Hi,
I have an SCI Tom with basic percussion cartridge and have the chance to get a Drumtraks from a friend but can't justify (afford) to have both... I'm keen to hear any personal opinions of which is best and what you prefer about each?
thanks
SCI Drumtraks vs SCI Tom
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- sequentialsoftshock
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Re: SCI Drumtraks vs SCI Tom
All I have to say to you is this- Keep the TOM. Sounds very similar, yet wayyyy more flexible. The TOM is one of my favorite drum machines. Out of the two I bought for $20 a piece, I wish I would have kept at least one...
Re: SCI Drumtraks vs SCI Tom
I have no experience with the Tom but have a drumtraks. With the traks you can burn your own sounds to eproms and easily swap them out with zif sockets. The whole burning setup will cost around $140 or so to get you started. Plus the sequencer has a nice lazy feel, can't speak for the tom. Depending on what how you process your drums will determine what suits you better. I like chopping up recorded audio in post so swappable sounds of my own custom variety is most important to me. You can also load in DX, DMX and Linn sounds to the traks, same code for the eproms. Off topic here slightly but with a DX you gain more sample time for the bass drum over the traks, but with the traks you get to save pitch data in your programs where the DX has potentiometers for global tuning over all patterns; so pick your poison.
- hinotori
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Re: SCI Drumtraks vs SCI Tom
thanks for your posts.
Im looking forward to trying out the drumtraks, from the online videos I have seen it looks like the drumtraks is much quicker and intuitive to get patterns with lots of varying pitch and volume data in due to the 2 knobs on the front panel. Also, the drumtraks has swing that is missing on the TOM... but saying that, I love the timing/flow of the TOM and also the "note repeat" and way of nesting patterns within patterns. Of course having both would be best, and a DX, if I can work it out with my accountant
Im looking forward to trying out the drumtraks, from the online videos I have seen it looks like the drumtraks is much quicker and intuitive to get patterns with lots of varying pitch and volume data in due to the 2 knobs on the front panel. Also, the drumtraks has swing that is missing on the TOM... but saying that, I love the timing/flow of the TOM and also the "note repeat" and way of nesting patterns within patterns. Of course having both would be best, and a DX, if I can work it out with my accountant

- sequentialsoftshock
- Synth Explorer
- Posts: 2415
- Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 1:57 am
- Real name: Zayne
- Gear: Pro One, Analog Keys, Prophet 5, MPC60, TR606, RD8, St. Vincent Guitar, Bluesbreaker amp
- Location: Philadelphia
- Contact:
Re: SCI Drumtraks vs SCI Tom
The TOM has HUMAN FACTOR, dude.
But srsly, this is the same thing. I wouldn't even be surprised if the algorithm is exactly the same on both machines.

But srsly, this is the same thing. I wouldn't even be surprised if the algorithm is exactly the same on both machines.