is the machinedrum worth it if i have 808 909 and linndrum

[javd007]

i am a phone call away from a machinedrum. I am about to buy it however, is it redundant? I have a 808 909 and linndrum? It does seem to be different enough, but i know it focuses on tr series emulation.

[ambientbirch]

They all sound different. If your 808, 909 and Linn Drum have enough variety for you to keep them all, the Machinedrum will be a nice addition too. If it's the sampling version then go for it.

[3phase]

total different animal..the machinedrum is actually great for anything except drums..

elektron theself call it a precussion syntheziser..so go figure

[Acid Mitch]

ambientbirch is right. They are all so different they cant really replace each other. They will co exist nicely.You'll get different sounds and grooves out of each machine.
You should get off the internet and pick up the phone

[bluegreengold]

the sequencer on the machinedrum is far more advanced than any of the others you mention. The trouble is it only really makes the most of its features if you use the in built sound machines, and I only ever really liked a few of machines in it -- fm tom, and a couple others -- of course a tx81z could do that better for over a grand less.

[fanriffic]

Originally Posted by 3phase

..the machinedrum is actually great for anything except drums..

er...huh?

[Dubtek71]

Originally Posted by 3phase

the machinedrum is actually great for anything except drums..

Care to explain this a little more?

[djugel]

makes perfect sense to me actually..

I used to say .. . it's a drum synth, not a drum machine.

[Dudley]

MachineDrum is a great little unit, the FM engine and the Physical modelling engine offer some genuinely different sounds and synthesis possibilities to the other machines you mention.
it's also very well put together and laid out.

[Acid Hazard]

Depends on price really. If its an mkI w/o sampling, don't pay much for it. A lot of people whine that they can't get solid thick BDs out of it. I had NO issues doing this. Over all, they're far different than the 808/909 and LD. In fact, if it IS the UW version, sample the LD and sell it. Get some of your investment back.

[Dudley]

Originally Posted by Acid Hazard

Depends on price really. If its an mkI w/o sampling, don't pay much for it. A lot of people whine that they can't get solid thick BDs out of it.

you're right, a ridiculous thing to say - it makes some thumping kicks.

personally, i think the MK1 is the best value if you don't want sampling ( i didn't) - you get all the same synthesis options etc for quite a lot less.

[Pschelfh]

I just got a MD Mk2 last week. The range of sounds is great and I actualy like the TR emulations a lot. The eq and compressor help greatly to produce a 'finished' and punchy sound!

Peter.

[elijahbrown]

This if kinda random. How many drum machines do you have? I keep seeing drum machine threads that you started.

[Dirty Halo]

I've been in your exact same position, owning a 808, 909, 606, Linn...

I've bought and sold the Machine drum twice now!

I WANT to like it, but it never makes the tracks like the others. And I'm almost at a loss as to why other than to say...

The Machine drum just feels too clinical, cold, and sterile (to me).

My advice is, buy used at a decent price and you can't really go wrong. If you don't like it, sell it. (Until you do that, you'll drive yourself crazy with wondering and never really find the answer on any forum)

-andrews

[javd007]

just 3 machines,808 909 and linn. i love em!

[convex]

Originally Posted by Dirty Halo

I've been in your exact same position, owning a 808, 909, 606, Linn...

I've bought and sold the Machine drum twice now!

I WANT to like it, but it never makes the tracks like the others. And I'm almost at a loss as to why other than to say...

The Machine drum just feels too clinical, cold, and sterile (to me).

My advice is, buy used at a decent price and you can't really go wrong. If you don't like it, sell it. (Until you do that, you'll drive yourself crazy with wondering and never really find the answer on any forum)

-andrews

I had to spend like 2 years with my MD, really getting deep into it, before I could come up with kits and arrangements that frustrated me by sounding just slightly too flat and lifeless or not quite working together or not having enough punch.

But now I'm very happy that I kept at it

[jbuonacc]

Originally Posted by convex

I had to spend like 2 years with my MD, really getting deep into it, before I could come up with kits and arrangements that frustrated me by sounding just slightly too flat and lifeless or not quite working together or not having enough punch.

But now I'm very happy that I kept at it

you spent two years to get results that frustrate you?

[convex]

Originally Posted by jbuonacc

you spent two years to get results that frustrate you?

Yeah, I wasnt in a position to just buy a different drum machine in the same arena, and besides there are certain things the Machinedrum does that you just cant get anywhere else.
Anyway, I still feel that the initial sounds could sound a whole lot better - not like I want to use presets, but the amount of tweaking required to make it sound right is a little much, in my opinion, and probably alot more work than someone used to using 808s and 909s is used to!

[Rude Talk]

Yes it is!

I have a 909 a 808 and a MD and it's worth it. The complement eachother in ways and sound perfectly.

[Praxisaxis]

The machinedrum is designed to have a very particular kind of sound. It's got this sort of crisp detailed edge in all of its synthesis, but getting sub frequencies has also been ensured. Also, it's glitchy and dirty - not at all analogue.

Couple of things about it -

* you only get benefit from it when you use it as a synth... tweaking the drum sounds mid-mix is a massive benefit.

* It really comes into its own when you combine different "machines" to create single hits. Making up a kick out of one machine but adding a bit of click at the transient is easy.

In short it's best when used for its synthesis, flexibility and adaptability. It won't satisfy people who just want to scroll through kick drum sounds.

[Dirty Halo]

Originally Posted by convex

I had to spend like 2 years with my MD, really getting deep into it, before I could come up with kits and arrangements that frustrated me by sounding just slightly too flat and lifeless or not quite working together or not having enough punch.

But now I'm very happy that I kept at it

You are a better man than I, my hat off to you sir!

-andrews

[convex]

Originally Posted by jbuonacc

you spent two years to get results that frustrate you?

Oh, ok I see what I did there. I meant...
You know what I meant!

[bluegreengold]

The question is: 'is it worth it,' which I take for is it worth the money. They sell for ~ $900 used in the NJ/NYC area. If you aren't specifically after the realtime sequencer/programming effects that the machinedrum offers (which are fun and cool, but not something that can't be recreated with a alternate approach), then it's not worth it. If you're just looking to expand your sound palette, you can get far greater percussion synthesis power with a basic 4 op fm synth and a sub $200 sampler. The machinedrum is instant fun, but so are the 808/909/linndrum (and more so IMO).

So the question is whether the sequencer is worth $600, and you'd have to play with one hands on to make that decision.

[blinky909]

Originally Posted by bluegreengold

So the question is whether the sequencer is worth $600, and you'd have to play with one hands on to make that decision.

i found the sequencer to be a huge PITA when compared to the open nature of the x0x stuff and the R8mk2/MPC 2000XL. yes, a TX81Z or XD-5 and a few hours programming will yield some crazy percussion for far less.

[Syn303]

Originally Posted by Rude Talk

Yes it is!

I have a 909 a 808 and a MD and it's worth it. The complement eachother in ways and sound perfectly.

+1, a great feature of the MD is the P-Locks, where you can add reverb to one step and filter to another step and so on.

Plus there is the MIDI machines, you can set up a midi kit and trigger a 909 or a drum module and have 64 steps and not be tied down to 16 steps.

[blinky909]

Originally Posted by Syn303

Plus there is the MIDI machines, you can set up a midi kit and trigger a 909 or a drum module and have 64 steps and not be tied down to 16 steps.

if i hold down a range of keys on the 909, those patterns will be chained, thus i can have a 16 step x 16 patterns loop = 64 steps

but yeah, a modern sequencer should be able to do more things than one from 1984. i would hope.

[bluegreengold]

One thing the machinedrum does that is really cool, and I don't know anything else that does it, except for maybe other elektron boxes, is have real time modifiable swing settings for each track. So for example, you can swing the hats and snare at different % and tweak them as the pattern runs until it sounds just right.

It's very good as a rhythmic sequencer, but from what people are saying the octatrack may be even better.

[Catabolic]

There are a number of other things to bear in mind about the Machinedrum that the OP might like such as the swing comment above. For example, 16 independent LFOs to modify parameters, track-specific delay+reverb+distortion+"ring mod" (amplitude modulation) effects, an interesting hi-lo-bandpass filter for every one of the 16 tracks, some real-time tweaking machines, some neat options like being able to press a button and simultaneously tweak every track's parameters (great for reverb/delay wash swells or filter effects) and so on...

In the end it comes down to sounds and workflow so check on these by watching some Youtube (there is a classic one called "IDM Tweaking in a Box"). I agree from a pure percussion synthesis perspective you could get very far with a TX81Z and a basic sampler. However for groove creation IMHO it's nice to be have those above options, and they are all just a few button presses away. I have a DX21 which has a similar palette but the DX has a much more rich programming interface than the TX. I would think programming the TX would be a bit of a buzzkill compared to the Machinedrum, unless you had a lot of TX programming experience.

Anyway the Machinedrum like everything has its pros and cons but these are some things that it does that the 808/909/Linn don't do.

[djugel]

Originally Posted by javd007

I have a 808 909 and linndrum? It does seem to be different enough, but i know it focuses on tr series emulation.

I really don't think the Machinedrum sounds like a 808/909 at all. It would play along very nicely. I'd recommend sequencing your 909 with it..