Is what Roland's TR707 digital drum machine is set to become. Great sounds, great facilities... and a great price.

Ian Gilby casts his eyes and ears over Roland's new budget-priced rhythm composer, the TR505.

Digital drum machines may rule the waves in the R&D labs, but one obsolete analogue device is still the record producers' first choice. Tim Goodyer dissects the appeal of Roland's classic TR808.

Budget Beats

A beat on the cheap?

Roland TR505

Roland find another home for some 707/727 drum voices, and come up with a digital successor to the Drumatix. Trevor Gilchrist waxes lyrical on the best budget drum machine yet.

In the wake of the successful TR707, Roland have produced a well-nigh identical machine, loaded with percussive gems of a less predictable nature. Dan Goldstein puts the TR727 through its paces, shortly before emigrating to South America.

Roland TR808, TR606, Dr Rhythm.

Human Rhythm Composer

Nicholas Rowland examines the successor to Roland’s classic R-8 drum machine and asks: is there life in the old beatbox yet?

Human Rhythm Composer

Nigel Lord ruminates over the future of the drum machine as he checks out the budget version of Roland's flagship R8 Human Rhythm Composer. To be human or not to be human, that is the question.

Human Rhythm Composer

Roland's R70, their new top-of-the-range beat box, is the first drum machine to feature on-board digital effects. Ian Steele sits in judgement.

Human Rhythm Composer

And the beat goes on - not least with Roland's latest drum machine, the R70. Simon Trask checks the pulse of the company that gave us the TR808, and are now giving it to us again.

Human Rhythm Composer

Since the days of the TR808, Roland have set standards for many other drum machines; now they're concentrating on the human angle. Simon Trask tests the "Human Rhythm Composer".

The new Human Rhythm Composer goes where no TR808 has gone before, into previously uncharted territories of feel and nuance.

Paul Ireson beats a path to the door of Roland's new flagship drumbox and finds a groovy kind of love.

RhythmCheck

The widest variety of sampled voices for the least money vet — Tony Reed tries out Roland's latest MIDI drum box

Rhythmcheck

Where the 110 meets the 909. Bob Henrit investigates

Digital Rhythm Composer

Cheap, small, loud; could this be Nurse Rhythm?

Drum Machine

Tragedy strikes... the good Dr Bateson has had to find a real job. However he still finds time to check out the Roland TR505 in its role as a studio drum machine.

Drum Machine

Rhythm Composer

The TR505 was a runaway success at the budget end of the market, but it lacked one important ingredient - separate voice outputs. The TR626 rectifies the matter whilst offering even more features - 30 PCM drum/percussion sounds, 8-note polyphony, sync-to-tape, and MIDI control of nearly all its parameters. Mark Badger investigates.

Rhythm Composer

Beat crazy. As yet another drum machine arrives on the market, Nicholas Rowland wonders if it's time to get away from the present format.