BREAKBEAT: Sampling Drum Machines with Roland TR-8S and MX-1 and Akai MPC One

It’s human nature: we assemble, disassemble, reassemble everything. Music allows you to indulge in these instincts, often in a more immediate way than other disciplines. Experimentation is key, though. Even with the best drum machine or sampler, you won’t get your sound without study, practice, and experimentation.

In the video below, I’m using the old-fashioned method of feeding drum machine beats into a sampler, then chopping them up. The Roland TR-8S is my main drum machine. The sampling and remixing is done in the Akai MPC One and the Roland MX-1.

I have heard that the musician should think like a DJ, and vice-versa. While the two disciplines are fundamentally different, I recommend both. Each requires a different skill set, but they serve each other often.