My husband is a guitar player, and has been in bands for as long as I can remember. He is something of a music purist, and thinks that a drum machine has a place in practicing or writing music, but should never be used in live performance, or for recording in a studio. Perhaps it is because he plays live a lot, and feels nothing can replace the sound of a real drum kit. He uses a drum machine, but he only uses it to play along to at home for practice sessions, or when he wanted to write a song on a four-track recorder.

In college, we went to see one of my teachers play in his band. This guy was our live and studio audio instructor, and my husband had a lot of respect for him. While that never changed, on this night, he was highly disappointed. This teacher was playing a set of drums that produced sounds like a drum machine. It looks like a drum set setup, but instead of drums, there were just pads. When they were struck, they produced an electronic drum machine sound. To my husband, it just wasn’t the same.

A drum machine does have its uses however, at least according to my husband. They are great for writing songs. He can lay down a drumbeat at home, and then add his guitar and scratch vocals. While he would never use them for a real recording session, he likes the ease and availability a drum machine gives him when the mood strikes him, and he must write a song, or get a riff out of his head before he forgets it.

Drum machines can also be useful if you are learning just about any instrument. A drum machine track will lay down a steady and perfectly timed beat to help a student learn how to keep up with the proper timing of a song. This gives them experience listening to the beat of the song as they play, and this is great for when they eventually join their school band, or for when they join a band after school.

If you are looking for a good drum machine, don’t be afraid to buy a used one. These often last for a while, and can take a beating before they decide to conk out. You can find great new and used models online, and you can look in your local music store. If you only need a drum machine for practice and simple song writing, you don’t have to buy one with all the bells and whistles. As long as it plays and records whatever beats you need, it will work just fine.

Tags: Instruments, Music General, Musical Performance