MFB Tanzmaus & Tanzbär Lite Analog Drum Machines (2016 NAMM Show)

This video, via Audiofanzine, captures a demo of the MFB Tanzmaus & Tanzbär Lite at the 2016 NAMM Show

  • The Tanzmaus drum computer offers five analog percussion instruments and two sample sections, with access to 16 samples.
  • The Tanzbär Lite offers nine analogue percussion instruments. A sequencer stores up to 64 patterns. You can chain up to 16 different patterns.

The TANZMAUS is priced at 480 Euro and the TANZBÄR LITE is 430 Euro.

24 thoughts on “MFB Tanzmaus & Tanzbär Lite Analog Drum Machines (2016 NAMM Show)

  1. Damn i really like these. But 480 Eur…ouch. Have they not seen the Korg Volca Sample and Drums and their price? not identical but the same concept… lots of options these days for little drum machines…should have been 299 Eur to be in the same ballpark

      1. Still, way to expensive for what you get. It’s almost double the price of the 522 they came out with before, and honestly, paying double for a few new features and a metal case, is not worth it for a very simple and very limited drum machine. It’s not like it’s a 909 – it’s analog and sounds great but it’s not mind blowing. They will have a very hard time selling these, compared to Volca Beats, Volca Sample, Akai’s analog drum machines, and even the JD-Xi which has a way more powerful and versatile drum machine built in. I love MFB but the price/featureset is a very bad ratio in light of the competition.

    1. No. Just no. The little plastic cased Volcas are cheaply made in vast quantities by poorly paid factory workers in Vietnam.

      Support the boutique manufacturers who make slightly different instruments that don’t always appeal to the masses. The money you pay flows to local case manufacturers, board assembly shops and suppliers as well as local employees.

      1. Meh – maybe you have money to throw away on an expensive and very limited drum machine. If so, good for you and good for MFB. For me and most people, we can buy much more versatile gear for much less expensive cost. And no, the Volcas are not all-plastic cased and made in Vietnam. Do your research before talking. They have metal faceplates and are not made by “poorly paid factory workers” in Vietnam. And they are high quality builds – as pretty much the whole analog line of Korg stuff is.

    2. You are delusional, my friend. This is not the same ballpark, not even close. MFB makes vastly superior instruments with amazing build quality and functions that go waaaaay beyond what volca series has on board and for the price of 480 eur it’s actually a steal.

      1. He maybe not in the same ballpark with Volca Beats but he makes a good point. For a hundred dollars more you can get the Vermona MK3 and No one can convince me that this is comparable to that.

        1. The Vermona DRM MKIII is 250 Euro more, which is closer to $300 more than $100.

          Can we agree, though, that both the Vermona and the MFB are high-end gear for the pro market, and that the Volca’s are in a completely different category?

      2. have you ever used an MFB instrument before?

        The sound is amazing, I would actually put it higher than the Vermona, but the build quality is extremely poor. I had the 522 and spent considerable time with the 503, great sound, sub-Volca build quality. Even flimsier knobs than are on the volca and awful feeling teeny tiny switches.

        Sold the 522 due to sync issues and build quality. The volca beats is still with me, however half the LEDs no longer function after a fall. So, I dunno, Maybe MFB has sorted their stuff out since then but small company does not necessarily equal high build quality.

        1. MFB gear is pretty poorly made even if it is interesting.

          These may be higher quality, but my experience has been that they are super cheap feeling plastic boxes that you really have to be careful with.

    3. Darren Glen

      You’re confusing the Volcas with pro gear, which is more expensive for good reasons.

      If you look at the MFB drum machines, they’ve got pro build quality and pro features like individual audio outputs. Individual audio outputs are crucial to getting a good mix.

      The Volcas are nice for what they are, but they have stripped down sequencers, plastic construction and just a complete lack of pro features.

      1. NOT TRUE – I have a MFB 522 and the build is very similar to Volcas – using trim pots instead on knobs, and plastic cases. The 522 sound quality is very good as is the new MFB drum machines – BUT the 522 was a poor man’s 808 and was worth it for the price. But to pay almost double that for a slightly updated version and a metal case is ludicrous.

    4. I own the predecessor of one of these (MFB 522) and there’s no way I’d trade it for a Volca Beats, even if it skyrocketed in value and I profited handsomely from it. The Beats is cool and everything, especially for the price, but unlike synths, you’re probably only using one drum machine at a time, so it should be the best one you can afford, yeah?

    5. It seems like this people with this attitude keeping popping up.
      This is what will eventually destroy this market.
      You should just not worry about clicking on these pages.
      Sorry they don’t sell these !instruments! at your local toys r us!
      😛

    1. Shift to “Play” and just about everything else. 🙁

      Sticking with my volcas with their motion rec. capabilities. The “stutter” on the volca beats is brilliant too. For “toys”, they sound great and seem to pop up in an awful lot of studios I’ve seen.

  2. You guys cannot compare those cheap flimsy volcas to the MFB stuff. I bought the Tanzmaus recently and it’s superbly built and the features are fantastic. It’s rock solid and the sound is bitchin!

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