| A drum machine is an electronic musical | | | | whereas a bass drum sound would be made using |
| instrument designed to imitate the sound of | | | | sine waves or other basic waveforms. This |
| drums and other percussion instruments. These | | | | meant that the resulting sound may not be very |
| machines are very useful instruments for a wide | | | | close to that of the real instrument. |
| variety of musical genres, not just purely | | | | There are specific percussion sound modules that |
| electronic music. They are also an urgent | | | | can be generated by pickups, trigger pads, or |
| necessity when session drummers are not | | | | through MIDI. Most of these special machines can |
| available. | | | | also be controlled via MIDI. Drum machines can be |
| Drum Machines offers a choice selection of classic | | | | programmed in real time where the user specifies |
| drum machines, meticulously sampled to faithfully | | | | the precise moment in time on which a note will |
| reproduce the original sounds. They can be easily | | | | sound. The controls usually includes tempo, start |
| tweaked with cleverly mapped controls, allowing | | | | and stop, volume control of individual sounds, |
| users to experiment with the inner workings of | | | | keys to generate individual drum sounds, and |
| the instrument and adjust to taste. | | | | storage locations for a number of different |
| A brief history | | | | rhythms. |
| The first commercially available rhythm machines | | | | Digital sampling of drum machines |
| were included in organs in the late 1960s, and | | | | The Linn LM-1 Drum Computer was the first |
| were intended to accompany the organist. The | | | | machine of this kind to use digital samples. It was |
| first largely successful drum machine was the | | | | released in the year 1980. Many of the drum |
| Rhythm Ace. It was produced by a company | | | | sounds on the LM-1 were composed of two chips |
| called Ace Tone which was later named Roland. | | | | that were generated at the same time and each |
| Early drum machines were often referred to as | | | | voice was individually tunable with individual |
| rhythm machines. | | | | outputs. But since there was a limitation of |
| In 1960 Raymond Scott constructed Rhythm | | | | memory a crash cymbal sound was not available. |
| Synthesizer and in 1963 a drum machine called | | | | Conclusion |
| Bandito the Bongo Artist. Most of these modern | | | | Drum machines are the widely used by the pop |
| machines are sequencers with a sample playback | | | | and rock musicians. Though it is rarely used in a |
| or synthesizer component that specializes in the | | | | classical concert, the demand for an expert |
| reproduction of drum timbres as well as the | | | | drummer who can program their machines |
| sound of other traditional percussion instruments. | | | | perfectly has almost become an imperative for |
| Synthesis of drum sounds | | | | the artists. These drums can be programmed to |
| The early drum machines used analog sound | | | | store different beats in its memory. Many modern |
| synthesis rather than digital sampling in order to | | | | machines are capable of producing unique sounds |
| generate their sounds. A snare drum sound would | | | | and it also allows the artist to compose unique |
| normally be created using a burst of white noise | | | | drum beats and store them as well. |