Your first drum machine
Roland T-8
Six TR drum voices and a TB-303-style bass in a battery box; one fixed kit and menu-heavy settings.
Photos: Roland
of 11 reviews recommend itand 41 owner reviews
Choose it if you want one small box that plays a whole groove: six drum tracks with sounds from the TR-808, TR-909 and TR-606, plus a bass track modelled on the TB-303, which reviewers and owners single out for acid lines. Roland lists a built-in battery good for about 4.5 hours and a class-compliant USB-C connection for audio and MIDI, so it records straight into a computer. The catch is the fixed drum kit: there is little scope to change the sounds, and deeper settings sit in a menu read on a four-character display. Choose the volca drum if you want to design the drum sounds themselves.
- Best for
- A first drum machine, or acid lines on the move.
- Skip it if
- You want to design your own drum sounds: the kit is fixed.
What people praise
- Fun and quick to make beats on
- Sounds good for its size, with punchy classic TR drums
What to know first
- Many functions sit in a menu read on a cryptic four-character display, so the manual is needed
- One fixed drum kit, with little scope to change the sounds
Video reviews
- Free BeatMar 2023Mixed
Synth percussion on a small budget
Korg volca drum
A battery percussion synth with six two-layer parts and a resonator; slow to edit, light on classic punch.
Photos: Korg
of 9 reviews recommend itand 85 owner reviews
Choose it over the T-8 if you want percussion that goes well beyond the classic kits. Every sound is synthesised from six two-layer parts, with a waveguide resonator for metallic and string-like tones, and the sequencer has motion sequencing, slice rolls and probability. It runs on six AA batteries and has a speaker. Reviewers and owners agree that editing is slow to learn, with one encoder and sub-menus, and that kicks and snares can lack the punch of an 808-style kit; there is no USB or MIDI out, and the power adapter is sold separately.
- Best for
- Synthesised, experimental percussion on a small budget.
- Skip it if
- You want classic, punchy 808-style kits or a USB connection.
What people praise
- A wide, unusual range of synthesized percussion, well beyond classic drum kits
- Fun to play, and easy to lose hours in
What to know first
- Sound editing takes time to learn: one encoder and sub-menus handle many settings
- Small, closely packed knobs and a touch keypad that some find awkward
Video reviews
- Woochia - Charly SauretJul 2019Recommends
- Pete MidiApr 2019Recommends
Beats from your own samples, anywhere
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II
A slim battery sampler and sequencer with punch-in effects; small memory, and early units had fader failures.
Photos: Teenage Engineering
of 9 reviews recommend itand 23 owner reviews
Choose it over the volca drum if you want to build beats from sounds you record yourself. It samples through its built-in microphone or line input, holds 128 MB of samples in the current version, and runs on four AAA batteries with a speaker, so it works anywhere; reviewers single out its pressure-sensitive punch-in effects for performing. Free updates since launch added song mode, resampling and USB audio. Reviewers and owners report faders failing on early units, and say the icons and key combinations need the manual; the memory still fills quickly with loops.
- Best for
- Sampling and sketching beats anywhere, on batteries.
- Skip it if
- You need large sample memory or effects per sound.
What people praise
- A fast, fun workflow that gets ideas down quickly
- Portable, with batteries, a built-in mic and a speaker for sampling anywhere
What to know first
- Faders and other parts failed on early units, and some reviewers doubt the buildStill present
- A learning curve: cryptic icons and key combinations that need the manual
Video reviews
- Blezz BeatsNov 2023Mixed
Hands-on analogue drums
Arturia DrumBrute Impact
Ten analogue voices and an FM drum with a fast, playable sequencer; no sound memories or recorded knob moves.
Photos: Arturia
of 9 reviews recommend itand 5 owner reviews
Choose it if you want analogue drums you play from the panel. It has ten analogue voices plus an FM drum, a 64-step sequencer with a looper, roller and per-track lengths, and four separate outputs for the kick, snares, hats and FM drum, beside a mono main output. Reviewers and owners say the sequencer is quick to learn. It can't load samples or store sounds, knob moves can't be recorded, and some voices have few controls: the toms share one pitch knob. Thomann no longer lists it, though Arturia still sells it through dealers.
- Best for
- Hands-on analogue drums, played live from the panel.
- Skip it if
- You want samples, saved sounds or recorded knob moves.
What people praise
- An intuitive sequencer that is quick to learn
- Punchy, hard-hitting analogue sound with its own character
What to know first
- Few controls on some voices: the toms share one pitch knob and the cowbell has none
- No sound memories, and knob moves cannot be recorded or sequenced
Video reviews
- loopopJul 2018Recommends
Serious sampling and sequencing
Elektron Digitakt II
A 16-track stereo sampler with Elektron's sequencer and 400 MB per project; a learning curve, mains power only.
Photos: Elektron
of 9 reviews recommend itand 50 owner reviews
Choose it over the EP-133 K.O. II if sampling is the centre of your setup. It has 16 stereo tracks, each able to play samples or sequence other gear over MIDI, 400 MB of sample memory per project on 20 GB of storage, and Elektron's sequencer with parameter locks and conditional trigs. Reviewers praise the sound, the effects and the build. It runs from mains power, has one stereo output pair with no individual outputs (Overbridge streams tracks to a computer over USB), and its menus and key combinations take time to learn.
- Best for
- Producers whose setup centres on sampling and sequencing.
- Skip it if
- You want battery power or individual outputs.
What people praise
- A big step up from the original: 16 stereo tracks and far more sample memory
- Sounds excellent, with strong effects, filters and compression
What to know first
- A learning curve: menus, key combinations and parameter locks take time
- Launched with unfinished firmware: no Overbridge, no manual slicing and some bugsFixed
Video reviews
- loopopApr 2024Recommends
- BoBeatsMay 2024Mixed
A studio centrepiece
Roland TR-1000
Analogue 808 and 909 voices, modelling, FM and a sampler in one large box; expensive, with early sync problems.
Photos: Roland
of 11 reviews recommend itand 10 owner reviews
Choose it over the Digitakt II if you want Roland's classic drums at their best and a machine to build a studio around. Roland lists 16 analogue voices recreated from TR-808 and TR-909 circuits, alongside modelled, FM and sampled sounds, a stereo sampler, and ten individual outputs. It weighs 5.5 kg and runs from mains power. Reviewers name the price and a steep learning curve, and early reviewers and some owners found MIDI and DAW sync unreliable; Roland has released several sync fixes since, the latest in system update 1.50.
- Best for
- A studio centrepiece built around classic Roland drums.
- Skip it if
- You want a first, portable or low-cost drum machine.
What people praise
- Excellent sound, with analogue 808 and 909 voices that hold up against the originals
- A wide range of sounds: analogue, modelled, FM, PCM and a proper sampler in one box
What to know first
- Expensive
- MIDI and DAW sync was unreliable at launchStill present
Video reviews
- loopopOct 2025Recommends
- TubediggaJul 2026Mixed
Also considered
- Roland TR-8S. Eleven instrument tracks, each with its own tune, decay and assignable knob, six assignable outputs and sample playback from an SD card, per Roland. MusicRadar's review notes it can't record samples itself, and it runs from its AC adaptor. It has no record here yet.
- Roland TR-6S. A six-track version of the TR-8S with circuit models of the TR-808, TR-909, TR-606, TR-707 and CR-78, an FM engine and samples from an SD card, on four AA batteries, per Roland. MusicRadar's review calls it very hard to beat as a first drum machine. It has no record here yet.
- Korg volca beats. Analogue drum sounds with a PCM engine, battery power and a built-in speaker, per Korg. MusicRadar's review notes a 16-step sequencer and one mini-jack shared by the headphones and the main output.
- Korg drumlogue. A hybrid with four analogue parts, six sample parts loaded over USB, a synth engine and four assignable outputs beside the stereo pair, per Korg.
- Elektron Syntakt. The Digitakt's synthesis sibling, with 12 tracks, four analogue and eight digital. MusicRadar names it its best drum synth.
- Akai Professional MPC Sample. A pocket MPC sampler; all seven professional reviews recommend its fast, portable workflow, with one track and simple effects as the limits.
- Teenage Engineering PO-32 tonic. A pocket drum synth and sequencer on two AAA batteries, with 16 preset sounds; Sonic Charge's Microtonic plugin, sold separately, designs more, per Teenage Engineering.
- Roland DJ-202. For DJs who want drums inside the controller: a Serato DJ Lite controller with Roland's TR drum sounds and a step sequencer. Eight of nine professional reviews recommend it, though reviewers and owners agree the sequencer is buried under shift and pad modes.
How to choose a drum machine
Drum machine, groovebox or sampler
The volca drum, DrumBrute Impact and TR-1000 are drum machines first: every track plays a drum sound. The T-8 works more like a small groovebox, with a bass track beside its six drum tracks, so one box plays drums and a bassline. The EP-133 K.O. II and Digitakt II are samplers built as drum machines: they record their own sounds and play them from the step keys, and the Digitakt II's tracks can sequence other gear over MIDI instead. Choose by where your sounds come from: Roland's classic sounds ready to play, synthesised percussion you shape yourself, or recordings you make.
Analogue, modelled, synthesised or sampled
The DrumBrute Impact and the TR-1000's analogue voices make their sounds in circuits. The T-8 models Roland's circuits digitally, the volca drum synthesises its sounds digitally from oscillators and noise, and the samplers play back recordings, including your own. MusicRadar compared the TR-1000's analogue 808 and 909 with the TR-8S's models and found the difference small in a full mix, so whether you can bring in your own sounds often matters more than the engine.
Tracks and the sequencer
The track count is how many separate sounds a pattern can play: seven on the T-8, ten on the DrumBrute Impact and TR-1000, 12 on the EP-133 K.O. II and 16 on the Digitakt II. Every pick programs beats on a row of step keys. To build whole tracks on the machine, check for a song mode: the DrumBrute Impact, EP-133 K.O. II, Digitakt II and TR-1000 have one.
Outputs and recording
A stereo output is enough to play and to record a finished beat. Separate outputs let you process or record each sound on its own: the TR-1000 has ten, the DrumBrute Impact four. The T-8, EP-133 K.O. II and TR-1000 also send audio to a computer over USB, and the Digitakt II streams each track through Overbridge. The audio interface explainer covers what that means for recording.
Playing alongside a DJ set
A drum machine goes into a spare channel on the mixer like any other source; the volca drum, T-8 and EP-133 K.O. II have mini-jack outputs, so you need an adapter cable for a mixer with jack or RCA inputs. Keeping it in time with the decks means syncing it over MIDI or setting its tempo by ear, and the MIDI guide explains the connections. For a mixer with channels to spare, see the best DJ mixers.
Size and power
The T-8, volca drum and EP-133 K.O. II run on batteries, so they work away from a socket. The DrumBrute Impact and Digitakt II need their adapters, both in the box, and the TR-1000, at 5.5 kg with a mains lead, is built to stay on a desk or stage.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the drum machine with the strongest evidence for its situation. The evidence is what professional reviews conclude and what owners report on retailer sites, compiled for each product, with every source linked from its card. We didn't test these machines, and every specification is the maker's own. Prices come from daily tracking across the retailers we link to. The methodology explains the whole process.
