The Bare Minimum Beats: Panasonic's RD-9844 Rhythm Machine

The first drum machine: the Wurlitzer Sideman.[1]

Another example of things built the hard way before the technology to build them was available.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNgJcX2ckZQ

The 'pop' example given at the beginning of the article when switching on an 80s machine with built-in audio is typically caused by a DC blocking capacitor in line with the speaker. Because those machines typically only had a +ve supply rail, the output amplifier swings the output between gnd and +5v (or +12v, whatever the supply is), so there's a 1/2 rail voltage DC offset on the speaker output, and the blocking cap absorbs this during that 'pop'.

So the sound is quite analog, it's an exponentially decaying voltage as the capacitor charges :)

Some searching online in Japanese shows a production date for the RD-9844 as Showa 49 (1974).

It's interesting that they released this as Panasonic and not Technics which was already an established Panasonic brand for audio equipment since 1965.

Great explanations of drastically minimalist design.

Looks safe to bend... it's interesting to bend drum machines bc the sound and sequencer circuits are quite different. I did that on a tr-626 and it was wild :)

Disclaimer: I have a 505.

808 has a modern clone, the TR-08.

Also the MC-505 is the predecessor of the 808, can do most of what it does, and was used in a bunch of electronic and alt rock music.

Here's an homage album to the 505 on the Beastie Boys' label:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP4Yga72IIqPRaDpnKiwP...

If you want a full MIDI piano keyboard + a 505, the JX-305 is a better option.

Cute. I love music made with machines like this: Suicide, Tuxedomoon, Young Marble Giants, etc.

The preset reminds me of a somewhat obscure single by an act called Perfect Jewish Couple, which features similarly hissy percussion. I lit up when I first heard it, because I thought they might be the same, but listening again it's clearly a different device.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t1T-1jPCFtg

Most excellent breakdown, I wonder who these machines were targeted at?