Drum machine (nonfiction)

1932 photograph of musical educator Joseph Schillinger with Rhythmicon.

A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums, cymbals, other percussion instruments, and often basslines.

Drum machines are most commonly associated with electronic music genres such as house music, but are also used in many other genres.

They are also used when session drummers are not available or if the production cannot afford the cost of a professional drummer.

Also, many modern drum machines can also produce unique sounds and allow the user to compose unique drum beats and patterns that might be difficult to perform with a human drummer.

In the 2010s, most modern drum machines are sequencers with a sample playback (rompler) or synthesizer component that specializes in the reproduction of drum timbres.

Nonfiction cross-reference

External links:

• Drum machine @ Wikipedia
• iO-808 drum machine emulator - runs in web browser.