Product: Roland DR-55
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
02/10/2007
at
06:28pm
by
peter
Ease of Use
:
No Opinion
Tell you what, if you do find it difficult to pick one of these up,hey just build one yourself!!!. Apart from the rather scarce 256*4 static ram chip(althought i have now found a source selling them for $3!)part no. uPD2101 replaces uPD5101LC, finding a schematic on the web for one of these things should not prove to difficult either....should keep the dr55 going for years to come!.
Features
:
No Opinion
Expressiveness/Sounds
:
No Opinion
Reliability
:
No Opinion
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
Product: Roland DR-55
Price Paid: $150 (australian dollars) used
Submitted
06/29/2002
at
04:59pm
by
Anonymous
Ease of Use
:
7
i would'nt say the dr 55 is super easy to program because
the on/off method has no graphic display which make accurate placement a bit touch 'n go.
Features
:
9
a total of sixteen user patches in two banks('a' and 'b').
twelve in 4/4 beat and four in 3/4.
the output can be either bank 'a' or 'b' or a combination of 'a'
and 'b'.
hi hat settings:16th note,8th note or 'off'.
the volume of the output can be as big as you please.
i like the tempo variation (i didn't measure the top tempo
but i would guess around the 300b.p.m. mark).
that's plenty!
separate pots for done and accent levels is a bonus.
i have used this drum machine to control analog synths which have a
'clock in' option for the arpeggiator section.
just take the 'dbs' or 'csq' outputs to the synth
via a 1/8th inch to 1/4 inch cable.
i am amazed how few people know this!!!
it makes this awesome little drum machine an
easy to use but powerful analog tool!
Expressiveness/Sounds
:
9
i have listened to the tr 606,and i would say the dr 55 beats this
machine hands down for the beauty of the sounds.the dr 55 is so understated but so charming.
(i'm a fan!!!). all the sounds are unlike any other machine.
i have used the dr 55 for kraut rock, techno and d'n'b.and it rocks!!!
Reliability
:
10
this machine is old and beat up looking but no probs.
battery life is very long,(but remember to switch it off,<volume knob>)!
have gigged this one many times.
Customer Support
:
1
huh?
Overall Rating
:
10
i had one of these in 1984 for about 6mnths and when i found one again
in 1999 i was so happy.
i would definately try to get one again if stolen.
like i said it is all about the sound with this one.
Product: Roland DR-55
Price Paid: US $50- used
Submitted
07/14/1999
at
07:48am
by
Gridlok
Email: gridlok at gridlok<dot>net
Ease of Use
:
10
There isn't much to use. So naturally it's gonna be easy. Programming is available in Step only but is so simple a child could do it.
Features
:
3
Um. Features? Gate Out. CSQ Out? Pedal In. It doesn't do that much. But what it does do is gooooood.
Expressiveness/Sounds
:
9
Now here is where it is amazing. The sounds are true analog pulsy, noizy, smacky, chingy. Very similar to the 606 in tone. Has a knob for tone and accent. My favorite thing about this box is going into step mode and holding down the snare for a second. It does a hit followed by white noize and when you let go it makes another hit. Very very usable tecky snare drum. The hi-hats are awesome too but you can't program their pattern. it only does tick-tick-tick-tick
Reliability
:
10
This thing looks pretty beat to shit. But it still works perfect
Customer Support
:
1
Hahaha!!! Roland doesn't even know what this thing is.
Overall Rating
:
10
The thing was $50. Its analog. What more can you ask for? I would slit my wrists if it got stolen because these are not the easiest drum machines in the world to come by. If you can find one BUY IT!!!!
