Stimming presents modern classics: MFB-Tanzbär

In this series Stimming showcases technology he considers to be modern classics for music production, walking us through some of his favourite synths and drum machines of the last two decades. Some are well known, some a bit more niche but all have a certain touch, fitness and originality which makes them stand out as a modern classic.
In this episode he lays focus on the MFB Tanzbär a drum machine, a staple in Stimming’s setup since it was released some years ago. It's a fully analog drum machine featuring fourteen percussion instruments, two digital synthesizer voices and extensive sequencer functions. Not easy to use and not always logical it’s one of Stimming’s favourite drum machines and found its place in many of his tracks. Check it out to discover what he likes and dislikes about this wonderful machine from German company Manfred Fricke Berlin, in short: MFB.
Check Stimming’s new single "The Hyve" here: • Stimming - The Hyve (...
And watch out for his new album ‘Ludwig’ which will be released on the 18th of June.
stimming.bandc...
stimming.org
mfberlin.de
www.sensemusic.tv

[@MartinStimming]

About the live-recording - I'm dying inside right now! I used this for so long and didn't know about that 😳 its quite an ultimate proof of the overly complex user interface but also a proof that I can make pretty big mistakes... Sorry for that!

[@CaveWay]

Yo! Would love to hear/see your take on the TB2. I think it’s great, but it’s definitely voiced differently than the TB.

[@infindebula]

@@CaveWay I completely agree. Shame on me for never jumping on the original.

[@PLA.net-DANTE]

Trotzdem ne Megageile Review zum Bärchen😊 Danke...und auch wieder nicht , auf dem Gebrauchtmarkt Gibt's so gut wie keine 😬

[@6020fsk]

to be honest, this is totally fine, me feeling less stupid about my struggles with knob record function;) ...i´m now rediscovering my thrown in the corner tanzbär again;)

[@stevenmiller213]

please do a breakdown of eiszauber!!!!

[@surfacehopping]

i honestly did not believe i'd had a "type" until i discovered this lil' gem of a dude

[@christdolphin69]

i hope this becomes like a weekly series or something. i could watch these all day long

[@musictalk-tech]

Not weekly but way more often than before on EB.TV

[@sawiblue]

this guy dancing his own presets is superb

[@teabreakbeats]

agree

[@YounggPrimat]

@@teabreakbeats always do the same

[@Tony2dH]

I wanted one as soon as I heard the demos when it came out but at the time I couldn't afford one. Finally last year I found one used for a good price and made the 1h train trip to Leipzig to pick it up on a sunny day, sat down in a vinyl cafe getting to know the Tanzbär before my train back, then surprisingly the barrista who used to own one gave me a quick tutorial! Nice memories. I love my Tanzbär :)

[@HDLetsPlace]

VARY? :D

[@Tony2dH]

@@HDLetsPlace Yeah that's the one! :D I'll definitely go back there when I'm in town again

[@cs7160]

Taking the train to another city and chilling in a cafe with a drum machine sounds like a perfect day to me!

[@vinylarchaeologist]

Fun fact: Tanzbär translates as Dancing Bear. If you omit the “umlaut” when spelling it like Tanzbar, it means either Dance Bar or danceable 🕺

[@Tony2dH]

Indeed a very deep and complex machine! Some feedback/additional features: 1) It DOES have live step recording! For this you activate the Roll Record setting. Then in Manual Trigger mode (top LED green), all triggers (as well as incoming midi!) are live recorded! Activate it with Shift+Roll Rec (tap to make it red) and confirm the change with Select. 2) In addition to "parameter locking" in step mode, you can even do live tweak recording (though a bit tricky) if you activate the "Knob Rec" setting just like Roll Rec. Then you can press sound while in Play Mode (top LED off) and you get one bar to live tweak. 3) The CV outputs allow you to sequence 2 external synths. It's fiddly but possible, and track 2 can have accents and filter modulation like a 303. 4) The Fill button (called Chain on mine) is actually for chaining up to, I think, 16 patterns, but I forgot exactly how to get it to work. 5) The method for changing the tom sounds was correct! You can only do it in Record mode (press Rec + any tom sound), then press Sound and change the blinking LEDs to green or red and press Sound again to confirm and exit. 6) Polyrhythms: you can set individual pattern lengths per instrument but also different measures like triplets! Hope this helps. In any case thanks for the overview! I learned some things I forgot about like how to do bends. The Tanzbär is not straightforward at all but it's so groovy and very rewarding sound-wise.

[@musictalk-tech]

👍🏻 always great to get feedback and additional information from the community.

[@Tony2dH]

Happy to be of help to any new owners! One thing I forgot: the sequencer is really polyrythmic, as you can change the pattern length but also the playback speed with shift settings. And the shuffle can be per instrument. All of these settings take a while to get as there is only LED feedback and so many modes.

[@musictalk-tech]

It’s interesting how different people use the same machines

[@paulym3r]

thanks a lot!!!

[@LouisSerieusement]

Mr Fricke is so cool, he fixed my drum machine and sent it back in 1month for pratically nothing

[@RandomNoiseMusic]

I can watch and enjoy this guy reviewing just anything, old or new

[@guillaume7119]

You can record live, you have to toggle the "RollRec" button if I remember correctly !"KnobRec" will let you record one bar of "motion" if you move a knob while the sequence is playing

[@MartinStimming]

Man, I didn't know this during all the time I had it! We checked it in the manual and yes, it's true but it's explained so weird... Anyway, shame on me

[@MusicianParadise]

it took me ages to figure out how to do live rec. - reading confusing manual and watching YT videos. live rec. feature makes Tanzbär worth it price.

[@MusicianParadise]

If I don't use my Tanzbär for a few weeks I have to relearn how to operate it over and over again...lol

[@djtongacontrol]

same here lol

[@MusicianParadise]

@@djtongacontrol we are not alone, my comment reached 10 likes, lol, MFB should take a notice!

[@samuelll3166]

Coffee and a Stimming review. Happy Thursday!

[@Matt_Regan]

Not only do I know I will learn something, but I know it will be with a smile on my face. Watching Stimming is what I look forward to most on KZbin!

[@sonicforest521]

Thanks late Mr.Fricke. He made many unique sounding machines.

[@davidminnix]

When I think of a modern classic I think of the Elektron Machinedrum mk. 2 UW... it would b cool to watch stimming play around with that one

[@LukezyM]

Monomachine too.

[@saftpackerl]

Please dont!! I have a Mk1 without UW for 15 years, and I kind of missed the window on upgrading to a UW. Now people have been crazy with their prices for MK2 UWs... If Stimming reviews it, they will go completely crazy

[@Seanrayamusic]

And I thought I enjoyed stimming reviewing new gear... Seeing him interact with a piece of gear he has already been intimate with is another level!

[@vvvictoriav5958]

you can see him getting intimate with the tanzbar on the sense music & media onlyfans

[@chrischallis3753]

@@vvvictoriav5958 I'd buy that for a dollar!

[@artao5]

Regarding noisy pots: Just spray little bit of electrical contact cleaner into any noisy pots -- while it's turned off, of course -- then twist back and forth a lot. Plug it in and turn it on and twist the knobs to see if the noise is gone. If not, turn it off, unplug it, and repeat the electrical contact cleaner step. It may take two or three applications, but it'll work. :D Noisy pots are generally just oxidation or "gunk" in there, and the electrical contact cleaner gets it off the contacts.

[@musictalk-tech]

That’s not a „pro“ tip

[@xnflg3074]

"Also... sometimes things don't really work..?" Brilliant, I'm sold.

[@Themosaicsound]

Own it and it's incredible. Great pallets of sound. The clap is undefeated

[@p.meyerhiggins3157]

Stimming: There is something "special" about Germans: they like to, uh, change others... Other Germans: 'CORRECT' OTHERS! Nicely done :o)

[@EthosElectronic]

The MFB-Tanzbär is such a powerful machine, once you manage to get a grip on all the features and pass through the terribly written manual, this is an amazing beast ! Thank you Stimming for showing us its capabilities !

[@cpro909]

Just great! Now I need this Drumcomputer! Would love to watch Martin's review on Jomox Alpha Base.

[@sudbenzer6603]

or the xbase999. super hard UI, but the sound is def worth tho.

[@Solidcastrecords]

I got it , and I think I never going to sell it lol

[@Solidcastrecords]

I control It with Ableton thru midi out , works perfectly

[@Sypher474]

Germans and their corrections! You always have clear and elegant ways of explaining things. I can't help but be amused as a native English speaker that they have been giving you hell in the comments when I've never had a single issue understanding you in any review thus far. Thanks for another great vid, Martin.

[@musictalk-tech]

Crazy isn‘t it?

[@MartinStimming]

Thank you!

[@qpidnyx3329]

i can tell you're not an english native by the correct usage of "their"

[@tb80038]

@@qpidnyx3329 Busting on grammar while using a lower case letter(especially one that is always capitalized) to start a sentence? Nice one!

[@Sypher474]

@@tb80038 He was making a joke that lots of native English speakers get their/there/they're wrong, and since I got it correct I can't be native.

[@talecooper1241]

Martin ist einfach die coolste Sau und fähigste Person in diesem ganzen Biz....! Humor wie keiner, Plan bei Weitem wie keiner und stets den Schalk im Nacken...!!! Grandioser Musiker! Jedesmal eine große Freude zu lauschen!!!

[@MStimming]

fähig genug um nicht zu herauszufinden dass man sehr wohl real time recorden kann... ;)

[@talecooper1241]

@@MStimming pure Absicht war das doch ;-) stehst ja zum Glück nicht bei QVC - da wärst Du jetzt raus!! bisschen Herausforderung für uns ausm Plebs musste schon gewähren!

[@cecilfarrington]

I'm pretty sure the manual says the two synth voices are just a pitch reference for the CV sequencers - they're not intended to end up in a track and obviously sound extremely simple/crap. But having a pitch reference while programming is actually an incredibly useful feature!

[@mooksdivingadventures7373]

Hey Stimming, könnt Ihr mal ein Vergleichsvideo zum Tanzbär 2 machen? Würd mich mega interessieren!

[@els1f]

4:00 "Hmm. Human Music. I like it."

[@matthewulrich2046]

Stimming describes what makes this machine 100 % unique and wonderful. Most demos lead a person to believe tanzbar is just a nice Roland type clone

[@manu_facture]

okay there is one thing I would love, one thing I really need: A Stimming Octatrack Review. Or even better, a whole series of your workflow with it and all the tipps and tricks with it! I know it is very powerful but it is very interesting how you use it and your „strategy“ behind it. Love the content, thank you very much

[@musictalk-tech]

Coming next in the modern classics series

[@manu_facture]

@@musictalk-tech I can‘t put in words how happy this makes me hahaha

[@markob808]

Ohh now i want to see Stimming with an 808!

[@sudbenzer6603]

omg me too!!

[@musictalk-tech]

That’s not a modern classic, it’s an oldschool classic 😬

[@markob808]

@@musictalk-tech Yeah i know, just wanted to see Stimmings face when that og 808 bd kicks in :D

[@RotlichtFilet]

Liebe den Sound so sehr, aber die Bedienung bei MFB ist wahrlich ein Krampf :D Hatte die Tanzmaus mal und bereue es auch diese verkauft zu haben, die Kick, Snare und Tom ist einfach unfassbar gut und durchsetzungsfähig.

[@suntzu6122]

Just bought one thanks to this review. Thanks buddy

[@drop7vogue]

That's actually really sounding good 👍

[@net-work-error]

The drone from the tom was very cool.

[@naturligfunktion4232]

The gate outs are absolute killer if you have a modular synth. You basically get two programmable gate outs, and you use CV1 & 2 to programme them. Just like you would programme any of the other sounds on the maschine

[@LeslieDugger]

My favorite drum machine

[@RinnEryr]

If this machine had the UI of a DrumBrute, it would be absolutely perfect.

[@hughchapman5319]

Sequence it with a DB via midi..?

[@cougarman8]

@@hughchapman5319I wonder if that would work…

[@dirtypunk13]

Great stuff ! Love my Tanzbär :)

[@AleksHarborBelt]

Speaking as a genuine student and complete lifelong ambassador and Student and of the mature he rev and I have to say, this is one of the realest house bed box’s, not techno/houser lol most authentic and similar

[@kiickinballistics]

5:39 "...this is SO good!"

[@TraceJDR98]

You can hear so many of Stimming's drums on this machine :) Amazing and fun review as always.

[@philiplucas6613]

Elektron Analog rytm mk2 would be a nice review

[@qpidnyx3329]

this is just the perfect machine!

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Sad that Manfred passed recently and cannot even find these for sale anymore

[@KattKirsch]

Yay! I loved this so much. I have a recommendation I can't wait to make, after I've bought one so they don't all disappear lol.

[@donaldpriola1807]

I'd love to see a DSI/Sequential Pro 2 in this series; it one of the most underrated synths ever made. Also, don't laugh, but I've always felt the MS2000 doesn't get enough love for what it can do, and you seem to love machines with a softer character.

[@tommyg5095]

If Stimming had, or has a fondness for the Pro-2, that would be an awesome video.

[@somnaut]

100% agree, Pro 2. I love it even more than the 3. VCOs on 3 are cool, sure. But the 2 is like an insane 4-osc modular synth.

[@BeefyTime1]

Greatest clap of all time. I’d buy it just for that.

[@igalkuperman6654]

That rim shot sounds like sneak peek of the sky and sand remix ;-) Very good mashine very organic and it sounds like all your tracks which i really like

[@dj_dzak]

first time I’ve watched this channel ... This Stimming fella is fun and has great taste... def will watch more of these...

[@tb80038]

Should check out some of his music as well

[@yesin9019]

I believe Uwe Giegler aka Yapacc made those presets. Thanks for sharing :)

[@mechatomb2921]

The Elektron Machinedrum and Monomachine, and even the Octatrack are modern classics IMO. Would love to see those.

[@musictalk-tech]

Octatrack is done

[@mechatomb2921]

@@musictalk-tech HYPE!

[@Solidcastrecords]

Mfb Tanzbar is a bit rare in 2021 , I have one and I think I never going to sell it :) one of the best drum machines ever made

[@levinsonl]

all of us who have it should get together and write a proper correct english manual. the manual is probably the worst thing about it

[@tr606]

5:09 is the beat!

[@matteor.3801]

Love your showcase, it would be very nice watching an episode with the Machinedrum sps uw.....wow!

[@TttPpp-vz5kv]

The thing I love about MFB drums in general is that they are so subtle while still in-yer-face like nothing else. Did I say I really love them? :D It is really a pity that they went out of business.

[@folkfingers9645]

LOVE this machine! I would also recommend Pulse 2 for modern classics series, it deserved much more attention. Thx for the review!

[@owenlewis7740]

A review of the Analog Rytm would be amazing, that could surely come under "modern classic"

[@qpidnyx3329]

best machine ever !

[@NimbusAbi]

Stimming is so special I love it 😄

[@nightcitywanderer]

so good. you could review any/every drum machine you've got and i'd be happy. thanks for making these!

[@stefanomilani83]

bloody hell this sounds incredible!

[@modmodell8897]

Thanks for this video Martin. I was about to sell this beast as it is far too complicated but I will give it another try. Really inspiring & charming tutorial / demo. 💙

[@jm6734]

I Luuuv the sounds this machine makes. Unfortunately I snoozed on it when they were available.

[@steun86]

The Roland TR-8 is a future classic in my opinion. It's a very simple drum machine with only some classic sounds. But it's a very playable drum machine. The way you can improvise and send sounds to the delay/reverb. It's the most intuitive and playable drum machine ever. It's a beast for live improvisation. The scatter button is also unique. Initially I thought of it to be a useless gimmick, but actually it's able to create drum patterns that you would have never thought of. On paper the successor, the TR-8S seems the superior machine. For sure, it looks better without the green edge. But in practice these extra features hurt the user experience and the live improvisation aspect of the machine.

[@Cookie-kf3xn]

i feel, i could dance on it forever ...

[@armandsfreibergs4069]

Ah I know what legendary piece Stimming should review - THE OP-1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MinPlanck]

Always such a great presenter. Subbed and look forward to more episodes in the series.

[@kikipups]

You can use the 2 CV outputs to sequence external devices

[@Decoy303]

Seems like the rimshot never gets the love it deserves.

[@maxceelen2202]

Really nice review, been weiting for it. i'm never selling mine :)))

[@TriangleWaveRecords]

I have the SynthLite II, MFB really used to make quirky stuff but somehow it just works. I bet programming this with the Digitakt is probably the way to go :-)

[@maxceelen2202]

I'm pretty sure you can record live notes, it's somewhere in the manual //also, Stimming forgot to mention 'knob record' mode, which you have to toggle with shift-knob rec // then, in man trig mode, select a sound, and when you press the 'Sound' knob, it starts recording knob movement at the end of the bar and will record for the duration of 1 bar. Really useful feature, I use it all the time!

[@CrusaderGeneral]

very enterntaining :-)

[@FLH3official]

Your English accent is perfect, don't change it, bitte. I can tell you that, I'm French. 😉 And, BTW, I love the way you dance sometimes on your chair. Like a bear....😁

[@ReasonedWhistle]

Martin thank you for another great video! :)

[@peterpan3492]

Frickelei am Fricke 😅 I love it - Good series - more please !

[@theuntouchables808]

This vid sums up exactly what the Tanzbar is .... It sounds Super SIC but has an interface from Hell ... I'd love to see your thoughts on the JOMOX stuff. MBASE , MBrane , Xbase 09 & Most important the Alpha . PS this has just made me want to fire up the old Tanzbar THX.

[@steun86]

I would like to see a Stimming+Jomox Alpha Base video!

[@sudbenzer6603]

@@steun86 xbase 999

[@bayarealosttracks6451]

Alphabase is really three unique voices with samples covering the rest of the tracks. Lots of tweaking for the drum voice, same with Mbrane. FM track is good, but nothing over the top. The rest is samples with cool envelopes. Alphabase is punchy and big, but the same issues come into play with the sequencer as the TB.

[@theuntouchables808]

@@bayarealosttracks6451 Yea I hear that a lot about the Alpha's sequencer .. It's Funny how a lot of Drum machine will Say they are analogue yet the Drown the only 3 or 4 analogue voices with loads of sample voices . would also like to see the ADX_1 ; ADS_7 ; tempest ... DFAM imo Instant classic but very niche like the SY_1 or lep loop !! acctualy I like seeing you struggle with gear do the LEPLOOP :) that will be funny .

[@steun86]

@@bayarealosttracks6451 I don't agree that these other tracks are just "samples". You can make analog sounds with these "sample tracks" with the analog filter and resonance. Lots of drum sounds can be made without even using a sample in these tracks. This is typical misinformation that I see on the internet about the Alpha Base. Also you can use noise as a sound source in these tracks.

[@alexmakey8428]

Very good review!

[@frankku7314]

05:41 .. I'm 99,9% certain the preset patterns of the Tanzbär have been programmed by Uwe George Giegler aka yapacc :)

[@musictalk-tech]

Nice

[@InTheHoose]

100%

[@esurme8]

Thanks for this Stimming! Would love a review of Elektron MachineDrum SPS 1UW+

[@papertarrasque]

Great video! Makes me wish I had bought one back in the day because it sounds so nice but also glad I didn't because mine would probably be dead by now lol. Also requesting Elektron Machinedrum plz and thank you!

[@TheFlippertube]

I find the Tanzbar to be pretty immediately playable and would love to pair it with the DRM1 MKIV to expand the sound at points. I wonder if you have experience using the internal sequencer of the TB to drive external gear via MIDI. As for the CVs, they have multiple functions: to drive a lead synth (CV1) and to drive a bass synth (with filter and pitch on CV2/3). I tried the bass cv outs to drive the Pulsar bass channel and it worked nice enough, but I found that setting notes on the TB was less than ideal.

[@youANDme_official_303]

it's also great that you have 16 different transients for the bd

[@enricpascual1926]

Kick 2 of this machines was created for Martin! Good new series btw :)

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

The C4 pedal is a definite modern classic.

[@farbklangmaske]

R.I.P Mafred Fricke

[@ringtangting]

It's so great that you gave Martin his spot. This is a very nice concept for a series, looking forward to the next episodes. Thanks to everyone involved! Also, I love the MFB machines, but I can't get over those 'ribbed' analog claps. I know a lot of people like the MFB claps, but the 'ribbedness' totally ruins it for me. A clap has to be one clap. 909 or DR-110 are the best claps to me. Maybe I will buy a Tanzmaus sometime and load a clap sample.

[@Tony2dH]

The clap was one of the reasons I bought one haha. I like that it's stereo. But I can see why you might not like it. Still, some of the transient options are pretty tight and more 909-like.

[@NachtSchreck13]

It's like Ricardo Villalobos in a box.

[@RandomNoiseMusic]

The snare drum reminds my ear the 909 a bit..

[@RandomNoiseMusic]

@Per Meister your virtual shouting just damaged that same ear

[@Turbo_TechnoLogic]

7:27 wwrrooooommmmmm

[@patrizio7]

Would be interesting to see your take on the MonoMachine. Nice review of the Tanzbar - a great sounding drum machine.

[@sebastianwindischmann8050]

I habe mir auch vor 4 Jahren den Schranzbär gegönnt.

[@seanwhitty3218]

I have no Tanzbär and Acidlab Miami, it would be very difficult to sell either but they are sooo similar!

[@zorza-music]

ahahaha - yapac grooves :> and Manfried mind :') beautiful machine! (and review! thanks!) [long time mfb tanzbaer user -

[@technoid71]

Lovely machine though since I can hardly remember what I had for dinner yesterday the interface leaves me with my head in my hands!

[@onpatrolforthejuice]

tanzbar got best clap. I almost got one just for that. I would love a eurorack clone.

[@mannuelf]

This is so awesome moar moar moar we want moar!!🔥🔥🔥🤘

[@sentimental7167]

Nice review - this has beautiful sound. May I suggest another Berlin dm: Jomox Xbase 888? I had a Xbase 09 once and the kick really got me.

[@colorgasm]

i have it since it came out. its an incredible drum machine but if youre colorblind (red,green) like me this thing is a nightmare to pilot especially the knob rec mode

[@rickf6375]

Damn, you should bring this up to them so they'll think of red/green blind people in the future

[@Lhenndyn]

It sounds so good ! But the ergonomy, huuuu Very interesting review ! Maybe the Roland SE-02 can do a good modern classic too.

[@oddromantic5898]

I'd love to see Stimming review Korg Volca Drum synth

[@maxceelen2202]

Review recommendation: Jomox Xbase 999 or 888.