Adam Settle

I spent a few hours in GC playing with the Volca Beats, the Arturia Drumbrute, and the Akai Rhythm Wolf. I planned on getting the Volca Beats before I got there, because it has good reviews and it's so cheap. I played it, and it was so underwhelming. Maybe after a lot of compression and other effects it's usable, but the snare was terrible as we all know. I've read "layer some PCM with it and it's better!" If I wanted PCM sounds, I'd just use my Electribe Sampler. I wanted an analog drum machine for analog frickin' drums. I digress. The Drumbrute had some great sounds on it. I loved the 2nd kick and the toms. The snare was WEAK. Better than the Beats, but still will not cut through the rest of the sounds, even mixed higher. I was apprehensive about the Rhythm wolf, because it has such terrible reviews. I played it anyway. Immediately it sounded better than the Beats by a long shot, and the snare was (to my ears) far more usable than either of the other drum machines, and has the ability to have a nice long decay, which is desirable to me. GC had it on sale, brand new for $129. I couldn't resist. I brought it home and expected to hook it up and program a beat and play through one of my songs with it, and promptly return it. NOPE. It sounds dope. You people are deaf. What were you expecting from a $200 drum machine anyway? What are you using that sounds sooo much better that makes the Rhythm Wolf trash? If you're looking for an analog drum machine, that sounds like an analog drum machine this is it. No it doesn't have the most tweak-ability, but if you can't make a beat sound good with the Rhythm Wolf, you can't make a beat sound good. (Or you're relying way too heavily on gear to make you sound good.)

While it's a mono-synth, you're given two oscillators and a sub oscillator that you can de-tune against each other and get some fat sounds. I'll typically have the sub an octave below the main oscillator, and the 2nd oscillator a 5th above the first, and it really kicks out some epic lead or bass lines. 32-step sequencer that you can save four of, and a totally usable arpeggiator? Done. Full-size keys and an all analog signal-path for $400? GTFOutta here, this thing slays. Run it through a delay/reverb and you're in business. Oh, and you can shape some wicked kick drums and snares with it.