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A cheap (budget) drum machine. It features 16 drum tones which, unfortunately, are only mediocre samples. Its memory contains 48 patterns and 6 songs. Unlike its TR cousins, it does not have individual drum tone outputs. There is no drum tone editing capability either. It does however feature extensive MIDI implementation, even the pads will transmit MIDI data. The 505 works well with a computer and sequencer or as a stand-alone drum machine. It is extremely basic and unexciting but does make a good starter or play-along drum machine. Vince Clarke and Aphex Twin has used the 505.

Only mediocre samples. Yet somehow Vince Clarke and Aphex Twin both used it?

One of the problems with most music gear reviews, but especially synths and drum machines. Is that you cannot expect the box to be the entire sound by itself. In most productions, you are going to add EQ, reverb and compression. In fact I often mult hi hat tracks so that I can crush one to death and get a grinding robotic track mixed in with the snappy clean track.

It's used a lot for synthwave sound! With a compressor, sounds very fat! I have one and it's amazing.

It's a great sequencer too.. I used mine to sequence a DX7 back in the day!

I have the TR-505 and it sounds amazing and fits like a glove in any mix. I´ve had a few over the years and this talk about it as being a cheap crap machine is all nonsense.

Specifications

Polyphony: 8 Voices

Oscillators: Uses Samples

Tones: 16 drum tones: Kick, snare, open/closed hat, hi/mid/low tom, hi/low cowbell, conga, timbale, etc...

Patterns: 48 user, 48 preset

Songs: 6

Arpeg/Seq: Sequencer

Keyboard: None

Manual

Download Manual