MFB 522 and Behringer Tweakalizer Demo

YouTube via FatSynthDude
"Just a quick demo of the MFB 522. I like the demos currently out there (in fact, they're a big part of the reason why I ended up buying one) but they don't really do a good job of showing what this thing can do when you effect it heavily like many of us who would be interested in owning the 522 would end up doing to it. As kind of a bonus, this demo also shows what the Tweakalizer can do when used outside of a DJ context. For this video, the 522 is being run through a UM-300 Ultra Metal distortion and then into the Tweakalizer. I didn't record the audio to the computer, but rather recorded the audio with the camera. The reason for this is simple: I am fat and lazy. I didn't feel like going in later and manually resyncing the video to the audio with editing software. If you need somebody to blame, I can point you to the nearest McDonald's for making me fat and lazy. That being said, I hope you enjoy this video.

Some thoughts on the 522: This drum machine has been purported to be similar to the Roland TR-808 in it's sound. I've never used an 808 myself so I can't compare, but on it's own it's pretty decent. It's got a lot of snap and pop to it and is extremely raw. Being analog, it handles effects differently than digital drum synthesizers, so it's more of a different flavor than the MachineDrum, ER-1, Attack, and the like. The kick drum has some interesting range to it. It doesn't quite thump like your typical 909 kick, but I doubt that anybody who buys one of these is looking for it to do that. The cowbell kinda leaks through the amp gate (as you can hear in the video) but it's only really noticeable if you distort the hell out of the signal. Using the volume control for the cowbell, this problem can be remedied or even used creatively. I wish it had more ways to shape the sounds, but being a synthesist primarily, it could have as many knobs as my modular and I'd still complain. On the subject of knobs, one of the biggest complaints one hears about this device is the tiny knobs. I'll admit at first, they're a bit of a pain, but you get used to them real quick. The sequencer isn't quite as straightforward as one would ask for, but it suffices. My only real complaint with this drum machine is the lack of a MIDI thru/out. Because of this, you can neither sequence other instruments with the 522 nor use it as the master clock if one were so inclined. The sequencer can be synced to external MIDI signals though, and for those who like to sequence with external sequencers, the MIDI spec is very nicely done so that I was even able to play the drums with my guitar-MIDI converter with ease. All in all, this isn't a drum machine I'd recommend to everybody as it's targeted towards a specific market, but if you're in the need for an 808 soundalike that can do it's own thing, at this price, it's kind of a no-brainer. Yes, there are some compromises made, but with the low cost of this unit, it's expected."