Zoë Blade's notebook

DrumStation

DrumStation tech specs

Novation DrumStation
Novation DrumStation

  • Released: 1996
  • Company: Novation
  • Type: Drum synthesiser
  • Audio out: 6 + stereo pair
  • Control: MIDI
  • Size: 1U

The DrumStation was a rackmounted, MIDI controlled drum synthesiser made by Novation in 1996.[1] It clones the sounds of Roland's TR-808 and TR-909, including the ability to slightly tweak them, but eschews their internal digital step sequencers in favour of external control via MIDI.

Much like Roland's R-8M, it was seemingly made in response to everyone using dedicated MIDI sequencers on, say, their Atari ST, and only needing drum machines' sounds themselves.

Compared to the real things, it takes up far less space, and even the 808 sounds can now be triggered via MIDI (and hence easily swung, for instance, as well as given independent accents). It also allows every sound to be tuned over a good range, including the 808 kick and snare, making it easy to get them into each song's key.

Compared to samples, twiddling knobs to tweak the sounds is quicker and more intuitive than browsing lists of files. I think it's a pretty underrated machine.

See also

Notable users

References

  1. "Novation DrumStation" Paul Nagle, Sound On Sound, Jul 1996
  2. "Massive Attack's New Studio" Sue Sillitoe, Sound On Sound, Oct 2005
  3. "Underworld: The Making of 'Everything, Everything'" Paul Tingen, Sound On Sound, Dec 2000

Further reading

Reviews

Downloads

Documentation

Note names

Clones: 100 Series (Behringer) | 900 Series (Behringer) | 900 Series (Synth-Werk) | Beige box | Concussor | DOS | DrumStation | Gateron MX switches | Gobricks | HD6303X | K-2 | Keychron switches | Lego clone | MS-1 | MS-5 | Model D | RD-6 | Solina String Ensemble | Soviet ZX Spectrum clones | Sweet Sixteen | TMP80C49P | μPD780 | μPD8048 | μPD8049 | μPD8080 | μPD70216 | VC340

Drum synthesisers: Concussor | DrumStation | Syncussion-1

Novation: DrumStation | DrumStation guide