Drum machines

The TR-909 kick drum – probably the most sampled sound ever? Mark Cousins takes a closer look at the continuing popularity of the drum machine.

From relatively humble beginnings, drum machines have defined some of the most important turning points in music technology history – from the birth of the Roland Corporation to the origins of hip hop and electro. They have captured the imagination of musicians past and present and remain a prominent feature of the studio and music production in general. Their appeal is twofold: the classic defining sounds of machines such as the TR-808, TR-909 and SP-12, alongside the immediacy and pleasure of programming in a rhythm track otherwise unplayable by human hands.

This feature first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 19
Filed under Ten Minute Masters

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