Recommend Related Items & Pairings
This is where you can recommend to readers an alternative - or gear that goes with - Boss DR-55. What gear sounds similar, is less expensive, higher-end or boutique, etc.?
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Boss DR-55
In this The Creators Project documentary called "*Meet Squarepusher*", 1:09 into the video, a really old and abandoned Boss DR-55 can be ... more
In [this interview](http://www.electricity-club.co.uk/html/int_morris.html), Stephen is asked what his first drum machine was. "It was ju... more
If you had to pick a favourite bit of gear from over the years, what would it be? "That would have to be the Roland DR-55 drum machine. ... more
"If we can remember rightly, it had only four sounds: kick, snare, rimshot and hi-hat. One mono output, of course. For programming, it ha... more
Reviews
Trusted musician and artist reviews for Boss DR-55
Based on 4 Reviews
Simply but...
I like it very much! perfect for live sets...
such an underrated old machine, especially for thumping 4 on the floor with other machines
Boss DR-55
This was the only drum machine I ever purchased new- way back, in the day. It has been a real workhorse, and I use it primarily for triggering Korg SQ-1 sequencers with my Paia 4700 modular setup. The only mod I have done is to change the knobs for easier sighting.
awww, man, this was my first drum machine, still have it... I think I bought intending to use it as a glorified metronome for practicing guitar and working on song ideas, but as I got more into synths I started to embrace its wonkiness....
Very portable, stripped down CR-78!
Essentially the foundation of the CR-78; the kick, rim, snare and hats are the same but are also the only voices of the DR-55 (the 78 has way more). For how small the unit is and how great it sounds, I believe it is an extremely useful drum machine to have around (especially if modded with sync-in).
hahahaha
I bought this for peanuts when no one wanted them because they're not really programmable and really just used it for home practice. It actually sounds kinda cool like a Roland CR and I find myself sampling loops from her quite a bit to be the backbone of dance tracks. There's a fuzzy warmth to the kick that I really kinda love. I don't think these are terribly affordable these days, but they should be. Boss made enough of them!