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A decent drum machine might be the ideal accompanist to assist increase your creativity and transform your solo guitar melody into actual music, whether you’re a songwriter, live performer, or love spontaneous improvisation and jamming.
However, many of us guitarists may feel as though we are entering foreign territory when we explore the world of drum machines.
| Image | Product Name | Editor's Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Alesis SR-18 | Check Price | |
 | Roland TR-8S | Check Price | |
 | Boss DR-01S | Check Price | |
 | Korg KR-55 Pro | Check Price | |
 | Akai Professional XR20 | Check Price |
Best Drum Machines for Guitarists Reviews
I’ve rounded up 5 of my favorite guitar-friendly drum machines that are all easy to use and can be seamlessly incorporated into your current guitar setup to aid you in your shopping.
1. Alesis SR-18
The Alesis SR-18 stands out for striking an excellent mix between portability, playability, adaptability, affordability, and a vast array of onboard sound and effects. It has necessary ports for more adaptability, over 500 drum sounds, 50 bass sounds, 100 kits, and 175 preset patterns. Built-in effects like reverb, compression, and EQ are also included.
The instrument is fantastic for guitarists since it contains effects and a variety of drum sounds to perform in various genres. With the Pattern Play mode, you can design patterns and trigger them using the sensitive pads.
The gadget is significantly simpler to operate because of the backlit LCD display for navigation. With two footswitch inputs, one instrument input, a headphone out, and two stereo outputs, the ports are more than enough. Additionally, MIDI in and out are available, but one limitation is the absence of a USB connection option.
Overall, the Alesis SR-18 contains practically everything a guitarist would want in a drum machine. With a wide variety of sounds and a lightweight, portable design that can run on batteries, this drum machine is incredibly portable and versatile, allowing you to perform in whatever genre you desire.
2. Roland TR-8S
Despite having some flaws, Roland’s original TR-8 succeeded in capturing the enjoyable, tactile experience of playing around on a vintage X0X groovebox.
Even though Roland’s later Boutique TR-08 and TR-09 boxes appear, operate, and — debatably — sound more similar to their original models, both are limited by their compact and ungainly interfaces.
The TR-8, on the other hand, felt ready to be battered and spun in a manner akin to how musicians like Jeff Mills or Egyptian Lover handle their original machines because to its substantial sequencer buttons, strong rotaries, and separate channel faders. Therefore, it is encouraging to see Roland return to the TR-8 format for a sequel that improves upon the first and fixes the majority of its shortcomings.
The addition of sample playback is the biggest change in this. The original TR-8 was totally constructed using Roland’s Analogue Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology, which replicates the hardware units’ circuitry component by component. The TR-8S still uses the same technology at its core, offering replicas of the 808, 909, 707, 727, and 606. But this time, sample tracks are added to these emulations of instruments.
3. Boss DR-01S
Integration of pedalboards is great, but what if you play the acoustic guitar without using pedals or an amplifier?
The Boss DR-01S could be the best option for you because it has an integrated speaker that allows it to operate totally independently.
It’s perfect for a home user who only requires some pleasant-sounding rhythmic percussion to accompany their acoustic playing.
Although the built-in line out allows for live use, the tiny speaker and low volume output really place this as a home-use type of unit.
Shakers, congas, maracas, and tambourines are just a few of the authentic sounds that the DR-01S has to offer.
It may have a slightly restricted genre appeal if you’re looking for a more rock-oriented sound, but it’s ideal for anyone who like more traditional or Latin-influenced percussion.
Similar to that, it only comes with four common signatures. This is excellent for the typical player. However, you’re out of luck if you like strange measures and time signatures.
The Boss DR-01S has a gorgeous wood trim that makes it physically appealing. It also boasts what may be the nicest drum machine user interface I’ve ever seen.
Even people who have never used a drum machine before won’t have any problem using it because everything is properly labeled and accessible.
Everything sounds good and is functional. Even though you wouldn’t use these sounds for a studio album recording, they are more than sufficient for the at-home solo guitarist.
4. Korg KR-55 Pro
With their Volca units, Korg has had a great ten years. Even those on a tight budget may now access real analog gear thanks to these little synthesizers.
With a full-analog drum machine at this pricing point, there have to be some rather obvious build quality trade-offs.
The knobs are flimsy and the plastic outer shell is delicate; if you accidentally kicked them on a pedalboard, they may easily snap off.
If you can get beyond this, though, you’ll immediately realize that this is a highly functioning instrument with all the features seen on much more costly guitar drum kits.
patterns in programming Even if you’re not a drummer, using the step sequencer is pretty simple, so you shouldn’t have any problem creating some fantastic-sounding rhythms.
Additionally, the Volca beats can be activated using your favorite midi drum lines thanks to the convenient midi-in feature.
It integrates well into a pedalboard, but utilizing it can be challenging because it’s meant to be used with your hands; trying to use it with your feet would inevitably damage something.
It’s an excellent instrument for jamming, improvisation, and experimental sound creation since using your modulation pedals to process these lush-sounding analog drum sounds opens up a world of possibilities.
Nevertheless, despite having a built-in sequencer, it is not very effective as a songwriting tool.
5. Akai Professional XR20
An fascinating product is the XR20. It takes guts for Akai to produce a preloaded, sampler-free drum machine without USB in this era of astronomical popularity for laptop- and software-driven beat making.
To be clear, this is a drum machine in the conventional sense. Conceptually, it is similar to vintage instruments like the Alesis SR16, Cheetah MD-16, and Yamaha RY20, and initial impressions are generally positive.
The XR20’s construction is sturdy, and it looks decent for the price. The unit reflects the aesthetic of the present Akai family and has an excellent design. Although you occasionally need to give the pads a good bashing to get the maximum velocity, the pads feel authentically MPC. It’s unfortunate that the pads only offer eight levels of velocity; MIDI is the only interface that offers full-scale velocity.
Chronic Music, who has previously created some excellent urban libraries, created the onboard sounds. These are powerful, broad in scope, high-quality, and very usable (which is good since you’re stuck with them). They are also tough and punchy.
By navigating the Edit pages using the Page buttons, you may access the straightforward yet helpful tweaking tools if you feel that the default sounds aren’t quite cutting it for you.
Although there are some drawbacks, this is a great little drum machine overall.
The main drawback is that the XR20 is now rather stunted because there is no means to modify the sample set, add user samples, or upgrade the operating system (unless there are future plans to allow this to happen through MIDI). However, who knows what Akai may have up its sleeve in this area.
Final Word
A short list prevented us from including many other excellent options, like the Alesis SR-18, Roland TR-8S, Boss DR-01S, Korg KR-55 Pro, Akai Professional XR20, and many more.
Although they are all strong contenders, we believe that these 5 are the Best Drum Machines for Guitarists of all skill levels, sound preferences, and price points.
It might be difficult to choose the best one for your needs, but with the 5 mentioned below, you have a wonderful place to start.