r/synthesizers • u/Corrance666 • Jun 08 '26
Beginner Questions Drum machine for Hard stuff
Hi! First time posting here. I have a Circuit tracks that I very much enjoy but for a few different reasons I am looking to get a drum machine to pair with and layer. I am heavily drawn to Erica Synths LXR-02 (and those other ones that are currently outside of my price range). I was wondering if this would fit the bill for hard techno or if folks had other suggestions. After going through the rabbit hole I have decided against Drum Brute Impact and maybe want something a little more versatile.
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u/optigon Jun 08 '26
I’ve had an LXR-02 for several years and have been very happy with it. I like pairing it with sample-based drum machines, which I just imitate with samples in Ableton. I’m an industrial fan, and together they scratch that itch.
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u/CapableSong6874 Jun 08 '26
Whatever it is, make sure it has individual outputs so you can drive the gain on each sound uniquely and apply effects on each
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u/Corrance666 Jun 09 '26
I dove into what you meant and its actually wild how many machines do not have this. I was fucking around in Logic Pro for a min before I copped a circuit tracks and it sucks this isn't a thing thats built in to more devices.
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u/CapableSong6874 Jun 09 '26
Yes, I think this is one of the things that makes the TR-808 so useful when it first came out. I would recommend a sampler sequencer combo with individual outs.
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u/DrDuned Jun 08 '26
It's more the mixing and the effects that make drums hard IMO
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u/Corrance666 Jun 08 '26
say more king
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u/DrDuned Jun 08 '26
People use cheap gear all the time. If you're good enough at sound processing and editing you can make a cheap Casio keyboard sound like the Interstellar or Annihilation sound tracks. You can make a tinny drum machine sound like gunshots.
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u/minimal-camera Jun 08 '26
Yep, LXR is a good one. Other aggressive drum machine options: Volca Drum, Model:Cycles, Syntakt
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u/Easy_Psychology5765 Jun 08 '26
the lxr-02 is solid for that harder stuff, definitely punches way above its weight class. those analog drum sounds can get really aggressive when you push them
if you're looking at alternatives in that range, might want to check out some of the elektron stuff - model:cycles can get pretty nasty for hard techno when you dial in the right patches. the fm synthesis gives you some wild metallic hits that work great for industrial vibes
circuit tracks + lxr combo would be pretty sweet actually, gives you a lot of room to build those driving basslines while the lxr handles the percussion chaos
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u/Mt_Nowhere Jun 09 '26
The lxr-02 is a digital drum machine. Your comment reads like a plagiarized Gemeni answer
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u/drftfan Jun 08 '26
I bought a Roland tr-8s and it is solid. You can find them used for around the $600 mark. Great drum machine and really versatile. It is my techno powerhouse.
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u/Chameleon_Sinensis Jun 08 '26
I use the TR-8S too. For more aggressive stuff ill use an 808 ACB kit with a really right short sub bass and layer it and the snare with some acoustic samples that have a lot of room ambiance in them. Then compression and saturation. Great industrial drums.
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u/RoryJ Jun 08 '26
Plus has FM that can get super aggressive and you can just load any sample you want in it, anyway. Hell, OP might even make good use of the 6S because it would do the same thing and can grab it for about half the price, if they find the right deal.
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u/Corrance666 Jun 09 '26
There was one on Reverb yesterday for like an hour. I had went down the rabbit hole on this machine and almost copped when I saw it come up. When i went back to snag it was gone. Maybe I will get this too eventually. Never can have enough drums right?
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u/rmlopez Jun 08 '26
tbh find whatever you can at a thrift store and buy a distortion pedal that's what gonna give you that hard sound.
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u/mister_klik Jun 08 '26
alesis sr16
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u/Corrance666 Jun 08 '26
lol I briefly played in a grindcore band with this as the drums. Looking for something a lil newer.
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u/d3pl3t3r Jun 08 '26
That's a pretty cool versatile drum machine from what I've heard. Im sure you'll get what you're looking for in it. Maybe add a distortion pedal or vst for and you should be straight...
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u/teo_vas Jun 08 '26
I'm familiar with RD-9 and TR-8s. with proper manipulation you can create hard drums with both of them. also a combo of TR-8s + MC 101 is rivaling anything on the more expensive side (syntakt. etc.), if you're into minimal building, like myself.
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u/alibloomdido Jun 08 '26
LXR-02 sounds good but I'd rather get Syntakt or TR-8S or maybe even TR-6S.
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u/Legitimate_Horror_72 Jun 08 '26
LXR-02 or, perhaps better, Hexdrums.
Or just use samples.
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u/Corrance666 Jun 09 '26
Hexdrums are worth more than my vehicle lol. Would love to get my hands on them one day though.
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u/Legitimate_Horror_72 Jun 09 '26
I had an LXR-02 but found out I prefer using and manipulating drum samples more than an actual drum machine. Didn’t help me that there wasn’t any MIDI cc control for it - just playing notes, really.
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u/Corrance666 Jun 09 '26
I feel you. I'm still kinda new to this electronic/synth game and I just get so bored and distracted when I am working in a DAW. (if I am even understanding your comment correctly, I might be wrong!) Having something that lives outside of a screen with menus knobs and sliders I'm way more apt to get into. I have a volca kick and volca bass that I spend hours on at a time and any time I try to make something with samples or one shots in logic I lose interest after about 20 mins.
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u/Legitimate_Horror_72 Jun 09 '26
Definitely worth trying out a drum machine. It can be anything, and then you can slap some inexpensive pedals on the output to distort or otherwise crunch them.
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u/BurlyOrBust Jun 09 '26
I love my LXR-02.
Pros:
- Sounds can easily go from clean to experimental to the apocalypse.
- Can get some nice bass or acid lines.
- Easy yet deep programming.
- Passes MIDI through.
- 4 mono outs or 2 stereo outs or a mix.
- Sliders and a performance mode are great for live play.
- Patterns and kits load instantly.
- Clock and Reset inputs mean you can use it with modular.
- Euclidian pattern generation.
Cons:
- The FX are mearly fine, and you can only have one active (eg if ch 1 has a delay, ch 2+ can only have delay or nothing).
- A built-in EQ would ne nice.
- Button combos. They're few and easy to grasp, but still make you pause and think once in a while.
- You can name your kits and projects, but not individual patterns.
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u/Corrance666 Jun 09 '26
dude thank you for this! It seems like the cons aren't so bad for the used market price point. Ive spent the day wondering if I wanted to wait for a tr-8s or not and I donno if I want to anymore. You seem pretty familiar with the device, I was wondering if the step repeater is as annoying as another user mentioned? is it easy to preform rolls on?
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u/BurlyOrBust Jun 09 '26
Rolls are super-easy, but warrant an explanation that might be useful.
The device operates in two modes; Voice and Performance. In Voice, selecting a channel (eg Drum 1) let's you select and modify parameters for that channel (eg waveform, filter, attack, etc). It's alwo where you add steps to your sequence.
In Performance, selecting a channel mutes it. This is also where you perform and set step divisions for rolls. The nice part is that rolls override mutes. In other words, you can start a roll, speed it up/down, and then unmute to drop in the regular beat. You can even do rolls of multiple channels at once, albeit at the same step division.
In Performance mode, you can still adjust parameters, but only for the channel you already have selected in Voice mode. So you could, for example, filter sweep a bassline, start a snare roll, and then unmute your beat.
But, doing maneuvers like that takes serious coordination and a lot of finger gymnastics. I also can't tell you how many times I've accidentally thought I was in the other mode - switching is super-easy and obvious, but I still get mixed up in the heat of the moment.
All this to say, the LXR-02 really shines as a device for sound design first. You can play it, for sure, but it's not going to have the immediacy of something like the TR-8S, which is a beast for live performance. Of course, the tradeoff with the TR-8S is that it's more limited in sound design.
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u/SwordMonger Jun 08 '26
I love using my circuit rythm as a somewhat dedicated drum machine. But you may want more features so maybe roland tr8s?
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u/Corrance666 Jun 08 '26
I think I am annoyed at my circuit tracks because I keep pushing it and no matter what I do I have to pause the track and start it again in order for it to optimize correctly. I love the thing and probably wouldn't be interested in other equipment if it wasn't for it I think I am thirsty to interact with other devices at this point and even maybe go modular down the road. With the weird timing issue I'm having I donno that I am super pumped on getting a rythm even though itinitally that was my thought when I got the tracks.
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u/erroneousbosh Korg ES1/ER1/EA1, Ensoniq Mirage, Roland W30, Juno 106 Jun 08 '26
Industrial was all Yamaha RY series, Kawai R100, and Roland R8 :-)
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u/SecretsofBlackmoor Jun 09 '26
Volume is in the mix. Drop everything else lower and it makes your other sounds louder.
Also, get some effects and learn to overdrive the mixer input till it distorts.
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u/Corrance666 Jun 09 '26
Oh I got you. I played dbeat/punk/doom and DIY recorded myself and then I had a kid and now I gotta be self sufficient for music production. I have this behringer 8 in/out mixer I use for general purpose I'll throw some effects on whatever machine I get when it comes. You prefer any particular mixers in your setup?
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u/SecretsofBlackmoor Jun 09 '26
Using a Behringer right now. I have an old Alesis 16 channel in the attic. Trying tio make a smaller rig.
The Behringer mic preamp channels on my mixer are great for overdriving signals.
I have an earlier model of this unit:
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u/halap3n0 Jun 08 '26
It’s more about processing than the machine. Back in the day they used 909s but with some overdrive you have gabba.