E-mu E-Drum

Back in 1983, this drum machine crashed the party by delivering real drum samples for under a grand, when flagships like the Linn LM-1 demanded five times that price—over 10,000 units flew out the door as a result.

It packs 12 authentic 8-bit PCM drum sounds—bass drum, snare, sidestick, three toms, claves, cowbell, handclaps, ride cymbal, open and closed hi-hats—routed through SSM analog lowpass filters on the toms for that signature bite, plus simple treble/bass EQ. The front panel keeps it straightforward with a segment display, four velocity-sensitive pads, two knobs, a volume slider, and 25 buttons for real-time or step sequencing up to 36 patterns in any time signature, chainable into eight songs with programmable tempo, per-drum accents from 0-15, and swing quantization. Eight individual RCA outs let you process each voice separately, while clock in/out and trigger in sync it to your rig; everything backs up via cassette dump.

Players love its punchy, bone-dry 80s vibe that's perfect for synth-pop and beyond, with swappable EPROMs for custom kits like the Rock Drums from Tears for Fears' "Shout." Durable overall, though some note finicky buttons, sliders, and RCA convenience as vintage quirks.