The MR10 Drum Machine forms part of the Yamaha 'Producer' series of budget electronic equipment that includes mixers, multi-track recorders, speakers, amplifiers etc. While it is intended for use with this series, the MR10 can quite easily be used on its own.

The unit measures just 224 x 530 x 130mm and weighs in at 600g (1lb 5oz). There are twelve preset rhythms available on dual-choice buttons. These are Disco, 16 Beat, Jazz Rock, Samba, Slow Rock, Mambo, Swing, Rhumba, Waltz, Bossa Nova, March, and Tango. 4-bar or 8-bar variations can also be selected for each rhythm. The rest of the controls are Tune, which allows the tone of the output to be varied, Tempo, which varies the rate of the present rhythms, Bass Drum Volume, Cymbal Volume and a dual on/off and master volume control.

Below these is the active part of the unit - the finger pads. These are pressure-sensitive circular pads that can only be hit with the fingers - not sticks. These offer Start/Stop (which enters the presets and which also has an LED to give a visual indication of the beat), and a pad each for Bass Drum, Snare, High Tom, Low Tom and Cymbal.

On the side of the unit are a connector for the optional bass-drum pedal, a mains power input (9-12V DC), and the main output jack. There is no internal speaker or amplifier system, so that the MR10 has to be used in conjunction with either a hi-fi or amps.

In operation, the preset rhythms are brought in and the pads are then played over their sound. This allows a full and quite expressive sound to be created, and if your rhythmic senses are not quite up to scratch, it enables you to play along with a static beat and build up accuracy that way.

The presets are the usual ones to be found on most home organs, but all offer some interesting and usable rhythms that are not limited to the bass/hi tom/low tom/snare/cymbal of the finger controls. They also have congas, marimbas etc, among others.

Drum Sounds

The snare sound is bright and clear, though the pitch control can take this down for a 'rockier' sound. Hi Tom and Low Tom are less successful, and since their volume (and that of the snare) cannot be altered, they have to be matched to the other sounds by the judicious use of the master volume and the level controls for the bass-drum and cymbal. The bass-drum sound, and to a certain extent the sounds from the toms, are powerful and strong, and mercifully lack the 'click' noises prevalent in some of the MR10's competition.

The 'feel' of the pads is good, with a definite 'click' when the internal trigger is switched. It takes a very light pressure to activate the switches, so fairly fast rolls and fills can be accomplished. Having the cymbal on the far right takes time to get used to, but as the unit is so small, both hands can be used across the pads and they soon 'fall into place'.

The MR10 was supplied with a footswitch that activates the bass-drum sound. This is optional, but is really quite necessary if you're used to a standard kit or want to start to build up speed on the finger pads. An interesting effect is that because the presets use the bass-drum sound, the bass pedal can be used to trigger a second bass-drum, while a third bass-drum can be conjured using the finger pads. Jungle!

It took little more than a couple of hours before the unit had been explored to the full, and the ultimate potential of the sounds reached. Some extremely good sounds can be got from this tiny machine, sounds that sound good through speakers and through effects, and are reasonably clean in recording. The MR10 is a cheap and versatile drum-machine with capabilities far beyond its appearances, so if you haven't much money to spend, you can't really go too far wrong.

The MR10 Drum Machine costs around £89.00 and is available from Yamaha stockists all over the UK.

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