PEARL DRUM-X DRX-1 Programmable Electronic Drums, 1980s.

Used 1980s five channel percussion synth in very good condition; some scratch here and there but nothing serious. Everything works fine.

All channels have the same parameters except for pitch range which varies somewhat between them. Channels are ostensibly Bass Drum, Snare and three Toms, however this unit is capable of some wild electronic sounds. Each has its own trigger-in and a output, plus there is a main stereo out.

It has eight saved kits. These vary from cheesy to very cool, but as all parameters are editable you can soon turn them all into very usable sounds. The ability to switch between kits while it is playing allows some very interesting possibilities also. We like this unit a lot…

Editing sounds is via the buttons – select sound, select parameter, change parameter.

Parameters are:

• Pitch – the basic tune of the sound.

• Bend – the amount of pitch modulation; pitch bend is also velocity-dependant.

• Mix OSC/Noise – blend from OSC-only to Noise-only.

• Overtone – adds some ring modulation, apparently to simulate the second drumhead of a tom

• Attack – makes the sound more defined and aggressive, adding short enveloped noise, not a click.

• Filter – Lowpass for the Noise, also dampens the Attack-sound and the Oscillator.

• Decay

• Level