Roland’s innovations in drum machines have always been unique. Tracing Kakehashi’s output from his very first rhythm modules ...

In 2018 Roland introduced the TR-8S drum machine and instantly won the heart of my colleague Roberto Baldwin. Then, last year it resurrected its MC line of grooveboxes, and launched the portable, ...

Back in 1959, when the Rudolph Wurlitzer Corporation debuted the Side Man, originally intended as an accompanist for organ players who didn't have a live drummer to help them keep time, nobody could ...

Blown-out snares, glitchy hi-hats and percussion, almost any beat can be achieved with a drum machine, especially those with dedicated FM synthesis. Roger Linn’s Linn LM-1, released originally in 1980 ...

The sequencer on the 808, a row of 16 color-coded buttons, offered artists a way to store beats they programmed. Courtesy of Roland Even if you don't know the Roland TR-808 drum machine by name, ...

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer is credited with more musical innovations than you can wave a plug socket at – even after its rocky start. After flopping commercially upon release in 1980, because ...

In many ways the $2,059 Pērkons seems like the drum machine sibling of Erica Synths’ SYNTRX. It’s not just that they share a chassis and knobs. But they’re both pricey, niche instruments that focus on ...

DRUMS WEEK 2025: In the early days of the drum machine, real human drummers could sit comfortably on their stools, as their drum machine rivals harboured a reputation for rigidity and inflexibility in ...

Back in the late 1960s, creating music anywhere was made much easier with a now iconic toy-like pocket synth called the Stylophone. Now Dubreq is aiming to do the same for beat makers with a portable ...

About 10 years ago, a disgruntled pianist in Los Angeles named John Wood began a popular bumper sticker campaign with the slogan, "Drum Machines Have No Soul." Not everyone was convinced, including ...

Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On, a bleak collection of songs by a man who had been a great optimist, was released 40 years ago yesterday. A strange, dark album that nonetheless sold ...

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer is credited with more musical innovations than you can wave a plug socket at – even after its rocky start. After flopping commercially upon release in 1980, because ...