I was wondering if anyone here has used this new drum machine from Boss.. I can't remember the model number, but we talked about it a while back when it came out. It has buttons set up like an arranger where there are buttons dedicated to fill ins and each variation. It also has bass sounds for bass recording as well. Anyone try it yet?

Squeak

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 06-05-2003).]

Squeak,

I just purchased this model, the Boss DR-3, tho' it hasn't arrived yet. I used to own the Boss Jamstation but the DR-3 seems better suited to how I like to work songs out when playing guitar and jamming. I paid 160.00 for it (new in the box) and for the money, it offers a heck of a lot of features...especially considering that they call it an "entry level" drum machine! It also should be perfect for syncing to a digital multitrack like the Fostex MR8.

Michael

DRUM\PERCUSSION SOUNDS:

Note: v...indicates the sound will alter depending on the
strength you tap the pads.
*1–*4...will not sound simultaneously with other
percussion instruments of the same number.

K01 Maple (Maple Kick)
K02 Rnd1 (Round Kick 1)
K03 Rnd2 (Round Kick 2)
K04 Dry (Dry Hard Kick)
K05 Comp (Comp Kick)
K06 Rev1 (Reverb Kick 1)
K07 Rev2 (Reverb Kick 2)
K08 Stdio (Studio Kick)
K09 26"dp (26" Deep Kick)
K10 Jazz (Jazz Kick)
K11 Elec (Electronic Kick)
K12 TR909 (TR-909 Kick)
S01 v Wet (Wet Snare / Soft Shot)
S02 Warm (Warm Snare Hard Shot)
S03 Maple (Maple Snare)
S04 v Maple (Maple Snare / Beach Soft Shot)
S05 BchH (Beech Snare Hard Rim Shot)
S06 BchS (Beech Snare Soft Shot)
S07 v Beech (Beech Snare Rim / Beech Snare Soft)
S08 Open (Open Snare Rim Shot)
S09 v Open (Open Sanre / Beech Snare Soft Shot)
S10 Dry (Dry Snare Hard Shot)
S11 v Dry (Dry Snare Hard Shot / Med Soft Shot)
S12 MdSft (Medium Soft Shot)
S13 Natrl (Natural Snare)
S14 v Natrl (Natural Snare / BeechSoft)
S15 v Rock (Rock Rim Shot / Med Soft)
S16 Picco (Piccolo Rim Shot Snare)
S17 House (House Snare)
S18 Soft (Soft Shot)
S19 BrshR (Brush Roll)
S20 BrshS (Brush Slap)
S21 v BrshS (Brush Slap / Swish)
S22 Whack (Whack Snare)
S23 Regga (Reggae Snare)
S24 Elec (Electronic Snare)
S25 TR808 (TR-808 Snare)
S26 Doubl (Double Shot Ghost)
S27 Buzz (Buzz Snare Ghost)
S28 Stck1 (Ambient Cross Stick)
S29 Stck2 (Natural Cross Stick)
S30 Stck3 (TR-808 Cross Stick)
T01 VintH (Vintage Tom High)
T02 VintM (Vintage Tom Mid)
T03 VintL (Vintage Tom Low)
T04 AmbiH (Ambient Tom High)
T05 AmbiM (Ambient Tom Mid)
T06 AmbiL (Ambient Tom Low)
T07 DblH (Double Head Tom High)
T08 DblM (Double Head Tom Mid)
T09 DblL (Double Head Tom Low)
T10 RockH (Rock Tom High)
T11 RockM (Rock Tom Mid)
T12 RockL (Rock Tom Low)
T13 BrshH (Brush Slap Tom High)
T14 BrshM (Brush Slap Tom Mid)
T15 BrshL (Brush Slap Tom Low)
T16 ElecH (Electronic Tom High)
T17 ElecM (Electronic Tom Mid)
T18 ElecL (Electronic Tom Low)
T19 TR H (TR-808 Tom High)
T20 TR M (TR-808 Tom Mid)
T21 TR L (TR-808 Tom Low)
H01 PureC (Pure Closed Hi-Hat *1)
H02 PureO (Pure Open Hi-Hat *1)
H03 PureP (Pure Pedal Closed Hi-Hat *1)
H04 v PureO (Pure HH Open / Pedal *1)
H05 16"C (16" Closed Hi-Hat *1)
H06 16"O (16" Open Hi-Hat *1)
H07 16"P (16" Pedal Closed Hi-Hat *1)
H08 v 16"O (16" HH Open / Pedal *1)
H09 RealC (Real Closed Hi-Hat *1)
H10 RealO (Real Open Hi-Hat *1)
H11 v RealO (Real HH Open / Pedal *1)
H12 BrshC (Brush Closed Hi-Hat *1)
H13 BrshO (Brush Open Hi-Hat *1)
C01 Crsh1 (Crash Cymbal 1 *2)
C02 Crsh2 (Crash Cymbal 2 *3)
C03 Crsh3 (Crash Cymbal 3 *4)
C04 Chok1 (Choked Crash 1 *2)
C05 Chok2 (Choked Crash 2 *3)
C06 Chok3 (Choked Crash 3 *4)
C07 Splsh (Splash Cymbal)
C08 China (Chinese Cymbal)
C09 Ride1 (Ride Cymbal 1)
C10 Ride2 (Ride Cymbal 2)
C11 Bell1 (Ride Bell Cymbal 1)
C12 Bell2 (Ride Bell Cymbal 2)
C13 BrshC (Brush Crash Cymbal)
C14 BrshR (Brush Ride Cymbal)
C15 Gong (Large Gong)
P01 Cowbl (Cowbell)
P02 Tmbrn (Tambourine)
P03 BngoH (Bongo High)
P04 BngoL (Bongo Low)
P05 CngHM (Conga High Mute)
P06 CngHO (Conga High Open)
P07 CngaL (Conga Low Open)
P08 TmblH (Timbale High)
P09 TmblL (Timbale Low)
P10 Clave (Clave)
P11 Vibra (Vibraslap)
P12 GuirS (Guiro Short)
P13 GuirL (Guiro Long)
P14 Marcs (Maracas)
P15 Shakr (Shaker)
P16 Cabas (Cabasa)
P17 WhslS (Whistle Short)
P18 WhslL (Whistle Long)
P19 AgogH (Agogo High)
P20 AgogL (Agogo Low)
P21 CuicH (Cuica High)
P22 CuicL (Cuica Low)
P23 SurdM (Surdo Mute)
P24 SurdO (Surdo Open)
P25 Tbla1 (Tabla 1)
P26 Tbla2 (Tabla 2)
P27 Tbla3 (Tabla 3)
P28 Clap1 (Real Clap)
P29 Clap2 (TR-808 Clap)

BASS SOUNDS:
B01 Fing1 (Fingered Bass 1)
B02 Fing2 (Fingered Bass 2)
B03 MuteB (Mute Bass)
B04 Frtls (Fretless Bass)
B05 Pick1 (Picked Bass 1)
B06 Pick2 (Picked Bass 2)
B07 Acous (Acoustic Bass)
B08 Slap (Slap Bass)
B09 Stick (Stick)
B10 Solid (Solid Bass)
B11 Pluck (Pluck Bass)
B12 Sine (Sine Wave Bass)

PRESET KITS (26 DRUM & PERCUSSION SOUNDS + BASS):

Power1
BigFunk
Groove
Studio 1
Room 1
Loud
Power 2
Big
Funk 1
Natural1
Gospel
Room 2
Ambient
HeavyFnk
Whack
Standrd1
Express
Vintage
Fusion
Funk 2
Electro
Dance
Hip Hop
Techno
Drm'n'Bs
House
Boom
Jazz 1
Jazz 2
Country
Ballad 1
Folk
Brushes1
Ballad 2
Pops 1
Punk
Pops 2
Standrd2
Natural2
Studio 2
Power 3
Room 3
Brushes2
Latin
Samba
Salsa
Reggae
India
Afro 1
Afro 2

PRESET STYLE LIST:

P001 ROCK JAM 1
P002 ROCK JAM 2
P003 SHFFL JAM
P004 ROCK HOP
P005 STREET HOP
P006 MIAMI
P007 FUNK ROCK
P008 HARD ROCK1
P009 HARD ROCK2
P010 HARD ROCK3
P011 HARD ROCK4
P012 HARD ROCK5
P013 HARD ROCK6
P014 HVY ROCK 1
P015 HVY ROCK 2
P016 HVY ROCK 3
P017 FAST ROCK1
P018 FAST ROCK2
P019 FAST ROCK3
P020 ROCK SWING
P021 ROCK 1
P022 ROCK 2
P023 ROCK 3
P024 ROCK 4
P025 ROCK 5
P026 ROCK 6
P027 ROCK 7
P028 ROCK 8
P029 TRIBE ROCK
P030 JELLY JAM
P031 KNCKL HEAD
P032 GROOVE CUT
P033 AC ROCK
P034 ELEC ROCK1
P035 ELEC ROCK2
P036 SURF ROCK
P037 8TH FEEL 1
P038 8TH FEEL 2
P039 8TH FEEL 3
P040 8TH FEEL 4
P041 16TH FEEL1
P042 16TH FEEL2
P043 16TH FEEL3
P044 SHUFFLE
P045 BALLAD 1
P046 BALLAD 2
P047 BALLAD 3
P048 BALLAD 4
P049 COUNTRY 1
P050 COUNTRY 2
P051 BLUE GRASS
P052 BLUES 1
P053 BLUES 2
P054 CHICAGO
P055 ROCK BLUES
P056 LATIN ROCK
P057 FUNK 1
P058 FUNK 2
P059 FUNK 3
P060 FUNK 4
P061 FUNK 5
P062 FUNK 6
P063 SOUL 1
P064 SOUL 2
P065 NEW R&B
P066 HIP HOP 1
P067 HIP HOP 2
P068 HIP HOP 3
P069 FUSION 1
P070 FUSION 2
P071 FUSION 3
P072 FUSION 4
P073 GROOVE SIX
P074 HEAVY FUNK
P075 GOSPEL 1
P076 GOSPEL 2
P077 MED BLUES
P078 SWING 1
P079 SWING 2
P080 BRUSH
P081 BIG BAND
P082 JAZZ WALTZ
P083 JAZZ FIVE
P084 DRM'N'BSS1
P085 DRM'N'BSS2
P086 TECHNO 1
P087 TECHNO 2
P088 HOUSE 1
P089 HOUSE 2
P090 BOSSA JAM
P091 BOSSA NOVA
P092 SAMBA 1
P093 SAMBA 2
P094 SAMBA 3
P095 SALSA 1
P096 SALSA 2
P097 LATIN JAM
P098 LATIN POP1
P099 LATIN POP2
P100 REGGAE

Each Style consists of Intro, Verse, Fill and Ending (with 3 variations each)...11 patterns total

There is room for 100 User Styles, created via Realtime\Step recording

Sound Shape Function offers 3 band compression and 3 band parametric EQ (8 presets and 8 User settings)

Ambience effect offers control over pre-delay, density, early reflections, etc...(8 presets and 8 User settings)

Polyphony: 12 voices

Resolution: 96 beats per quarter note

Temp: 20-260bpm

13 velocity Sensitive pads

Backlit LCD (YAY!!! Something the Jamstation didn't have)

Can operate on batteries for true portability

Can connect 2 optional footswitches for controlling the unit in live performance

MIDI IN for Starting\Stopping\Syncing DR-3 from external MIDI device; Using external MIDI device to play DR-3;

Using the DR-3 to record performances by external MIDI devices

Stereo RCA and 1/4" Outs (one can be used for headphones)

You might want to check out the Zoom RT-323....

(It has all those features and excellent sounds; its only drawback is it can't set an 8th note beat...)

Chuck

That Zoom is a nice unit.. I have the MRT-3 along with the MRS-4. They make a great duo..

Squeak

I bought the DR-3 and returned it to the store when I couldn't find out how to turn-off the bass part with each style. The salesman didn't know either. Maybe it can't. I only wanted drums that could be started, stopped, with fills using a foot pedal. Don't need bass. Got that covered already.

I don't have the full manual yet (just the chapter on instrument sounds, kits and style patterns downloaded from Roland), but in the pdf file table of contents, it does give an indication that parts can be changed and muted (Chapter 7), just like you could on the Boss Jamstation. You can also decide what parts you want output thru the main outs (Chapter 9). It's always good advice to fully explore (read) a product's manual before deciding that a piece of gear won't function the way you expect. More good advice is not to rely upon the average salesperson's expertise to figure out the detailed workings of a particular piece of gear, because oftentimes they don't have a clue...and aren't that interested (motivated) to spend the time in finding out! Roland\Boss has a consumer hotline that you can call (not toll-free) for detailed advice on the workings of any of their product line (numbers can be found on their website or in "RUG", the company magazine). The Roland website also now has an official forum that is monitored by staff, but questions can be answered by anyone.

Michael

Ha---me too! I tried another Roland drum machine, I forget which, and it featured bass and some other parts when all I wanted was drums. I could not turn them off and could not figure out the manual. I took it back to the store and they didn't know how to work it , so i swapped tor an Alesis. I have learned that Roland is quite good at making sounds and not so good at explaining things. Those first VS840 recoders had people yelling and throwing things when all they wanted was to do a simple recording. With Roland,simple is often not an option!