Hi folks, We've been busy researching Drum Machines to help you figure out what you need
to make your best audio and video content and stay on budget.
Links to all the products in the review are in the description box below, where you'll
find current pricing for your region wherever possible.
The video has timestamps so that you can jump straight to the product that interests you
the most.
Now before I move on, we'd love to hear what Drum Machine you're using right now and what
you think of it.
Let us know in the comments!
Okay, let's get into it!
Here are the top five best Drum Machines.
The fifth product on our list is the Moog DFAM.
The Moog Drummer From Another Mother, commonly known simply as DFAM, is an analog percussion
synthesizer.
This semi-modular device is housed in a durable metal casing.
It has a reasonably compact size which lets it fit right into your home studio.
It has a user-friendly interface that lets you create rhythms right off the bat.
This drum machine doesn't require any patching.
The DFAM excels in electronic percussion and punchy synth sounds, which makes it perfect
for EDM.
This Moog drum machine has a unique voice that is shaped by the brand's ladder filter.
You can choose from the filter's two modes: low pass gives you impact and dimension, while
high pass provides you with expressive strikes, spikes and accents.
You get two oscillators with a wide frequency range spanning 10 octaves.
There's also a white noise generator.
To set the oscillator levels, head over to the mixer section.
The DFAM comes with a pack of Moog patch cables that give you access to the 24-point modular
patchbay.
This unlocks endless possibilities of things you can experiment with.
Moog's DFAM gets better the more you use it.
This drum machine is perfect for adventurous musicians.
The fourth product on our list is the Korg Volca.
The Korg Volca drum machine is a percussion synthesizer and sequencer.
It has a fully digital sound generation and can produce an array of drum sounds.
This device features six identical voices with two layers each.
The Volca is housed in a compact plastic case.
On the device is a built-in speaker that lets you hear what you're working on instantly.
You can power this drum machine with six double-A batteries or a 9-volt power supply.
On top of the device, you'll find all the input and output ports.
This makes cable management easy.
On the bottom part is the touch-sensitive keyboard, which triggers sequencing and other
functions.
You can keep track of your settings with the LCD screen on the upper portion of the Volca.
To start building your sound, the first thing you have to do is choose a sound source from
five options: sine wave, sawtooth wave, high or low-pass filtered noise, and band-filtered
noise.
The Volca offers numerous sound effects such as bit-reduction, wave folding, and overdrive.
These effects help create cool sounds, and you can even apply all three at once.
A fun tool you can also use is the waveguide resonator.
Korg's Volca drum machine is a versatile device packed with features that'll blow your mind.
It's perfect for flexible musicians who enjoy playing with different layers.
The third product on our list is the Akai Pro Force.
The Akai Pro Force is the complete package in a drum machine.
Weighing around 8 pounds or just under 4 kilograms, it features a great hybrid of hardware and
software functionalities.
This Akai device has all-around connectivity, featuring a pair of quarter-inch TRS outputs,
a master out, and stereo cue outputs.
On the front, there's a quarter-inch headphone output complete with level control.
Next to it is a cue mix knob that lets you blend tunes to test things out.
You can also expand the Pro Force's storage by using the SATA drive slot on the underside.
The body of this Akai drum machine is premium.
It has a luxurious feel with a sleek black body and light accents.
It boasts a matrix grid of 8x8 RGB touchpads that are velocity and touch-sensitive.
It sits complete with flanking buttons that let you switch modes, trigger scenes, or navigate
the menu.
Above the touchpads is a row of rotary knobs that you can assign jobs to.
They each have a mini screen that shows you their current settings.
On the upper panel of the drum machine is a 7-inch full-color touchscreen.
You can also control it with the encoder that sits on its right side.
The Akai Pro Force works great with software like Ableton or Native Instruments.
This device is a standalone music maker that does it all.
The second product on our list is the Roland TR-8S.
The Roland TR-8S is a great value drum machine.
It has a solid flat body with improved buttons and knobs.
The design is sleek, with lights that outline the controls.
The featured USB audio connection lets you integrate the device with your DAW software.
You can even import your own mono or stereo sounds with the SD card slot.
The improved sound library is sure to get your creative juices flowing.
It features every drum sound from all the previous TRS drum machines.
You can tweak the sounds to add your own twist or replace up to 11 samples per kit.
There's also a separate channel for each sample, complete with volume fader, decay, and tuning
controls.
The TR-8S has an array of digital effects.
There's the standard, delay, reverb, and snap, along with more realistic and dynamic effects.
This unit works well with different genres such as hip-hop, deep house, and techno music.
The extended range of controls is user-friendly and easy to get used to.
There's an instrument record mode that lets you play the sounds in real-time.
You can also use it to record each sound individually.
The Roland TR-8S is, without a doubt, a fantastic product.
It doesn't have a steep learning curve with its intuitive controls.
If you're looking to invest in a drum machine with high quality all throughout, this unit
is perfect.
The first product on our list is the Behringer RD-8.
The Behringer RD-8 or Rhythm Designer is an affordable homage to the classic Roland 808.
It is a true analog drum machine with a design that is reminiscent of the iconic 808.
The build is solid, with step buttons being clicky and easy to use.
You'll find a row of backlit rubber buttons and dedicated channel select pads as a modern
addition.
The device features 16 original drum sounds with extra controls.
The bass drum channel has classic tone and decay with the option of a tuning knob.
The decay feature has a broader range than the 808, giving you plenty of room to play
with.
The kick effect is smooth and gives you that air of punch that sounds great on headphones
or speakers.
The three toms have a warm and natural quality to them.
You also get that dusty, low-end frequency.
The brand also modded the clap patch to add in an offset control.
This is a great option that lets you adjust the sound balance.
The Behringer RD-8 has a 64 step drum sequencer.
It also supports poly-meter, step-repeat, note-repeat, real-time triggering, track-mute
and track-solo modes.
This drum machine is a great take on a classic that combines modern elements and everything
you loved about the 808.
The Behringer RD-8 is an excellent buy if you're looking for a versatile function.
And there you have it folks, the five Drum Machines that got us excited this year.
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