Drum Machines & Groove Boxes

Why is it that, despite a well-executed PR campaign, so many videos of the Tenori-On are so boring?
Here are five Tenori-On videos that are not just visually boring, but they suggest that the Tenori-On encourages a certain sameness of sound:
I Am Robot And Proud @ Cruising Iris

Making MIDI Music with the Yamaha TENORI-ON

John Herndon from […]

Analog Industries‘ Chris Randall gives his Elektron MD and MM a workout. Nice improv and a great demo of what Elektron’s gear can do.
This track may cause glitchtronic knee syndrome, though.

The video demonstrates what a 1950’s vacuum tube drum machine sounds like.
The Wurlitzer SideMan was arguably the world’s first drum machine. (It depends on whether you count the Chamberlin Rhythmate, which was introduced some years earlier, but featured tape loops instead of electronically generated drum sounds.)
It still sounds pretty cool, don’t you think?

An introduction to the MIDIbox 808 project - a DIY Roland 808 clone & sequencer.
Looks like a great companion to the x0xb0x.

The ZAP (Zendrum Articulating Programmer) is a compact stationary MIDI controller designed with a smaller footprint specifically to fit in tight spaces and studio environments.
Four adjustable threaded feet customize the playing angle for desktop workstation beats. It can be mounted to a snare stand (via optional universal adapter) for live playing situations. Solid heavyweight wood […]

Winter NAMM Show: Alesis introduced their USB Pro Drum Kit, which combines the Trigger|iO interface with drum kit controller hardware to give you a complete, computer-friendly electronic percussion kit.
Everything has a USB connector on it now - but this could be the biggest USB gadget ever.
All of the pads in the USB Pro Drum Kit […]

NAMM Update: Alesis introduced the Alesis SR-18, a professional drum machine with integrated FX engine, battery operation and cutting-edge percussion sounds.
Description:The SR-18 follows in the tradition of its ancestor, the Alesis SR-16, and is loaded with cutting-edge drum kits, electronic drums, hits and up-to-date percussion sounds.
The SR-18’s integrated effects engine includes Reverb, EQ and Compression […]

NAMM Update: The MPD32 is Akai Professional’s latest pad controller for musicians and DJs. Using a USB cable to connect to a PC or Mac, the MPD32 is designed for hardware control of programs like Reason, Ableton Live and GarageBand.
The MPD32 is the only pad controller on the market to feature the MPC Note Repeat […]

At the 2008 Winter NAMM Show, Akai Professional announced the MPC5000, the first MPC to include eight-track streaming hard disk recording, a 20-voice, three-oscillator analog synthesizer with arpeggiator, a new sequencing engine with 960 PPQ resolution, pad and track muting and mixing, 64 continuous sample tracks and 12 Q-Link controllers. There is even a new […]

NAMM Winter Show: Akai Professional introduced a new tool for creating beats on-the-go - the XR20 Beat Production Station.
The XR20 is a portable beat production station loaded with a sound set that is geared towards making Hip-Hop and R&B beats wherever and whenever inspiration strikes.
More than 700 pre-loaded sounds cover a range of drums, percussion, […]

You may remember Peter Bennett and his steampunk music sequencer. Here’s a series of videos from Bennett feature other interesting new interfaces for music.
The Virtual Drum

A haptic force feedback device that simulates the feel of a drum, designed as part of Bennett’s MEng in Cybernetics at the University of Reading. The switch held in the […]

PhD student and cybernetics guru Peter Bennet has created a new tangible interface, Beat Bearing, which is a sort of steampunk-style music sequencer.
Creatively, Bennet uses ball bearings on washer as a way of completing a circuit to make a switch. Sequences are created by moving ball bearings from the tray to one of the rows […]

We’re looking forward to checking out Roger Linn & Dave Smith’s LinnDrum II (formerly the BoomChik) at the upcoming 2007 NAMM Show. Here’s what Dave Smith has said about it: 
Many of you have been anxiously awaiting news of BoomChik, the collaboration between Dave and Roger Linn announced at Winter NAMM 2007. As information becomes available, we’ll […]

Check out the Drum Buddy, an awesome electroacoustic drum machine:

 

 Drum Buddy [10:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sinevibes has released MPC Recharger, a collection of sounds for professional rhythm composition with Akai MPC-500, MPC-1000 and MPC-2500 samplers.
Description: 
Aimed at those who seek something different than samples of old vinyl and vintage drum machines, MPC Recharger has been created totally from the ground up, delivering fresh and never-heard-before sounds.
This library brings 20 kits with […]