A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?
Forum rules
READ: VSE Board-Wide Rules and Guidelines
READ: VSE Board-Wide Rules and Guidelines
- bandreject
- Newbie
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:56 pm
A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?
Hi! I need a cheap drummachine that can sequence boss dr-550 throu midi using interface like in tr-909.
Re: A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?
TR-707?bandreject wrote:Hi! I need a cheap drummachine that can sequence boss dr-550 throu midi using interface like in tr-909.
Korg Volcas / 6 x TE POs / MicroBrute / EH Space Drum & Crash Pad
- micahjonhughes
- Active Member
- Posts: 703
- Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:27 pm
- Location: Chicago
Re: A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?
Korg ER-1. Cheap, OK step sequencer + limited but nice VA drum soundsbandreject wrote:Hi! I need a cheap drummachine that can sequence boss dr-550 throu midi using interface like in tr-909.
- bandreject
- Newbie
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:56 pm
Re: A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?
I bought a dr-550 on ebay, and now wait for it (from ukaudiosales - are they confident?). Is it hard to program it? I mean not by taping, but by editing. How the pattern selection is done? Is it fun to use it live? Is it possible to mute separate drum parts? When you want to use it as a midi module, the kit is mapped on octave (for example c-4 bd,c#4 ch, d-4 sd etc.)?micahjonhughes wrote:The Dr. 550 was my first drum machine. I don't recall it being hard to program.
I heard that only tr drummachine that can be programmed while changing patterns is the tr-606. Since tr-626 is an "younger digital brother" of it, maybe it have this advantage also.
- Sir Ruff
- Synth Explorer
- Posts: 3519
- Joined: Tue May 09, 2006 11:55 pm
- Gear: Two persimmon modulators and a frequency adjudicator.
- Band: Ruff in the jungle
- Location: Philadelphia
Re: A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?
crikey-that's a lot of questions to be asking once you've already bought something!bandreject wrote:I bought a dr-550 on ebay, and now wait for it (from ukaudiosales - are they confident?). Is it hard to program it? I mean not by taping, but by editing. How the pattern selection is done? Is it fun to use it live? Is it possible to mute separate drum parts? When you want to use it as a midi module, the kit is mapped on octave (for example c-4 bd,c#4 ch, d-4 sd etc.)?micahjonhughes wrote:The Dr. 550 was my first drum machine. I don't recall it being hard to program.
I heard that only tr drummachine that can be programmed while changing patterns is the tr-606. Since tr-626 is an "younger digital brother" of it, maybe it have this advantage also.
the dr. 550, like all the Dr. series is easy to learn and use. I'm not sure about the 550, but the 770 had the ability to assign different patterns to individual pads for live triggering.
but is you really want to get that XOX feel for cheap, I'd recommend the 626 as you mentioned, or even the 505 which is usually cheaper. both you can get for under $60 tho.
Do you even post on vse bro?
- micahjonhughes
- Active Member
- Posts: 703
- Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:27 pm
- Location: Chicago
To answer your questions, read the manual. You can get it from www.rolandus.com
- meatballfulton
- Moderator
- Posts: 6129
- Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2005 9:29 pm
- Gear: Logic Pro X
Re: A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?
The 505 and 626 are programmed the same way as the 550Sir Ruff wrote:but is you really want to get that XOX feel for cheap, I'd recommend the 626 as you mentioned, or even the 505 which is usually cheaper. both you can get for under $60 tho.

I listened to Hatfield and the North at Rainbow. They were very wonderful and they made my heart a prisoner.
Re: A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?
Does the 550 have the graphic LCD / TR type layout in its window for step sequencing like the 626 and 505 do?meatballfulton wrote:The 505 and 626 are programmed the same way as the 550Sir Ruff wrote:but is you really want to get that XOX feel for cheap, I'd recommend the 626 as you mentioned, or even the 505 which is usually cheaper. both you can get for under $60 tho.
Korg Volcas / 6 x TE POs / MicroBrute / EH Space Drum & Crash Pad
- bandreject
- Newbie
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:56 pm
Yeah, I wanted a dr-202, but somebody bided amount I couldn't handle, then I saw this cheep dr-550 with buy-it-now, so I didn't wanted to wait until somebody buys it earlier. Probably a stupid thing, but who really cares, if it won't be useful, then I can always give it to someone that practices guitar playing or something, so it wont waste.Sir Ruff wrote:crikey-that's a lot of questions to be asking once you've already bought something!
what's crikey?
I already have it, read few things out of it, but it is hard to focus on it, when you don't have the machine in front of you.micahjonhughes wrote:To answer your questions, read the manual. You can get it from www.rolandus.com
Is it fat?StepLogik wrote:get a tenori-on!![]()
- Sir Ruff
- Synth Explorer
- Posts: 3519
- Joined: Tue May 09, 2006 11:55 pm
- Gear: Two persimmon modulators and a frequency adjudicator.
- Band: Ruff in the jungle
- Location: Philadelphia
Re: A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?
erm... no they aren't.. they're programmed either by "step" which in the 505/626 case means across the 16 step grid -like any other XOX, or "tap" which is just realtime -like any drum machine ever made.meatballfulton wrote:The 505 and 626 are programmed the same way as the 550Sir Ruff wrote:but is you really want to get that XOX feel for cheap, I'd recommend the 626 as you mentioned, or even the 505 which is usually cheaper. both you can get for under $60 tho.
the 550 is either tap, or step as well, but in step mode, you have to literally "step" through each quantized note, putting the drum sounds down as you go. this is how you would program any typical drum machine without the XOX-style pad/16th note interface.
the latter's obviously a lot slower and cumbersome, but allows far greater programming detail especially as you can program individual velocities and at finer quantization.
ha... like, australian for "jeepers" or something. just mixin it up linguistically a littlebandreject wrote: what's crikey?

Do you even post on vse bro?
- bandreject
- Newbie
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:56 pm
What do you mean by finer quantization? Is it possible to get additional steps for bigger resolution, or program note delays for groove/resolution?Sir Ruff wrote:the latter's obviously a lot slower and cumbersome, but allows far greater programming detail especially as you can program individual velocities and at finer quantization.
Instead of only having 16 steps per bar, you can have 32 steps per bar...if I remember correctly... I haven't used a DR since 1998.bandreject wrote:What do you mean by finer quantization? Is it possible to get additional steps for bigger resolution, or program note delays for groove/resolution?Sir Ruff wrote:the latter's obviously a lot slower and cumbersome, but allows far greater programming detail especially as you can program individual velocities and at finer quantization.
Korg Volcas / 6 x TE POs / MicroBrute / EH Space Drum & Crash Pad