Conference napalm::commusic_v1

                                
    Roland have a modern rhythm box called the CR-5000 available here
    in the UK. It sounds like just the thing you're looking for. I'm
    not sure of its MIDI implementation (if any !), but the sounds are
    apparantly of the usual TR-series quality. I can find out more about
    it (like the UK price) if you're interested.

                   Happy Tangoing,

           Derek Kay   (SWAS Warrington, UK)

    Is there any reason a standard drum machine looping the same pattern
    over and over won't do???
    
    Edd

    Well, you'd have to program that pattern, wouldn't you...
    
    len.
    

	.1 is correct - the Roland CR box is right up there with TR quality - 
particularly the TR-505.  From casual glances, it would appear that they used
the same plastic mold for the casing.  It's price is equal or higher than the
TR505.  It has an assortment of pre-set rhythm patterns that can be chained 
together into 'songs'.  It is MIDI equiped.

	Boss (which is a subsidiary of Roland) has a couple of DR boxes that are
not MIDI compatible, but may have some pre-MIDI sync connectibility.  They are
the DR-110 (sometimes called 'Dr Rhythm'?), or the newer ones, DR-220 and one 
other...  These are supposed to be reasonable sounding, programmable, and are
about the size of a walkie-talkie.

	Another *very* good pre-MIDI drum machine is the Korg DR-110 (or Super 
Drums) and its cousin the DR-220 (or Super Percussion).  I had the Super Drums,
and apart from the annoyance (to me) of having no ride cymbal, the sounds were
quite good.  I've been told (though I've never heard one personally) that the
Percussion unit mentioned above is *excellent* - (studio quality).  Though
neither of these have midi, they have a five pin sync jack that, with a little
bit of planning can be connected to a number of Roland sequencers.  The only
difference between Roland and Korg's synch is that the clocks are on a ratio of
1:2 - not a hard thing to deal with.

	The prices for all the above, excluding the CR (which, I think may cost
somewhere in the $300 range or more), are all within the $100 to $150 range.
The Korg units aren't being made any more, but there's still a lot of them
going around in the used market.  The original Boss rhythm box is discontinued,
but the newer ones are available still.  My vote is with the Korg, as I believe
the sounds are much better, and the programmability is more elaborate.  The Korg
drums sound like they used just a tad of reverb in the PCM sampled sounds.  Oh, 
yeah, I believe the Boss machines are analog, the Korg is digital.

	Dan

It sounds like .0 is just looking for a cheapie.  I have a non MIDI drum
box that has a primitive looping type sequencer built in, has a snare sound,
two toms (one tunable), and a bass drum sound.  The sounds can either be 
played using the four pads on the top of the unit (you hit 'em with sticks)
or via the 12 front panel buttons (three for each drum sound where each
of these quantizes drum hits into either quarter notes, eigth notes,
or sixteenth notes).  I'll part with it for $20 bucks if anybody is interested.
I have a TR505, so I don't use it anymore.  The unit is none other than 
the Synsonics drums made by Mattel (yes, Mattel), which I bought new at
Wurlitzers for $150 back about 6 years ago.

The sequencer allows you to generate a pattern using the pads or buttons
in real time, and then allows you to overdub as the pattern repeats.  A
neat little box.

Todd.

    re: .0
    
    Based on the replies....I guess I did not explain what I am looking
    for correctly....
    
    This "rhythm box" would do more than drums....it would also do
    background rhythms like waltz/march/polka/etc.....that was what
    I meant by the reference to the electronic organs....the sounds
    would be a combination of "drums" and "instruments".......?
    
    				-Jeff

    
    Two possibilities:                             
    
    
    Korg made a box a few years ago called the "Super Section" which
    had programmable drums (I think digital), bass and "chords" which
    could be piano, strings, etc. Had a mini membrane keyboard for loading
    in the bass lines and chords.
    
    It was non-MIDI but did saves to cassette.  Price was around $500
    then.                                                  
    
    Also, even older, the MCI Auto-Orchestrator, made by the Crumar
    people.  It had a single-octave bass pedalboard, some foot switches
    and a "brain".  This had analog drum sounds plus programmable
    instrument accompaniments like strings, piano, etc.  You held down
    the bass pedal for the chord you wanted, then hit another switch
    for chord type (major, minor, 7th, augmented, etc.)  It was designed
    for one-man lounge artistes who didn't play keyboards.  It cost
    around $1200 in 1981.  
    
                      
    Or, of course a cheap synth/sequencer/drum machine combo would do
    the trick...like a CZ-101 plus MSQ-100 plus TR-505....