A drum machine, also known as a rhythm machine, is a digital electronic drummer. The drum machine, which is smaller and lighter than a VHS tape, comes with a variety of repeating drum patterns and styles that can be used as the backbeat for anything from hard rock to jazz, pop, funk, salsa, and hip hop. The tempo, or beats per minute (BPM), can be adjusted, and some drum machines come with percussion sounds as well.
The drum machine, like most digital devices, has an LED screen that cycles through “patches” or tracks named after musical genres. “Hard Rock” could be one category, with ten or more track variations such as HR-1, HR-2, HR-3, and so forth. Each track in the category will be distinct in some way from the others. One might add an extra beat with the kick drum, while another might add toms or a cymbal ride.
Preset patches provide the user with a wide range of ready-to-use options. Changing genres or categories opens up a whole new set of relative options. A drum machine may come with multiple “drum kits,” each with its own set of “voices” or effects. Beginnings, breaks, and endings are some of the drum machine’s other useful patches. These can be combined with the standard patterns to pre-program an entire song, making them an excellent tool for soloists and songwriters.
For finger drumming, many models include pressure-sensitive pads. Drum sounds such as bass, kick, snare, hi-tom, low-tom, cymbal crash, and more are assigned to each pad. Play for entertainment or save your patch to digital memory for future use. You can even record an existing patch while adding your own sounds, allowing you to customize your tracks.
A synthesized bass guitar track could be included in a drum machine. Slap, finger, pick, synth, and acoustic are examples of bass “voices” or effects. While playing in a “trio,” it’s simple to hone your skills or compose original songs. Some drum machine models allow you to enter chord progressions that will automatically transpose the bass to play along with you rather than against you. This is yet another useful feature for songwriters who are putting together a demo or recording songs for personal enjoyment.
Drum machines don’t have speakers, but they do have a lot of different inputs and outputs. You can play for hours without disturbing your family or neighbors thanks to the headphone jack and the 14″ mono-in for guitar. Line-out can be used to connect to a recording system, mixer, or other device for external amplification. Models differ in terms of connections, but many include a MIDI jack.
The drum machine is an essential tool for any guitarist, and it’s worth its weight in gold because it can provide great-sounding drum tracks at any time and in any location. Playing with a drum machine makes practice much more enjoyable and interesting, and songwriting becomes more inspired. A drum machine is an excellent performance tool. It’s a good idea to program it to go with your set at the local club.
Drum machines have a wide range of features, so if you need a specific feature, make sure it’s included before you buy. Drum machines are integrated into many other devices, including digital effects processors and personal recording studios, and a basic model costs less than $200. If you plan on purchasing one of those in the near future, you may be able to save money by researching those devices as well.