Coming in at just around budget level, this box is an older 12 bit unit. The R8 has 12 assignable pads (incidently, these are very playable large pads), a reasonable selection of about 130 sounds, 8 outputs, and very good editing facilities.
The thing about this box, is that you can layer sounds on the pads or to midi note numbers, so although you don't get a big selection of drum sounds, by layering and editing, you can create interesting stuff, & some variety.
The R8 accepts ROM memory cards which plug into the card slot, only one cards sounds can be added to the basic kit at a time, so you cannot blend sounds from an 808 card, with sounds from a 909 card..... The R8M rack version allows up to 4 cards to be plugged in and accessed simultaneously..... The rack version is an excellent unit if you can find one with some cards.....
Editing allows you to produce some pretty rediculous variations from the original sound, so you can get some wicked wierd sounds, which is really good...
Although technically it is a lesser quality than a 16 bit machine such as the Alesis range, I think it is a much better sounding box....The sounds are more raw, and the variations you can achieve by layering and editing leave the Alesis range floundering....
A great box for R&B, hip-hop, Ambient etc.... but maybe not a House, trance etc unit, (although for 'sounds' and percussion etc yes, cos the tuning & eq etc makes great sounds).. BUT.. for uk Garage & step styles, junglists & deep drum-sounds drum&bass men, RnB, hiphop etc... this is a 'yes! yes!! yes!!' box.....
Ah!.. but you TR analog sound people... you might think you can get a 909 card for it, but they are as rare as rocking horse shit trust me!.... The 808 card is easier to find and i've used it alot, it's a good sound, upfront and solid.. these were 800 quid drum boxes on release... quality built... The cards usually go for about £ 30 - 60, you see them in places like LOOT free-ad's etc.
Generally s/h about £ 200 - 250, definately the 1st choice at this budget for those genre's above.. learn to stack sounds to midi notes to create super layered snares with different samples & tunings... create massive gong sounds out of crash cymbals etc etc, this box is even better than a lot of more expensive machines.... Brilliant, huge solid machine !....11/10
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