Eko Rhythmaker (Italy, 1970) vintage analog drum machine

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

"The drum machine is fully working and in excellent cosmetical condition for its age.

It has 16 types of rhythms that can be combined (maximum of 2 together at a time):

• March • Fox Trot • Shuffle • Jazz • Swing • Tango • Waltz • Western • Slow Rock • Rock'n Roll • Bossa Nova • Samba • Mambo • Cha-Cha • Beguine • Rumba

The front panel includes 3 controls: Volume, Sustain and Tempo Speed.

The “Sustain” knob is one of the 'mysteries' of all Eko Rhythmakers as it almost never makes any changes. We have sold several Rhythmakers over the years and the “Sustain” has never worked or made any changes to the various sounds.

In fact, if we check the Rhythmaker diagrams and calculate the sustain time, in the best scenario, the result could be a maximum of 0.8 sec, therefore completely imperceptible to human ears. If we then consider the components of the epoch, perhaps it is even less than 0.8 sec. So in none of the Eko Rhythmakers does the “Sustain” knob work because is practically imperceptible.

The 'Selector' section is practically an integrated mixer that allows you to adjust the volume of the individual parts/sounds of the rhythm. Very cool!

On the back there are:

• FOOT SWITCH: Works perfectly with any switch pedal (not included in the sale)

• HIGH IMP OUTPUT

• LOW IMP OUTPUT

Inside the drum machine there are some trimmers: they can modify the sound of the individual instruments (intonation, etc.) to your own taste and liking.

True collector's item: it’s a simple and great drum machine with a very rich sound, especially with a nice tape delay and reverb added.

Eko was the Italian brand that produced many legendary instruments. The Company was based in Recanati (Marche, Italy), in the same area where Elka, Elgam, Farfisa, Crumar, Jen, Siel, Solton, CRB, etc. were born."