Best Drum Machine

[Gman2]

I am a guitar player normally, so im after a very simple but good sounding drum machine. I have a Korg D1200 Digital Recording Studio, and am after a drum machine to law down some beats for my home made demos. Not looking ot spend to much, around £200/£300. I dont know anything about what is out there and don't know where to start to be honest. If someone could point me in the right direciton it would be appreciated!!

[thereformant]

In one of my old bands the guitarist used to use a Boss Dr Rhythm (http://www.bosscorp.co.jp/products/en/DR-880/) which seemed to work pretty well. A mate also has a korg electribe which is less of a drum machine and more of a rhythm synth but you can get some really awesome psychdelic electro type beats out of it (http://www.korg.co.uk/products/dance_dj/mx1/dj_mx1.asp).

A lot depends on if you're looking for something that sounds like a drum machine or if your trying to get parts which sound like a human drummer, in the case of the latter and you have an available PC I'd probably receommend getting a software drum rompler like EZ drummer. The quality of the samples are usually much higher than drum machines with much more velocity layers and generally the parts are easier to program in a midi drum editor than in the pattern editors that drum machines have, especially if you're intending to stray outside 4/4.

[Gman2]

Im looking for a natural sounding drums, rather than electronic. Im not the best on a PC, but do you know of any free drum softwear applicaitons?

[RayL]

Part of having 'natural sounding drums' is having them played by a real person. In other words, electronic drums in the hands of a human drummer can have a dimension that even the best sampled drums can't have if they are played by a monotonous machine.

So have you thought of laying down a click track and then playing along to it with a set of electronic drums? When the drums have been laid down, remove the click. That way you end up with the steady tempo of a drum machine, but with the 'feel' and 'life'of a human drummer.

You can buy a set of good electronic drums for £200 -£300 on ebay. You don't have to go for 'names' like Roland or Yamaha - good results can be had from the '502' or '506' kits that are available under various brand names.

Ray L

[TheThingThatShouldNotBe]

The Boss Dr 880 sounds like what your looking for .
This thread is old so I assume you have already sorted a drum machine by now.

[beadsws8]

A good healthy body is worth more a crown in gold.______________________Magnetic hematite beadsHematite beadsMagnetic hematite beads