Ok so I've figured out exactly how I want to use the hardware I have. Only thing missing is da drum machine. Naturally I have requirements.

1. Must have Velocity sensitive pads and Midi out. To make up for the lack there of on the 404.

2. The more sequencing options the better but it's gotta at least be as good as the one on the 404.

3. Gotta be able to tweak the sounds, I can't be havin no stock shit in my tunes.

Used stuff is fine. The cheaper the better. I was set on the DR-3 but no Midi out killed that. Thought about the SR-16 too (still considering it) bit I haven't found enough samples or examples to get an idea of it's sounds. I'm mainly looking for electronic sounding drums and I hear the SR-16 is more geared towards realistic drums. Help a brutha out. Much appreciated.

Yamaha RY30!

Velocity Pads are the best... really sensitive. Great Sequencer (once you figure it out - damn Yamaha sequencers lol). Midi in/out. Plus, and this is the best part, it's a drum synth

So you got your own sounds, sequenced the way you want. Cool as.

BTW, if you make hip-hop, it does amazing 808-style kicks!!

And you can even make bass/lead sounds with it in a pinch.

Dunno how easy they are to get though - check ebay I guess. No way in the world I'm getting rid of mine

RY30! I wish. They are quite rare and expensive. Now that u mention it a drum synth would be even better. Maybe a Korg ER-1? Hmmmm

soz I didn't know they were expensive... I paid $400 in 1996... thought they'd be $100 by now.

The Korg sounds interesting - and they really are $100 It's funny, because when the Electribes came out I wanted all three soooo bad; but they were $1500/$1500/$2000(extra for the sampler). $5000 for all three, then. From what I've heard they would have been a waste at that price... can't go wrong for a $100 though, can you

Yo, the RY30 sure sounds fat but i woudn't say it's very rare and expensive. In my area it goes for ~100$ used in good condition. It appears quite often.

Well, there you go - RY30 FTW

Whats the advantage of having a stand alone drum machine versus using drum machine samples on the 404?

Faster workflow if you do it right...

Does an 808 sample sound like a real 808? Yes nad no. There's a hundred tiny little things that combine to get the sound out of the drum machine. Samples just don't have the same 'life' to them. Same with the RY30 - there's a link on this site somewhere that gets you a big pack of RY30 samples, but they don't sound as good as the real thing.

Same as with a synth - does a minimoog multisample sound as good as a real minimoog?

The main reason I want a drum machine is to sample loops from it, not build em hit by hit on the 404. I plan to use the 404 in an ableton live session view manner. sample all my loops for a song into the 404 and then use the sequencer to build scenes of those loops. All without having to fuck with the computer. Also pretty much everything 606 mentioned as well.

definitely man, i've been creating routines this way lately and works really well. if you get into the groove you can trigger loops off the pads in perfect timing too without sequencing (this is the only time the non-velocity sensitive pads are beneficial)

Thats kool.
i never build my drum machine stuff hit by hit on the 404 though, i always bang play/tap out the main part, usually kick and snare, and then add all the flourishes.

an underrated drum machine is the roland 707, which comes up on ebay fairly reasonable sometimes.

707 don't got no pads though and it's huge. Right now I'm thinkin one of the newer ones from the Boss DR series. I had a DR-202 for a year or so and loved it just sounded dated.