Saturday, 15 November 2014

Korg Drum Machines - The Timeline


The history of electronic drum machines & the name Korg are today closely interwoven.

Tsutomu Kato, Korg's (Keio's) founder will forever be remembered as one of the world's great music entrepreneurs. His very first product in 1963 was also one of the worlds first ever drum machines. He built it to replace a friend's (Tadashi Osanai) aging Wurlitzer Sideman. I wonder if Kato and Osanai had any idea where this would all lead.

That first drum had the rather long winded name the "Keio Gijyutu Kenkyujo DA20 DoncaMatic Disk Rotary Electric Auto Rhythm Machine". The name "Donca"  it's said,
came from the sound it made. Anyway, I'll call it the DA20.

Earlier drum machines used loops of tape (like in a Mellotron) to produce the drum sounds.
The DA20 instead utilized individual electronic voice circuits & used a rotating disc (like the Wurlitzer Sideman) to make the contacts needed to produce the drum sounds. The DA20 also
boasted built in amplifers & speakers..

1963
+DA20 DoncaMatic rhythm machine.

This is on display on the ground floor of Korg's Tokyo office.
The glass front is of course a later addition to show the inside.
I can see lots of valves. :-)

Here is a link to the DA20 in action.


1966

+DC11 DoncaMatic rhythm machine.
+DE11 DoncaMatic rhythm machine.
+DE20 DoncaMatic rhythm machine.

+KEIO DONCAMATIC MINI POPS - the 1st MP ???
+Keio Donca Matic MP5 Mini Pops rhythm machine
+MP7 Mini Pops rhythm machine.
+KEIO ROCKMATE Donca Matic  (portable drum synthesizer)


Here is a link to a video of  KORG's second ever DE20
I will probably never see or her one of these in the flesh so here is the next best thing




1967
+++MP3 rhythm machine.(UniVox SR-55)



The Korg MiniPops 3 was also sold under the name Univox SR-55.



1970 / '71
+MP20S rhythm machine.


1972
+++MP Junior rhythm machine.


1976
+++Mini Pops MP35 rhythm machine.
+++ Mini Pops MP 45 Rhythm Machine,
+++Mini Pops MP120 rhythm machine.
+++Korg SR-120 rhythm machine.




MP35 (1976)
1979
+++KR33 rhythm machine.
+++KR55 rhythm machine.



1982
+KR55B rhythm machine.

1983
+KPR77 programmable rhythm machine.
('Korg Programmable Rhythmer')  

1984
+Korg "Super Section" PSS-50

1985
++++MR16 MIDI rhythm unit.
++++DDM110 rhythm machine.
++++DDM220 rhythm machine.





1986
+Korg DDD-1: Sampling drum machine

1987
+++ KORG DDD-5 Dynamic Digital Drum
+++ Korg PSS60 programmable super section.
+++ DRM1 digital rhythm module (1U rackmount) 


1991
Korg S3 -  Rhythm Workstation

1994
+Korg WAVEDRUM WD-1

1999    
+ Korg Electribe R: ER-1
+ ElecTribe A (EA-1) 
 

 

2000
+ ElecTribe S (ES-1) 
 
2001
+ Electribe M (EM-1)

2003
 + ElecTribe MX (EMX-1)
 + ElecTribe SX (ESX-1)



2006
+Korg PadKontrol drum-trigger style MIDI controller.

 Korg PadKontrol midi controller (2006)

2008
+Korg DS-10 - Music program for the Nintendo DS.
This is probably Korg's first attempt to make the MS10 accessible to the masses. It included a drum machine.

 
Korg/Nintendo DS10 (2008)

2010
+Korg iElectribe - A touch screen version of the KORG Electribe made for Apple's iPad.

 The iELECTRIBE Gorillaz Edition (2010)

2011
+Korg Wavedrum Oriental - A middle-eastern, Arabian styled version of the Wavedrum.
+Korg Monotribe

Korg MonoTribe (2011)

 +Korg Wavedrum Mini

 Korg Wave Drum Mini (2011)
2013
+Korg Wavedrum Global Edition
+Korg Volca Beats
            Volca Beats - midi mapping


2014 
+Korg volca sample - A digital sample sequencer.

2015
+Korg electribe [sampler & MPS] - A music production station.


The red Electribe 2 sampler & blue Music Production Station

2017
 + Korg Volca Kick
2019
 + Korg Volca Drum

Roland Drum Machines - The Timeline

The history of drum machines according to Roland.
This brief summary also includes the affiliated Roland companies of Ace Tone & Boss

1964
++ R1 Rhythm Ace (Push button percussion)
      This was the world’s first transistorized, non-automatic (no preset patterns),
      percussion instrument.

1966
++ Rhythm Ace R-3

1967
++  AceTone FR-1 (Rhythm Ace)
++ Ace Tone FR-2L (FR-2D)
++ Ace Tone FR-3 (FR-3S)
++ Ace Tone FR-4 (Multivox)


Ace Tone FR-3



1968
++ Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR 5-C
++ Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-6
++ Multivox Rhythm Ace FR6M
++ Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-7
++ Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-8
++ Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-13

1969
++ Ace Tone Rhythm Producer FR-15 (provided the feature to modify the pre-programmed rhythms)
++ Rhythm Ace FR-20 (Floor type)
++ Rhythm Ace FR-30 (Floor type)
++ Rhythm Ace FR-60 (Floor type)
++ Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-70 (upright drum machine)


1972  - This year marks the birth of Roland
++ Ace Tone Rhythm Fever FR-106
++ TR-33
++ TR-55 (see Acetone FR-6)
++ TR-77 (Acetone FR-8L)
++ Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-7L - a variation of the TR-77

++ TR-700 Rhythm 700
      The TR-700 is an upright drum

 
The TR stands for Transistor Rhythm. These were the first Roland-branded products.
The 77 is known as an updated version of Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-8L. It is also known as Hammond Rhythm Unit.



1973
++ TR-330 (Rhythm 330)
++ Roland TR-66 (Rhythm Arranger).



1978
++ +CR-68 (Human Rhythm Player.)
+++ CR-78 CompuRhythm.
+++ CR-78 repairs & internal pics
+++ CR-800 - very rare - upright drum housed in a speaker cabinet.

These were the world’s first microprocessor-based rhythm machines.
The CR68 was called the "Human Rhythm Player".
The Roland CR-78 is  called the CompuRhythm:


 1979
++ Boss Dr-55  Dr. Rhythm ( production started in 1979-1980)

1980
++ TR-808 Rhythm Composer Rhythm machine.
This programmable rhythm machine allowed musicians to program an entire song, and achieved legendary status around the world


1981
+++ CR-5000 Compurhythm
++ +CR-8000 CompuRhythm  (CR 8000 Mods)
+++ TR-606 Drummatix




1983
+++ TR-909 Rhythm Composer
+++Boss Dr.Rhythm Graphic (DR-110)
+++Roland Rhythm Plus PB-300

1984
++ TR-707 Rhythm Composer

++ Boss HC-2 (Hand Clapper Pedal)
++ Boss PC-2 Percussion Synthesizer
++ Boss DB-66 Dr Beat.(Metronome)


1985

++ α-DRUM (Alpha Drum)- Digital drums. Roland's first electronic drum set
++ Roland DDR30 drum sound module.
++ Roland PAD-8 Octapad.
++ TR727 Latin Rhythm Composer
The TR-727 is visually identical to the TR707 aside from having blue highlights on the case, but it contains a different, Latin-inspired sample set.
++ MKS7 Super Quartet.(a duophonic lead synth, a monophonic bass synth, and a four-voice polyphonic synth (hence the name... 2+1+4 = MKS7) plus a drum machine with 11 PCM sounds drawn from the TR707)

Roland DDR-30 (Digital Drums)

Roland OctaPad PAD-8

+++Boss Dr Rhythm DR-220A (Acoustic)
+++Boss Dr Rhythm DR-220A (Electronic)



1986
+++Roland TR-505
+++Roland CR-1000 digital drummer.



1987
++TR626 Rhythm Composer.

1988
++ PAD-80 Octapad II controller  
++ Roland RA-50 Realtime Arranger

1989
++ R-5 Human Rhythm Composer.
++ R-8 Human Rhythm Composer Drum Machine: A drum machine with velocity-sensitive pads.
++ DR550 Dr Rhythm.

1991
++ CR80 Human Rhythm Player.
 
1992
Roland R-70 Human Rhythm Composer.
Roland R8 MkII Human Rhythm Composer.
Roland TD7 sound module. (V-Drum)
Boss DR550 MkII Dr Rhythm.
Boss DR-660 (DR Rhythm)
Boss R70 Human Rhythm Composer.
Boss R8 MkII Human Rhythm Composer.
 Roland's TD-7 (The heart of the Compact Drum System)

                                                     Boss DR550 MkII Dr Rhythm (1992)


1993
Boss DR 5 - Dr Rhythm section

1994
Roland TD5 sound module. (V-Drum)

1996
MC-303 Groove box.
This was Roland’s first entry into the club and DJ scene; it became a new hit in the world of dance music. It was their first non-keyboard drum machine, sample-based synthesizer, and sequencer combination bearing the name Groovebox. Supporting a full 8-track sequencer.

 

1997
TD -10 V-Drums Digital drums.
Boss DB12 Dr Beat.
Boss DB88 Dr Beat.
Boss SP202 Dr Sample.


1998
Roland MC-505 GrooveBox:
(Successor to the MC-303 with a more powerful synthesizer and sequencer).
Roland SPD20 percussion pad.
Roland SP-808 Groove Sampler
Boss DR- 202 Dr Groove. 
Boss DR770 Dr Rhythm.




1999
Roland HPD15 Handsonic percussion controller/drum module/sequencer
Roland TD-8 sound module.(V-Drum)
Roland MC307 Groovebox.
Roland HPD-15 HandSonic (1999)
Roland TD-8 Percussion Sound Module (1999)
2000
Boss DR-202 (Dr Groove)
Boss SP-202 (Dr Sample)
TD-10 (enhanced) - V Drum

2001
BOSS SP-303 Dr. Sample
Boss SP505 sampling workstation.
Boss  DR-670 Dr Rhythm.
TD-6 V-Drum
Roland D2 - GrooveMachine

2002
Roland MC-909 Sampling GrooveBox
Roland MC-09 PhraseLab
Boss SP-505 (Groove Sampling Workstation). 

2003
Boss DR-3 Dr, Rhythm
TD-6V  V-Drum 
Boss Dr 3 (Dr. Rhythm)
2004
TD3 V-Drum module.
TD6V V-Drum module.
TD20 V-Drum sound module.
VH12 hi-hat.
Boss DB60 Dr Beat metronome
Boss DR880 Dr Rhythm.
SP-606 Groovesampler.

2005
Roland SP-404SX Sampler
TD-12 V-Drum 
Roland SP-404 SX - Linear wave Sampler
2006
Roland MC-808

2007
HD-1 V-drum module

2008
TD-20 Enhamced V Drum Module
TD-8 V Drum module

2009
TD-4 V Drum Module
Roland TD-4 (V-Drum Module)
2011
TD-9 2.0 V Drum module

2012
TD-30 V Drum Module
TD-15 V Drum Module
TD-11 V Drum Module
HD-3 V Drum Module
TD-15 V Drum Module
2014
Aira's TR-8: Rhythm Performer, based on the drum-sounds of the TR-808 and TR-909.
TD-1 V Drum Module
TM-2 V Drum Module


2016
Roland Boutique Tr-08
Roland Boutique TR-09

2018
Roland TR-8s

2019
++ Roland MC-101 GrooveBox
++ Roland MC-707 GrooveBox
      (MC stands for Micro composer)





I'll update this as I go. Please let me know if there are errors or omissions.
J