Bad Gear - Boss DR-202 - Dirtiest Drum Machine of all Time
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2024
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Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the Boss DR-202. Is the only Dr. Groove of the Dr. Rhythm family the dirtiest drum machine of all time?
Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:13 Overview
05:05 Hate
05:37 Jam 1
06:30 Jam 2
07:27 Finale
08:00 Verdict - Hudba
The worse it sounds, the more I want it. 10/10.
SAME!...Lol I've always had a soft spot for mid-range and low-end drum machines. Yamaha DD-10, Synsonics Drums, DR-110 and DR-55 are among my favorites. The DR-202 has been in my buy-it-if-its-cheap folder for a while now.
Big facts 🙌🏽
Hello, Alex Ball! Nice to see you here. If I could load samples onto it, or sample with it. I would want it.
@@Ulvens Apparently you can with a third-party bit of software.
@@lo-firobotboy7112 it's a keeper mate. Secret Sauce 👌
I used this for 3 years…. And got hired at a studio because of my hip hop beats. Turns out my jungle beats were best as i sold quite a few.
I brought this thing EVERYWHERE because it ran on batteries 👍🏾
Nice!!!
Wat he exclaimed was it the Energizer press for charge up level , back in the kind
Dude! Well said I'm on my second one after using the first one for 20yrs lol😅
Look into getting an mc-303 groove box (very underrated in my opinion 😊)
Your final tracks with these instruments never cease to amaze me, and the video to compliment them are equally as entertaining
Thank you!!!
How the fuck does he do one of these a week
@@rorysparshott4223 Ket n Coke lol
This is a futing full time job, I think. If not this is impossible
I agree, I always look forward to seeing and hearing how you use the machines, it's never predictable!
I don't imagine he'd be getting much done on ket somehow...
but your mileage may vary I guess?
I'm 33 and used this drum machine for over a decade as my first drum machine/midi sequencer. Toured extensively in my synth pop project. The smash kick as snare is something I just can't replicate on other machines. You can perform some degree of sound shaping on each individual drum sound when organizing them in to kits too. Also a very easy midi sequencer as the pads operate as a simple one octave keyboard. I bought mine for 50 bucks in 2009 and have since owned 6 of them. sold most of them off now and made double at least on each of them. Wild how much they go for these days
I didn't upgrade until I found a good deal on an octatrack at the beginning of the pandemic
Cool! Nice to have a pro user around!
These things are a quarter century old, but still priced almost as much as my Model:Samples. And gives the M:S a run for its money.
Already picked on the Digitakt, but editing on the M:S is nigh impossible.
"Toured extensively"? .... Okay.
can you make a youtube tutorial with some basic sequencing editing? or a more detailed one after you have a sequence to modifiy the sound and save it? can't find it anywhere. it would be awesome! cheers
Holy moley this does that 90s jungle sound so effortlessly. More than meets the eye!
Oh yes, if that is what you want then look no further.
Agreed!
That’s the main reason I wanted it
I didn't fully appreciate how much flow Voldo has until now
Voldo and his brother are really groovy!!!
Perfect amount of creepiness.
This drum machine is the first unit in the whole midi chain of my set up. The PLAY button makes it all go BOOM. The feeling of the buttons.... are ingrained in to my soul.
Nice! I like the buttons too!
@@AudioPilz SO CHONKY!
One awesome feature of this machine not mentioned is the ability to program a “ghost midi track” in addition to the drum and bass tracks that will trigger an external synth or sampler!
The Kawai R-50 from 1987 has a similar MIDI note number trigger feature as well. Instead of drum samples you could assign a "TRG" signal to each pad...making it possible to play an external synth via the pads (for example chromatically...if "tuned" right).
That was for the original SP-202 sampler. They were marketed as a package deal originally. Super useful feature with anything else though. I used to use it with an og Novation Bass Station for acid. :)
I have to admit that I wasn't able to figure that one out. Thanks for the heads up!
@@AudioPilz its E on the mute screen and you mute it with the midi button.
@@JoeFen nice one - i dont typically do much with the midi out aside from clock... but will definitely be trying this out, thanks for that tip!
As a connoisseur of filthy 90s drum 'n' bass, I love the tickytacky drums on this box. It's all over a heap of diy jungle and DnB tracks from the era, many of which are snuggled up in my nasteh DnB record boxes.
The only downside is that tragic suet pudding bass synth, which needs exiling to a cold dark place in a distant galaxy for eternity.
The bass is indeed evil - not the good evil though
WORST BASS EVER Its a literal fartbox
@@K0nt4kt The bass synth may not be good but the other bass voices are really useful right?
@@electrosonicnebula I used this machine on 3 full length albums and lots of single tracks and I can honestly tell you I only used the synth on two tracks, one which never saw the light of day. It needs its own output because the bass is completely useless without a ton of EQing and compression. Talk about bleeding over in to the kick drum!
I got a strong Seinfeld vibe from the bass. 😂
That last track + video combo was insaneee, always looking forward to your end jams ❤
Thank you so much!!!
Same here. It's like a possible time machine into the future. One of these days he's going to invent a new genre that sticks (if it hasn't already).
Every time you upload, i'm amazed by your creativity.
The tracks are awesome and the videos of the finale is something, i wouldn't have thought of in a million years!
In case you don't upload on the holiday weekend next week: Schöne Feiertage und frohes Fest!
Cheers!
Vielen Dank!!!
I always love it when I see gear I own on Bad Gear! The bass sounds are garbage but the drums are really fun. I found a pretty cool trick in the DR-202 where the delay effect feeds back on itself if you crank it all the way up. I used it to record massive drones for ambient and industrial pads.
Agreed, the FX section punches above its weight!
I didn't know I needed synchronized Voldo dancing to Drum & Bass in my life until now.
Voldo is really flowing!
Not only one of the greatest YT channels,but the biggest "influencer" impacting electronic music industry.Each time you post a vid Reverb,Guitar Center,AND Sweetwater have increased availability in 24 hours of the piece of kit you did a vid on. Why aren't THEY paying you?!
Love your channel! Keep fighting the good fight,and making me thankful I never threw cash away on bad gear I wanted.
Thank you so much!!!
That sharp crack of the rimshot on the metronome's 1 can never be forgotten or unheard.
Works pretty well tho
your jams are always amazing! keep it coming
Thank you!!!
I like how much you manage to get out of these machines in a ten minute video ! Would love to see you review the korg ms2000
Thanks! Great suggestion!!!
👌🏼👍👍👍
@@AudioPilz yes ms2000 would be great
This is what I actually wanted from the Roland MC-303. Only finding out about 25 years too late 😆
Agreed, it's the more immediate and even dirtier version of the MC303
@@AudioPilz The multi bar patterns and song mode are the killer features I felt were missing from the MC-303. (Yes, I'm one of those freaks that actually uses song mode on drum machines and groove boxes!)
Interestingly, the Wikipedia page for the MC-303 suggests it does have multi bar patterns and a song mode. I do remember the user manual being terrible, so perhaps I just couldn't find them...
@@chriswareham Those features are indeed awesome. The 8 measure pattern length means you can create subtle variations to ensure the beat doesn't sound too repetitive. A single well-placed reverse crash let's the whole thing breathe. It also allows for quite a long bassline phrase.
Song mode is a Godsend, and takes seconds to program if you know exactly how you want to structure your song. Originally I would just start a pattern and mute/unmute on the fly (difficult) then press stop when the time seemed right. Now I structure the whole song (admittedly requiring more patterns and memory) and have hands free to mess with realtime modify, play keys, etc.
I'm still a novice, but using the song mode has noticeably improved my abilities. Pleased to find a like-minded freak such as yourself sir!
Another great show in Friday evening row! Your memes, music and review are on the wining streak! As Mr. Monday say, Keep on!
Thank you so much!!!
Just wanted to say Merry Christmas and happy new year, cheers for all the cool awesome entertaining videos this year.
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
This is now my favorite synth channel!
Thank you so much!!!
1998. Right after I got my first ever piece of midi gear, the boss Dr. 660 drum machine! Those effects could turn drum loops into complete tracks of stuff that is arguably even music. You really killed it with that TB03 combo! And then you killed me while you made VOLDO dance with himself! TOO MUCH!!
Thank you!!!
Die Videovergleiche sind immer zu gut👌
Besten Dank!!!
I’ve been wondering about this as a companion to my SP202, thanks.
happy Friday guys
Have a nice weekend!!!
Again a promising hit. You are amazing at making random tracks, especialy good at IDM'ish music.
I had this machine, and when you used the Roll Function and turned it up to the highest setting, and tapped the drum pads ever so slightly, you would get a really deep, clear and thumpy sound like I haven't heard since on any other machine. The Roll Function is where it is at...SBN RESONATE
True that! Powerful feature!!!
Ohhh another keeper sample-wise. I have already found some classic dance samples in recorded rom samples. Thanks for showcasing them and helping me to find more old samples/sounds.
Thanks for watching!
Really good review, loved the tracks you created also the videos . Interesting combination with the Tb-3. Love the rawness of the drums in the jam 2, reminded me of playing the forbidden version of Mortal Kombat (the dutch version in germany) on the N64 in a messy attic in the 90s.
Thanks!
That Soulcalibur "dance" video with Voldo was simply inspired.
Thanks! That video is really legendary
There is Art in how you use the Mute function, esp in a live mix. As a drummer, it's a stellar practice tool, because of the Mute function and the Tap Tempo. It's loaded with banks of rhythms in a range of styles including Jazz, Latin, and Hip Hop. Best metronome I've ever used.
Nice use of the drum machine!!!
A good friend has one of these,and when we jam is always groovy & crunchy!good stuff man
Yeah, groove for days!
Always hilarious. Keep up the good work! Cheers!
Thank you!!!
This and it's Dr. sample partner were my first foray into electronica. I bought these when they first came out. I also added the first generation Korg EA1 as I was hoping to make Crystal Method style tracks. Fun fact: the Grove has a third sequence track for use with the Dr. Sample.
Yeah I totally missed the 3rd track. Thanks for the heads up!
I have it and I love it! Always thought it was weird that they considered Jungle and Drum&Bass to be so vastly different that they needed their own separate banks though. Actually, also Techno and House!
Incredible illustration brings back a lot of memories ,because I had two of them i seems like you really know how, to show everything about them !!!
Fine work, as always.
Thank you!!!
This was my first drum machine and first piece of electronic music gear in general. I got it for Christmas when I was 16. I have fond memories of it but I never really used it to it's full potential. From time to time I look them up to see if I can find a good deal.
That's a great first drum machine!!!
Haha same here, I traded a drum kit for mine tho, and then many years later sold it to help fund getting into synths. I figured out how to program it and it just was not my work flow lol
@@K_man217 haha I sold mine along with an acoustic bass that I had so I could fund a new bass amp which I desperately needed for my band at the time since my amp died. I was really bummed but it had to be done!
Audiopilz just casually drops in a scene from an obscure horror movie about a killer rubber tire, made by a legend of French electronica.
That movie should be shown at schools
Pünktlich zum Feierabend. So ist's fein.
Schönen Feierabend wünsch ich!!!
It also has pitch (up to reverse on "drum"parts) and other parameters on each part within the menu. You can save all of those seperate settings in user kits with bass-selection plus effect-types with each and the others parametervalues included. The effects menu is a little weird to reach, but the way there is to tweak the effect-knob corresponding to the one you want to alter and then pressning "right" on the direction-buttons (works as long as the effect-value is showed on the screen). There you have the settings for reverb- or delay/echo-type with basic parameters per page - adjusted with the main jogwheel. Same goes for the flanger. To get out just go in to any other mode or menu you like. Happy scrolling!
Scrolling is my favorite;)
I had one of these, it was BRILLIANT.
As part of a small studio with an RM1-x , SU-10 , U-110 , etc.
The DR-202 was a great sounding, and very easy to use, drum & bass synth.
Nice selection!!! Really like the SU10 and U110
There was a program that allowed you to swap the drum samples and bass samples internally. It allowed you to use the bass parameters on drums and vice versa.
Wow, didn't know that! Thanks for posting!
Can you give more info about that program?
Waking up to a new Bad Gear episode every Friday is my cup of tea.
Good morning!!!
@@AudioPilz
always happy when i see a new upload 😅
Thanks for watching!!!
The bass sounds shine when you play it with a midi keyboard. I fired mine up yesterday and had a blast with it
👍 👍 👍
I owned one in the mid-2000s and was able to get some pretty good digital hardcore grooves and beats out of it.
It also sounds good when running it through guitar pedals - I had an M-Audio Blackbox multi-fx unit that I used with it.
Great for ATR stuff!
Great vid!
Thanks!
Gritty, dirty, I love it! Never thought a Boss drumbox could sound so nice, awesome beats too! Great stuff again maestro!
Thank you!!! This one is quite nice
I'm here bro. Witnessing synth shenanigan history.
Hell yeah!!!
Every episode of this series make me want that "Bad" Gear you're reviewing...
Happy to hear that!!! Thanks!
These videos never fail to entertain and inform at the same time
Thank you so much!
Wow this was nostalgic for me in my high school days loved it at the time never thought id see a youtube video about now thanx for the upload!
Thanks for watching!
Have to admit when this came out all I could do was throw shade at it, however it seems that editing is well thought out, much better than I would have ever expected.
It's pretty straight forward - surprisingly easy to use
Much like the Roland MC-303, “some” of its built-in sounds are still pretty good and useful. While most are pretty terrible. But thankfully, you can arrange your own drumkits and save them to internal memory. And also like the 303, I would say that the 808 and 909 sounds on here are punchy and pretty spot on. It’s especially nice with this unit that each part is tunable. But then again... the output noise on this unit with the RCA outs takes it down a couples notches on its ability to deliver good clean sound, if that is what you are going for. But if lo-fi is your thing... then I can’t recommend this drum machine enough. I’ve had mine over 20 years and it still inspires me every time I turn it on. It also has kept all my User creations after all this time, so no battery failures here :)
Yeah, the noise can be an issue
Another issue is that the RAM will die, again and again
@@rachelar What RAM?
@@lukeimontv7086 the memory that stores your custom kits and patterns. it eventually fills up and errors, to the point where you can still play anything you've already programmed in, but if you delete any custom info you aren't able to clear out space, it just bricks it up.
@@AudioPilz for the noise issue i found the headphones output better, I would give it a try, with a good cable jack to rca does the job decently.
“…Dark & Dubious ‘90s Dancefloors… I’m in!!” - Audio Pilz, Dec 17th 2021
...and I'm not the only one;)
@@AudioPilz hahaha FACTS bro 🔥🔥
This is the one of the best bad gears. I have made so much good music from this. It taught me everything I need to know about midi too! The day I found out about that ext channel my mind melted. Thank you.
Thank you so much!
My first proper drum machine bought in 1999 along with the SP-202. Had many hours tooling around on it with headphones. I sold it and bought it again. Something about the dirty gritty sound this beast is capable of.
Nice first drum machine!
It was my first piece of gear as well. Mine was stolen unfortunately.
After I got this drum machine I didn't feel the need to ever buy another one again. The dirty samples are SO useful for adding character to tracks. I downloaded a sample pack so I could use them without programming the machine but it's still super useful for making quick hardware-based jams sound punchy
Agreed, a sample pack will most probably do the trick though;)
1:43 "arranged into kitts" 😄😆😅😂😄you almost killed me!
😀
I have been waiting for this one since I found this channel. I sold mine a couple years ago to get into synths and miss it sometimes.
None too soon;)
@@AudioPilz you are not wrong!!!
That Voldo-Dance though. Pure Fire.
Thanks!
I'd be down for a reissue of this.
Yes, maybe a Boutique;)
This thing sounds epic! lol When you did the jam with the beatstep pro, are the drums and bass on different channels? That seems the best way to use it.
Hells yes! I still have mine. Nice upload man.
Thank you!!!
This thing is the backbone of my live jungle sets. The pre-made patterns are really good. You can swap kits around to get all kinds of new stuff. The bass tones are good. The screen is too small and dark so it’s best for environments with decent light. Battery powered makes it a keeper. Yes I agree it is not the best sound quality but it pairs well with the hyper crisp drums of the novation circuit. Has good house kits in it too.
Nice! Ideal choice for that!
I keep this alongside my sp202 and it's a great combo! It's almost like they were going to be one unit, but was cut in half.
I'd love to try that combo too!
@@AudioPilz me tooooo😁✌✌
I’ve owned one for too many years and ended up selling it a few months ago simply because it just never got used. That’s no fault of the unit, I just had other gear to turn to that was easier to program. But paired with a BassBot or similar 303 clone and this was a lot of fun. I think I would’ve used it a lot more in the 90’s if I owned one then. I parted with my mint unit for a lot less than what you advertised so for those looking for one, you can find them cheaper if you put in some effort. As always, thanks for the show! My regular Friday 5pm watch 😊
Yeah, I got it a bit cheaper too
I liked this drum machine presentation, I would get one. Loved the DrGroove?Dr Mix red shirt combo lol. by the way thanks to your amazing "already a classic?" video, i got the tr-8 secondhand less than reverb prices, had to drive a bit but it was worth it, merry christmas to me, 🎶 scatter all the way🎶
Thanks! Have fun with the TR8!
Found one a couple weeks ago in pretty much mint condition for 160 quid, sounds immensely phat! Would probably have never known it existed if it wasn't for this video
Nice, it's a keeper for me too
Blimey, I picked one up for like £30 or something a few years back... Prices have moved a _tonne_
I loved mine. I was torn about selling it. It does a great job at a lot of things great. The filter was kinda weak as were most of the things you could performance tweak. It was a pain to navigate at first though but you figure it out. The bass channel was actually pretty dope.
Classic 90s drum machine❤️❤️❤️
Once again amazed that you can get anything out of this, let alone the awesome tracks you did. I would just end up yetting the damn thing into the sun.
Thank you!!!
Akira! Nice for the intro!
Thanks! Big fan here!
There is something quite satisfying about the jogwheel.
Yes. It's orange too;)
LOL! This was the first drum machine I ever owned. Sure it's a bit crappy, but it was a great way to get started. Versatile, portable and fun to use. I ended up passing it on to friend who was getting started to get them going. I loved that little thing.
Perfect first drum machine!
Your best finale track ever, and video!!
Thanks!
I. Just. Love. Mine.
And yet another great episode of yours, Vielen Dank.❤
Danke sehr!!!
Will you ever review SP-202 My friend had this sampler forever, then ended up selling it for close to $400. We've recorded so many jams with weird voice samples using it, and it's still popular in some circles. For its time though it was quite a gadget.
Great idea, thanks! This one is moving up the list!
@@AudioPilz Awesome. I saw it. Telum Atramenti mailed me your video. He is the guy who owned it. Thank you.
oh man, I had that one with the matching Sampler!!!
That sampler was so dope
I need to get the sampler too!
I love the SP-202, I will never sell mine! The grittiest sampler ever made
glad you got around to doing one on this, I love this stupid orange box!
Yeah, that one was more fun than expected. Thanks for watching!
Also wow at the dnb track you squeezed out of it. Such a gearhead!
Thank you so much!!!
I had this drum machine and I must say it is one of the best drum machines ever made.. I didn't have it for very long I ended up selling it back in 2015... but I did love it and I do want to own another one
They're still quite easy to find
Florian, how the f*ck do you pull it off every single week? Unique tracks, unique memes, unique pseudo genres backed by trippy videos. Just mad. Respec.
Thanks! Austrian work ethics;)
The intro!! Outstanding bit of kit!!
I had fun using it as well!
I had this a coupla decades ago. I loved it! All my raver mates were blown away by it.
Classic rave machine!
Why is this considered "bad gear?" Apart from the absence of velocity-sensitive pads, this looks pretty sweet. What's the note resolution for sequencing and quantize?
96 divisions per beat
It's not always easy to work with the noise floor, artefact-ridden sounds and quirky UI
Another fun look at some "bad" gear. You really bring out the best in gear, and I like the way you contextualize stuff to its era when due in your videos!
The SP-202 is the real deal though; it has its charm but it definitely sucks. Like a half-formed version of its successors but has a nice Ring Mod and mic.
Thanks! I really have to check out the SP202!
omg I had an SP-202, sadly I sold it on because I couldn't find a way to integrate it with my other gear. I loved it though, it was so much fun to mess with!
I imagine it would be a great companion to the DR-202. I was thinking that all through this video, seems like they were designed to be used together maybe?
I would freaking LOVE to see the SP-202 featured on Bad Gear! My imagination is frothing with the possibilities of what you could do with it!
Have to say, after a long phase of hate/hate-relationship with this unit (bought cheap for 50 euros a decade back), I have come to value it as a slave, MIDI triggered by my 808-that-shall-not-be-named-clone. Either as in letting the programmed patterns run along the source beat or just using the voices. Especially the cutoff filter comes in handy in that scenario. Programming workflow is not my cup of tea here, but I think the sounds it offers have their own charm. You'd be delighted to hear that I used this in tandem with the Rhythm Wolf (still the best 'percussion'/sidestick) before I got the 808, but the Wolf doesn't like to follow and forward MIDI the way I like it to. Thanks for once again confirming that most of my gear is 'bad gear'! Wouldn't want it any other way :-)
Nice setup (a bit unusual tho;)
Love the 202! Those drums are just nasty. They have always been my favorite for drum and bass! Awesome vid sir!
Thanks!!!
Maybe it just wasn't the right time, but I had one for two days and from the moment I powered it just sucked all motivation out of me. I just couldn't work anything without the manual. I always RTFM, but having some starting point without the manual is crucial. The workflow, the display, blegh. So much nice ingredients and potential though.
Yeah, UI/UX was different in the 90s;)
After my MC 303 this was my first drum machine. Having it midi'd to my MPC 2000xl and Microkorg felt like all I needed back then.
Even as a stand alone unit its a great. I found it very easy to use( anything is easier than the MC303) and its very powerful once you figure out the menu diving. I love the 808 kicks samples too. Great machine.
The 808 kicks work really well!
True about the MC-303. I wanted to love it but it wasn't intuitive and knobs had a tendency to break. I think the Roland marketing department and/or lead designers must be into day-drinking.
@@AudioPilz Roland has always done well at milking the 808 samples. Even my lowly JV-35 has some really decent drum sounds buried in it.
@@lo-firobotboy7112 one advantage of learning on the 303 is that if you can make a dope beat on it, every other piece of equipment is pretty simple by comparison.
Still love my 303 tho. Great Tr step sequencer.
@@AudioPilz have you ever tried the Boss Dr Rhythm 880? Its a beautiful machine. The opposite of lofi. This thing is crisp. Truly realistic drum kits and some of the best effects I've used. Its got great amp/pedal simulation for the bass/guitar input but rhodes or organ thru it can get really gritty. Check it out .
Oh yeah! Also have you done one for the Roland mc303 yet?
Never mind the genres your descriptions are hilarious.
Thank you so much!!!
@@AudioPilz Another great video.
I had one of these midi to a Roland Mc 505 good fun😀
i think the bass sounds amazing on this machine especially when u use the cutoff to filter it just right... i been using it on my beats for years!
Agreed, the bass is massive!
Hi yes I like too this bass sounds with the real-time modified , do you know any other drum machine that have this? Dr 202 is not easy to find now, any info thanks
@@maruobandai yea pretty pricey and up there in age ... i dont really know of any other machines that sounds like this one in particular to be honest .. haven't tried a lot of other machines tho im sure there is tons of gems out there just gotta find something u like .... good luck!
I may now want one of these to an unhealthy amount.
Prices are quite healthy though...
Oooooooh, sneaking in a classic into the intro, niiiiiiiiiiice!
Love Akira!
Those intro's keep getting better
Thank you!!!
Superbad !!amazing drum machine, yes I used it to record a album and everybody was amazed by the sound, I didn't want to tell them what I use for the drums, so I got more jobs, because I didn't tell him my secret !!
i had one of these about a decade ago.....always regretted selling it.....it had a workflow that was odd for its time, but made sense. Would love to hear this rammed through some pedals and an analog board.
I tried a few combinations but the noise can be hard to handle
OMG! We used to make covers of Asian Dub Foundation with a band and I was playing the drums on top of the jungle presets of this machine. This episode brought back some great late 90s memories to me
These were the days! Always loved ADF!!!
im in the process of trying to fix one of these... im in over my head...
thanks for reviewing!
Thanks for watching! Did the RCAs fall in? ;)