Very nice to practice by yourself with and excellent match with acoustic but just not practical to go out and play live with. Might be cool to record with

I've had mine almost 2 yrs now. With the Aux input, I get a full sound adding it to my amp. Goes real well with the Vox acoustic amp and with my Alto speaker attached, makes a great monitor. Get to sound like a full band.

The audio output of this is weak compared to a Dread guitar. the ear phone jack as a only output makes it a sorry piece of jaming gear. The shape of the unit is sad and could have had a boxy version to mount on a mic or music stand.

It took 10 minutes of me listening to this before I realized I had just purchased a toy. I did not want a toy, I wanted a professional piece of equipment for that kind of money. I shipped it back immediately. BOSS you should be ashamed of yourself, with all the experience you have at this type of thing you put a toy out like this to us, don't try it again.

One of my favorite toys I've bought in a long time. I love jamming with this thing. Perfect for any acoustic player.

I use this drum machine as a fancy metronome. It's the perfect accompaniment for practicing at home. There are so many patterns and options you can keep things fresh.

doesn't replace my drummer however .. helps keep my timing

I bought this to help when our drummer can't make it to practices and it seems to help with the timing. however it will not replace an actual drummer.
easy to use and the love the save feature, find what works with the song and save and write the saved number on the music sheet.

This small drum backing elegant box is just great for practicing in the park. Works good with decent volume

very nice little unit works very well can have a lot of fun with it also can be used as a tool.
Very happy with my purchase

I bought this to use for acoustic sets that I play. Use it for background percussion on 10 or songs currently. I've had the until for over 6 months and use it 3-5 times month when playing live.

Your satisfaction with this unit will depend on what you're hoping for. If you're looking for something that will provide you with a number of different instruments with a number of different 'out of the box' beats and ability to save about 40 favorites and you don't need loud volume from the unit itself, you will likely be very happy with this unit.

If you are looking for something to provide enough sound by itself for playing small gigs, or for programming specific beats or need to have numerous settings saved, you probably will be disappointed.

First the good news. I disagree with other posts that this is just a glorified metronome. It is MUCH, MUCH more than that. The number of different beats provided is significant (in the 100's). The different beats come in sections of 4/4, 6/8 and 3/4 (might be more, but these are the ones I've checked out). Plus you can mix the different instrument types. For example you can combine a shaker rhythm with a cajon rhythm or mix hand claps with a kit drum beat. And many of the preprogrammed rhythms are good enough to use for both practice and performances, provided you're ok with the same beat for the entire song. (You can also program 3 or 4 'favorites' in a row and progress through them during a song with an optional footswitch if you want). One nice feature is the external footswitch, which allows you to start and stop or move through settings. You can also modify what the footswitch does if so desired. I use one to increment up to the next variation (or favorite) and the other to stop and start the rhythm loop.

Now the bad news. The volume produced the speaker is nowhere near enough for use other than practice or playing in the most quiet settings. This is the biggest weakness. I use the line out on the back to plug into my PA, so this isn't an issue, but just be aware of this. Second, there is no MIDI in or out. Third, while you can mix beats of different instruments, you can't save the relative volumes of each. Nor can you save volumes for your favorites. So, when I play, I have to adjust the volume between songs that use a shaker and those that use a kit or congas, as I can't save the overall volume of each favorite. Also, you are limited to the preprogrammed rhythms. While there are a large variety, I have found certain songs that I can't find a good preprogrammed rhythm for. Lastly, as mentioned before, you can't string together songs, so you're limited to one beat per song, unless you store multiple variants in the favorites and move through them during a song. However with only 50 or so favorites, if you'd use 4 per song, this limits you to about 12 songs.

Again, keep in perspective that I'm using this live for songs like "The Girl From Ipanema" (Jazz Standard), "Don't ask me Why" (Billy Joel) and "Love Will Keep Us Alive" (The Eagles), so it is useful, just not as flexible as a true drum machine.

This little rhythm machine has changed my performance so much.I connect it to my Bose Tonematch with a special cord and it's like having a full drum,bongo,Congo and whatever else you find in it to play along with to enhance your performance.The SweetWater people are right on when they suggested this to me.

Quit working within a couple of months

There is something about this gadget that is just so darn alluring. I was immediately drawn to it and, despite the high price, took the plunge and bought one after more than a year of hesitation. But buyer's remorse set in almost immediately after I turned it on. Even though this drum machine looks really cool, and even though it feels like you have access to an entire room of talented percussionists, I discovered pretty quickly that none of the countless variations were exactly what I was looking for. Further, without a footswitch (sold separately), you can't really do anything to the beat once you get it going -- no fills, no progressions. It makes the device feel like a really fancy metronome.

To my surprise, the entire "drum set" section sounds great but it somehow lessens the overall musical experience. A cajon and an acoustic guitar sounds like a match made in heaven, but an acoustic guitar with a full drum set in the background makes the lack of a bass player or other musicians really conspicuous. It sounds incomplete, like only two people showed up to band practice.

Also, the built-in speaker is so weak that you might have a hard time hearing it if you play on anything louder than a travel-size acoustic. If you're playing on a dreadnaught, forget about it. You can plug it into an amp (And I did, into the aux input of my Fender Acoustasonic) and it sounds a lot better (and less tinny), but sheesh, if you can't use the built-in speaker, what's the point of it? My Bluetooth speakers are a lot smaller and all of them have significantly more output.

If you find the Alesis SR-16 (or other similar machine) daunting or hard to understand then you might really enjoy how user-friendly the Boss Rhythm Partner is. You just turn it on and go -- there are no confusing displays, very easy controls, attractive design. But even in the best case scenario, it feels like a really well-made toy. Great as a metronome or practice tool, possibly good for live shows in particular settings.

Metronomes are boring things. Drum machines take too much time to program, setup and then coordinate with the guitar playing. BOSS has attempted to solve this problem with a product aimed at acoustic-vocalist. I have a box of drum machines, including a Beat Buddy I purchased three years ago, which I gave a great review on. Beat Buddy, BOSS SR-18, etc.. these are solid options for those who want to invest in programming tracks or coordinating play your acoustic playing with the pedal.

The DR-01S Rhythm Partner is unique in that it's rhythms are simple by design. It's background percussion designed to be understated yet interesting enough that the loops don't bore the listener or player. Here you get Cajon, Congas, Shakers, Maracas, Bongos, etc.. BOSS is subsidiary of Roland, so you get the exceptional high sample quality Roland is known for in the digital drumming; best of the best and the you have the ability to quickly dial-up a rhythm to support a performance. When playing presets or building your own patterns, you can bring in or turn off any of the seven instruments, you can also independently adjust the patterns for each instrument. You can independently adjust the volume for each instrument

With a footswitch (sold separate) you get two triggers that can be programmed to control almost anything. The default is stop-start for Switch A and a fill on Switch B, but you can make make the footswitches do whatever you want.

The built-in speaker and form factor is just perfect. You get a very good, balanced sound with lows, mids and highs coming from the speaker. It's designed to produce quality tone to accompany an unplugged acoustic guitar without over powering it and it works wonderfully for this task. Being optionally battery powered (the AC adapter is included if you want to plug it in) I find myself using it all the time.

It's a tool I really use often and recommend highly to anyone who plays acoustic and sings, especially songwriters. With the footswitch option, there is potential for performance scenarios.

This is a nice tool for writing new songs, but don't expect to use this for a live show. After populating the Boss DR O1s twice, the variations of every sound dropped to the last favorite you programed. This is without the Favorite button even on or touched. I'm ok with just using this for practice and writing, but the technical support on this blamed it on batteries, when in fact it was plugged in.

Only a few uses as I write this but no regrets on my purchase. Really easy to get a pattern going to get those ideas out. Sounds are very realistic and patterns are tasteful. Could be a little louder but has a line out to accommodate gigging. Wish tempo would save to favorites but overall solid little piece of gear that gets my ideas flowing instead of losing the mojo in troubleshooting.

Great Rhythms This thing is very flexible Easy to use and Sounds Big, I use it for mainly rehearsing and Small Parties or gathering. for Piano Guitar and BASS Group.

The Boss Dr-O1S is like a Metronome on Steroids! Very easy to use, and very helpful to keep time.

I've only had it for a short time, but so far it's fun, simple to use and has more than enough options for what I needed. I bought it to practice guitar with. Don't know the long term quality etc yet, but for now I'd purchase it again! Love Sweetwater!

My wife and I play guitar and uke and sing. We needed something to just fill in the background and keep us at the right tempo. This little device does that very well with a couple of additional pieces of equipment. First, a pedal is needed mainly to start and stop the percussion during some songs. We bought the Boss FS-6 dual pedal; however, as of now, a single pedal may have been fine. The dual pedal allows some additional functionality, but it's pretty limited. With two instruments and vocals, some of the less "punchy" percussion rhythms needed more volume than the device can produce so we bought a Roland Mobile Cube amp which serves that purpose very well (you get the greatest volume boost when plugged into the microphone input). Both devices can be operated with batteries which make them easy to take along, but you can also plug them in with power packs as well.

Just had these devices for about a week, so we're still learning how best to use them, but we're pretty happy so far.

Sounded good on "Highway-Man" by the 'Outlaws'. I've been using it on piano/woodwind stuff, plus my acoustic-guitar songs!

I had considered purchasing one of these for more than a year. I play ukulele and used to play Acoustic guitar when I was younger. The thing that finally persuaded me to go ahead and get it was a video I saw on Youtube demonstrating that it comes with 40 favorite preset rhythms (1-40)that are accessed via the favorite button. Favorite slots 41-50 are blank to load your own into. You can alter any of the favorites to your own liking and then save if you decide to do so. To return to the originals just initiate a factory reset. I am amazed that BOSS never mentions this in their promotional literature or even the owner's manual. I am leaving a link to the video I mentioned earlier in the add a video area for anyone else who would like to know about this feature.

I have only had this rhythm partner for a couple of weeks and while there is a learning curve as with any electronic device it comes with great instructions. With that said I was able to get playing and having fun with it right out of the box. With a little more time I am sure I will be able to make some of my own pre-sets and enjoy this plug and play acoustic device even more. And a special thanks to Mike Blair and Sweetwater their customer service is great.

Yes, it's a handy little package, with decent sound for acoustic accompaniment. But...

1. There's a delay upon startup - maybe a couple hundred milliseconds, which you have to learn to wait for. Hard to get started cleanly as a performer.
2. You can set it to fade out, as many songs do, but it then requires two separate quick taps to have it stop immediately. They should have allowed a hold on the pedal to stop it in this mode.
3. There are hundreds of bizarre beats, but to get to one with a simple shuffle/swing requires going to rhythm d55, whereas a normal country rock beat is d02. Not being able to enter a number directly means you have to hold a button down, which goes faster and faster as you hold it, making it hard to land where you need to.
4. Same thing with the tempo - you can't enter it directly, so it's painful and time-consuming to change.
5. 3/4 and 6/8 time signatures are very popular for classic songs, but there's only one choice that I've found, and it's pretty lame.
6. You can "save" a rhythm, but only certain parameters get saved. You still will have to adjust several things to get what you want after recalling one, so forget about presetting for a setlist.
7. No adjustment for "swing". Some songs are in-between a straight and a swing beat, and you can't get there with this device.

This gadget is easy to use, plenty loud enough and has lot of cool (and sensible) features. My problem with it so far (only had it a week or two) is to find the percussion sound (voice) or combination of sounds that give me the vibe I am looking for. May take more time.

A bit expensive but it's sounds so good and so much fun to jam with solo or with friends. Pretty darn loud for how small it is.

This is a Very Musical Piece of Work...
The the sounds are organic sounding and the patterns very useful.

Uniquely it has 6 sections with up to 60 different rhythm patches ea. These can be individually selected paired up and ARRAIGNED in any combination ON the FLY... Each combo can be saved to some 60 spots in the built in memory.

Well named... More than a rhythm box ... it feels and "plays" like a partner.
Fade outtro and count in (nice to preview tempo)
Built in speaker AND INPUT + Batteries/or AC
Ergonomic so you can work it quickly - Foot switch a must for live work.

I have owned or used probably 20 different drum machines over the years...
Some stand out over time The Roland Rhythm Arranger, Oberheime, Yamaha RX11... Alesis ....
This little gem is probably as much as a breakthrough in form factor and sound but More Musically Useful.

I am well pleased with my purchase. I love the size and portability. It will take me some time to use it for me. Mainly because I am not up on the new stuff.

I perform regularly as a solo act; I needed some type of rhythm for some songs besides the Shadowbox stomp that I use. I purchased the Finhol Auto-Stomp, and while I appreciated the organic nature of tapping on the pedal to keep time I found that it was difficult (and tiring) to do so while strumming, singing, hitting the harmonizer floor switch, etc. I needed an EASILY programmable rhythm backing--so I purchased the Boss DR-01S. This review is based on the viability of the unit for performances, not as a practice tool.

1. REALLY easy to program. I'm very low tech (which is why I avoided the Beat Buddy) and the Boss was extremely easy to set up. Within 2 days I had 23 songs formatted and saved (the unit can store 50 songs).

2. The sounds are decent when plugged into a system--I use a Bose tower with a T8 mixer. The Boss provides a "drum set" option with 99 patterns along with various other acoustic friendly instruments, each with its own patterns. I found myself choosing a "drum set" pattern and then adding various instruments to enter into a chorus section to give the song some oomph. This second section of each song can be triggered with a foot switch (essential); I use the FS-6 which provides 2 programmable switches. The drum set sounds are decent, while the other acoustic sounds (cahon, bongos, etc.) are excellent.

3. Programmable songs are accessed with a favorite button on the front panel and are easily edited.

4. This is probably the easiest to use rhythm backing unit out there for performers who need to program songs but they don't want to spend countless hours programming and dive into a steep learning curve. Very intuitive.

5. The speaker that is attached is suitable for programming songs so you don't have to plug into an external amp. The sound is decent, not great; I wouldn't use it on its own for busking or small unplugged performances, but it's a great convenience for setting up songs. My 12 string guitars overpower the speaker.

Limitations and Tips

1. The "drum set" patterns seem to be set at a lower volume than the other acoustic instruments. This is easily remedied but it took me a gig to figure it out. The problem was that I set up one of the two foot switches to add other acoustic sounds in song choruses, and when I hit the switch to bring the sounds into the mix they TOTALLY overpowered the backing beat of the drum set. The remedy: Leave the "drum set" volume at 100 and be prepared to lower and save the volume of every other instrument you bring into the mix--mine are all set to level 50-70. Setting volume of all instruments is extremely easy and intuitive.

2. For me, the MAIN limitation of this unit for live performances is the use of only two programmable pedals. I need one pedal for a start/stop so my hands are free. The other pedal is used to bring in other instruments in the chorus which is easily done in song editing--the pedal can be programmed to bring in all other instrument categories besides the "drum set" pattern that plays continuously. For instruments that I don't want in the song's mix I set their volumes to zero so they can't be heard. So this is what I've chosen for the 2 programmed pedals but I have the option of choosing among other crucial options for the pedals. The problem I faced when playing live is that the timing I set for each song when sipping on a tea in the living room is sometimes (a lot?) way different than in a bar. The song tempo can be programmed to a pedal but my two pedals are used up--so, I have to start a song while playing live, figure out the tempo is too slow, stop playing the song on my guitar to hit the tempo switch on the unit, and smile sheepishly at the crowd. Hopefully this scenario will only happen once for each song as the practical tempo of the song can be determined after several mini live disasters. Another option is to add specific sounds like a crash for accents (I'm sure you've seen the talented British girl's video of the Boss--she uses a crash accent). But, once again, I have no room to add any other option for a foot pedal even though I'd certainly like to.

Verdict: I'm going to keep the DR-01S as it is the easiest to use rhythm tool I've used. The timing issue will be remedied over time (after repeated embarrassing live performances). Boss needs to provide the option for at least a four switch programmable pedal to make this unit essential for a live performer.

This little rhythm machine is awesome and easy to use.It has many different rhythm and drum patterns to use and is easy to store the ones you want.I just wish they made a larger version with about 25 to 50 watts and a 6 or 8 inch speaker for those of us who are hard strummers on the acoustic.

Nice little machine. Easy to use, no programming, just plug it up and go. Wouldn't necessarily recommend for performance, but for jam tracks without hassles, it cant be beat. Sounds are pretty decent. Definitely happy with it so far and, as always, Sweetwater customer service is outstanding. Call Ryan Wiltermood x1390 he'd awesome.

THIS PRODUCT WORKS VERY WELL FOR MY PARTICULAR NEED. ALL THE RHYTHM SOUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE SOUND REALISTIC. AFTER TRYING NUMEROUS PEDALS AND SO CALLED PERSONAL DRUM MACHINES ,THIS BABY BEATS THEM ALL.!

It"s exactly what it says it is. For sitting out back with a guitar it"s great. You have a lot of variation. It would be amazing if you could really program it via say usb, maybe you can. Have not gotten that far as having too much fun.

I just received the DR-01S and am impressed. Arrived well packaged in two days from my order. Was followed up by Sweetwater call to ensure my satisfaction. Easy to set up with easy to read manual. By itself or running it through my Fender Princeton amp offers me great sound and what seems like unlimited beats and sounds. Versatel with acoustic or electric especially with my choice of surf music. Cool backing my Uke as well. Finally, just what I need after trying other unacceptable options for percussion possibilities.

Bought the Rhythm Partner to use while playing the piano. I was worried that it would not be loud enough if I used the unit without an external speaker. However, it has more volume than I need and I have a full size acoustic piano. I like the metronome feature, it rings on the change of the measure. This helps work on timing and can be used in conjunction with the instrument options. Time signature settings are 6/8, 3/4, and 4/4. I appreciate there is an actual direction book. The directions are easy to follow and the device is not complicated to work. I didn't rate it 5 stars, because there are only 3 time signature options. I am happy with this purchase.

After reading the manual thoroughly and spending a hour or so exploring the functions of this cool little rhythm box I am beginning to master it, although more experimentation is certainly called for. I use it with my guitar students as essentially a very fancy metronome, for my own practice with acoustic/electric guitar and on a few gigs in a local cafe. The sound is quite natural sounding and all functions are adjustable (volume of individual rhythm instruments, tempo, saved settings, etc.) I run it through my Carvin AG300 for the best sound, although it sounds quite good as a stand-alone unit. I also have the optional Boss foot pedal controller but know you will need to buy a stereo 1/4" plug type cord for it to work this way. Another cool function is a program for a gradual fade, which can be set for various lengths of time and controlled by the pedal, which allows for a more natural sounding ending to songs without an abrupt stop. Three rhythm settings are the starting points for any beats you wish to create and save, 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4. The are ways to "imply" less common beats such as 6/8 and even 5/4 and 7/8 depending upon how individual rhythm instruments are programmed with accents. The overriding sounds are cajon, congos, bongos and "drum set" with higher pitched instruments such as claves, tambourine, cowbell. Many basic combinations are pre-stored but it's more fun to create your own. My only complaints (which are small by keep me from giving this 5 stars) are no obvious way to program a syncopated beat and the fact that the output to an amp or a PA is via a mini RCA plug - this makes it necessary to buy a long cable with these plugs - I don't know why they didn't just make it with a standard 1/4 guitar cord plug, which would be much more practical for a performing musician. But overall this fun little unit is a nice way to beef up your sound, improve your rhythm via practice, and it sounds way better with acoustic guitar than any standard drum machine I've heard. But DO take time to read the manual thoroughly to use it to its best potential!

I preordered this from Sweetwater because I thought it would be a nice addition to my acoustic arsenal. In just a few days, I've learned to build rhythms quickly. I like how adjustable the rhythms are and the total variety of instruments available that can be added or subtracted on the fly. It's very versatile but it is strictly made for acoustic coffeehouse style performances. That's what I like about it. The speaker is adequate but by using the 1/8" out to my mixer, I've got a great sounding percussionist that I don't have to pay. The quality of the sound is GREAT, not cheesy, not Casio keyboard quality like I've seen on other Boss products (looking at you RC-300 rhythm accompaniment). I recommend having the FS-6 footswitch so you aren't fumbling for stop/starts. I'm also picking up a 6x9" mic stand shelf to put it on for performing. I look forward to putting together some favorites and using it for live performances. Great product and I recommend it.