The beat that started it all
The simplest and most straightforward dance music beat has to be the fundamental 4/4 beat, which forms the backdrop of a large percentage of EDM genres. From its inception during the 1970s disco era, it’s been mercilessly pummelled and tweaked over the decades, but the four-tothe-floor kick drum, often partnered with an open hi-hat or some other element accenting the offbeats in between, has remained pretty much constant throughout.
Without doubt, the drum machine that’s had the most impact on the house, trance and techno scene is Roland’s TR-909. Introduced in 1983, it was an attempt to provide a portable source of drum sounds for live musicians, but it didn’t sound anything like a real drum kit.
Initially a bit of a setback, the TR-909 with its distinctively punchy sounds and button-bashing sequencer were embraced by the dance fraternity of the late 80s and early 90s as the house scene exploded.
These days, although there are still plenty of original hardware machines to be found, they command high prices due to their collectability, so the easiest and most cost-effective way of getting the classic 909 sound is to use sample packs. Although the sounds are relatively easy to get hold of, most current house tracks only use minimal elements such as the odd clap here and there, preferring instead to mix and match elements of real drums, hybrid sounds and more processed samples from other sources.
Roland’s other TR-series drum machines also found popularity, the TR-808 being a favourite for hip-hop and electro, and the TR-606 proving a secret weapon for electronic producers looking for something different yet distinctive.
Most DAWs now come with samples that sound enough like these famous beat makers for you to produce your own fantastic 4/4 beats. We show you how, starting on p36 where we explore some of the more intricate timing additions you can make to house and other genre programming to lift your beats.