Customer Reviews

DR880 Drum Machine

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First off, the drum sounds on this things are great. They are of the quality where they will sometimes sound a bit funny when recording demos if you don't spend enough time getting your guitars and such to sound as good as the drums. The touch sensitive pads respond naturally and aren't just simply the same sounds turned down or up. The machine mimics the natural response of drums being hit harder or softer. I also noticed that when you do things like hit an open high-hat sound, it stops ringing if you hit the closed hat immediately after. Things like this are the kind of details that enable you to really mimic having an actually drummer. If you are simply looking for a hardware drum machine w/ punchy sounds and lots of control, I don't think you can do better than this.

The other features are where it comes up a bit short...

The included bass sounds are only decent. One nice feature is you can rout the bass (or anything) to a separate output so you can run the bass sounds to an actual bass amp and the drums to the PA and get a more realistic live sound that way. That being said, if there is one way a recording made w/ this thing is going to be pegged by the listener as being made by a machine, it's the bass-lines.

I also feel like this is a bit lacking in terms of some electronic drum sounds. There are a few kits but they kind of feel like an afterthought to me. If you are looking for natural sounds, they are here, but if you want great samples of 808 kicks or whatever, you will probably do better looking towards something more oriented towards dance music as this seems pretty solidly aimed at the rock musician w/ a home studio. Similarly, I really wish their were some synth sounds build in and more tracks in the sequencer for other parts. You can simulate having multiple instruments w/ the bass lines as it has great polyphony and you can shift the octaves and play chords but it's not the same as being able to add some strings or an emulated analog synth on a separate track. One of the DR-880's predecessors, the DR-5, had this feature and it is one of the things that made that such a great box despite having limited sound quality compared to newer models. I am not sure why Boss did away w/ it. It seems like this is an uncomfortable balance between being an all-in-one groovebox type deal and a simple drum machine. If I am going to have to use external synths to fill out my sound, I might as well use them for bass lines too.

That being said, one thing this excels at is being a jam-along box for guitar practice, which is pretty much what I have ended up using it for. The amp simulators in there are passable at best for recording or live performance but they are plenty good enough to jam along to the drum beats on and the included effects are fun to mess around w/. This is also where the semi-cheesy bass sounds become very useful. You can do any manner of odd time signature or tempo change you want and there is plenty of flexibility in song and pattern structure. I am not terribly keen on the step programming process for the songs but it gets the job done and you only have to do that once.

Overall, as a drum machine, it's great. There's a bit of a steep learning curve for me even though I've been using other drum machines for years but, you gotta figure each box you pick up is a whole new instrument. As a guitarist, you can't expect to really wail on mandolin the first time you pick it up and you should not have the same expectation for a new drum machine. I do feel though, that for the price, it is not unfair to expect a more full featured jambox w/ better sequencing capabilities and sounds to use as a stand alone unit.

I read one of the negative reviews and at first was not going to buy this machine. Then I thought how much of a geek I can be and said what the heck. Glad I done that because this machine is incredible. It has every feature you can think of and it can do anything. Programming it was very easy if you read the manual and the preset beats are nice too. Funny thing happen when I was purchasing it, the salesmen said not many people buy these machines anymore, they buy the drum software instead. Well I guess I'm sticking to the basics... Great Drum Machine...

The Roland (Boss) DR-880 is an amazing machine!! It's literally a band in a box and your in control of everything! Certain functions on the DR-880 are a no brainer, while others require that you read the owners manual. But if you also buy the DVD owners manual that's avaliable, you will thank yourself over and over again like I do! It's step by step instruction that shows you how to put a round peg in a round hole and if you can't figure this machine out by watching the DVD, then your a complete idiot and have no business owning something this incredible!

I've owned this device for a couple years now, and I don't think I'll ever need another drum machine. When I first got it I used all the features - I programmed drum tracks, used the effects, played my synth through it to use the guitar processors, etc. I also love it's digital out for PERFECT sound quality. Now however, I tend to use it only for its sounds, which are excellent. It's like a huge sample library of superbly sampled acoustic percussion for use with my sequencer software. I program midi drum tracks into my sequencer (or use existing midi track samples that are getting easier to find these days) and use the DR-880 for its wealth of top-notch drum kits and percussion hits. Another way to use it is to start with one of the DR-880's many stock midi tracks, record it into your sequencer (DAW), copy out the track to whatever length you want, then while listening back, record cymbal, cowbell, tambourine, triangle, etc. hits, either using the great touch pads (there are 20 and they're labeled!) or my keyboard. I just set up my sequencer to quantize or groove quantize and every hit is perfect. It doesn't get any easier or sound any better than this. If you're looking for a drum machine, look no further and you'll never look back.

Okay, so there's a bit of a learning curve with this drum machine. You have to go into it knowing that. Also, you'd be an absolute fool to not also invest in the DVD manual. The DVD walks you through every single nuance of the DR-880 and you can easily index any portion of the DVD to learn the specific skill you need to learn for what you're trying to accomplish.

That being said, this thing is untouchable! There is no reason why anyone can't achieve the precise sound they're looking for with this drum machine. You can make it sound as synthetic or authentic as you need it to, depending upon the style of music you're creating. The bass guitars can be made to sound like fingers are sliding on the strings. The drums can be made to sound like there's a real drummer in the room inadvertently brushing and tapping his (or her) sticks on the snare between actual strokes. For those in the know, these are called "ghost notes," and the DR-880's got 'em!

You can record in step mode or real time... or a combination of both to get the exact sound quality, timing precision, velocity, and little nuiances you're looking for.

For guitarists, there are pre-programmed grooves, or you can use the EZ Compose feature to quickly give your jam a sick backbone in like seconds. So while there is a learning curve for composers, this thing is also very much a plug-and-play unit for someone who just needs a quick rhythm section to jam with. And check this out: This thing even has built-in Roland effect pedals and amp simulations built right in! From metal to jazz, chorus, distortion, 60's, 70's, and whatever the hell you need! You're getting literally thousands of dollars worth of top of the line Roland pedals built-in to it.

I use mine every single day and simply cannot recommend it enough to... well, anyone who is serious about recording, jamming out, or composing a professional sounding piece of music with complete and total control of the situation. I strongly urge anyone who buys this drum machine to get the DVD as well. Frankly, you'd be an idiot not to.

If you want to know what kind of amp is best for the DR-880, I run mine through a Roland KC-350 120W Keyboard Mixing Amp, and it sounds absolutely brilliant!

Hey I have so much fun with this machine and I have just scratched the surface of what it can do. Easy to play with right out of the box. Some say the price is a little high but I have found it to be worth every penny.. Rich

The DR880 is an amazing piece of equipment. Other reviewers have criticized the "user friendliness" of this unit. I will agree with them. There are so many things that you can do with this unit that getting started is daunting. I did purchase Roland (Boss) DR-880 DVD Video Training Tutorial Help, and have found it an excellent resource. I also have a lot of experience with other drum machines (this was a replacement for my old DR5), but with the aforementioned DVD, I was creating useable arrangements in about three hours. And not just "simple" things, either. My own compositions.
This unit has amazing sounds and the amount of "humanization" (or perhaps anthro-imitative capability [? :-p ]), from relaxing the time (laying back, pushing forward), the velocity, and bending/fingering, makes this unit very usable for REAL demos and REAL music.
I highly recommend this piece of gear.

It has some nice neat drum patterns but programming it is impossible. Adding a bass line and being able to review your work or do an edit without totally going up the wall is also impossible! I don't know who they used to write the software but they certainly were not musicians or from this planet for that matter! Save yourself the angst...try another product, or better yet, buy mine! It's for sale!

I have owned this rhythm machine for two years and yet to use it productively. Why? It's far too complicated. People who buy this are likely thinking - I can replace the drummer who won't come to practices. The steps to getting a single song recorded are cumbersome and the menu's too much trouble to memorize. These guys like Roland never heard of the PC before so while there is lots of connectivity their is no PC software with an intuitive interface you can use to program your songs on the computer.

I've taken three runs at learning it, even bought a DVD. It's much easier to keep practicing guitar and waiting for the drummer.

Thanks for stopping by.

If your like me, and play two instrumens, one being a drum, this s for you. As a drummer and a beginning guitarist, this will help yo you play better at both instruments. You may think that all you do is hit a button and hear a drum
hit, bu it you think like a drummer you'll have a portable drum that you can use with a guitar and have a real band in no time. Aldo having tons of effects for guitar and bass, and bass patches made on the machine makes this so cool. I wish it had a spot for drum trigger. For the price you can't beat this as a great tool to add a drums in and geat a great deal on a mutil effect machine.
I can't wait to get this and a guitar and try it out.

PS: Drummrers!!!! This a need if you also play a second instrumet.