Making “next level” beats used to require a room full of equipment and a “PC computer", but the rise of music apps has made that idea crazy obsolete. What would have once cost you thousands of dollars and several months in a studio can now be downloaded for pocket change and finished up in train trip. The latest addition to this cut-price digital studio is the DM1 drum pad for iPads.
Loosely based on the classic Akai MPC drum machine (a favourite in hip hop circles since forever), this digital approximation contains 24 different drum kits, a sequencer, mixer and a bunch of other technical stuff that would have producers nodding their heads in agreement.
Like an old school analogue drum kit, the DM1 has large touch-pads which enable you to hammer in a drum pattern manually and then loop it. The sequencer and mixer let you edit all this down until you’ve made some snap-your-neck, KRS One, Return of the Boom Bap type isht. Alternatively, snort some horse tranquiliser and make acid house like it was 1988.
Point is, you can now program your drum loops while on public transport / stuck in traffic / sitting on the couch. Upload these beats to your computer, add vocals and you’ll be swimming in money faster than you can say Dr Dre fell off.
Download the DM1 at
itunes.apple.com for $6.50.