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Is a used Roland R-70 the answer to my DAW drum controller needs?


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Hey all, I have pleaded with manufacturers on numerous occassions to build a finger pad controller for virtual drum machines. No sounds, no frills, just a set of great feeling pads, easy set-up, and a quick means to change sound banks. Battery, Attack, LM4, and the others are great drum machines, but programming patterns from a keyboard is a royal pain. Even if a manufacturer did run with the idea, it would be at least a year until the product would be ready, and I can't wait that long. [b]So is a used Roland R-70 the next best alternative?[/b] I have the [i]Keyboard[/i] review somewhere, but I will have to dig it up. I could careless about the sounds and programming features - I just want the pads and a no-hassle interface for assigning MIDI note numbers. Can anyone speak from experience? Is this a good choice for a pad controller? And PS, yes I would love to own an MPC, but I can't justify the cost for just the pads. All the best, Wiggum
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oh man, you know i hear you, wiggum! i think the [url=http://www.harmony-central.com/Newp/2001/DR-670.html]roland dr rhythm 670[/url] is the best thing. i'm pretty sure the r-70 is [i]not[/i] velocity sensitive, so i wouldn't get one. it's $300, and you can run it on batteries. [img]http://www.harmony-central.com/Newp/2001/DR-670-small.jpg[/img] why the heck didn't they make velocity-sensitive drum machines 5 or 10 years ago?! [ 12-19-2001: Message edited by: wager47 ]
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Wager, I did some research on the R-70, and it does have velocity sensitivity. Believe it or not, it also has aftertouch :eek: . The reason I like it so much is the size of the pads. I have tried a few of the Boss units, and the pads are typically very small. If I need to use two fingers on a pad (for a roll, for instance), I can't get both digits on there. An MPC would be great, but there is no way I am going to pay the asking price. The only thing I am unsure of is its MIDI implementation. I need the ability to freely assign pads to different MIDI note numbers. I have read some old reviews, but they never dug into this section. I'll try to find one and post back if I am successful. All the best, Wiggum
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