MATRIXSYNTH: Oberheim DMX 8-Voice Drum Machine


Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Oberheim DMX 8-Voice Drum Machine

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via this Reverb listing

"The Oberheim DMX is a classic digital drum machine introduced in 1981 by Oberheim Electronics. It became one of the most iconic drum machines of the early 1980s, particularly influential in hip-hop, electro, and pop music

🔧 Key Features:

12-bit digital samples: The DMX used actual sampled drum sounds stored in EPROM chips, giving it a realistic, punchy character that distinguished it from analog drum machines like the Roland TR-808.
Sounds: It included individual samples for kick, snare, hi-hats, toms, cymbals, claps, cowbell, etc. The samples could be swapped out using different EPROMs.
8-voice polyphony: You could play up to 8 drum sounds at once.
Individual outputs: Each drum sound had its own output jack, allowing for separate processing and mixing.
Swing and quantization: The DMX had adjustable swing, making its grooves feel more human.
Tight MIDI sync and clocking: It could sync with other gear via MIDI (on later models), DIN sync, or analog clock pulses.
Sequencing: Patterns and songs could be programmed in step or real-time mode, with memory for multiple patterns and songs.

🎧 Sound Character:
Punchy and dry, with a distinctive ’80s sheen.
The snare and clap are especially famous—used heavily in early rap and electro.
It had a more realistic, “studio drummer” feel than analog machines, making it ideal for producers aiming for a more polished sound

This unit has a toggle and button on top and button which we are not sure of the function. Never used it."

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