Drum Machine

A-Rod

Ok so Im looking for a drum machine, one thats not too hard to use, and has good quality to it.

Basically I have 2 bands...but dont have a drummer for either one, but I have songs, or song ideas and just need something that can at least emulate some drums in there for the time being. Plus its nice to play to some drums alone instead of a boring metronome.

Ive tried out my friends Zoom MRT-3b Micro Rhythm Trak, I liked it, and didnt get to fiddle around too much but maybe theres something better out there for beginners to drum machines??

any suggestions? Cuz right now the Zoom MRT-3b Micro Rhythm Trak is pretty much the only one that has grabbed my attetion (ive tried a few at the stores, but they arent quite as good, dont remember the brand names sorry...)

blue integer

Keep in mind that there are a lot of computer based drum machines out there...some of them are free.

If all else fails, try FL Studio. Although it's more of a loop program, it's great for drum tracks. They have a free version that, while doesn't give you the ability to save, does allow you to export your work.

www.fruityloops.com

A-Rod

Ya but I wont have access to a computer at the rehearsal room.....thats why the computer based programs wont be helping me out in that situation. At home alone I guess it would be fine, but not at the jam space.

A-Rod

nobody has any suggestions that isnt computer based?

Spackle

You could head to like a GuitarCenter, they usually have an electronics section with keys, recorders, MIDI interfaces and probably Drum Machines. Maybe one of those guys could help you.

A lot is done with software now-a-days I guess.

EggyToast

There's lots of drum machines or rhythm-based bits of hardware out there, but you don't mention a budget or the sounds you're going for.

For playability, an MPC is fantastic. Very immediate, the kind of thing that you could lay down some beats on the fly and tie it all together with a song very quickly and actually feel like you're creating a rhythm for a track, rather than just setting up a boring "boom thwack boom thwak" beat and letting it go for 4 minutes. But they start at $5-600 used for an MPC1000, and they don't come with very many sounds in them (it's very easy to set up new kits if you want to spend some time on freesound or buy some sample cds).

A lot of people also like the MachineDrum, which is a little more electronic sounding, but starts at well over a grand since they're sold in Euros.

The cheapy ones by Boss, Zoom, etc, are decent for some basic sounds and will give you a chance to play with more rhythm, but they're not serious production tools. As in, unless you're trying to rock the Bruce Hornsby 80s sound, they're essentially only worthwhile for demo/practice work. Which may be exactly what you're looking for. I haven't spent that much time with the cheap drum machines, since their sounds are limited and the sequencing tools are limited (although they often come with a wide variety of midi patterns so you can just load some of those up to create a drum track).

But the crux is that if you're happy with the Zoom, you won't get anything much better without spending a lot more money. $100 for something you can get started with and you're enjoying is pretty good.

blincoln

The Yamaha RY-30 is a model from the 90s that is not bad, and can be had very cheap now. It has a variety of built-in kits, and there were a number of expansion cards made for it.