When people say that the KPR-77 is "cryptic" or "arcane", you better believe it. It's practically impossible to use it without the manual except for banging on the pads and even with the instructions right in front of you, it's still really easy to get confused. Its sequencer is very powerful, however, and when I still used to programme it (e-mail me to hear it in action), I really appreciated how economical it was with the internal memory by allowing you to make complex chains out of miniature phrases instead of having to input them each time in linear fashion. I also liked the fact that the individual output for the snare allowed for some much-needed individual processing, though without the possibility of panning, you pretty much had to sample it anyway.

How could this strange beatbox possibly be relevant nowadays as much better sounding machines are being disused, if not forgotten? Especially when considering its lack of MIDI and individual outputs, the KPR doesn't seem to stand a chance. Well, there is a saving grace: it's very moddable, the individual drum pots are supposedly easy to get to and there's enough space on the front panel for the knobs. Almost all instruments can be improved upon in this way, and since you can change the sounds on the fly as the sequence is playing, the KPR-77 suddenly becomes a much more interactive instrument. Even so, it's unlikely to set the world on fire but for the money they're going for nowadays (under 100€ - if you can find one, that is), it's worth the admission price for the inspirational value alone.

Things worth noting about the KPR include the ability to tweak the sounds via potentiometers inside the machine. The kick sound is often too 'flabby', and benefits from tightening up. Open the KPR up and try fiddling with the potentiometers. Another important point is that the sequencer isn't easy to work out without the manual. Once you do learn how to use it, then it is quite straightforward, just don't expect the immediacy of a TR-808.

Bringing a KPR into the world of MIDI isn't hard. For several years I had my KPR synced up to a Roland MC-202, but now I just use a Kenton Electronics MIDI to Sync convertor.

My KPR77 has now an external box hooked up to it with following adjustements: BD: tune, decay (can sound pretty fat now) Snare: tune, decay, noise amount toms: tune, decay (HT and LT each) HHOp& HHCl: Square osc tune, Noise amount, decay Cymbal: noise amount, decay (great!) and an overall noise filter, influencing HH, Cym, Snare and Handclaps.

I think it was well worth the effort to modify it and I still can change it back to original at any moment. To me it has become a really worthy machine, with some quite unique sounds, I would never trade it in again.

It's IMPOSSIBLE to program without the manual (unless you're super-whiz on beat boxes) but it's easily found online.

I love the sounds, the amount of storage space, plenty of outputs, sliders, and just about everything else EXCEPT the fact that real-time programming in Tap-Write mode is not exactly user-friendly. It's very difficult (at least on mine) to get only one snare hit where you want it to go, or only one bass drum hit. There's a strange resistance to the buttons which causes the voice to trigger multiple times when pressed the wrong way. No problem though, because writing in Step is a cinch, once you get the hang of it.

An excellent machine for the price, I say!