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Elka Drumstar-80 - Image 1

Elka Drumstar-80

Drum MachineDigital

Back in 1986, this Italian gem emerged from Elka's organ-making heritage, delivering a punchy, LinnDrum-inspired sound that's earned it the nickname "Italian LinnDrum" among vintage enthusiasts.

At its core, it's a sample-based digital drum machine using PCM technology for 32 distinct percussion sounds, from classic kicks and snares to toms, hand claps, hi-hats, cymbals, electronic snares, congas, bongos, triangles, cabasa, cowbell, clave, agogo bells, and guiro. It offers 20 rhythm styles like Disco, Latin, and Cha Cha, each with three fixed variations, a programmable variation, fills, and intro/ending patterns—programmable via intuitive tap-write with 16th-note quantize across eight tracks. Hands-on controls include 12 volume faders for precise mixing of sound groups, feeding into 12 individual outputs plus main stereo/mono outs, with MIDI In for clock sync (and hidden note triggering via submenus), Clock In/Out, and even a RAM cartridge slot for extra storage. The sturdy build suits live gigs, though its internal cooling fan hums noticeably in quiet studios.

Vintage users love its thick, characterful tones that bridge clean Roland TR-626 snap and gritty '80s Linn vibe, especially on Latin patterns, making it a standout for Italo disco and retro productions—despite the fan quirk and non-linear tempo steps.

Released

1986

Status

Discontinued

Synthesizer
Format
Drum Machine
Type
Sample-based
Internal Battery
No
Voice
A/D
Digital
Polyphony
-
Oscillators
-
Oscillator Type
-
Voices
32
Tracks
8
Filter
No
Envelopes
-
LFO
-
Effects
No
Expression
Aftertouch
No
Velocity
No
MPE
No
Additional
20 rhythms with 3 variations each, programmable fills and intro/ending sequences, tap write programming with 16th note quantize, internal cooling fan
Software
-
I/O
Audio In
-
Audio Out
12x individual outputs
Headphone
-
MIDI
In
MIDI Type
DIN (5-pin)
Ports
Clock In, Clock Out
Wi-Fi
No
Workflow
Arpeggiator
No
Sequencer
Yes
Mod Matrix
No
Memory
-
Measurements
Dimensions
-
Weight
-
Last updated Feb 26, 2026