If you want to play like a pro it’s no secret that you need to practice. And if you want to practice anywhere, anytime, and have great “players” behind you, the Boss DR-880 Drum Machine is the answer. The Dr-880 offers 1000 world class drum and bass patterns that give you instant access to hundreds of awesome sounding grooves right out of the box. From rock to blues, hip-hop to salsa, funk, R&B, gospel, latin, techno, jazz… the list goes on and on. A well-rounded musician will not only appreciate all of these genres of music, he will be able to play comfortably in them. The DR-880 is a great place to start.
With the DR-880’s manual still wrapped neatly in plastic, my inner rock star was quickly taking center stage as I cascaded through the plethora of drum grooves. A truly shocking discovery was the built in guitar processor based on the Boss GT-6. It’s amp modeling and multi-effects sound great, and made me sound even better. From a clean JC-120, to a heavy Marshall stack, or a bluesy Vox, it brought to life a whole new set of possibilities for my performance. First I can choose the style of music I want to play (500 presets), then I pick the gear I’m going to play through (GT-6), and finally I can choose the venue I’ll be performing in. This kind of quick and total control put me in the driver’s seat like nothing else I’ve ever used.
The Rhythm Dr. is perfect for working on your improvisation skills. I played one loop for about 15-20 minutes, just hammering away at every riff that came into my head and the DR-880 never got tired of indulging my ego. It was the perfect rehearsal and every nuance was within my control. Every pattern is so accessible with an easy to use jog wheel, ready to go like a band waiting in the wings. I don’t even have to put my instrument down, I select a new groove while one keeps playing.
This drum machine can be used a lot of different ways, but primarily it is about making better music and better musicians.
