Looking for a Drum Machine

O.P.H

I am looking for some sort of a drum machine that would firstly have a whole load of standard beats already programmed into it for you to use along with a facility that allows you to create your own beats. I've seen those small units that are the same size as like an 8 track recorder and they have those touch sensitive pads on their front so you can use drum sticks or your hands ec to make your own beats, I think thats the kinda thing I'm lookin for. Also I would like to be able to change the sound of the beat and all that. Anyone got any suggestions, cheers.

Dord

Boss DR-3. I have one, its great.

O.P.H

Well looking on Thomman, there seems to be two types of things I have in mind,

Drum Computers-
http://www.thomann.de/ie/boss_dr3.htm

or

Electronic Drum Sound Modules-
http://www.thomann.de/ie/roland_spd-s_sampling_pad.htm

Now I havent a clue about these things but what I want is to be able to hook these things up to an amp, be able to record sounds into them maybe with a mic etc and then use those sounds as a drum sound, to be able to use drum sticks to knock out beats on them and also to have a large library of preset beats to chose from. So which type thing should I go for and are they simple to use or do you need to be electronically minded, really lookin for somethin simple here, cheers.

BobTheBeat

I think maybe your looking in the wrong direction. Sure the spd-s is good in the 'whack-&make a sound' sense, but maybe not advanced enough for your requirements. I think maybe your looking for some kind of sequencing functionality too.

You should look at something like the roland sp 303/404 outboard sampler. These units have a number of pads on board that you can assign prerecorded or library sounds to. Most of the benefits of say something like an mpc 2k but at a fraction of the price.I use an sp303 in my drum setup sometimes, which can be also triggered though midi (drum pads etc), so thats something you could also look at. As a matter of fact, there is an sp 404 for sale in adverts.ie right now.

You dont have to be technically minded to use these units as they are pretty straightforward layout wise.

Rustar

I have an Alesis SR-16....GREAT drum sounds.

http://www.alesis.com/product.php?id=60

O.P.H

Well in a nut shell, I am now a one man band, not so much gigging but wrighting and I want to be able to take care of the drum end of things myself and at the same time be able to do something original (i.e. with the sound of the drums, like off the wall kinda things) and I really dont know whats the simplest way. When wrighting I like to have a beat laid down first and at the moment all I'm doing is using a mic and two drum sticks and thats it!

jimi_t

Rustar wrote: »

I have an Alesis SR-16....GREAT drum sounds.

http://www.alesis.com/product.php?id=60

Thats what the OP was referring to in his original post I reckon. Pretty much a buskers standard, although a little dated. The SR-18 was just announced at NAMM which is probably worth the extra month or two of hanging on until its released this side of the pond.

O.P.H

Ya that looks pretty good and its a good price too. So lets say I use that to take care of the standard beats etc I'm looking for something that allows you to record sounds into it and then use those sounds as the beat noise, is there anything like that, I think I saw somethin like that before but it was more like this kinda thing-

http://www.thomann.de/ie/roland_spd-s_sampling_pad.htm