Drum Machines

Useful drum machines to know

Rhythmicon 1930s
Roland CR-78 1978 (In the name, and was programmable
using analogue synthesis)
Linn LM-1 1979 (First drum machine to use digital
samples)
Roland TR-808 1980 (Used analogue sound-based
synthesis)
Roland TR-909 1984 (Used analogue synthesis, but with
digital samples for cymbals, and featured MIDI)
Akai MPC60 1988 (Digital drum machine)

Drum machines, originating from 1931 with the Rhythmicon

drum machine were popular on release, but then forgotten due
to its inflexibility in programing, using only pre-set programs.
Then the Roland CR-78 came along and allowed for 4 memory
banks of storing the users own drumbeats. This allowed for
more flexibility. Then the TR-808 came along, and was
eventually adopted by the hip-hop scene, where it was hugely
used.
The problem with many digital drum machines was the cost
of memory within the hardware samplers and drum machines
using digital samples. This meant that samplers such as the
Synclavier and the Fairlight CMI were so expensive. However,
the industrial designer Roger Linn came up with the idea of
digitally sampling drum sounds as they were quite short in
length, so then he created the Linn LM-1. He later teamed up
with Akai to produce the MPC60, and consequently the MPC
series.

JP