Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz Support the channel regardless of what your G.A.S. tells you to buy: EU: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=3105 US: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-261103-9759
Here it is. My first ever piece of electronic music equipment, bought back in 1992 to replace the drummer in our band who was pissing us all off. I still own it today.
For anyone who thinks they need the best and most expensive gear to make good tracks should tune in here every Friday. These videos show you that arrangement and selecting sounds that work together is by far the most important thing when it comes to making tracks that jam.
@@haljalykakik2384 It's a bang on description, but imo, still a cool sound. On hi hats and other sounds. Tbc, I don't listen to trap or related, or really any modern mainstream music in that vein, heh (I don't think so, anyway).
@@haljalykakik2384same here, that and every rapper abusing auto tune and the triplet flow. Also bass so intentionally low it’s only purpose is to make the cat run away
While the 660 may possibly be responsible for inspiring the first genre to overuse “garden sprinkler hi-hats” (debatable premise, but I do love the term), it was definitely not the first drum machine/groove box to incorporate ratchets. I’ve got a Studio 440 from 1986 that allows you to do similar ratchets on every pad. And IIRC, the Linn 9000 from 1986 may be the first to actually incorporate that function. FWIW, I do have a DR-660 myself. I bought it years ago because you can easily program patterns that fire off MIDI notes externally in sync with Clock. I used those to trigger different effects parameter changes in time with other track elements. After purchase, I was actually fairly pleased to hear that the sounds really don’t suck, and would occasionally even use it live before it got replaced for that purpose by units like the Circuit.
You have to wonder if different regions developed a distinct sound because some random music store in the region was trying to offload some product they ordered too many of.
A big help, in making any art, are limitations. That fixes the problem of "I can do anything, so what should I do?" When you're broke, you get what you can afford, and you do with it what you can. Then, maybe years later, people think you were a genius for just making the best out of your limited options.
At the time, back in 1992, the inclusion of 808 drum sounds was one of the major selling points. For me it was a straight fight between this and the Alesis SR16 when I wanted to get my first drum machine. I loved it, although I knew no different because I had no frame of reference. The positioning of notes in the step mode by using reference to the 96ppqn seems very odd now, but I thought about straight quarter notes being on 100, 124, 148 and 172 and triplets on 100, 132 and 164 as a standard way of thinking for years, and 57% swing is still my brain's default for triplet swing. The 80 beat patterns, huge 250 pattern songs and 100 song chains put many modern hardware drum machines to shame! You also get note shift that’s similar to Elektron's microtiming and fill patterns that can jump to pattern variations or back to the original pattern. It’s a nice bit of kit, although it will seem archaic to people raised on modern conveniences.
The Dr-660 was my first drum machine, I bought it in like 2010 and I was amazed at how much I could do with it and how great it sounded. I just wanted a drum machine to practice guitar to. Ended up making entire songs with it, and was highly disappointed when I later bought other drum machines that lacked things like a song feature. It stopped turning on one day and it took a piece of my soul with it.
@@WizWordofficial Doesn't it need to be soldered on though? I need to change the battery on my DR 5 but I'm scared of messing it up, and no one really offers that service in person anymore
@@BrokenValentine-333 no it should just pop out. If it's not dead already I think you could leave it plugged in and change the battery so you don't lose the saved information.
Your second jam is fire and bring justice to the memory of bad gear and even cheaper stuff from the 80s, which proves you can make music on a doorknob, a few rubber bands and a tin can that would make Simon Cowbell proud.
Content Request: can you do drum rhythm and sequencing workshop or lab of sorts? I love the groves you compose, they are sweet like candy and are soul crushing like a heartbreak. Thank you ❤🙏🏾
@@slowgaffle I'm sitting here looking at the QY-100 next to the computer keyboard and wondering if Florian'll ever get it on the show 😀. Meanwhile I'm shopping for something in the DR-660/770 range and just discovered the DR-670, which is apparently a 770 with velocity sensitive pads? Too bloomin' many options!
Horrorcore isn't something I had expected to come up on this channel 😂 Also, props for going deeper into Memphis rap than the surface level coverage of Three 6 Mafia.
got myself one 6 years ago and i don't regret it one bit.. def a pioneer UG memphis rap machine DJ Pinky, DJ Fela, Tommy Wright III, Shawty Pimp, SMK, DJ Paul, DJ Zirk all used this machine!!
I remember hearing a Dr Rhythm being crushed into blazing jungle mode with a 2000 beer token Focusrite Red 3 as an ironic experiment, and thinking "I'll be needing a new kidney. That compressor is the shizzle"
My first experience with a drum machine was the DR-660. I was about 14 years old, and it really enhanced my mixtapes. When I was 15, I got a DR-550 for myself, but ended up returning it because it was far too limited for what I needed. I later bought a DR-880, but ended up selling it before digging into the workflow. By that time, I had an MPC Touch and realized I should have just got a rack unit, instead. The DR-660 was great, especially combined with turntables, but there are so many options now, it is impossible to go back. Good times 😎👍
The amount of background-info, humor&memes, awesome sounds and pure character that’s crammed into every nook and cranny of these Bad Gear episodes is bogglin’ my simple mind. Pfff… Herr Audioshroom, Multilevel Maestro! ❤️🫡
This was my first drum machine! Bought in 1993 shortly after it launched to supplement playing out when I couldn't bring a drummer (drummers are a lot heavier). It also made it onto a couple of pop albums and a few instrumental albums. Sold in ~2005 in exchange for baby gear. Baby made completely different atonal noises and had significantly more range, so it was totally worth the trade despite the increased maintenance costs.
When I was a broke teenager barely starting to get into making my own music, I couldn't afford a laptop let alone all the fancy hardware and instruments my peers had. Around the same time I started getting heavily into memphis rap and had also heard a few older edm drum n bass tracks made with the 660, and was blown away by the dirty percussions and brutal bass stabs you could do with such a humble and unassuming looking drum machine. I ended up getting the 660 and DR 5 and it's how I slowly taught myself how to produce beats before I obtained "better" gear and DAWs. It's easy to see it as primitive now, but the 660 and 5 are legacy items that demand respect. They hold a special place in my heart. Genuinely the undisputed musical underdogs of the 90s
My first digital drum machine was the even more modest Boss DR-550, which is really compact, easy to use and runs on AA batteries! I think the 808 sounds are the same as on this baby. I also rate the Boss DR-110, which is a Volca sized analog drum machine from the early 80s.
Florian did episodes on the DR-550 and the DR-110. I've been going back thru all his drum machine takes considering an alternative and/or addon to the almighty SR-16
YOOOO MY BELOVED DR-660 FINALLY GETS ITS OWN FLORIAN SPOTLIGHT I've had one of these for years, it's absolutely one of the most underrated drum machines out there. The sample selection is usable, especially its really nice 808 samples, the sequencing modes are straightforward and don't get in the way, but for me the best feature is the second stereo output. By hard panning pads left and right you can functionally get 4 individual mono outs, which is incredibly useful for using this in a bigger studio setup. Normally extra outputs don't start showing up on drum machines until they hit nearly $1000, so the fact that you can get them on a machine that consistently goes for $150 or less is a steal. Highly recommend this machine!
I have an unabashed LOVE for the DR-660. Those Drum samples sound like "CD music from the 1990s" in the absolute best way. Just ideal 90s clean drum samples. The limits w/ Pop & house are endless with a DR-660.
The final jam here legitmately whips. I've been using an old R-8 to make some crunchy old school ebm lately, and now I'm wondering what goofy madness this little box holds! Great video, as always
@@arcadeapocalypsemusic lol they're both pretty juicy, I think I'll probably stick with the R-8, its use case is pretty narrow, but if you're wanting a 242 / early FLA / Godflesh vibe, it's pretty immaculate!
@@KattKirsch The 660 actually has a drum hit Front 242 used on "First In First Out" & no coincidence it happens to be on preset #242 lol I swear alot of the drums in this machine are the same they used & must have been from earlier Boss machines, but upgraded to 16-bit
Listen to early DJ Zirk and 8ball + MJG and get real buck. They were among the first, and triple six took it nationwide, and eventually worldwide. Loved growing up with all those 80s tapes around with the triple six, lil yo. fly, and all them. Sequence some overdriven 660 with an MP using note repeat and you got another one of them tracks for the hoes in whitehaven. The 60 and others set to lower resolution to increase capacity likely contributed to the lofi sound since they had to PAY big bucks to be in the studio and use DAT. Cheers from an old school dog pilz.
Fairlights aren't bad gear though and the music made with them is absolutely gorgeous. Fairlights are just the keyboard version of buying a 1970's jet airliner used in price and in maintenance as a passion project because they cost a small to medium large fortune to buy, fix, or maintain
@@neilpatrickhairless No. Especially the series II Fairlights are cruddy junk that takes forever to load everything, has barely any RAM, and junk fidelity. They were special because, at the time, your other sampling option was an Emulator that barely loaded one sample at a time. It might have been slow and frustrating, but at least the Fairlight had a sound editor and sequencer. The reason you think they sound great is because you've heard them in Pop songs, covered in reverb, and EQed like crazy to avoid all of the artifacts. If you listened to one dry, you wouldn't think it sounds as good. Think of how a raw DX7 sounds like plastic junk without effects. The Fairlight is way way worse. Series III was much better, though. Anyway, I'm eagerly awaiting it's Bad Gear appearance, with an Electro Funk meets Proto Trap Page R overdrive. Haha
My entire studio has been featured on this show now. I think the only piece of gear left in my studio untouched by Bad Gear is my beloved Korg EMX-1 SD. But how long until that is featured now?
Hehe - the final piece shows that with a DAW you can make everything sound awesome :) Thanks for the new episode, enjoyed it more than expected for such an old instrument!
The DR-660 has a design flaw that it shares with the DR-770: Roland used the same 14V Wallwart as for the DR-880 with its non-standard 6,3/3mm barrel plug, but internal both machines only use 12V, so they get very hot on the bottom side (because Roland didn't care to put a proper heatsink on the voltage regulator). I used a 12V DC PSU and changed the barrel plug, and so it doesn't get overheated inside. BTW: didn't see you at Superbooth this year, I suspect you weren't there? :)
I have the Dr-660 and was wondering if my unit's voltage regulators were just going bad. I was planning on putting beefer ones inside so it wouldn't get as hot. I got a powersupply from HQRP on amazon and its 12v as well.
last time I saw one it was a one man band playing psychedelic guitar loops over it.. in the gazebo down at the beach in Qualicum Vancouver Island and never touching the 808 sounds.
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG The dr 5 video is the whole reason I got a dr 5 in the first place and after that I was just waiting for a 660/670 video
This was my first drum machine and I was able to get some decent tracks out of it and my Casio CZ 101 and Novation Bassstation. Also, the guy at the music store who sold it to me showed how I could have up to four individual outs using pan to send each sound to it's own channel. A very cool trick to have as a beginner.
with this and the TR505 reviews you have done almost all the drum machines on my new album. Just need you to do the Yamaha rx21l. Now that is bad gear!
I like mempis rap, especially growing up with older cousins from North Louisiana and Eastern Arkansas and tulsa they have always had some of the "bigger production" tapes. But it's a dead horse being beaten into the ground at this point. Every other underground rapper is just a 90s memphis copy paste even going as far as having whole bars just ripped from some of these artists with no real credit given other than "being inspired" by them. And unfortunately the scene has been taken over by pop culture trendhoppers who give no real appreciation to the OGs of the 90s who lived that life and pioneered the sound. For as big as a genre that this "phonk" shit has become it would be nice to see the artists like sir Mike g and Lil g getting paid. Anyways RIP Princess Loko one love. (Edit: IM from Tulsa originally, in the 90s tulsa took on more of a G Funk sound in the local hip hop scene but still a lot of people from around the Mississippi there)
The best part of the week … 8 minutes and 32 seconds ago … 😀 The worst part of the week … Now: the longest possible time before a new Bad Gear episode … 😔
The 660 is the simplest drum sequencer out there for real-time pad recording. I don't use my MPC ONE for drum sequencing anymore. You just set the pad note numbers you want to trigger sounds over MIDI. They should bring the Dr-660 back with 64 pads and call it the DR-640. And should add note sustain, with real-time note on and note off quantize. A dream come true for me because not everyone loves step sequencing their drums.
Hated this (perhaps wrongly) because of the printed screen divisions that reminded me off the knock-off (cheap) handheld games with the levels rendered already my parents bought me as a kid in the 70-80s. Hope you know what I mean.
Honestly kinda added to the bootleg charm for me. I love how the design looks like an 80s telephone machine or a drug scale with googly eyes, as well as the Gameboy knock off games you mentioned 🤣
Love the DR-660, an upgrade from my DR-550, but eventually I sold it to fund a DR-770. Each progressively newer drum machine kept the old model’s samples and added new samples. The DR-880 is a different beast, supporting more complex tasks like musical bass lines, so I kept the DR-770.
4:29 as a Tennessean I wholeheartedly agree LMAO your memes are the best, keep up the awesome work my friend. Edit to add: loved the Fast and Furious sampled footage ;)
Honestly? That finale slams even if it's not the sterotype "phonk" you would get if you searched for it on youtube today. Good work. Might just consider becoming a patron for the full version.
I own one of these right now and I'm never giving it up. As a point of fact, this drum machine was also the backbone of many a Ghetto House classic joints and out this way (SE Michigan to Chicago) it's known primarily for that.
I still have mine. I used it for heavy rock music. 808 and rock kit mixed. Recorded to my roland vs880. Cosm effects still rock. I also used it to run keyboard loops with midi
this was also popular with Seattle rappers in the 2000s. guys would record vocals in my studio and it was usually this thing or a big Yamaha Motif keyboard.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs:
www.patreon.com/audiopilz
Support the channel regardless of what your G.A.S. tells you to buy:
EU: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=3105
US: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-261103-9759
I have never heard you make a single break beat track.
You better be covering the Microwave 1
Here it is. My first ever piece of electronic music equipment, bought back in 1992 to replace the drummer in our band who was pissing us all off. I still own it today.
Nice one!!!
"F off Steve, you're fired! This thing won't smoke all my cigarettes!"
*DR 660 ripping a cig in the back
Been there, done exactly that. Nice to see others coming up with similar solutions. 👍
I bought mine for $60 used that same year for more or less the same reason.
oh i feel sad i could put more ads for new talented drummers ...
I finished my nursing degree today AND there's an episode of Bad Gear to watch 😭😭 life is aiight eh
Congratulations!!!
@@johnnythreshold Congrats, bro! 😎👍🏼
@@johnnythreshold congratulations 🥂
Congratulations, good work!!!
nice 🎉🎉🎉 good job
For anyone who thinks they need the best and most expensive gear to make good tracks should tune in here every Friday. These videos show you that arrangement and selecting sounds that work together is by far the most important thing when it comes to making tracks that jam.
Thank you so much!!!
"garden sprinkler hi-hats" made my day. 😂🙏
😀😀😀
Best description of those I've ever heard. I swear I can't listen to most modern music because of that damned 808 hi-hat on every record
@@haljalykakik2384 It's a bang on description, but imo, still a cool sound. On hi hats and other sounds.
Tbc, I don't listen to trap or related, or really any modern mainstream music in that vein, heh (I don't think so, anyway).
@@haljalykakik2384same here, that and every rapper abusing auto tune and the triplet flow. Also bass so intentionally low it’s only purpose is to make the cat run away
While the 660 may possibly be responsible for inspiring the first genre to overuse “garden sprinkler hi-hats” (debatable premise, but I do love the term), it was definitely not the first drum machine/groove box to incorporate ratchets. I’ve got a Studio 440 from 1986 that allows you to do similar ratchets on every pad. And IIRC, the Linn 9000 from 1986 may be the first to actually incorporate that function.
FWIW, I do have a DR-660 myself. I bought it years ago because you can easily program patterns that fire off MIDI notes externally in sync with Clock. I used those to trigger different effects parameter changes in time with other track elements. After purchase, I was actually fairly pleased to hear that the sounds really don’t suck, and would occasionally even use it live before it got replaced for that purpose by units like the Circuit.
not crushing it through a tape deck was a missed opportunity
The only and real makin graveyard sounds...
I actually have a Tape Deck here but my days only have 24h;)
@@AudioPilz Also not doing a memphis rap beat... failure
@@VuotoPneumaNN You really want to hear a austrian make a memphis beat? What's next, ordering pizza at the indian restaurant?
@@gumb0l I am just sick of hearing him do trance.
You have to wonder if different regions developed a distinct sound because some random music store in the region was trying to offload some product they ordered too many of.
I mean, thats how Acid House happened in chicago/detroit with every store wanting to get rid of 303s and old 808s
A big help, in making any art, are limitations. That fixes the problem of "I can do anything, so what should I do?"
When you're broke, you get what you can afford, and you do with it what you can. Then, maybe years later, people think you were a genius for just making the best out of your limited options.
Most definitely!!!
I got mine in 95, and still have it. letting my kids use it now
You’re a good parent!
At the time, back in 1992, the inclusion of 808 drum sounds was one of the major selling points. For me it was a straight fight between this and the Alesis SR16 when I wanted to get my first drum machine. I loved it, although I knew no different because I had no frame of reference. The positioning of notes in the step mode by using reference to the 96ppqn seems very odd now, but I thought about straight quarter notes being on 100, 124, 148 and 172 and triplets on 100, 132 and 164 as a standard way of thinking for years, and 57% swing is still my brain's default for triplet swing.
The 80 beat patterns, huge 250 pattern songs and 100 song chains put many modern hardware drum machines to shame! You also get note shift that’s similar to Elektron's microtiming and fill patterns that can jump to pattern variations or back to the original pattern.
It’s a nice bit of kit, although it will seem archaic to people raised on modern conveniences.
That sums it up nicely!
Nailbomb actually used a DR-500 due to the 808 samples
The Dr-660 was my first drum machine, I bought it in like 2010 and I was amazed at how much I could do with it and how great it sounded. I just wanted a drum machine to practice guitar to. Ended up making entire songs with it, and was highly disappointed when I later bought other drum machines that lacked things like a song feature. It stopped turning on one day and it took a piece of my soul with it.
And thus, your username was born 😢
It has a round battery that you need to change
Cool!!!
@@WizWordofficial Doesn't it need to be soldered on though? I need to change the battery on my DR 5 but I'm scared of messing it up, and no one really offers that service in person anymore
@@BrokenValentine-333 no it should just pop out. If it's not dead already I think you could leave it plugged in and change the battery so you don't lose the saved information.
Your second jam is fire and bring justice to the memory of bad gear and even cheaper stuff from the 80s, which proves you can make music on a doorknob, a few rubber bands and a tin can that would make Simon Cowbell proud.
Thank you!!!
I'm always genuinely impressed by how good your music is in these videos, with gear I've already sold and written off.
Many of us feel exactly the same. Florian never disappoints.
Thank you so much!!!
0:25 --- Fun fact: Hatsune Miku's skirt pleats are the front panels of the Yamaha TX816, and her sleeves are the front panel of the Yamaha DX100.
True that!
Content Request: can you do drum rhythm and sequencing workshop or lab of sorts? I love the groves you compose, they are sweet like candy and are soul crushing like a heartbreak. Thank you ❤🙏🏾
Thank you so much!!! Currently trying to fit in a little educational content - great suggestion!
@@AudioPilz Please find the time Florian.
@@AudioPilz I’m going to be sitting up front to my screen with an apple for teacher LMAO 🍎
I mean f'real, how much gear even remains? There's like the QY-70 and then the Monomachine and then there is nothing left.
@@slowgaffle I'm sitting here looking at the QY-100 next to the computer keyboard and wondering if Florian'll ever get it on the show 😀. Meanwhile I'm shopping for something in the DR-660/770 range and just discovered the DR-670, which is apparently a 770 with velocity sensitive pads? Too bloomin' many options!
Horrorcore isn't something I had expected to come up on this channel 😂
Also, props for going deeper into Memphis rap than the surface level coverage of Three 6 Mafia.
Thank you so much!!!
I think the internet needs a 5h long jam with the Bad Gear intro music made out of all the reviews.
Bad Gear, Good Music
Somebody actually did that recently;)
@@AudioPilz How about another "All The Bad Gear" jam using equipment you've covered since the previous one?
Please never stop! This channel RULES!!!
Thank you so much!!!
The Industrial Finale Piece was Spectacular!!!...Still Watching these Episodes on our Korg RePlay ScReEn.
Thank you so much!!!
got myself one 6 years ago and i don't regret it one bit.. def a pioneer UG memphis rap machine DJ Pinky, DJ Fela, Tommy Wright III, Shawty Pimp, SMK, DJ Paul, DJ Zirk all used this machine!!
👍👍👍
It's a GAS story older than time itself. When I had the 550, I wanted the 660, but couldn't afford it.
GAS was even stronger in times before internet because you were bonding much harder with gear you didn't have
@@AudioPilz Can't even express how seen you make me feel 🥲
In the 80's would go into a music store to play with synths I could not afford.
I remember hearing a Dr Rhythm being crushed into blazing jungle mode with a 2000 beer token Focusrite Red 3 as an ironic experiment, and thinking "I'll be needing a new kidney. That compressor is the shizzle"
Ah, the super expensive Red Series
@@AudioPilz That one's worth every pfennig (if you don't mind eating pot noodles for a year or two)
your phonk is massive I would pay to see you making a hard drugs infused tape with juicy j in the middle of an old not so abandoned Indian cemetery
Location of that cemetery?
@@AudioPilz India of course!
@@AudioPilz i would say st Louis cemetery no. 1 in new Orleans it looks like a good one
Really appreciate your attention to context and history here
Thank you!!!
My first experience with a drum machine was the DR-660. I was about 14 years old, and it really enhanced my mixtapes. When I was 15, I got a DR-550 for myself, but ended up returning it because it was far too limited for what I needed. I later bought a DR-880, but ended up selling it before digging into the workflow. By that time, I had an MPC Touch and realized I should have just got a rack unit, instead. The DR-660 was great, especially combined with turntables, but there are so many options now, it is impossible to go back. Good times 😎👍
Nice workflow!!!
The plot twist was when the story had you thinking this was back in the 90s but then they bust out with the MPC touch.
@@slowgaffle Yeah, the DR-880 was way later in life. They still sold them until recently and I thought it would be cool to grab one
Yeah, Dr Rhythms and the little Alesis drum machines have been around for fucking ever dude
The amount of background-info, humor&memes, awesome sounds and pure character that’s crammed into every nook and cranny of these Bad Gear episodes is bogglin’ my simple mind. Pfff… Herr Audioshroom, Multilevel Maestro! ❤️🫡
Squarepusher's first drum machine! That guy is a beast ❤
He's a lovely nutter!
Agreed!!!
1:52 Kids In The Hall reference... i cant' tell you how proud i am to be canadian...thank you! lol
That video had me rofling!
@@AudioPilz this episode was full of lol's! one of the best...
This was my first drum machine! Bought in 1993 shortly after it launched to supplement playing out when I couldn't bring a drummer (drummers are a lot heavier). It also made it onto a couple of pop albums and a few instrumental albums. Sold in ~2005 in exchange for baby gear. Baby made completely different atonal noises and had significantly more range, so it was totally worth the trade despite the increased maintenance costs.
Baby gear? Tell us more
Nice!!!
Nice! Loved the cowbell-o-geddon
Thank you!!!
When I was a broke teenager barely starting to get into making my own music, I couldn't afford a laptop let alone all the fancy hardware and instruments my peers had. Around the same time I started getting heavily into memphis rap and had also heard a few older edm drum n bass tracks made with the 660, and was blown away by the dirty percussions and brutal bass stabs you could do with such a humble and unassuming looking drum machine. I ended up getting the 660 and DR 5 and it's how I slowly taught myself how to produce beats before I obtained "better" gear and DAWs. It's easy to see it as primitive now, but the 660 and 5 are legacy items that demand respect. They hold a special place in my heart.
Genuinely the undisputed musical underdogs of the 90s
Wow, I like your channel better and better! So much valuable knowledge in an entertaining fomat!
Thanks!!!
Ye my guy making every friday a small holiday
Thank you!!!
I absolutely love this drum machine. Surprisingly great for an industrial/ebm drum sound
Great if you distort it!
it was mostly this with the sp1200 into a 16 track tascam deck and Mackie board. levels blown to hell. good times.
Way to go!!!
Ol' Doc 660 was my drummer for years. Easy to program and use but no low end.
Nice!!!
My first digital drum machine was the even more modest Boss DR-550, which is really compact, easy to use and runs on AA batteries!
I think the 808 sounds are the same as on this baby. I also rate the Boss DR-110, which is a Volca sized analog drum machine from the early 80s.
I had a 550 too -- bought in 1993, great value at the time.
I've been using the 550 quite a bit recently
Florian did episodes on the DR-550 and the DR-110. I've been going back thru all his drum machine takes considering an alternative and/or addon to the almighty SR-16
YOOOO MY BELOVED DR-660 FINALLY GETS ITS OWN FLORIAN SPOTLIGHT
I've had one of these for years, it's absolutely one of the most underrated drum machines out there. The sample selection is usable, especially its really nice 808 samples, the sequencing modes are straightforward and don't get in the way, but for me the best feature is the second stereo output. By hard panning pads left and right you can functionally get 4 individual mono outs, which is incredibly useful for using this in a bigger studio setup. Normally extra outputs don't start showing up on drum machines until they hit nearly $1000, so the fact that you can get them on a machine that consistently goes for $150 or less is a steal. Highly recommend this machine!
It was about time! Absolute classic!
I have an unabashed LOVE for the DR-660.
Those Drum samples sound like "CD music from the 1990s" in the absolute best way. Just ideal 90s clean drum samples. The limits w/ Pop & house are endless with a DR-660.
😀😀😀
The final jam here legitmately whips. I've been using an old R-8 to make some crunchy old school ebm lately, and now I'm wondering what goofy madness this little box holds! Great video, as always
I've used the 660 on nearly every retro EBM release I have & have wondered the opposite myself about trying the R-8 lol
@@arcadeapocalypsemusic lol they're both pretty juicy, I think I'll probably stick with the R-8, its use case is pretty narrow, but if you're wanting a 242 / early FLA / Godflesh vibe, it's pretty immaculate!
@@KattKirsch The 660 actually has a drum hit Front 242 used on "First In First Out" & no coincidence it happens to be on preset #242 lol I swear alot of the drums in this machine are the same they used & must have been from earlier Boss machines, but upgraded to 16-bit
@@arcadeapocalypsemusic oh word! Yeah I bet it's just a cleaner version of the 8's crunchiness! I'll have to check it out.
Thank you so much!!!
Listen to early DJ Zirk and 8ball + MJG and get real buck. They were among the first, and triple six took it nationwide, and eventually worldwide. Loved growing up with all those 80s tapes around with the triple six, lil yo. fly, and all them. Sequence some overdriven 660 with an MP using note repeat and you got another one of them tracks for the hoes in whitehaven. The 60 and others set to lower resolution to increase capacity likely contributed to the lofi sound since they had to PAY big bucks to be in the studio and use DAT.
Cheers from an old school dog pilz.
Cheers!!!
I'm still waiting for the Bad Gear Fairlight review.
I’ll try to find an excuse for that;)
"At first glance it's ticking all of the ancient PC meets bulky MIDI controller, one day we'll be making music on computers boxes!"
Fairlights aren't bad gear though and the music made with them is absolutely gorgeous. Fairlights are just the keyboard version of buying a 1970's jet airliner used in price and in maintenance as a passion project because they cost a small to medium large fortune to buy, fix, or maintain
@@neilpatrickhairless No. Especially the series II Fairlights are cruddy junk that takes forever to load everything, has barely any RAM, and junk fidelity. They were special because, at the time, your other sampling option was an Emulator that barely loaded one sample at a time. It might have been slow and frustrating, but at least the Fairlight had a sound editor and sequencer.
The reason you think they sound great is because you've heard them in Pop songs, covered in reverb, and EQed like crazy to avoid all of the artifacts. If you listened to one dry, you wouldn't think it sounds as good. Think of how a raw DX7 sounds like plastic junk without effects. The Fairlight is way way worse. Series III was much better, though.
Anyway, I'm eagerly awaiting it's Bad Gear appearance, with an Electro Funk meets Proto Trap Page R overdrive. Haha
Great Jams as always!
Thanks!!!
I have one it's fire, this bad boy also responsible for Ghetto House, Juke, Footwork.from Chicago.
Nice!!! Thanks for the heads up!
This was one of my favorite bad gear intro renditions second to only the M Audio Venom one
Thank you!!!
My entire studio has been featured on this show now. I think the only piece of gear left in my studio untouched by Bad Gear is my beloved Korg EMX-1 SD. But how long until that is featured now?
Emx is one of the best boxes ever
Sooooo hard to find an EMX for a reasonable price
Hehe - the final piece shows that with a DAW you can make everything sound awesome :) Thanks for the new episode, enjoyed it more than expected for such an old instrument!
True that, thanks!!!
I bought it in 1992 and I still use my dr rhythm 660 from frank zappa tunes to house or industrial❤
Nice!!!
I loved this drum machine. Brings back good memories.
❤️❤️❤️
The DR-660 has a design flaw that it shares with the DR-770: Roland used the same 14V Wallwart as for the DR-880 with its non-standard 6,3/3mm barrel plug, but internal both machines only use 12V, so they get very hot on the bottom side (because Roland didn't care to put a proper heatsink on the voltage regulator). I used a 12V DC PSU and changed the barrel plug, and so it doesn't get overheated inside. BTW: didn't see you at Superbooth this year, I suspect you weren't there? :)
Interesting! I got mine with a 12V one. Unfortunately I had to cancel SB this year because I fell ill😢
I have the Dr-660 and was wondering if my unit's voltage regulators were just going bad. I was planning on putting beefer ones inside so it wouldn't get as hot. I got a powersupply from HQRP on amazon and its 12v as well.
@@ZZEROO99 All of them do this, and the DR-770 which is the same machine with a few changes.
Doesn't it also run on batteries?
@@greyblooznope
Memphis Scene got me into music production. Thank you for this history lesson. I use DR-660 samples in all of my music. Legendary!!!!
Thank you!!!
last time I saw one it was a one man band playing psychedelic guitar loops over it.. in the gazebo down at the beach in Qualicum Vancouver Island and never touching the 808 sounds.
Nice!!!
Big, big up yourself Florian - picked up a DR770 the other day and the pitched 808 clave with massive reverb on works an absolute treat! Danke sehr!
Immer gerne!
Thank you Bruv! Shout out Keyboard Kingpins Dr-660 Mini Doc! Much love 🌊✨🌊
Much love Jinji u the homie!
❤️❤️❤️
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG
The dr 5 video is the whole reason I got a dr 5 in the first place and after that I was just waiting for a 660/670 video
😀😀😀
Great video. I hope you do one for the dr-880 some day
Thank you!!!
A wholly accurate assessment, and conclusion. 10/10.
Thank you!!!
Also don't sleep on the Boss DS-330 his synth partner in crime!
Keyboard kingpin! You brought my awareness to these two vintage bangers. I dig your video on this gem. Worth a watch✨🌊✨
@SynthCatSpot man I'm honored! I thank you so much for watching and spreading love like that! The community needs more cats like u!!
Great suggestion, thank you!!!
This was my first drum machine and I was able to get some decent tracks out of it and my Casio CZ 101 and Novation Bassstation. Also, the guy at the music store who sold it to me showed how I could have up to four individual outs using pan to send each sound to it's own channel. A very cool trick to have as a beginner.
Nice!
Don't forget!
All the classic Juke/Footwork sounds come from the Boss Dr-660 and the Roland R-70!!!
True that!
Yeah was going to say the same. Ghetto house
The day has finally come. The first piece of gear I ever bought made its way onto Bad Gear.
First love is the deepest ❤️❤️❤️
ITS FRIDAY BABYYY!!!
Have a great weekend!!!
First jam was incredible, you're a madman
Second only to the second
Thank you!!!
Um... I like the way it did the opening theme. I did not expect that.
Also, I was "like" number 69.
FYI
There was no other way;)
Ich schaue deine videos jetzt locker ein jahr und ich hab so lange auf diesen tag gewartet 😍😃
Welp- there goes the price...
It's usually just a little price spike
with this and the TR505 reviews you have done almost all the drum machines on my new album. Just need you to do the Yamaha rx21l. Now that is bad gear!
Great suggestion, thank you!!!
Cat Keyboard when
meowmeowmeowmeow meowmow
True, needs to be on every channel!
Loved seeing the Australian breakdancer pop up at the mention of "less than authentic"
😀
I need that Volca cassette
It needs to materialize!
@@AudioPilz Sign me up!
Delicious episode as usual
Finally back to pre 2000s gear, more please!
Thank you!!!
Finale Jam is great ❤
Thank you!!!
AudioPilz mane dropped some proper education in this junt. 🙏 Like thiiiiiiis 🗣️
Always a pleasure;) Thanks!!!
I like mempis rap, especially growing up with older cousins from North Louisiana and Eastern Arkansas and tulsa they have always had some of the "bigger production" tapes. But it's a dead horse being beaten into the ground at this point. Every other underground rapper is just a 90s memphis copy paste even going as far as having whole bars just ripped from some of these artists with no real credit given other than "being inspired" by them. And unfortunately the scene has been taken over by pop culture trendhoppers who give no real appreciation to the OGs of the 90s who lived that life and pioneered the sound. For as big as a genre that this "phonk" shit has become it would be nice to see the artists like sir Mike g and Lil g getting paid. Anyways RIP Princess Loko one love.
(Edit: IM from Tulsa originally, in the 90s tulsa took on more of a G Funk sound in the local hip hop scene but still a lot of people from around the Mississippi there)
Thank you for the insight!!!
Great as always. Surprisingly i've never heard a wack beat in your videos - they had always such a vibe!
Beste Grüsse aus'm Pott!
Vielen Dank!!!
The best part of the week … 8 minutes and 32 seconds ago … 😀
The worst part of the week … Now: the longest possible time before a new Bad Gear episode … 😔
I feel you❤️❤️❤️
@@AudioPilz Y’mean, you’re going to start putting out a new episode every day … ?! That’s GREAT news!! 😀 Hey, Everyone!! … … … 📢 🔊
The 660 is the simplest drum sequencer out there for real-time pad recording. I don't use my MPC ONE for drum sequencing anymore. You just set the pad note numbers you want to trigger sounds over MIDI. They should bring the Dr-660 back with 64 pads and call it the DR-640. And should add note sustain, with real-time note on and note off quantize. A dream come true for me because not everyone loves step sequencing their drums.
👍
Hated this (perhaps wrongly) because of the printed screen divisions that reminded me off the knock-off (cheap) handheld games with the levels rendered already my parents bought me as a kid in the 70-80s. Hope you know what I mean.
Simpler times…
Honestly kinda added to the bootleg charm for me. I love how the design looks like an 80s telephone machine or a drug scale with googly eyes, as well as the Gameboy knock off games you mentioned 🤣
Love the DR-660, an upgrade from my DR-550, but eventually I sold it to fund a DR-770. Each progressively newer drum machine kept the old model’s samples and added new samples. The DR-880 is a different beast, supporting more complex tasks like musical bass lines, so I kept the DR-770.
👍👍👍
it actually has one of the sickest bass samples out there
Especially the slap bass one;)
4:29 as a Tennessean I wholeheartedly agree LMAO your memes are the best, keep up the awesome work my friend. Edit to add: loved the Fast and Furious sampled footage ;)
Thank you so much!!!
Nice jams!!!
Despite DR 660...
Thank you!!!
This is bringing back some memories!
😀😀😀
I really preferred the DR-660 to the DR-550 I had.
The 550 takes processing better IMHO
No one needs a break from 808 cowbells. Electro is life
I'm back on it already;)
Honestly? That finale slams even if it's not the sterotype "phonk" you would get if you searched for it on youtube today. Good work. Might just consider becoming a patron for the full version.
Thank you!!! Your support would be much appreciated!!!
A Bad Gear double feature of the Behringer Neutron and Proton could be fun. Make that a Christmas special or something idk. Terrific work as always!
Great idea, thanks!!!
blimey that last 'phonk' is great
Thank you!!!
Es ist einfach so leiwand was du machst.
Eine ‚worldwide show‘ aus Wien.
👍🏻
Daungschen!!!
I own one of these right now and I'm never giving it up. As a point of fact, this drum machine was also the backbone of many a Ghetto House classic joints and out this way (SE Michigan to Chicago) it's known primarily for that.
I still have mine. I used it for heavy rock music. 808 and rock kit mixed. Recorded to my roland vs880. Cosm effects still rock. I also used it to run keyboard loops with midi
Nice approach!
I remember posting about this.
I am from Memphis and i had the DR770
Nice!! Thanks!
I'm using mine with my Fostex X19 right now! Same as I was in 1993. :) Loved your vid.
Nice! Thanks!
omg I have this! youre my hero! i was sure youd never make a video on it!
Nice!!!❤️❤️❤️
I think this or the DR5 might also be the source of what became THE footwork/juke claps and 808 snares.
Isn't that the R-70?
this was also popular with Seattle rappers in the 2000s. guys would record vocals in my studio and it was usually this thing or a big Yamaha Motif keyboard.
Interesting!!! Thanks for posting!
Ahhhh, Boss, just Roland by another name. Great vid as always!
Thank you!!!
I have never felt so seen in a synth culture video on youtube... I nearly spit out my drink when the thumbnail popped up.
❤️❤️❤️
my 1st drum machine...great hi-hats...and good snares. real 808 thickness you can tune!!!!
Agreed!!!
I recorded four industrial rock albums with this drum machine in the late 90s. This is one of my favorite pieces of gear of all time.
Nice!
Particularly good music sections this episode 😘👌🏼💥
Thank you!!!