Trend price : 700€
Classic American drum machine based on primitive 8-bits samples but great sound.
Overview
( weight: 5.5 Kg ) The main panel a flurescent display, 10 sliders for volumes mixing, 24 buttons for edit and 18 trigger pads with no velocity.
Back panel terminal connectors:
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12 separate mono jack outs
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2 pedalswitch inputs
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sync tape interface
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external clock I/O
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tape interface
Voice
main CPU based on a Z80 Zilog manages 8 slot-in voice boards. Each board contain various 4kb 2732 EPROM with companded 8-bits digitalized sounds; some longer sounds like crash take a total of 16 kb split in 4 x 2732.
Samples
there are a total of 24 sounds derived from the PCM combined in various pitches:s (3), crash, tambourines (2), hihats (3), toms (6), shakers (2), rimshot, clap and rides (2)
Sequencer
works in 2 main modes:
- real time with metronome (variable dividers) and correction-quantisation from 1/48 to 1/4 note.
- step by step: just entry pauses or notes between 1/4 value and 1/48.
Sync
tempo can be set with internal clock from 25 to 250 BPM or slaved to SYNC TAPE or trigger input pulse at 96 PPQ (not so commond).
Memory
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2000 events
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100 sequences
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50 songs
Maintenance
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after many years the internal rechargeable battery just leaks on the circuits and damage the nearby ICs logics; often, the first symptom is troubles with unstable clock frequency.
- often some display modules fail and some gibberish characters appear.
Audio demo:
Video Clip:
Review
OK: classic / sequencer
NOT : sync / no Midi / expensive
"Not popular as Linn drum, but Classy vintage drum machine with fat sound and great sequencer"
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci