Zoom RT-223 RhythmTrak Drum Machine

Drum machine that provides hundreds of drum and bass sounds and is the best accompanist for every kind of performer: singer/songwriters, solo artists, DJs and bands looking for extra percussion effects. There are 70 drum kits, each comprised of 39 professional-quality PCM drum and percussion samples. These include acoustic drum sounds for rock, R&B, funk, and jazz applications, along with electronic kits optimized for urban music such as techno, hip-hop, and dance. There is even a human beat box which user you to create kick, snare, hi-hat, and scratch sounds from five banks of human voice samples created by Big Fish Audio. Drum sounds can be freely selected and assigned to any of the machine’s 13 velocity-sensitive pads, and user can fine-tune parameters like pitch, level, and panning to create his own original drum kits. The drum machine comes with 440 preset patterns, along with numerous phrase variations, and programming one’s own patterns is a breeze, since the machine records not only the timing, but dynamics too. User can create and store up to 127 user-programmed kits and 511 original drum patterns, with a built-in metronome providing a click track in the choice of time signatures. In addition, the drum machine offers 12 realistic bass sounds, including electric bass styles such as pick, finger, and slap, along with acoustic and synthesizer bass. To create a bass line, simply play the pads chromatically and record into the onboard sequencer. A dedicated switch allows for muting the bass sound at any time. The unit provides two types of high-quality DSP effects. COMP EQ allows for shaping the overall sound of the drum kit or bass program, while REVERB enables the sound of the drums or bass to be modulated or placed in natural-sounding spaces. The two effects can be used simultaneously or can be switched in and out individually. Up to 40 user-created effects patches can be stored in memory. The COMP EQ section offers a multi-band compressor with independent settings for each frequency band. In addition, there is a resonance filter and a Low-Fi effect. The REVERB section includes four reverbs as well as chorus, flanging, and delay. The effect send level can be set for each sound source individually. In addition, modulation rate or delay time can be synchronized to the selected tempo. The drum machine’s intuitive user interface and backlit LCD make it easy to create backing tracks. Most controls have only a single function, and there are no complicated multi-level menus. Uup to 100 songs can be created and stored, either via step entry or real-time input, and the unique FAST method enables for creating complete accompaniments with minimal programming. In addition, Groove Play mode allows user to trigger patterns simply by tapping the pads. Various connectors allow for seamless integration of the unit into any rig. In addition to dual output connectors, a line-level input accepts signal from a personal music player or other devices. A control input allows for connection of a Zoom FS-01 foot switch (sold separately) in order to start or stop playback, perform tap tempo, trigger bass drum sounds, or switch between open and closed hi-hat. There is also a MIDI IN for synchronized play with an external sequencer – this also enables the unit to serve as a sound source module in any MIDI-based system. The drum machine runs on just 4 AA batteries, either alkaline or rechargeable NiMH (battery life is up to 8 hours with alkaline batteries). An optional Zoom AD-16D AC adapter can be also used. Dimensions: 218 x 183 x 36 mm. Weight: 680 g.