Behringer teases Roland CR-78 Drum Machine Knockoff
As part of the company’s traditional NAMM Show counter-programming from ‘Banaheim‘, Behringer today shared a sneak preview of its planned RD-78 Computer Controlled Analog Drum Machine, their copy of the Roland CR-78 CompuRhythm.
The original Roland CR-78 was a pre-cursor to their classic TR-x0x drum machines, and is a transitional design, between earlier preset rhythm boxes and the first modern drum machines.
It’s best known for being used iconically on a few classic 80s tracks, Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight, and Hall & Oates’ I Can’t Go For That:
Roland CR-78 drum machines are rare, and now sell for thousands of dollars, in spite of their limitations.
In this video, synthesist Alex Ball shares a great overview of the CR-78, describing it as ‘the first famous drum machine’:
Behringer says that they’re using the exact same circuitry in their version, but they’ve repackaged the drum machine into a form factor similar to Roland’s TR-606.
Pricing and availability are to be announced, but Behringer says that the RD-78 is “up and running”, and that they’re working with beta testers to ensure the unit sounds spot on.
