IK Multimedia Uno Drum Analog PCM Drum Machine

Like that famous Italian car, the UNO Drum is cheap and cheerful with unique (but ultimately questionable) design choices. I got this to be my rhythm companion while I write music and it does that well. The sounds are truly good and wide ranging - I could end the review right there - and between the hardware interface and the included editor app it has an impressively complete and refined workflow. The free sample packs include many important sounds from the history of drum machines (the 6060, 808, and 909 sounds alone could make this a worthwhile purchase) but the UNO Drum can only hold one sample pack at a time and that means the integration of all the sounds they give you is actually quite limited. The key limitation, though, is power. Four AA batteries won't ... MoreLike that famous Italian car, the UNO Drum is cheap and cheerful with unique (but ultimately questionable) design choices. I got this to be my rhythm companion while I write music and it does that well. The sounds are truly good and wide ranging - I could end the review right there - and between the hardware interface and the included editor app it has an impressively complete and refined workflow. The free sample packs include many important sounds from the history of drum machines (the 6060, 808, and 909 sounds alone could make this a worthwhile purchase) but the UNO Drum can only hold one sample pack at a time and that means the integration of all the sounds they give you is actually quite limited. The key limitation, though, is power. Four AA batteries won't last in this thing more than a couple hours, and the included USB cable is less than two feet long...even though you can use it with a standard iPhone power adapter, you can't really plug it into the wall because it won't reach. It feels like this is mainly designed to be run off of USB bus power, and that defeats any illusion of portability or convenient standalone use. Also, the lack of proper power supply means a soft but constant background hiss in the audio output which makes it pretty impossible to use this thing for any serious recording. The touchpad interface is comfortable to use and much more responsive than I imagined it would be, but I've discovered it is prone to random dropouts where one of the pads will stop responding after more than a few minutes of operation. That renders it too unreliable for performance use. So, all in all, this is a fun and clever toy which has no real business being sold in a price bracket which pits it against some other drum machines that you could honestly call musical instruments.

...but it's trying really hard to be, and that effort is what counts. The pads are really weird and the sequencer is a little clumsy, but the analog sounds on this machine really make up for it. I sold it on thinking I could find a better machine with the same or better sounds, and I really couldn't regardless of price range. This machine plus a pedal or two and some compression? Brilliant!

Be very careful buying from IK Multimedia.

After I got this as a gift I discarded the packaging. Turns out the thing is crippled if you don't register it since the only way to download the software is through their registration app. I contacted IK Multimedia and they refused to help.Utter garbage company. Avoid at all costs.Oh and it's noisier than gear I have from the 1970s

DO NOT BUY!

I made the mistake of believing the online reviews, videos, and promotions. Save your money, don't waste it on this product. If you are looking for a hardware drum machine or synth, IK Multimedia products are not the way to go. Be patient, don't be tempted by the affordable price, and save up for a more quality product from Akai, Elektron, Roland, Arturia, or Korg. Guitar center has such an abundance of great gear to choose from, it's a shame this impostor is lurking in the crowd. If you are new and learning or looking for a budget drum machine, drum sequencer, or groove box, consider making due with one of the many iOS app options until you can afford a proper hardware device. I won't go into sound quality or ease of use, since both are irrelevant if the device ... MoreI made the mistake of believing the online reviews, videos, and promotions. Save your money, don't waste it on this product. If you are looking for a hardware drum machine or synth, IK Multimedia products are not the way to go. Be patient, don't be tempted by the affordable price, and save up for a more quality product from Akai, Elektron, Roland, Arturia, or Korg. Guitar center has such an abundance of great gear to choose from, it's a shame this impostor is lurking in the crowd. If you are new and learning or looking for a budget drum machine, drum sequencer, or groove box, consider making due with one of the many iOS app options until you can afford a proper hardware device. I won't go into sound quality or ease of use, since both are irrelevant if the device can't work properly when started up. My UNO Drum has never worked properly and I'm hoping to return mine for some in store credit with Guitar Center to do what I should have done the first time and buy something better.

Easy to use and great fun! Punchy drum sounds

At first I was skeptical, but the uno drum invites you in to play and create sequences. 64 steps, parameter automation real-time and per step, portable, battery powered but the batteries don't last very long, midi connectivity and Fat Punchy Analog drum sounds that are really good quality. Great for the price! Get GC pro coverage as it's very light weight and plastic outer body. 2 flavors of kick drums with FM, fully programmable all editing functions are on the front panel. With PCM samples to add more styles and genres. I would recommend

Much more fun than just a metronome.

For some reason, my drummer misses practice a lot. To keep the rest of us tight, I thought it might be fun if we had a drum machine to play along to. We rent an hourly rehearsal space, so we don't have access to computers and stuff. (we're kind of old school) The UNO is portable, light weight, and easy to use. It hooks up easy and sounds great. My only drawback is that the instructions that come with it only describe the buttons on the device. To really learn what you can do with it, you have to go on-line. But who wouldn't do that anyway? I've had fun with it a few times now, without really knowing what I'm doing. This was exactly what I wanted!

Review of IK Multimedia UNO Drum Analog & PCM Drum Machine

Great little drum machine, ignore what you hear about "noise" just get a £5 ground loop isolator off ebay. The software package you get from IK makes this well worth the price. Not a big fan of capacative touch myself but this handles it well and having that compressor on there is great. Ultra-portable, great fx, solid sequencer and song mode and loads of great libraries free from IK. 7/10

Volca Beats Killer

This thing is everything I wish the Volca Beats were. Sure it is more expensive, but for the added cost it adds just enough functionality to turn it into a professional instrument - swing, the ability to save more than a few patterns, and ability to save drum kits, plus MIDI out. Please keep in mind this is for lo-fi gritty analog drum sounds. Please don't write a review saying the drums do not sound realistic, they are not supposed to. For those who want to complain about individual outs, etc., please don't. There has never been a drum machine in this price bracket with multiple outputs for the drums. I think IK got the balance right. Its portable runs on batteries, but still is professional enough for it to be used in a studio or live setting without too much ... MoreThis thing is everything I wish the Volca Beats were. Sure it is more expensive, but for the added cost it adds just enough functionality to turn it into a professional instrument - swing, the ability to save more than a few patterns, and ability to save drum kits, plus MIDI out. Please keep in mind this is for lo-fi gritty analog drum sounds. Please don't write a review saying the drums do not sound realistic, they are not supposed to. For those who want to complain about individual outs, etc., please don't. There has never been a drum machine in this price bracket with multiple outputs for the drums. I think IK got the balance right. Its portable runs on batteries, but still is professional enough for it to be used in a studio or live setting without too much compromise.