long as it's memory card based. Thank you.
Drum Machine you can also record vocals on
- Thread starter Wagz
- Start date
rob aylestone
Moderator
I don't think anyone ever produced a drum machine with an audio in. As recording nowadays is so essentially wrapped up with computers, then your experience is a symptom of problems most don't get. I've probably lost the latest save of a couple of songs in six months, and Cubase saves backups anyway - so it's very rare to lose projects as you describe unless you don't take care. Most crashes can be tracked down to specific problems - usually asking the machine to do more than it can. If you are using an internal sound card, then you've probably not really understood how modern recording works. In fact, some of the cards are actually quite good now - but they physically have compromises. No piles of XLRs and Jack connectors, no meters, no gain knobs, Phantom power etc etc -
If you read this forum, you'll find simply the use of DAWs as almost essential practice. They're just a tool - but so able. A drum machine was designed to go thump, click, thump click - that's the strength. So few people with drum machines use them standalone anyway? They trigger them from the DAW unless you want to recreate the 80s? All the neat things a DAW can do with drums missed totally.
If your computer is being arsy, then either you have a terrible computer, terrible software or are a computer phobe. This fine. In all areas some people just can't do them, but it's a very big hand tied behind your back. I just know that computers are the centre of my music making. I could not operate on the equipment I used to use. It's a choice you have to make - but manufacturers simply don't support non-computer products any longer.
If you read this forum, you'll find simply the use of DAWs as almost essential practice. They're just a tool - but so able. A drum machine was designed to go thump, click, thump click - that's the strength. So few people with drum machines use them standalone anyway? They trigger them from the DAW unless you want to recreate the 80s? All the neat things a DAW can do with drums missed totally.
If your computer is being arsy, then either you have a terrible computer, terrible software or are a computer phobe. This fine. In all areas some people just can't do them, but it's a very big hand tied behind your back. I just know that computers are the centre of my music making. I could not operate on the equipment I used to use. It's a choice you have to make - but manufacturers simply don't support non-computer products any longer.
Hi Rob, thanks for your input, I can't comment on what happens with other people's PC's only my own experience that has happened across three different manufacturers, I had my DAW's set up to save every ten minutes, however when the software was struggling it would save the glitches which then needed undoing. I don't do EDM and I have enough ability to go through a song in one take with my guitars and vocals so don't need to copy and paste each little section which appears to be a big advantage with DAW's over stand-alone machines, but I find it advantagous to have a lead vocal recorded and then put bass, rhythm and lead guitar to it, so I'm looking to reduce the amount of machines used, so it would be Drum machine, Guitar FX Pedal and a microphone, keep it simple and spend my time being creative rather than spen most of the time trying to diagnose PC issues.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
If you don't want to go the DAW route, the next best option would be something like a Zoom R16, R24, DP24SD or similar. I've fed the output of an Alesis SR18 to my R-24, along with a VERY ROUGH guitar/vocal guide track, then added bass, real guitar tracks and then new vocals. The R-24 has a drum machine in it, but I've never used it.
If you want, afterwards, you can pull the SD card, put it in the slot of computer and drag the files to the hard drive for further process in a DAW. The original files stay on the SD card, so you will never lose anything. I even go so far as to buy SD cards to use like tape reels. I don't erase or reuse them 90% of the time, unless I'm just playing around. I figure the $5-7 is cheaper than a reel of 1/4" tape. Buy 10 off Amazon and put them in a filing box.
If you want, afterwards, you can pull the SD card, put it in the slot of computer and drag the files to the hard drive for further process in a DAW. The original files stay on the SD card, so you will never lose anything. I even go so far as to buy SD cards to use like tape reels. I don't erase or reuse them 90% of the time, unless I'm just playing around. I figure the $5-7 is cheaper than a reel of 1/4" tape. Buy 10 off Amazon and put them in a filing box.