SeriesBoss DR

This drum machine is easy to use. I was making beats within minutes of having it out of the box. The downside is that it can only do two measures and a fill per pattern, but you can copy patterns, vary them, and trigger them with song mode or DPP. It is polyphonic, but some of the sounds will cancel each other out, which I find to give me a unique sound, and it seems to be based on what would be practical for a real drummer. It comes equipped with a lot of sounds, including classic Roland drum machine kits (the 808 and 909 are decent), and you can edit for instance the pitch and decay of the sounds individually, and create your own kits. It also sends everything over midi, so it can be used to trigger sounds on another device or within your DAW. The touch sensitivity of the pads is nice to give a more human sound than programming beats directly on a DAW. One trick is to put the beat as 16/8 to allow for more space to program your pattern. It saves everything automatically, so there is no menu diving or losing your patterns when you turn it off. It also has the ability to play bass parts, and it comes with some decent bass sounds. The tempo is not saved with each pattern as far as I can tell, so you will have to adjust the tempo, and I am not sure if this is true about song mode, as I haven't really delved into song mode, as I usually sequence via my DAW. Custom drum kits allow you to assign individual sounds to any of the pads, using both an A and B group for each kit. However, the pads are labeled with a standard layout for the default kits, and I find that sticking to this layout keeps things simple and easy. The pads are also arranged and labeled with the notes of a bass guitar, which is nice for bass players and also for programming the parts. It is so easy to use that I find it very inspiring for just jamming and getting the creative juices flowing. It can do any kind of beat, from jungle to hiphop to rock to jazz, using the default sounds, or you could use the midi to trigger sounds on your daw for example and use any sounds that you like. The tempo range goes from really slow to really fast as well. For the price that I paid, I could not be happier, and since it runs on batteries, it is portable enough to take anywhere that you might be inspired. This seems to be one of the better machines in the Dr. Rhythm line, having taken the best of the series and put it into one underrated machine. If you can find one at a bargain price like I did, go for it!

I bought the DR660 when they were first out and the price was right.I wanted something to jam to with my guitar,then found out you needed to be a programming drum nerd and was bummed out.At the time,computers were not a dime a dozen,so the MIDI was useless to me and was only able to use preset beats at best.But then....dug it out of mothballs and bought a Yamaha midi interface,installed Guitar Pro 5,downloaded 1000`s of .GP3 files of some good tunes I like and setup Guitar Pro to play those .GP3 files which are very close to having the actual drummer in my room.At least better than any drummer I ever met that will play anytime I need a drummer.The great part is I can TURN IT OFF anytime I want and takes up much less space than an actual drum set.So this thing after all these years turned out to be quite a useful tool.Setting it up for Guitar Pro to play my drum tracks was almost too easy.So there you have it ! Matter of fact,made a few You Tube tracks for fun as a GUESS the drummer and song.Living proof of how useful the DR660 is - https://youtu.be/pHDEf7XRndE

See the manufacturer's specs and other reviews on AF. This yellow metal box is ultra stable and sturdy and the display can be easily read even if you are short-sighted. UTILIZATION The overall setup is rather simple if you don't venture too far. The manual is clear, but menu browsing is a bit opaque. Editing of sounds and effects: If you start from a factory pattern and limit yourself to inserting fill-ins and doing copy-paste, it's pretty easy, specially with the EZ function. If you want to create a pattern (and especially a song!) from all the pieces, it gets tricky (the time you spend programming you stop using the instrument, don't you?). It's a pity because the possibilities are very large. SOUNDS Sounds and effects are adapted to my needs (demo making and/or playback). All rock, funk and blues patterns are nice and you can have fun with the shuffle function. The more classic patterns (waltzes, 6/8, jazz and anything else that isn't binary) are nothing to write home about, you have to reprogram everything. The guitar input with amp/effects simulation is cool, it allows you to rehearse or jam with headphones without taking up too much space. OVERALL OPINION I've been using it for 6 years, for home studio only. I had already used Dr Rythm 10 and the drum machine included in the Korg D1600MKII. I occasionally mix the Korg and DR880. Which feature do you like best? The default patterns are truly realistic and easy to edit. The "world" percussions are superb (gong, Chinese cymbals, etc...). Its good velocity response make playing live with it quite enjoyable. The least? Programming, but only because I am not gifted at it... Too many parameters to master. How would you rate its value for money? It's justified, given the possibilities it offers. Based on your experience, would you buy this product again? Certainly, but I still prefer a good drummer!

I bought this unit not long ago, but don't remember exactly where (that's my memory for ya). But I do remember how much I paid for it, $350. (that's also my memory for ya). Most people comment on how great the sounds in the machine are, and I'll be no exception. This unit sounds simply brilliant. The drums are top notch, as are the rock guitars...I can't imagine how they could be any better. The basses are also rich and lifelike. Everything else is quite adequate. At first, I thought I might like to have more than 4 tracks in the sequencer, but now I think more would be overkill. Four is enough for percussion, bass, lead, and accompaniment, and that's all one needs. I have read complaints from others about the construction (something about the scrolling wheel malfunctioning) but I personally have not experienced any such problems. Memory failed on me once, when I used it outdoors on a freezing cold winter day. Lesson learned: don't use it outdoors on freezing cold winter days. I enjoyed using this machine so much, I created a CD using it. It's called "CLASSY COOL", and it features pop-jazz reworkings of some well-known classical pieces. Check out some soundclips and hear the DR5 in action at: http://hometown.aol.com/motionizer/page47.html This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought on eBay for $280; I needed a way to record drum tracks without going into a studio. The sounds you get are very, very realistic; I've done a lot of recordings with this drum machine already and people are always hard-pressed to tell it's a drum machine and not live. Its snare and bass drum sounds are especially impressive; the "natural" kit's snare sound is exactly that. The DR-770 sounds especially organic if you play it as a drum kit rather than using programmed patterns, for a more human touch. Multitracking different parts also allow much more intricate parts to be played. One thing that you can't get with this drum machine is cymbal sounds. It just doesn't have the complex character of stick hitting metal, and the sustain is poor on all the crash settings. It's also not possible to play a convincing ride part on here. Good. The pads are velocity sensitive, which means they can lose sensitivity over time, but that's part of the deal. This is an indispensable tool for the one-man, home-recording musician who doesn't own a drum kit (or can't play one). Granted, the dynamics are probably better on an actual electronic drum kit with pads, but since those run at least $1,000, compared with $200-400 for drum machines, they are out of reach for most casual musicians. The Dr. Rhythm is invaluable in this respect. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I was in the navy on a gulf tour in hong kong doing some window shopping when i ran across the doctor rhythm. I used it with headphones during the tour. It has a nice sound,nice look. But i found it difficult to understand the break down of the song building concept. I purchased this unit for approximatly $300.00 in 1989. I like the wieght,color,price and also the sound quality of this unit.It has a protability that suits people who are into mobile recording and that are limited by space.So i feel i like it for a beginner unit and can use it as a accompany piece in my home studio. The unit is limited on midi hookups, and i find the unit a little difficult for a musician to steer through the menu options abd scale option are hard to understand. I wish it had more different sound. I wish i coulld store new rythms into the unit. The unit is sturdy, I stored inside a navy bunk for days and it still worked greatly.It can withstand a little punishment ond hold up to a lot of tapping on the pads. The boottom line is that the boss dr, rythm is a piece that is strong,light,portable,and affordable.It is limited and a little difficult to work for a beginner.I would say shop around and try to find a more user friendly piece. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

acquired on ebay for $180 this is a lightweight, go-anywhere drum machine that can be run off of batteries, compact and easily carried, it allows me to program patterns while on a bus, a plane, etc. this thing could use a some backlighting fo the LCD dispaly, and both the pads and sounds occasionally leave something to be desired. construction is fairly solid, the audio outputs in the back feel a bit iffy, but overall not too bad. for a starter on a budget, it is a decent machine. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

If you play electric guitar and don't own one of the Boss DR 110 drum machines then you are missing out big time. The drum and bass sounds are great as well as the guitar effects. There is a huge amount of flexibility with this unit... from customizing your guitar tone & effects, to creating your own drum & bass kits... its a very deep unit. But that doesn't mean it isn't fun or easy to use. In fact, the only downfall I've had with this unit is that I just lose track of time playing with it. If you are learning how to play guitar, then this unit will help you so much. For instance, there are some great patterns that help you embrace scale modes like the major scale. UTILIZATION The fact that you can dial up a pattern, instantly set the key & tempo, and then jam along with it using great guitar sounds makes the unit worth the money, but it can do a whole lot more. And if you like playing with those long, trippy delays, well, the DR110 keeps the delay in time with the song, so you can base the delay off rhythm rather than milliseconds (but both options are available). Every guitar instructor/school should have one of these available for their students. SOUNDS Great sounds all around, patterns are realistic and this component gives all the versatility you will need. The ability to change the kit or tempo to a pattern makes this machine priceless. Adding a baseline is a bonus amd the sounds are all there. What do you want from a drummer, and a bass player? To show up on time. Machines always there, waiting. To keep a beat and not miss a note. The machine is spot on. When playing smaller gigs, you don't have to worry about needing extra space for a drum set and bass amp. Plus you get all the money. OVERALL OPINION Every guitar player that wishes they had a drummer and bass player to jam with to help push their playing should have one of these. I love it.