Drum machine

The earliest drum machines were electromechanical devices. In 1930, the Rhythmicon, developed by Leon Theremin and Henry Cowell, could produce rhythmic patterns using rotating optical discs, but it was not commercially successful.¹ The first commercially available drum machine was the Wurlitzer Sideman, introduced in 1959, which used vacuum tubes and preset rhythms like waltz and tango. These early machines were primarily used as automated accompaniment for organists.

In the 1960s, transistor-based rhythm machines became common in home organs. The Ace Tone Rhythm Ace, developed by Ikutaro Kakehashi (later founder of Roland), offered preset patterns and was influential in Japan.² These devices were limited to preset rhythms and could not be programmed by the user.

The first programmable drum machine was the Eko ComputeRhythm, introduced in 1972, which allowed users to step-sequence beats. However, it was the Roland CR-78 (1978) and the Linn LM-1 (1980) that brought drum machines into mainstream music production. The LM-1 used digital samples of real drums and was used by artists like Prince and Michael Jackson.

The Roland TR-808 (1980) and TR-909 (1983) became iconic in hip-hop and electronic music. The TR-808's deep bass drum and cowbell sounds were initially unpopular but later became staples of hip-hop, as producers like Afrika Bambaataa used them on tracks like "Planet Rock."³ The TR-909 was notable for its analog and digital hybrid synthesis and its role in the development of techno and house music.

In the 1980s, drum machines became more sophisticated with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) connectivity, allowing synchronization with other devices. The Roland TR-707 and Yamaha RX11 were popular MIDI drum machines. The 1990s saw the rise of sample-based drum machines like the Akai MPC60, which allowed users to sample any sound and trigger it via pads, becoming a central tool in hip-hop production.

With the advent of personal computers, software drum machines emerged. Programs like FruityLoops (now FL Studio) and Reason's Redrum allowed producers to program beats using a graphical interface. Today, software drum machines are ubiquitous in digital audio workstations (DAWs), offering unlimited sound design possibilities and integration with virtual instruments.

Drum machines have profoundly influenced many music genres. In electronic dance music (EDM), the TR-909's kick drum and hi-hats are foundational to techno and house. In hip-hop, the TR-808's bass drum is a defining element of trap music. Drum machines also enabled the creation of new subgenres like electro, Miami bass, and footwork.⁴

Beyond popular music, drum machines have been used in experimental and avant-garde music. Artists like Kraftwerk and Suicide used drum machines to create minimalist, mechanical rhythms. The ability to program complex, precise patterns that are impossible for human drummers has expanded the rhythmic vocabulary of music.

One lesser-known fact is that the first drum machine to use digital samples was the Linn LM-1, but it was also one of the first to use a floppy disk for storing patterns. Another is that the TR-808 was initially a commercial failure, with Roland discontinuing it in 1983 after selling only about 12,000 units, yet it later became one of the most influential instruments ever made.³

The Roland TR-909 was the first Roland drum machine to use both analog synthesis and digital samples, and it was also the first to feature MIDI. The Akai MPC60, released in 1988, was the first MPC to use the now-famous 16-pad layout, which was designed by Roger Linn. Additionally, some drum machines, like the Yamaha DX100, were actually FM synthesis-based and could produce unique, metallic percussion sounds.

Step sequencing

A method of programming rhythms by placing sounds on a grid of steps, each representing a subdivision of a musical bar.

MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface, a technical standard that allows electronic instruments and computers to communicate timing and note information.

Sampling

The act of recording a sound and playing it back at different pitches or in a sequence.

Analog synthesis

Generating sounds using analog electronic circuits, often producing warm, organic tones.