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Percussion synthesis has been a fairly neglected area in hardware development until Elektron unleashed the Machinedrum upon the world. For the most part, percussion in the electronic realm has been ruled by samplers.
As it is with any form of synthesis, there are some sounds samples can capture but not control in the same way a synthesizer can. I experimented using Reaktor to create drums, and while it had a good sound, it lacked the immediate interface I required, plus sucked up too much power from my computer. Tired of soft-synths and static drum samples, I sought after a suitable replacement.
Someone had mentioned that the demo's don't do it justice, and they were right. The sound of the Machinedrum is somewhere between digital and analog. It is pure and precise, yet still has body. Good amplifiers, DACs, and plenty of DSP power are responsible for this. The LFO section on this synth is powerful, you can create very unusual timbres for percussion, bass, and fx. Those desiring x0x style sounds will not miss their 808/909s. While the old TR boxes hold their status they do not have near the sonic spectrum of the Machinedrum. The Machinedrum is suitable for all electronic percussion styles and those desiring acoustic sounds should still consider the Machinedrum as it does have Physical modelled synthesis that generates tight, and punchy drums.
As far as interface goes, I have never worked with something as intuitive. while their are a few quirks (such as being able to change patterns with only one hand) they are very minor and can be remedied in an OS upgrade. It is almost near-perfect... Staring at the aggressive-red display and the simple yet stylistic graphics of the Machinedrums OS is very rewarding and addictive. This is an instrument that begs to be played.
My wishlist for the Machinedrum would be: some sort of Machine that let's you do lead/bass synth sounds (might as well put the nail in the coffin to the rest of the grooveboxes out there!). Higher-step resolution or the ability to offset drum sounds to allow for more complex programming. Individual track-lengths or timesignatures for each sequencer track (I doubt this one is possible and probably not within the scope of the machine).
Is it worth the money? Certainly. This instrument really has no equal right now. Not to say there aren't options and combinations of other gear that may arrive at a similar sound. Well I made sure I had enough money to buy it out flat. I would suggest you do to... This is a very professional instrument (very fun too) and is a serious investment if you make music of any kind that demands dynamic percussion.
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