Here’s my personal experience and takeaways from drums in the modular world.
Here’s what I’ve tried:
Drums in the rack (MI Peaks, 2hp Kick/snare/hat triggered by PNW, Marbles and Logic)
Pros: Can make really interesting rhythms easily with euclidean rhythms, logic modules, and my favorite, EOC/EOR outputs on function generators like Maths. Marbles slays for drums and makes spicing things up and adding variation easy.
Cons: Takes up a lot of rack space, and may take up some of your multi purpose modules to be used for drum purposes. Good sequencing and being able to mute/solo or quickly change beats requires an entirely separate set of modules
Elektron Digitakt
Pros: Great value box that performs more functions than just drums. Very quick and easy to program drum beats, mute/solo and change drum beats live. Infinite sound possibilities since you can just upload new drum samples.
Cons: You can’t control the Digitakt from modular. I suppose you could use a CV to Midi converter but would require a bit of up front dialing in. I’m also not crazy about triggered one shot sample drum sounds as they can don’t sonically mix with modular sounds(at least I’m not good at that). It’s a menu dive as well, if that matters to you.
DFAM
I’ll preface this with saying I’ve only had a DFAM for about 3 days so I’m still figuring it out and my thoughts will surely change once I’ve had more time to work with it
Pros: Integrates with modular flawlessly both from a control and sound perspective. Great value and from my limited experienced DFAM is much more than just a percussion synth. You can easily it as a complex melodic voice with an external sequencer
Cons: Because there aren’t presets it requires a high level of familiarity and understanding to be able to use in a live setting and change from one idea to the next. Isn’t a true drum machine so has limitations in voicing. It can’t make standard drum beat sounds with kick/snare/hat without clever set up.
Overall feelings: I use a Digitakt for sampling mainly these days but it’s nice to have for easy drums. I’m really taken by the DFAM and so far it’s sounds and workflow really connect with me. I’m much more intrigued by experimental, droney, abstract, distorted and mangled sounds. But I can tell it’ll be a while before I have mastery over it and you can definitely find yourself getting into a “WTF IS HAPPENING” moment where it’s making sounds like dying goose. But that’s half of the fun, taming the beast, sometimes the beast wins.
