Electric Rhythm: The History of the Drum Machine | Reverb

Leon Theremin. Sly & The Family Stone. Prince. Drum machines have influenced our music and the way we perceive rhythm since the Rhythmicon popped onto the scene in the 1930s. Join William Kurk as he gives us a run-down of the evolution of the incredible drum machine. Read more on Reverb: goo.gl/MfT1zq
For more from William Kurk: goo.gl/NWE2Qh
Special Thanks:
- Danny Garcia (Danny The Wildchild) : goo.gl/zcPUR9
- Noam Wallenberg & RaxTrax Recording : www.raxtrax.com/
Want to know more about Drum Machine History?
Check out these excellent resources:
www.factmag.com...
• The Linn LM-1: The Dru...
www.vox.com/cu...
daily.redbullmu...
/ looking-for-the-perfec...
reverb.com/new...
reverb.com/new...
reverb.com/new...
reverb.com/new...
For a ton of awesome info about the 808, be sure to check out the 808 documentary: itunes.apple.c...
808 tribute "Ad" footage taken from Origin Workshop:
• Roland TR-808 Original...
"Rhythmicon" Footage sourced from Andrey Smirnov:
• Rhythmicon demonstration
"EKO ComputeRhythm" footage sourced from EKOSALE:
• EKO COMPUTERHYTHM for ...

[@thecaveofthedead]

I'm an old rock dinosaur raised in the anti-synth '90s. Videos like this are giving me an insight into an entire creative world I missed out on. Brilliant stuff.

[@goatskindreams]

so you don't like Nine Inch Nails?

[@WrektSK]

Hey thecaveofthedead! I'm a rock/metal guy too who got into synthwave music about a month ago. It's a beautiful genre and the gears are great in their own way. Both raw and synthesized music have their own quirks in my opinion. I've gotten into producing synth and retrowave stuff, it's not only helping me broaden my perspective, it's helping me to generate new ideas for my heavier stuff :D

[@thecaveofthedead]

@@WrektSK That's what I was hoping Sajid. Thanks. I really think there's so much to add to the rock stuff we do by paying attention to electronic options.

[@WrektSK]

@@thecaveofthedead Couldn't agree more! Good to have like-minded rock listeners man 🤘♥

[@markuskoivisto]

@Dr. Jack Kevorkian Metal/alt-rock scenes in the 90s were generally pretty anti-synth. Eurodance was obviously a thing.

[@frottery]

8:08 it's the 808

[@krisscanlon4051]

Irony

[@jrurbbehdidiwdnndjduw85eos73]

@@krisscanlon4051 that is the opposite of irony

[@danjwalker]

@@jrurbbehdidiwdnndjduw85eos73 Which is ironic.

[@rooneye]

@@krisscanlon4051 lol you tool! hehe :P Are you American by any chance? You guys just do NOT get irony. As demonstrated here.

[@rooneye]

@@jrurbbehdidiwdnndjduw85eos73 It is. Literally! :D

[@Assortment54321]

I love how the host in this is dressed all 80s.

[@battlecatsgo]

Members Only jacket FTW

[@cruzrfl]

damn!

[@bernsteiner88]

He ROCKS!!!

[@seanthehaggis]

Might be a hipster

[@NOWtheband]

I get what you mean but as far as I've seen, he always dresses like that, ha ha!

[@edwinsamuel5065]

William is turning into a reverb legend

[@darkknightsds]

Prince's work on the Linn LM1 was revelatory

[@KlausBahnhof]

I believe the first record to feature an 808 was Yellow Magic Orchestra's 'BGM' in 1981. They were quick to adopt new technology as soon as it became available and, being Japanese, were in a unique position to do so. Their earlier albums were influential on hip-hop. Worth checking out their music if you're curious about non-Western drum programming.

[@12edit]

Tracklist: 00:04 Roxy Music - Same Old Scene 00:09 Blondie - Heart of Glass 00:12 Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing 00:14 New Order - Blue Monday 00:18 Madonna - Into the Groove 00:25/10:57 Prince - When Doves Cry 01:03 Super Mario Bros - Underwater Theme 02:56 Jorge Ben - Mas, Que Nada! 04:24 Kraftwerk - Tanzmusik 04:58 Sly & The Family Stone - Family Affair 07:00 Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight 08:30 Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) 08:47 Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush The Show 11:42 Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It 13:00 Nas - The World Is Yours

[@xu1net]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/apWbaoZjn7SmnLs Roxy Music - Same Old Scene from memory but hey what would I know!

[@12edit]

@@xu1net You're right! Fixed.

[@xu1net]

Hey thanks! Glad I could help :) Your channel is awesome by the way, I have internet radio streaming in my garage, always looking for new stuff to play!!

[@RichRobinson]

Thanks guys. Much appreciated, from one music lover to another…

[@michaelgamboa4986]

The whole Pink Floyd AMLOR used that shit

[@AlexBallMusic]

Really enjoyed this video, then clicked the description and found you've linked my video on the same subject. Thanks very much!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks, that's good to know! Yours is a much higher quality production, so really enjoyed watching this. I've got a BIG documentary coming up this month telling another very iconic synth story. Just got one more section of it to film.

[@goodboid]

Alex, the sheer effort you put into your videos is no joke!

[@ThinkBritishEnglish]

Alex Ball interesting , what's that bud?

[@GavinMorris1]

Get a room you two :)

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@ThinkBritishEnglish There's a big clue on my Facebook page...

[@jeffblack5024]

In about 1981, I had a little Boss DR55 Dr Rhythm. I used to play with the thing in my bedroom and it taught me the basics of step time and how rhythm is all about fours (and multiples). New Order used one of these little things to trigger their sequencers via its CV output early on. I think the next thing I got hold of was the Roland TR-606 (AKA Drumatix). which was meant to be the companion to the failure bass sequencer that was the TB-303 (whatever happened to that?). It's now a softsynth on the Roland Cloud and just the sound of it evokes early 80s hiphop and electro. I love it. But we all wanted 'proper' drums sounds. A richer friend bought a Sequential Circuits Drumtraks and I spent ages painstakingly programming one note at a time step sequences to go with it into a Roland Micro-Composer via the brand new MIDI. Of course, it was all strictly machine time - a groove was barely possible. I think I lost touch round about the Roland TR505 - a sample upgrade to the early analogue efforts, I was always looking for the next thing and it looked like the grooveless machines had had their day. Then House came along and suddenly this old junk shop technology was all the rage. I kind of felt it was old hat at the time, but now I recognise that the sound of analogue is just as important as acoustic drums. It can certainly deliver low end better than any drummer. The original Propellerheads Reason was based on Rebirth - their recreation of the Roland classics. So I naturally graduated to that and it's still my favourite DAW. So that little box in my bedroom grew to a bigger box in my living room. And that's been my journey. I'm an old man now, but feel privileged to have witnessed the evolution first hand.

[@Meikurey]

Ironic how back in the 90s we tried making drums on these machines sound as realistic as possible, now it's the other way around

[@alapekuttaja7222]

What, we're trying to make real drums sound as fake as possible?

[@publika6883]

Not really

[@weldin]

TC I think he’s trying to say that now we have a lot of electric drums that use sound effects and even some drummers who use a laptop.

[@kirilltilman]

Same about trying to make recordings as undistorted and clean as possible with digital recording and now we distort them and make them worse sounding to give them a this warm and good feeling analog vibe))

[@michaelx9079]

When these things came out they always sounded shit....so most people smothered them in explosive reverb

[@MakeSomething]

This video needed to be made! So well done and great research!

[@momtnz]

If you want to know more about Drum Machine history then check out the RHYTHM MACHINES books and DRUMFAX books by Alex Graham on Amazon.com. Three books that cover the entire history of drum machines from the Rhythmicon to 2018. They list pretty much EVERY drum machine ever made, including some rare prototypes.

[@superchargedelevation]

no it didnt, its just a moby promo sucker, its a scam to sell his kit, they using drum machines and music history to profit as ususal, its not about the music , a true music head knows all of this already and wouldnt watch a doc with moby as the 'expert' he's an expert scammer, FACTS

[@emmettfrancis9894]

you all prolly dont care at all but does anyone know of a tool to log back into an instagram account..? I was stupid lost the account password. I love any help you can offer me!

[@emersontristen4080]

@Emmett Francis instablaster :)

[@outdatedgear5036]

Not only do you guys run a awesome website, you guys make great KZbin content.

[@Reverb]

Thanks! Glad you like watching as much as we like creating. :)

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

It's great to see some of these old drum machines. I specifically remember the studio that I started at having the Oberheim DX. I remember when Sly Dunbar got the MPC 60 and every studio that did reggae wanted one. My studio musician had the EMU. The first drum machine that I bought was the MPC 2000. Great memories

[@leadspot]

this is probably the most important video to watch and to have as a favorite youtube video for those who think EDM is a now electronic music genre and for those who wants to learn about the history of where these sounds come from and why they are so important for future productions and how important are as basic material to produce music this is pure gold, thank you Reverb !!

[@superchargedelevation]

nice sentiment, but this is a pure scam by reverb and moby, if you TRUELY feel that, way how can you listen to a moby for more than a few seconds??? MOBY = EDM ...........by deffinition he's a mainstream comercial product of the underground

[@tauttechminusmanagedmusic3778]

My grandfather had both the Chamberlin and Sideman playing alongside a grand player-piano in every pub to which he was owner-landlord. I remember my step-grandmother singing as he played and depending on the song, one of the two drum-machines playing. A fantastic boyhood memory.

[@paulmurray280]

Having played so many bars in the 90s I would always sneak the drum machine, 707 and later the R8, into the third set as they were often frowned upon as being playback. The sheer ingenuity we had to go through to make such a small internal memory go so far, oh the good old days

[@DrakenSchwert]

Thank you Reverb for your massive drum machine soundbank, it's been an absolute pleasure educating myself in the history of these machines.

[@jaggass]

You can't say that the 808 had realistic sounds but it's distinct.

[@fendi-bull8167]

I think the limitation of the hardware we were force to work, focus and commit on what we have, that's revolutionary.

[@jaggass]

@@fendi-bull8167 I own nothing but vintage gear.

[@fendi-bull8167]

@@jaggass yeah with the limitations you're force to do a singlework around perfectly instead of going for a cheap way. That's how I view vintage equipment. It forces you to be more creative.

[@jaggass]

@@fendi-bull8167 The SP1200 being the best one. Modern day synths etc have got far too many features and nobody ever utilizes them. Most just stick to presets like a piano sound which is fine but an upright is much cheaper and does what it's supposed to. I have a Linn 9000 and i use all 2 features it has.

[@nunayobiz]

Greatest drum machine pattern ever - 777-9311 by The Time (Prince)

[@powerkor]

really helps me understand what happened to music from the 70s to the 80s

[@zacharykim295]

1:10 isnt he playing the mario underwater theme??

[@scrappy1312]

It sounds like Mario 64 - Haunted Merry Go Round

[@JamBurglar]

Bingo!

[@xc3n]

Yeah! I was looking for that comment

[@mynameisjack0618]

Yes

[@freddymarcel-marcum6831]

Geeks!

[@sydwhitaker5776]

The production value is insane on this, good stuff

[@djcoolcliff]

I remember the first day I was able to hook up my keyboard and use 16 different sounds with a MPC 3000! Didn’t have a manual and it took like 4 months! When I did it, it changed my life!! Still on the MPC platform 30 years later!!!!!! All of my industry work was done used a MPC as the brain!!!

[@rb8058]

Good overview but omitted a lot of things, such as New Order's popularization of the drum machine in British dance music (alluded to it in the video open but didn't go further); Jam & Lewis' extensive use of layering different drum machine hardware to create Janet Jackson and New Edition albums; the significance of the Alesis drum machine line; and the proliferation of software-based drum machines in iOS and Android apps today. Maybe we can expect in a Part 2?

[@superchargedelevation]

they should have omitted Moby as well, wtf does he have to do with music let alone drum machine history, 100% cringe

[@CrossCuntryFranco]

@@superchargedelevation He owned several drum machines, which he sold on Reverb. There's also a video of him showing his drum machine collection back in 2010.

[@kawsakiTV]

Moby’s own antique drum machine & organ playing a version of the Water stage from Super Mario Bros?! Um yes

[@stephanleo]

I think Roger Nichols' drum machine"Wendel" that he developed and build for Steely Dan in 1978/79 is the first sample based drum machine. You can hear the Wendel II drum machine on Donald Fagens 1981 album "The Nightfly".

[@siliconbrush]

My NI Maschine just cracked a tear seeing all his relatives in one place.

[@KnzoVortex]

All about XLN XO now

[@andrejristic278]

excellent work. hats off for the film. brief, but tells you everything, and covers the history of such an integral part of modern music.

[@idiotdrummer60]

The Sly & The Family Stone single may have been the first hit in the USA to use a drum machine, but Robin Gibb's 'Saved by the Bell' from 1969 uses a drum machine, and was a hit all over Europe.

[@whatyoumakeofit6635]

Jeez oh petes !!!!!!! Dont mention the, boss dr rythem section. That thing made I big wave in the industry. And believe it or not, its still used by alot of people today. Great video !!!! I got reminded how far we've come with drum synths. Thanks

[@steevee1945]

Interesting that the Alesis SR-16 was not mentioned. One of the best selling programable drum sample machines ever, and still available.

[@avace917]

Agreed. It's actually Alesis' best selling product to date

[@isaiahromero9861]

Legendary in the post punk genre too

[@Nickys_Music96606]

I love drum machines. Especially classics.

[@MrFree-vj8qj]

Great documentary every musician should watch

[@HammyTechnoid]

My Roland R-70 helped me get so many songs produced... and sounding so good...

[@ifferl8781]

That was mind opening. I still feel overwhelmed. I play piano and learned on a casio but didn't play much with the rhythm. It even has an sd card capability. Time to finally read the manual. Reverb videos are amazing

[@NoUploadJustComment]

Nice job filming/editing the video to resemble the 80s aesthetic.

[@davecole0]

Williams’ wardrobe is next level!

[@goncalomarques2711]

One of my favourite videos of your I would love one on KEY BASS

[@spazkong]

Very good. Thanks for making this documentary.

[@RoadToSalvationX]

The TV shot is framed so well. Great vid

[@LukeLine]

This was really insightful and great to learn about the progress of drum machines... please do more 👍 I noticed Nils Frahm uses one of those old rhythm boxes too

[@StreetsOfVancouverChannel]

As I look over at my Maschine Studio 2 I'm reminded of the humble and exciting roots of the drum machine as exemplified in your video... peace, y'all...

[@epicon6]

Streets of Vancouver as i look over at my Maschine MK3 i’m reminder of how ancient the Maschine Studio already is. And there is no Studio 2.. the mk2 isn’t made yet.

[@RitchieCaron]

The links between the machines and popular music is very well presented in this video.

[@thebreakfastmenu]

ironically things like Roland drum pads allow real drummers to sound like drum machines today.

[@ModestEgg]

Is it a bad thing? I find it much easier to play drums than program a drum machine, but I like their sounds.

[@VeryImportantPoetry]

Chceck The Blessed Isles band - they are using drum machines very well.

[@hoagie7859]

@@ModestEgg yeah sequencing can be a logical disaster, compared to just playing it! especially when you're used to just sitting down and playing how you feel. sequencing i always end up just sitting there scrapping parts til its a super simple beat, im probably just stupid though haha.

[@britishboxer6875]

hahahaha, true!

[@klaasj7808]

today?, you had them already in the 80s. That dude from Queen used them. He had sensors all over his drumkit and connected to his Roland.

[@SexRaptorize]

Got emotional watching this. Thank you

[@AveMcree]

dope documentary on drum machines

[@ASHdemoREEL]

*excellent* historic trip down drumsynth generator's interesting timeline from its origins to present day! THANK YOU for making this!

[@puipui7382]

when i heard the rhythmicon i was like "this sounds very good," the next thing they say, "the rhythmicon didn't sound very good."

[@Roccetscience]

LMAO 🤣

[@pchiare]

so the world needs that version of your jorge ben there William PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME IT'S BEEN RELEASED

[@TruthSeekerAi]

i came into to music making at the sp12oo and mpc time man those days was priceless

[@johnny711]

most of you here have heard more Linn since you were born than you could possibly imagine.

[@kz1000ps]

Yep, the 808 may have taken on a life of its own, but when you think of "drum machine" most likely the sound you hear in your mind is that of the Linn.

[@carlmasondrums]

This was awesome guys! cant wait to see more mini-doc's like this!

[@tomaburque]

You know, this video was truly awesome. Hearing those tones just takes me back.

[@superchargedelevation]

im glad you enjoyed it bruv, the tones made me press stop and unlike hahahahaha

[@christopherfederici2776]

This is one of the most educational videos on KZbin, keep making these long videos with a ton of interesting content!

[@jrsivmusic]

Excellent presentation, covered so much ground but didn't skimp on the epochal moments and gave them their due. Good stuff.

[@ramseydoon8277]

Y'all should revisit this and update it into a feature-length documentary!

[@axelandru9346]

Happy to see you Moby !!!

[@anthonyd8997]

When keith sweat talks about synthesizers and drum machines I listen 👌👍

[@wirtzlouis]

This video was so informative and interesting. I can't understand how somebody can dislike this.

[@cavalettibnu3488]

GIVE US MORE!!! amo seu trabalho!

[@cruzrfl]

So much nostalgia in 16 minutes! Really really great video! Wish I had at least half of Moby's drum machines.

[@DungeonDiving]

I just wanted to say that the host has a great haircut.

[@kjell4439]

Good video! I have a Digitakt but still can't wait for the 808 by Behringer to come out. I know it's not the same, but that's not the point. It will be an affordable fully analog drum machine with individual outputs. That will be a huge deal regardless

[@___Benedetto]

One of my favorite videos on the Internet.

[@elcasho]

I could watch this for hours

[@TsavosAlliance]

So many Epic Drum Machines!

[@pointsofhonesty]

I'm glad not every company needs to make videos for money...Reverb.com is being innovative in pushing AWESOME musical information...thanks William! Always looking forward to all the videos you are featured and your team is producing.

[@LikeAGentlemanPlease]

TR 808 commercial shook my soul.

[@HazeAnderson]

My 1st drum machine was the HR-16, but I did not own it. Sometime in the mid 90s I purchased an SR-16 and I still have it today. I would jam with it more but I am learning my other drum machines now.

[@dfreeman120]

Had loads of machines, 808, CR 78, 505 plus MPC 3000 my favorite because it’s the most user friendly in my opinion. Now using the Elektron Machinedrum SPS-1 MK 2, Korg Electribe ER-1 etc

[@janbonne]

Y'all are so fun to listen and watch!!

[@dababy819]

I’ve just got access to a majority of these machines and I’m in tears I never realized that I had history in my hands

[@MrTom-Songwriter-Composer]

Cool video... I still have my Yamaha RX21 which was around during the Yamaha DX7 days way back.

[@fernandoorozco3751]

I love how he signed off at the and then went straight into The Robot and walked away. Classic.

[@DynamicRockers]

Excellent video. Very informative and well produced!

[@FazerOnStunn]

Thank you William Kirk! I love this, esp. by how you tied it back to things in the 1930s and Leon Theremin! This is a most excellent, informational video, William!

[@Joshua_Froschauer]

NIN rocked that 808 on Sanctified wonderfully

[@matthewcrane1599]

Well presented. My friend is giving me an old organ soon and I'm pretty sure it has built in drum beats. Even though I have some drum machines I probably am going to use some of these old school beats just for the heck of it. This video makes me more excited to try it out.

[@TayTayMakesBeats]

Love how cinematic this is.

[@SeverityOne]

That's a fabulous t-shirt you're wearing.

[@xombi242]

Thanks for the great video! I'm gonna give my Electribes a big hug now.

[@robertchavez5137]

Awesome- Thank you for posting !!

[@YershJRSZ]

Love the fact that you've played song from Super Mario Bros 3 and no one's talking about it ;D

[@racooninvasion]

Great job on this video! The pacing, sound, EVERYTHING is perfect!

[@jthchs]

Reverb just kills it as always. Keep doing your thing.

[@lagduck2209]

Yeah, that was really informative and beautiful presentation. That's how musical documentary should work!

[@CinematicLaboratory]

Brings back a ton of good memories!

[@uyauabing]

Growing up as a kid in the 70s, the CR-78 on Blondie's Heart of Glass was the first salvo for me. Not growing up on hip hop, my first introduction to the 808 was actually Genesis' Abacab album (Man on the Corner).

[@wndw2000]

Every time the William Kurk walks into the frame in this video, it feels like he's about to start narrating a murder documentary.

[@aviatorix8805]

30 seconds in, drum machines? With William Kirk? Hell yes

[@superchargedelevation]

3 seconds in ... featuring Moby and his posessions.... hahahahaha .... & stop watching

[@emmaj.harmon6368]

Thank you for the informative video ❤️❤️🙌🙌

[@DjKamikazee]

My first drum machine was the roland r-5 that i purchase in 94 and still use to this day

[@DheerajSukumaran]

awesome documentary... loved this. short and precise with every points mentioned.

[@Kamer.Sounds]

Smooth moves from the presenter to the editing

[@user-nc1wo7ds2c]

808 State man. Great video. Gimme the BIG BEAT!

[@JoshPeterson]

"Moby - Drum Machine Enthusiast"

[@SiyandaMajolaOne]

"What do you want to do when you get older?"

[@officialpierluk]

@@SiyandaMajolaOne He still makes albums and they are as good as they ever was, take a listen to his latest album Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt :) And I saw a video of Moby with his collection of drum machines it is a pretty impressive collection

[@superchargedelevation]

its a very strange choice, there are so many interesting artists who would have been informative and enjoyable to watch instead they use this rich, middle class, white guy whoes made his career from appropriating other cultures music and social issues to basically make money and have a social position from its everything that goes wrong with drum machine music when its comercialised

[@Elektrojamzz]

@@superchargedelevation It's not a strange choice, Moby has been collecting drum machines for 30+ years: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGrUZWuLoct3Z9k

[@MitchellLutes]

@@superchargedelevation I'm not a Moby expert or anything, so school me if you have to, but I'm pretty positive the dude was just tryna make music... now he's rich (or middle class or whatever else you want to label him) BECAUSE he made that music. He's one of the most well known "drum machine enthusiasts" in the world; last year, he sold "the largest collection of analog drum machines in the world" and gave all the proceeds to charity, specifically the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. End of the day, I guess my point is that Moby is one of the weirdest people to throw under the "stupid bigot white guy - CANCELLED" label. And I just fact checked myself to make sure he didn't come from a priveledged background or anything (not that that matters, the dude brought dance/electronic music to the supermainstream) and he didn't - his mom was a medical secretary and his dad was a chemistry professor that died while Moby was young... from that point on, Moby and his mom lived at the very bottom of the lower class, often relying on welfare checks and food stamps to survive... sit your woke ass down.

[@timschulz9563]

4:24 Kraftwerk! It's a great video!

[@kzm4275]

which song is it?

[@timschulz9563]

@@kzm4275 Tanzmusik

[@kzm4275]

thank you!

[@thebreakfastmenu]

6:45 Phil Selway is in this video!

[@gasolineandwine]

Oh you.

[@PandazHub]

Explain?

[@gasolineandwine]

@@PandazHub Radiohead did some live versions of some songs using a CR-78 as the drums. People made jokes about it being Phil Selway, but more "solid" lol

[@tonematrix]

Awesome job on this! I could watch these videos all day!

[@Virgin_Oil]

What an amazing host