Wassup everybody, one of thee most common questions I get is “how to use a drum machine“. I’m always surprised by this question because it’s so general. At the same time, I welcome it because there is no such thing as a stupid question (for the most part LOL). There are sooo many drum machines out there, so honestly it’s not so simple to answer this question. When it came to my trusty MPC2000xl I learned by trial and error. This technique may not work for everyone so I will share 3 simple tips that should hopefully help anyone who may not be sure on how to use a drum machine.
1.Video
If you wanna learn how to use a drum machine go on Youtube! This is really the only thing you need to know. Youtube is the number 2 search engine in the world, so this should be a no brainer. It’s very likely that whatever drum machine you have, there is a video on that exact drum machine. You just have to type in the search box whatever drum machine it is that you want to learn how to use. The amount of tutorials that one can find on this platform is amazing. I lost count but, I have over 100 videos specifically on the MPC2000xl. Keep in mind, i’m just one out of many making videos of various drum machines.
2. Fellow Producers
Most people that have a certain interest, know at least one person with that exact interest. In other words, if you have a certain drum machine, maybe you know someone who also has it. It’s not hard to ask someone how to do something especially if you know them, right? Toss that pride in the garbage and get the information you need. None of us can possibly know everything so just ask your buddy, friend, associate, or even the guy at the music store.
3. Manual
I realize that many of us are mainly visual learners, but reading is fundamental. Technology has made it possible that even if you don’t have the original owner’s manual of your particular drum machine, you can still pull it up online. If you wanna learn how to use a drum machine, do a google search for a PDF file of whatever. Believe me, I’ve done this!
In conclusion, there is really no excuse on not knowing how to use a drum machine. Go after the information because it’s out there either by videos, someone you may know, or the manual. Thanks for taking the time to read this and good luck!