MFB-503 review???

[caroy]

Hi, im looking to buy a MFB-503 drum computer but i dont see alot of review.
So, i would like to know if some people here have a 503 and would like to make a little review?

Thanks alot.

[polardark]

I only played with this one in the music store. I liked the sound and the size of this little box and i might buy one in the future.

After reading the manual i realize that the MFB-503 has some limitations in the MIDI implementation. There seems to be no way to store or load kits or songs to a computer via MIDI.

Tempo synch and start and stop messages are supposed to be implemented over MIDI though. The manual isn't very verbose here but i'm guessing it's done using midi machine control? Since the Play button is pretty small (and black!), using a pedal to start and stop patterns would be very useful. Actually finding a pedal to do this however is a bit more tricky.

This is not a review but it i hope it's helpful anyway

[mao]

I tried it. It sounds really good but... you really must like that sound because you don't go far away from that. You can modify something here and there but the overall sounds it's always the same.

the sequencer is easy and straightforword... you don't need a manual to learn how to use this little box.

[pflosi]

i have it and i think it's a great machine. it blasts a very fat analog drum sounds, and i like the (sampled) hats (more that those on my jomox xbase 09). easy to use and nice in live situations due to its size.

i think the midi implementation is pretty good, you can control (almost? not sure) anything via midi, and i like that the different voices are on a midikeyboard arranged on one octave as well as every voice over one octave with different pitches. velocity sensitive as well. if a midikeyboard is plugged, i think it shouldnt be a great deal to route a pedal to start / stop (but it could require a DAW... maybe...).

only limitations IMO are not that much knobs (but, therefor it is small, which is a plus) to tweek, no midi through, and i find it somewhat strange that every voice can be muted by pushing the first encoder, except the kick (doing that opens the 2nd page for the drum instrument parameters... so that's somehow useful too....)... fortunately it has a separate output for kick and snare, but one for the toms would have been nice too (the hats / cymbal would be the only to stay on the main then...). by the way, those toms are lovely!

so overall i like it a lot, but use it mainly for live and not so much for studio work last time... but it's plugged and i will use it again i wont sell it anyway. hope that was somehow helpful

[caroy]

Thanks alot for those review. Very helpful.
Thanks!

[pflosi]

ur welcome

[JSRockit]

Sounds good... the BD is surprisingly tweakable, but it is quirky, just like all MFB gear.

[forange]

Play it through a distortion box or a tube synth amp like the Motion sound KP-100.
It is a good drum machine, allthought I am more on the easy dnb beats.

For the money it is worth buying. At least here in Europe.