Editing Drum machine

{{Short description|Electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds}}
{{For|the early "drum machine" computers that used a rotating cylinder as their main memory|drum memory}}
{{multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|article|date=April 2007}}
{{Original research|section|date=May 2008}}
}}
[[File:Elektron Analog RYTM - 2014 NAMM Show.jpg|thumb|[[Elektron (company)|Elektron]] Analog RYTM drum machine]]
A '''drum machine''' is an [[electronic musical instrument]] that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate [[drum kit]]s or other [[percussion instrument]]s, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A drum machine often has pre-programmed beats and patterns for popular genres and styles, such as pop music, rock music, and dance music. Most modern drum machines made in the 2010s and 2020s also allow users to program their own [[rhythm]]s and beats. Drum machines may create sounds using [[Analog synthesizer|analog synthesis]] or play prerecorded [[Sampling (music)|samples]].

While a distinction is generally made between drum machines (which can play back pre-programmed or user-programmed beats or patterns) and [[electronic drum]]s (which have pads that can be struck and played like an acoustic drum kit), there are some drum machines that have buttons or pads that allow the performer to play drum sounds "live", either on top of a programmed drum beat or as a standalone performance. Drum machines have a range of capabilities, which go from playing a short beat pattern in a loop, to being able to program or record complex song [[arrangement (music)|arrangements]] with changes of meter and style.

Drum machines have had a lasting impact on [[popular music]] in the 20th century. The [[Roland TR-808]], introduced in 1980,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-07|title=The history of the Roland TR-808 in eight iconic tracks|url=https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/columns/the-history-of-the-roland-tr-808-in-eight-iconic-tracks/|access-date=2020-12-18|website=mixdownmag|language=en-AU}}</ref> significantly influenced the development of [[Dance music (popular)|dance music]], especially [[electronic dance music]], and [[hip hop music|hip hop]]. Its successor, the [[Roland TR-909|TR-909]], introduced in 1983, heavily influenced [[techno]] and [[house music]]. The first drum machine to use samples of real drum kits, the [[Linn LM-1]], was introduced in 1980 and was adopted by [[rock music|rock]] and [[pop music|pop]] artists including [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prince's Drum Machine: How His Use of the Linn LM-1 Heralded a New Age of Pop Rhythm Creation|url=https://reverb.com/news/prince-and-the-linn-lm-1|access-date=2020-12-18|website=reverb.com|date=19 June 2019|language=en}}</ref> and [[Michael Jackson]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-03|title=Mixdown's Greatest Drum Machines Of All Time: Part Two|url=https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/columns/mixdowns-greatest-drum-machines-of-all-time-part-two/|access-date=2020-12-18|website=mixdownmag|language=en-AU}}</ref> In the late 1990s, [[Emulator|software emulations]] began to overtake the popularity of physical drum machines housed in a separate plastic or metal chassis.

==History==
=== Rhythmicon (1930–1932) ===
[[File:Joseph Schillinger and the Rhythmicon.jpg|thumb|left|120px|[[Rhythmicon]] (1932) and [[Joseph Schillinger]], a music educator]]
In 1930–32, the innovative and hard-to-use ''[[Rhythmicon]]'' was developed by [[Léon Theremin]] at the request of [[Henry Cowell]], who wanted an instrument that could play compositions with multiple [[rhythmic unit|rhythmic patterns]], based on the [[harmonic series (music)|overtone series]], that were far too hard to perform on existing keyboard instruments. The invention could produce sixteen different rhythms, each associated with a particular [[Pitch (music)|pitch]], either individually or in any combination, including en masse, if desired. Received with considerable interest when it was publicly introduced in 1932, the Rhythmicon was soon set aside by Cowell.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-09-23 |title=The ‘Rhythmicon’ Henry Cowell & Leon Termen. USA, 1930 |url=https://120years.net/the-rhythmiconhenry-cowell-leon-termenusa1930/ |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=120 Years of Electronic Music |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Chamberlin Rhythmate (1957) ===
In 1957, Harry Chamberlin, an engineer from Iowa, created the Chamberlin Rhythmate, which allowed users to select between 14 [[tape loop]]s of drum kits and percussion instruments performing various beats. Like the [[Chamberlin keyboard]], the Rhythmate was intended for family singalongs. Around 100 units were sold.<ref name="Wilson-2016">{{Cite news|url=http://www.factmag.com/2016/09/22/the-14-drum-machines-that-shaped-modern-music/|title=The 14 drum machines that shaped modern music|date=22 September 2016|work=[[Fact (UK magazine)|FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music.]]|access-date=21 April 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Wurlitzer Side Man (1959) ===
[[File:Wurlitzer Sideman drum machine (inside) front view.jpg|thumb|upright|Wurlitzer Side Man (1959, inner view)]]
In 1959, [[Wurlitzer]] released the Side Man, which generates sounds mechanically by a rotating disc, similar to a [[music box]].<ref name="Wilson-2016"/> A slider controls the tempo (between 34 and 150 beats per minute). Sounds can also be triggered individually through buttons on a control panel. The Side Man was a success and drew criticism from the American Federation of Musicians, which ruled in 1961 that its local jurisdictions could not prohibit Side Man use, though it could not be used for dancing.<ref>"Wurlitzer Congratulates the AFM on its Progressive Ruling on the Wurlitzer Side Man." Down Beat, 27 April 1961.</ref> Wurlitzer ceased production of the Side Man in 1969.<ref name="Wilson-2016" />

=== Raymond Scott (1960–1963) ===
In 1960, [[Raymond Scott]] constructed the ''Rhythm Synthesizer'' and, in 1963, a drum machine called ''Bandito the Bongo Artist''. Scott's machines were used for recording his album ''[[Soothing Sounds for Baby]]'' series (1964).

=== First fully transistorized drum machines – Seeburg/Gulbransen (1964) ===
{{multiple image
| align             = left
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 165
| image1            = Seeburg Rhythm Prince (without left panel).jpg
| caption1          = Seeburg/Gulbransen ''Rhythm Prince'' using a mechanical wheel, as seen on bailed out left panel
| image2            = Seeburg Select-A-Rhythm.jpg
| caption2          = Seeburg/Gulbransen ''Select-A-Rhythm'', an earliest fully transistorized rhythm machine
}}

During the 1960s, the implementation of rhythm machines had evolved into fully solid-state ([[transistor]]ized) from early electro-mechanical with [[vacuum tube]]s, and also size was reduced to desktop size from earlier floor type. In the early 1960s, a home organ manufacturer, [[Gulbransen]] (later acquired by [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]]) cooperated with an automatic musical equipment manufacturer [[Seeburg Corporation]], and released early compact rhythm machines ''Rhythm Prince'' (PRP),<ref>{{cite web
 |title   = Vintage Seeburg Rhythm Prince Drum Machine
 |url     = http://m.matrixsynth.com/2011/02/vintage-seeburg-rhythm-prince-drum.html
 |date    = 2 February 2011
 |publisher=MatrixSynth
}}</ref> although, at that time, these sizes were still as large as small [[guitar amp]] head, due to the use of bulky electro-mechanical pattern generators. Then in 1964, Seeburg invented a compact electronic rhythm pattern generator using "[[diode matrix]]" ({{US patent|3358068}} in 1967),<ref name=uspat3358068>{{cite patent
 |country = US
 |number  = 3358068
 |status  = patent
 |title   = Musical Instruments
 |inventor= Richard H. Campbell Jr., Gilford, N.H. <!-- , assigner to The -->(Seeburg Corporation)
 |fdate   = 1964-06-26
 |gdate   = 1967-12-12
}} <br/> — When this patent was filed in 1964-06-26, also {{US patent|3,358,068|Automatic Rhythm Device}}, {{US patent|3,255,292|Automatic Repetitive Rhythm Instrument Timing Circuitry}}, and its sound circuits {{US patent|3,328,506|Snare Drum Instrument}} and {{US patent|3,325,578|Cow Bell Instrument}} were filed at the same time.
</ref> and fully transistorized electronic rhythm machine with pre-programmed patterns, ''Select-A-Rhythm'' (SAR1),<ref name=sarman>{{cite book
 |title     = Seeburg Portable Select-A-Rhythm Service Manual
 |url       = http://ericarcher.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/seeburg-sar-1-select-a-rhythm-service-manual.pdf
 |publisher = Seeburg Sales Corporation
 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120425233730/http://ericarcher.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/seeburg-sar-1-select-a-rhythm-service-manual.pdf
 |archive-date=25 April 2012
}} — rhythm patterns were fully electronically generated by 48-step binary counter using 6-stage [[Flip-flop (electronics)|flip-flops]]
</ref><ref name=matrixsynth_sar1>{{cite web
 |title   = Seeburg Select-a-Rhythm Vintage Drum Machine
 |url     = http://m.matrixsynth.com/2011/05/seeburg-select-rhythm-vintage-drum.html
 |date    = 3 May 2011
 |publisher=MatrixSynth
}}</ref> was released. As a result of its robustness and enough compact size, these rhythm machines were gradually installed on the electronic organ as an accompaniment of organists and finally spread widely.

====Keio-Giken (Korg), Nippon Columbia, and Ace Tone (1963–1967)====
[[File:KORG Donca Matic DA-20 (1963) clip1.jpg|thumb|upright|Korg ''Donca-Matic DA-20'' (1963)]]
In the early 1960s, a nightclub owner in Tokyo, [[Tsutomu Katoh]] was consulted by a notable accordion player, [[Tadashi Osanai]], about the rhythm machine he used for accompaniment in the club, a Wurlitzer Side Man. Osanai, a graduate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the [[University of Tokyo]], convinced Katoh to finance his efforts to build a better one.<ref name=Colbeck1996>{{cite book
 |last      = Colbeck |first = Julian
 |title     = Keyfax Omnibus Edition
 |publisher = MixBooks
 |date = 1996
 |page      = 52
 |isbn      = 978-0-918371-08-9
}}
</ref> In 1963, their new company Keio-Giken (later [[Korg]]) released their first rhythm machine, the [[List of Korg products#1960s|Donca-Matic DA-20]], using vacuum tube circuits for sounds and a mechanical wheel for rhythm patterns. It was a floor-type machine with a built-in speaker, and featured a keyboard for manual play, in addition to the multiple automatic rhythm patterns. Its price was comparable with the average annual income of Japanese at that time.<ref name=DoncaMatic/>

Next, their effort was focused on the improvement of reliability and performance, along with size and cost reductions. Unstable vacuum tube circuits were replaced with reliable transistor circuits on the Donca-Matic DC-11 in the mid-1960s. In 1966, the bulky mechanical wheel was also replaced with a compact transistor circuit on the [[List of Korg products#1960s|Donca-Matic DE-20]] and DE-11. In 1967, the Mini Pops MP-2 was developed as an option for the [[Yamaha Electone]] (electric organ), and Mini Pops was established as a series of compact desktop rhythm machines. In the United States, Mini Pops MP-3, MP-7, etc. were sold under the [[Univox]] brand by the distributor at that time, Unicord Corporation.<ref name=DoncaMatic>{{cite web
 |title     = Donca-Matic (1963)
 |url     = http://www.korg.co.jp/SoundMakeup/Museum/Doncamatic/
 |work     = Korg Museum
 |publisher     = [[Korg]]
 |access-date     = 2015-07-17
 |archive-date     = 2005-09-03
 |archive-url     = https://web.archive.org/web/20050903144901/http://www.korg.co.jp/SoundMakeup/Museum/Doncamatic/
 |url-status     = dead
 }}</ref>

In 1965, [[Nippon Columbia]] filed a patent for an automatic rhythm instrument. It described it as an "automatic rhythm player which is simple but capable of electronically producing various rhythms in the characteristic tones of a drum, a piccolo and so on." It has some similarities to Seeburg's slightly earlier 1964 patent.<ref name=US3482027>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.ms/patents/US3482027|title=Automatic rhythm instrument}}</ref>

[[File:Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-3 - "The Synth World in Naniwa" screenings, talk, and live - UPLINK, Shibuya, 2014-08-24.jpg|thumb|upright|Ace-Tone Rhythm Ace FR-3]]
<!-- COMMENT OUT: GIVEN SOURCE IS UNRELIABLE (see {{Unreliable source}} tag): In 1964, also Ace Electronics (later [[Ace Tone]]; the founder [[Ikutaro Kakehashi]] also founded [[Roland Corporation]] at the later) developed a prototype of ''hand-operated'' [[electronic drums|electronic percussion]] instrument without preset-pattern, called "R1 Rhythm Ace". It was exhibited on Summer [[NAMM]] 1964, however not commercialized.<ref name="sos_roland"/> {{Verify credibility|date=July 2014|reason=The source explained "R1" as a "rhythm machine" without any rhythm pattern function. This terminology is confusing.}} -->
In 1967, [[Ace Tone]] founder [[Ikutaro Kakehashi]] (later founder of [[Roland Corporation]]) developed the preset rhythm-pattern generator using ''[[diode matrix]]'' circuit, which has some similarities to the earlier Seeburg and Nippon Columbia patents. Kakehashi's patent describes his device as a "plurality of inverting circuits and/or clipper circuits" which "are connected to a counting circuit to synthesize the output signal of the counting circuit" where the "synthesized output signal becomes a desired rhythm."<ref name=uspat3651241>{{cite patent
 |country = US
 |number  = 3651241
 |status  = patent
 |title   = Automatic Rhythm Performance Device
 |inventor= [[Ikutaro Kakehashi]] (Ace Electronics Industries, Inc.)
 |fdate   = 3 June 1971
 |gdate   = 1972-03-21
}}</ref>

Ace Tone commercialized its preset rhythm machine, called the FR-1 Rhythm Ace, in 1967. It offered 16 preset patterns, and four buttons to manually play each instrument sound ([[cymbal]], [[claves]], [[cowbell]] and [[bass drum]]). The rhythm patterns could also be cascaded together by pushing multiple rhythm buttons simultaneously, and the possible combination of rhythm patterns were more than a hundred (on the later models of Rhythm Ace, the individual volumes of each instrument could be adjusted with the small knobs or faders). The FR-1 was adopted by the [[Hammond organ|Hammond Organ Company]] for incorporation within their latest organ models. In the US, the units were also marketed under the [[Multivox]] brand by Peter Sorkin Music Company, and in the UK, marketed under the Bentley Rhythm Ace brand.<ref name="sos_roland">{{citation |last=Reid |first=Gordon |year=2004 |title=The History Of Roland Part 1: 1930&ndash;1978 |journal=[[Sound on Sound]] |issue=November |url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov04/articles/roland.htm |access-date=19 June 2011 }}</ref>

=== Early preset drum machine users ===
A number of other preset drum machines were released in the 1970s, but early examples of the use can be found on [[The United States of America (band)|The United States of America]]'s eponymous album from 1967–8. The first major pop song to use a drum machine was "[[Saved by the Bell (song)|Saved by the Bell]]" by [[Robin Gibb]], which reached #2 in Britain in 1969. Drum machine tracks were also heavily used on the [[Sly & the Family Stone]] album ''[[There's a Riot Goin' On]]'', released in 1971. Sly & the Family Stone was the first group to have a number #1 pop single that used a drum machine: that single was "[[Family Affair (Sly and the Family Stone song)|Family Affair]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-sly-stone-drum-machine-tracks-20141105-column.html|title=New release gathers Sly Stone's drum machine tracks of '69-'70|first=Randall|last=Roberts|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

The German [[krautrock]] band [[Can (band)|Can]] also used a drum machine on their songs "[[Peking O]]" and "[[Spoon (Can song)|Spoon]]". The 1972 [[Timmy Thomas]] single "[[Why Can't We Live Together]]"/"Funky Me" featured a distinctive use of a drum machine and keyboard arrangement on both tracks. Another early example of electronic drums used by a rock band is ''[[Obscured by Clouds]]'' by [[Pink Floyd]] in 1972. The first album on which a drum machine produced all the percussion was [[Kingdom Come (British band)|Kingdom Come]]'s ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'', recorded in November 1972 using a Bentley Rhythm Ace. French singer-songwriter [[Léo Ferré]] mixed a drum machine with a [[symphonic orchestra]] in the song "Je t'aimais bien, tu sais..." in his album ''[[L'Espoir (album)|L'Espoir]]'', released in 1974. [[Miles Davis]]' live band began to use a drum machine in 1974 (played by percussionist [[James Mtume]]), which can be heard on ''[[Dark Magus]]'' (1977). [[Osamu Kitajima]]'s [[Progressive rock|progressive]] [[psychedelic rock]] album ''[[Benzaiten]]'' (1974) also used drum machines.

=== Programmable drum machines ===
{{multiple image
| direction         = horizontal
| image1            = Eko ComputeRhythm.png
| width1            = 199
| caption1          = [[Eko guitars|Eko]] ComputeRhythm (1972), one of the first programmable drum machines
| image2            = PAiA Programmable Drum Set (1975).jpg
| width2            = 241
| caption2          = [[PAiA Electronics|PAiA]] Programmable Drum Set (1975), one of the earliest electronically programmable drum machines
}}

In 1972, [[Eko guitars|Eko]] released the ComputeRhythm, which was one of the first programmable drum machines.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Réveillac |first1=Jean-Michel |title=Electronic Music Machines: The New Musical Instruments |date=2019 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=9781119618089 |pages=93–115 |doi=10.1002/9781119618089 |s2cid=155674364 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781119618089 |access-date=21 April 2022}}</ref> It had a 6-row push-button matrix that allowed the user to enter a pattern manually. The user could also push punch cards with pre-programmed rhythms through a reader slot on the unit.<ref>{{cite web
 |title = The EKO ComputeRhythm – Jean Michel Jarre's Drum Machine
 |publisher = synthtopia.com
 |url = http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/08/25/the-eko-computerhythm-jean-michel-jarres-drum-machine/ |date = 25 August 2009
  }}
</ref>

Another stand-alone drum machine released in 1975, the [[PAiA Electronics|PAiA]] Programmable Drum Set was also one of the first programmable drum machines,<ref>{{cite web
 |title = Programmable Drum Set
 |publisher = Synthmuseum.com
 |url = http://www.synthmuseum.com/paia/paipdrset01.html
 |access-date = 16 June 2007
}}</ref> and was sold as a kit with parts and instructions which the buyer would use to build the machine.

In 1975,{{citation needed|date=July 2015|reason=Estimated year on ESTECHO.com is noted "(according to Wikipedia)", thus not reliable at all}} [[Ace Tone]] released the Rhythm Producer FR-15 that enables the modification of the pre-programmed rhythm patterns.<ref name=ESTECHO>{{cite web |title=Ace Tone Rhythm Producer FR-15 |url=http://www.estecho.com/gear/Acetone_Rhythm_Producer.php |work=ESTECHO.com |date=17 December 2016 }} — Sakata Shokai/Ace Tone Rhythm Producer, a successor of Rhythm Ace after the reconstruction of [[Ace Tone]] brand in 1972, provided feature to modify the pre-programmed rhythms.</ref> In 1978, Roland released the [[Roland CR-78]], the first [[microprocessor]]-based programmable rhythm machine,<ref name="sos_roland"/> with four memory storage for user patterns. In 1979, a simpler version with four sounds, [[Boss Corporation|Boss]] DR-55, was released.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

=== Drum sound synthesis ===
<!-- Unrelated image possibly confuse readers : [[File:GMStandardDrumMap.gif|thumb|right|GM Standard Drum Map]] -->

A key difference between such early machines and more modern equipment is that they use [[synthesizer|sound synthesis]] rather than [[Digital data|digital]] [[sampling (music)|sampling]] in order to generate their sounds. For example, a [[snare drum]] or [[maraca]] sound would typically be created using a burst of [[white noise]] whereas a [[bass drum]] sound would be made using [[sine wave]]s or other basic [[waveform]]s. This meant that while the resulting sound was not very close to that of the real instrument, each model tended to have a unique character. For this reason, many of these early machines have achieved a certain "cult status" and are now sought after by [[record producer|producers]] for use in production of modern [[electronic music]], most notably the [[Roland TR-808]].<ref name="cbc_808">{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/slaves-to-the-rhythm-1.771508|title=Slaves to the rhythm: Kanye West is the latest to pay tribute to a classic drum machine|author=Jason Anderson|date=28 November 2008|publisher=[[CBC News]]|access-date=29 May 2011}}</ref>

=== Digital sampling ===
[[File:Linn LM-1 Drum Computer.jpg|thumb|left|[[Linn LM-1]] (1980)]]

The [[Linn LM-1]] Drum Computer, released in 1980 at $4,995 ({{Inflation|US|4995|1980|fmt=eq|r=-2}}), was the first drum machine to use digital samples. It also featured rhythmic concepts such as swing factors, shuffle, accent, and real-time programming.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Colbeck|first1=Julian|title=Linn Electronics LinnDrum|url=http://bi.galegroup.com.ezproxy2.library.arizona.edu/essentials/article/GALE%7CA72765041?u=uarizona_main|website=Business Insights: Essentials|publisher=Electronic Musician|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> Only about 500 were ever made, but its effect on the music industry was extensive. Its distinctive sound almost defines 1980s pop, and it can be heard on hundreds of hit records from the era, including [[The Human League]]'s ''[[Dare (album)|Dare]]'', [[Gary Numan]]'s ''[[Dance (Gary Numan album)|Dance]]'', [[Devo]]'s ''[[New Traditionalists]]'', and [[Ric Ocasek]]'s ''[[Beatitude (album)|Beatitude]]''. [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] bought one of the first LM-1s and used it on nearly all of his most popular albums, including ''[[1999 (Prince album)|1999]]'' and ''[[Purple Rain (album)|Purple Rain]]''.

Many of the drum sounds on the LM-1 were composed of two chips that were triggered at the same time, and each voice was individually tunable with individual outputs. Due to memory limitations, a [[crash cymbal]] sound was not available except as an expensive third-party modification. A cheaper version of the LM-1 was released in 1982 called the [[LinnDrum]]. Priced at $2,995 ({{Inflation|US|2995|1982|fmt=eq|r=-2}}), not all of its voices were tunable, but crash cymbal was included as a standard sound. Like its predecessor the LM-1, it featured swappable sound chips. The LinnDrum can be heard on records such as [[The Cars]]' ''Heartbeat City'' and [[Giorgio Moroder]]'s soundtrack for the film ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]''.

It was feared the LM-1 would put every session drummer in Los Angeles out of work and it caused many of L.A.'s top session drummers ([[Jeff Porcaro]] is one example) to purchase their own drum machines and learn to program them themselves in order to stay employed. Linn even marketed the LinnDrum specifically to drummers.<ref>{{cite web
 |title   = Why Drummers Prefer LinnDrum to Other Drum Machines
 |url     = http://www.ericwrobbel.com/art/linnwhydrummers.htm
 |date    = 1984
 |publisher=Modern Drummer Magazine
}}</ref>

{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = horizontal
| image1            = Oberheim DMX.jpg
| width1            = 231
| caption1          = [[Oberheim DMX]] (1981)
| image2            = SCI model 400 drumtraks.jpg
| width2            = 209
| caption2          = [[Drumtraks|SCI Drumtraks]] (1984)
}}

Following the success of the LM-1, [[Oberheim]] introduced the [[Oberheim DMX|DMX]], which also featured digitally sampled sounds and a "swing" feature similar to the one found on the Linn machines. It became very popular in its own right, becoming a staple of the nascent hip-hop scene.

Other manufacturers soon began to produce machines, e.g. the [[Sequential Circuits]] [[Drumtraks]] and Tom, the [[E-mu Drumulator]] and the [[Yamaha RX-11|Yamaha RX11]].

In 1986, the [[SpecDrum]] by [[Cheetah Marketing]], an inexpensive 8-bit sampling drum external module for the [[ZX Spectrum]],<ref>{{cite web
 |author    = Ryan Block
 |date      = 28 October 2005
 |title     = Music Thing: The ZX Spectrum SpecDrum module
 |url       = https://www.engadget.com/2005/10/28/music-thing-the-zx-spectrum-specdrum-module/
 |work      = engadget.com
}}</ref> was introduced, with a price less than £30, when similar models cost around £250.<ref>
{{cite web
 |author1   = P Henning
 |author2   = A Pateman
 |title     = Specdrum
 |url       = http://www.crashonline.org.uk/27/specdrum.htm
 |work      = Crash Magazine
}}</ref>

=== Roland TR-808 and TR-909 ===
{{See also|Roland TR-808|Roland TR-909}}
[[File:Roland TR-808 drum machine.jpg|thumb|right|220px|[[Roland TR-808]] Rhythm Composer (1980)]]

In 1980, the [[Roland Corporation]] launched the TR-808 Rhythm Composer. It was one of the earliest [[Programming (music)|programmable]] drum machines, with which users could create their own rhythms rather than having to use preset patterns. Unlike the more expensive LM-1, the 808 is completely [[Analog synthesizer|analog]], meaning its sounds are generated non-digitally via hardware rather than [[Sampling (music)|samples]] (prerecorded sounds).<ref name="Valle-2014">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2014/02/13/tr-808/|title=TR-808 drum machine flashback – Roland U.S. blog|last=Valle|first=OV|date=13 February 2014|website=rolandus.com|access-date=16 January 2017}}</ref> The 808 was nevertheless the first fully programmable drum machine with which users could program a complete percussion track from beginning to end, complete with [[Break (music)|breaks]] and [[Drum roll|rolls]].<ref name="keyboard">''[[Keyboard (magazine)|Contemporary Keyboard]]'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=JDpLAAAAYAAJ Volume 7, Issues 1–6], 1981: "The Roland TR-808 will undoubtedly become the standard for rhythm machines of the future because it does what no rhythm machine of the past has ever done. Not only does the TR-808 allow programming of individual rhythm patterns, it can also program the entire percussion track of a song from beginning to end, complete with breaks, rolls, literally anything you can think of."</ref>

Launched when electronic music had yet to become mainstream, the 808 received mixed reviews for its unrealistic drum sounds and was a commercial failure.<ref name="Hamilton-2016">{{Cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2016/12/_808_the_movie_is_a_must_watch_doc_for_music_nerds.html|title=808s and heart eyes|last=Hamilton|first=Jack|date=16 December 2016|newspaper=Slate|access-date=16 January 2017|language=en-US|issn=1091-2339}}</ref><ref name="Fact-2014">{{Cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2014/01/16/roland-tr-808-beginners-guide-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-introduction/|title=Everything you ever wanted to know about the Roland TR-808 but were afraid to ask|date=16 January 2014|website=Fact|access-date=16 January 2017}}</ref> Having built approximately 12,000 units, Roland discontinued the 808 after its [[Semiconductor device|semiconductors]] became impossible to restock.<ref name="Norris-2015">{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-808-heard-round-the-world|title=The 808 heard round the world|last=Norris|first=Chris|date=13 August 2015|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=16 January 2017}}</ref>

Over the course of the 1980s, the 808 attracted a [[cult following]] among underground musicians for its affordability on the used market,<ref name="Fact-2014"/> ease of use,<ref name="Hamilton-2016"/> and idiosyncratic sounds, particularly its deep, "booming" [[bass drum]].<ref name="Norris-2015"/> It became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, [[Dance music (popular)|dance]], and [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] genres, popularized by early hits such as [[Marvin Gaye]]'s "[[Sexual Healing]]"<ref name="Norris-2015"/> and [[Afrika Bambaataa]] and the [[Soulsonic Force]]'s "[[Planet Rock (song)|Planet Rock]]".<ref name="Beaumont-Thomas-2016">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/14/roland-launch-new-instruments-808-909-303|title=Roland launch new versions of the iconic 808, 909 and 303 instruments|last=Beaumont-Thomas|first=Ben|date=14 February 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=16 January 2016|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine;<ref>{{citation|last=Wells|first=Peter|title=A Beginner's Guide to Digital Video|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=stvOCfhc_igC&pg=PA18|year=2004|page=18|publisher=AVA Books|isbn=978-2-88479-037-6|access-date=20 May 2011}}</ref> its popularity with hip hop in particular has made it one of the most influential inventions in popular music, comparable to the [[Fender Stratocaster]]'s influence on [[Rock music|rock]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2014/02/roland-resurrects-808/|title=Early hip-hop's greatest drum machine just got resurrected|last=Baldwin|first=Roberto|date=14 February 2014|newspaper=Wired|access-date=4 January 2016|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2008/12/whats_an_808.html|title=What's an 808?|last=Richards|first=Chris|date=2 December 2008|newspaper=Slate|access-date=16 January 2016|language=en-US|issn=1091-2339}}</ref> Its sounds continue to be used as samples included with music software and modern drum machines.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.factmag.com/2018/01/25/roland-cloud-tr-808-tr-909-vst/|title=Roland is releasing official software versions of its 808 and 909 drum machines|last=Wilson|first=Scott|date=25 January 2018|work=[[Fact (UK magazine)|FACT Magazine]]|access-date=21 March 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

The 808 was followed in 1983 by the [[Roland TR-909|TR-909]], the first Roland drum machine to use [[MIDI]],<ref name="Kirn-2011">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IbtJAgAAQBAJ&q=%22mark+vail%22+808&pg=PT72|title=Keyboard presents the evolution of electronic dance music|last=Kirn|first=Peter|publisher=Backbeat Books|year=2011|isbn=978-1-61713-446-3|language=en}}</ref> which synchronizes devices built by different manufacturers.<ref name="Reid-2014">{{Cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/people/history-roland-part-2|title=The history of Roland: part 2 {{!}} Sound On Sound|last=Reid|first=Gordon|date=December 2014|website=Sound on Sound|access-date=3 January 2016}}</ref> It was also the first Roland drum machine to use samples for some sounds.<ref name="Reid-2014"/> Like the 808, the 909 was a commercial failure, but had a lasting influence on popular music after cheap units circulated on the used market; alongside the [[Roland TB-303]] bass synthesizer, it influenced the development of electronic genres such as [[techno]], [[House music|house]] and [[Acid house|acid]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://complex.com/music/2014/09/roland-tr-909-tracks/|title=Nine Great Tracks That Use the Roland TR-909|website=Complex|language=en|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://mixmag.net/feature/909-tracks-using-the-tr-909|title=9 of the best 909 tracks using the TR-909|work=Mixmag|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref>

=== Later machines ===
{{See also|Groovebox}}
[[File:E-mu SP-1200 (111607sp1200).jpg|thumb|left|[[E-mu SP-1200]] (1987)]]
<!-- [[File:Alesis HR-16B, HR-16.jpg|thumb|<span style="font-size:90%;">[[Alesis]] HR-16B (1989) / HR-16 (1987)</span>]] -->
[[File:Alesis SR-16, Devi Ever OK.jpg|thumb|[[Alesis]] SR-16 (1991)]]

By 2000, standalone drum machines had become less common, partly supplanted by general-purpose hardware samplers controlled by sequencers (built-in or external), software-based sequencing and sampling and the use of loops, and [[music workstation]]s with integrated sequencing and drum sounds. TR-808 and other digitized drum machine sounds can be found in archives on the Internet. However, traditional drum machines are still being made by companies such as Roland Corporation (under the name [[Boss Corporation|Boss]]), [[Zoom Corporation|Zoom]], [[Korg]] and [[Alesis]], whose SR-16 drum machine has remained popular since it was introduced in 1991.

There are percussion-specific [[sound module]]s that can be triggered by pickups, [[trigger pad]]s, or through MIDI. These are called [[Electronic drum|drum modules]]; the Alesis D4 and Roland TD-8 are popular examples. Unless such a sound module also features a sequencer, it is, strictly speaking, not a drum machine.

[[File:Korg Volca Beats 7928.jpg|thumb|right|Korg Volca Beats (2013)]]
In the 2010s a revival of interest in analogue synthesis resulted in a new wave of analogue drum machines, ranging from the budget-priced Korg Volca Beats and Akai Rhythm Wolf<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/korg-volca-beats-bass-keys| title = Sound on Sound: Korg Volca Beats, Bass & Keys, October 2013}}</ref> to the mid-priced Arturia DrumBrute,<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/arturia-drumbrute| title = Sound on Sound: Arturia DrumBrute, December 2016}}</ref> and the high-end MFB Tanzbär and [[Sequential (company)|Dave Smith Instruments]] Tempest. Roland's TR-08 and TR-09 Rhythm Composers were digital recreations of the original TR-808 and 909, while Behringer released an analogue clone of the 808 as the Behringer RD-8 Rhythm Designer.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/behringer-rd-8-rhythm-designer| title = Sound on Sound: Behringer RD-8 Rhythm Designer, January 2020}}</ref> Korg released an analog drum machine, the [[Volca Beats]], in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|author1=Dan 'JD73' Goldman|date=2013-10-10|title=Korg Volca Beats review|url=https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/tech/korg-volca-beats-585530|access-date=2022-02-17|website=[[MusicRadar]]|language=en}}</ref>

==Programming==
{{See also|Music sequencer}}
[[File:Four to the floor Roland TR-707.jpg|thumb|[[Four on the floor (music)|4-on-the-floor]] on [[Roland TR-707]]]]

Programming of drum machines varies from product to product.  On most products, it can be done in '''real time''': the user creates drum patterns by pressing the trigger pads as though a [[drum kit]] were being played; or using '''step-sequencing''': the pattern is built up over time by adding individual sounds at certain points by placing them, as with the TR-808 and TR-909, along a 16-step bar. For example, a generic [[Four on the floor (music)|4-on-the-floor]] dance pattern could be made by placing a closed high hat on the 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th steps, then a kick drum on the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 13th steps, and a clap or snare on the 5th and 13th. This pattern could be varied in a multitude of ways to obtain [[Fill (music)|fills]], [[Breakdown (music)|breakdowns]] and other elements that the programmer sees fit, which in turn could be sequenced with '''song-sequence'''—essentially the drum machine plays back the programmed patterns from memory in an order the programmer has chosen. The machine will [[Quantization (music)|quantize]] entries that are slightly off-beat in order to make them exactly in time.

If the drum machine has [[MIDI]] connectivity, then one could program the drum machine with a computer or another MIDI device.

==Comparison with live drumming==
While drum machines have been used much in [[popular music]] since the 1980s, "...scientific studies show there are certain aspects of human-created rhythm that machines cannot replicate, or can only replicate poorly" such as the "feel" of human drumming and the ability of a human drummer to respond to changes in a song as it is being played live onstage.<ref name="Music.mic">{{cite web |url=http://mic.com/articles/113504/science-shows-why-drum-machines-will-never-replace-live-drummers |title=Science shows why drum machines will never replace live drummers|last1= Barnes|first1=Tom |date=23 March 2015 |website=mic.com |publisher=Music.mic |access-date=20 September 2015}}</ref> Human drummers also have the ability to make slight variations in their playing, such as playing "ahead of the beat" or "behind the beat" for sections of a song, in contrast to a drum machine that plays a pre-programmed rhythm. As well, human drummers play a "tremendously wide variety of rhythmic variations" that drum machines cannot reproduce.<ref name="Music.mic"/>

===Labor costs===
Increasingly, drum machines and drum programming are used by major record labels to undercut the costly expense of studio drummers.<ref>{{cite journal
 |author1   = D Arditi
 |title     = Digital Downsizing: The Effects of Digital Music Production on Labor
 |journal      = Journal of Popular Music Studies
 |volume     = 26
 |issue     = 4
 |pages     = 503–520
 |doi     = 10.1111/jpms.12095
 |year     = 2014
 |hdl     = 10106/27051
|hdl-access     = free
 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Electronic drum]]
*[[Groovebox]] (generic groove machines)
*[[Music sequencer]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*http://drum-machines-history.blogspot.co.uk
{{Drum beats}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drum Machine}}
[[Category:Drum machines|*]]
[[Category:Music sequencers]]
[[Category:Electronic musical instruments]]
[[Category:Drums]]