Every analog drum machine has been usually determined by two things: circuit constraints and cost. Since people couldn’t feasibly make a 40 voice analog drum machine way back when, they stuck with the “basic” sounds such as bass drum, snare, hi hat etc etc.
When sample-based drum machines started, you could quickly have banks of oddball sounds such as marimba + other mallet percussion, odd cymbals, kalimba, guiro etc etc.
There has never been an analog drum machine that has tackled these ideas before. It is wholly original, and adds a lot to analog drum synthesis.
Does anyone here want to see all ranges of analog percussion shown in the Analog Rytm?
^ Yeah I have to agree. (with Reeloy)
Default sounds on the AR are just that!
I was demoing the AR for a mate the other day, he nearly fell over when he heard the Rim Shot, just that one machine is capable of so much.
I’d say most of what you’re looking for is in there already, you just need to find it.
If they could somehow do more complex percussion instruments like shakers and tambourines that don’t sound like shit (things that are more than single hits/have bounceback/multiple sources in play/natural sounding loops that can scale with the BPM) I’d be into that. not likely though.
+1 I’m still amazed by the bongo and modular LPG/Buchla type sounds I’m able to coax out of the Rimshot engine (with a bit of LFO on the filter ENV and some creative p-locking).
i mean, it really makes no sense at all, to get a true anaolog drum machine with dirfferent dedicated synthmodels, still more to come, AND a Sampling option on top that goes along with EACH single voice…and still asking for more percussion options…
how about getting some roland rompler canvas box instead…
but hey…now that i think about it…next synth model could be one to catch up with taiko drums and huge frame drums…please…
I agree, the reason analog machines have the character and limitations they have is due to it being physical circuits. I think Elektron tackled this nicely with the Machinedrum, there are so many percussion engines in there that cover realistic to far out. It’s an idea better suited to digital and thats why they already did it!
Of course, everything everyone makes should have every feature everyone wants. It will be prohibitively expensive and of course drive the company out of business. But what good is a functioning business model if you can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time?
I am aware that analog percussion has its limits, and I am not asking this poll as if I think Elektron should make 50 sounds that have little use. Nor am I expecting sample-quality or physical modelling type sounds…
But the circuitry in the AR is pretty modular - the same circuit makes three kicks, three snares, two rimshots and a clap. What else is possible? Obviously they can reroute the oscillators and stages with digital control (that is how the AR functions.) And if they aren’t trying to make an 808 sound, but say “what oddball percussion could we make that has no previous blueprint?” I think we could get some great things. Everything in the AR stems from Roland TR boxes or MachineDrum algorithms for FM. What happens if they go for broke and try to make a new sound or three? Again - not expecting entire banks; the AR machines as is can be flexed quite far to make new sounds. But what else is out there?
One example would be the MULTI on the Vermona DRM. Its loosely a cowbell, but can be made into more. What odd things could be made with this circuitry, and should Elektron implement it? Their gear is closed-source, so a lot of DIY coding isn’t possible, and I am sure there are lots of odd scraps from the design room that might interest some …
True. I forgot that we were talking analog here. I actually much prefer digital drum synthesis to analog, especially when you get into FM and such. Perhaps I do need to get the MD after all!
