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Boss DR-880 Dr. Rhythm Drum Machine

The DR-880 is a rhythm-programming powerhouse that's loaded with world-class drum, percussion, and bass sounds from Roland's famous SRX library. Learn More...

    • New $495.00
  • Installment Plan:4 payments of $123.75
    • free ground shipping
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Overall User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Individual User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10

Feature:
The best feature is the guitar affects. You can play anything from classical to thrash metal with a beat.

Quality:
So far. I havn't had any problems with this drum machine. Knock Wood!!!

Value:
It is worth every penny.

Desirability:
I married it. LOL!!!!

Sound:
The sound is outstanding. I thought there was a drummer in my sound room.

Ease of Use:
It takes a while to figure out. But, once you do. You will be amazed what this thing can do.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Considering that it allows guitar and bass input, and added effects plus the drum patterns. I consider this product the most robust machine on the market.

Quality:
The unit seems to be built really well.. It is mostly plastic so one has to take care in handling the unit. But the product is reliable and seems to be constructed well.

Value:
As far as sound quality and features I would say that this product is worth the price being charged. I was mainly interested in getting an authentic sounding drum machines and I feel that is exactly what I got. I don't think I could have done much better for the price. The drum patterns and fills sound as real, as they could possibily be.

Sound:
As far as the drum samples are concerned, I think these drums samples are some of the best I've ever heard on even a high quality keyboard sampler. The fact that the samples are in a drum machine.. all the better. I highly recommend this drum machine if that is what you are looking for. Seems to be one of the best on the market right now.

Ease of Use:
A little difficult in the beginnning but it doesn't take long before your playing drum patterns and constructing your own drum sequences and songs. Suggest that you spend much time in the manual.

Support:
As of yet I have not needed support yet.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10

Feature:
Tap tempo is great. Total Sound Control makes it easy to fix beats I programmed with bad velocities, because the small pads and their sensitivity are inconsistent.

Quality:
Seems well built. Would prefer some metal.

Value:
Great.

Desirability:
Lot of stuff for the price in a small box.

Sound:
Sounds are pretty good. I will use it live.

Ease of Use:
Typical Roland. Awkward until you own one, eat and breathe it.

Support:
Haven't needed it.

Overall:
I don't want the TEMPO to change when I change rhythms in favorites mode. This is stupid! It means I am locked into the same preprogrammed beat and CANNOT do anything ON THE FLY!!! There appears to be no way to override it.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Feature:
Great features,though it cant sample.

Quality:
NEVER DROPPED IT,SEEMS STURDY.

Value:
Seems like it'll last me until I get a MPC.

Desirability:
no sexiness

Sound:
The sounds get repetitive after a while !

Ease of Use:
THE PADS ARE TOO FRIGGIN SMALL !THATZ WHY I'M PURCHASING A MPD 16 TO CONTROL THEM I'M TIRED OF HITTING THE WRONG PADS AND MISSING THE PADS !

Support:
Good,I called once to see if it was compatible with a MPD 16.

Overall:
Good overall.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Feature:
It came with the foot pedals for a little extra but they come in handy. the guitar or bass input lacks something like power or cleaningness. Although I have no use for that feature other than to practice some riffs with the drums I created before I record the other parts it's not a bad feature to have.

Quality:
There is quite a bit of plastic for the price it should more metal. I can't afford a back up so I'm pretty careful with it. It might last a few years if I'm luckey.

Value:
It was maybe worth the price only because I needed the product in a bad way.

Desirability:
It is very attractive like most music toys. I like the size and the cool colored lights and quick to set up.

Sound:
Very realistic drum sounds especially to record songs with. The quality is great you can even tweak if you have to. It achieves what I need it for and more. You can Rock, swing, jazz or even do some latinish numbers on it. By itself it sounds like you have your own drummer in the house and not a machine. I think even live the Dr 880 would sound great. I use Mackie Pa systems, Marshall and Fender Amps and PRS guitars, Fender Strats and Ibanez. The instruction needs to be a bit more self explanitory for the lame person. An instructional DVD would be great since I am a visual kind of guy.

Ease of Use:
Not real intuitive but if you spend time reading the manual and tinker with it a while you can eventually come up with some bad ass stuff. It is fairly easy to start playing with the DR 880 but there is a learning curve to build your own patterns and putting a beggining and ending together. Looping is no problem though.

Support:
I have not had to use it.

Overall:
It would be several years before I look for something else. I will probably supplement it. I would probably look for another only if it was complete drum patterns already looped including fills ready to apply to recording with the option to make slight changes to them like dynamics, ambience etc. They would also have to catagorized Jazz, Blues, rock, Latin Jazz Etc. This product sounds better than the SR- 16 by alesis.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
I like the fact that 10 minutes out of the box I was able to loop my own a beat without so much as touching the manual. It's a little slow to learn and program at first, but if you mess wit it long enuff it gets easy quick, wish it had more ethnic percs.

Quality:
I'm reading all these reviews about how people don't like plastic, but to me the 880 seems to be made very well, feels solid, just don't jump up and down on it.

Value:
It's worth the price, do some research, amongst the others in this price range this thing shines.

Desirability:
Well i don't want to sleep with, but for beats this machine is fly-y-y-y-y-y.

Sound:
The sound kicks ass, this is the only beat machine I've owned, but I already know it's one of the best. I make hip hop beats, and the way this thing is arranged it seems like it would be better for rock. Even so if you mess around with it long enough you can do anything with it.

Ease of Use:
This machine is not very intuitive, but thats only at first. It can be really aggravating sometimes, but the sound and creativity more than make up for that.

Support:
I'm lazy so rather than reading the manual, I just call support, have called twice and they are very helpful despite what others may have said.

Overall:
I love it! couldnt be happier, short of an MPC every thing I could have wanted! Buy it NOW!

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Feature:
Overall would be a 10 but including the foot switches and a case at this price would make it a 10. Also the computer interface could use some work. It is very basic. Given the power of USB some type of software to allow writing patterns/songs on the computer, even a basic one, would also be nice.

Quality:
Great sounds and lay out. Only a small deduction for the plastic case. In fairness all the models I compared used similar construction. Seems sturdy enough and may be a non-issue but I will be carefull.

Value:
Great value. Like I said you will pay a bit more but the sound quality is worth it.

Desirability:
Like most roland/boss gear it is well marketed. Just go and see the demo videos on the Roland/Boss websites.

Sound:
Costs a bit more than some but the sound is where the pay off is here. The drums and groove options really make this usable as a real sounding drum part.

Ease of Use:
I am a guitarist, so the learning curve is there. However, as advertised, the EZ Compose feature gets you up and running with serviceable patterns for performance. Once you spend a few hours with it, you can start doing good things. This is probably better than most drum machines.

Support:
I haven't needed them. The web site and user group has been informative.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
I'm a guitar player and I wish the modelling was such that I could throw away my tube amps. Not to say it's not good and I like some of the sounds better than the PODxt. I wish I could get more gain out of the amp models. :) But really, for what it is...it's a killer box...and just an extraordinary practice tool.

Quality:
People here are concerned that's it's made from plastic. I don't know if it's sturdy, but the machining and appearance are stellar. I've had no troubles yet. I've been using this machine non-stop for 3 months now and "all systems go"... so far. Aren't some plastics as strong as metal? :)

Value:
For me, this is a priceless gadget. I use it to practice and it's the best. I don't like messing around and I like the idea of a dedicated machine like this. One really hasn't been available until now. I've been wasting a lot of time with samples and files and Windows drivers and latency settings and thank God I don't need to play that ridiculous game anymore. Not that Stylus RMX isn't a killer program...just I don't need to launch my computer to jam out anymore. Building patterns, placing effect...adding fills...and everything's organized in this machine...that's a big plus to me...just a huge time saver. It is completely worth the price. There is a ton of well thought out engineering in this unit.

Desirability:
Sex appeal? Now don't cross the line...I'm looking for boobs not drum machines. :) But I like the color and the design...no problem there. I really do favor the mixing knobs for guitar, bass and drums. Thanks for not making them soft keys.

Sound:
It's just great. Usable kits and good sounds. Nothing over the top. Like all these machines...I wish there was a site with drum patterns from more songs that could be easily downloaded. How about 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover or a Steve Gadd library easily downloaded? Ringo library, John Bonham library? Neil Pert, Gene Krupa...etc, etc. But no worries...it doesn't really exist out there anywhere yet.

Support:
no experience...and I'm okay with that. I upgraded the unit...followed the directions...and the install was painless...thanks Boss!

Overall:
I will use this device for years if it continues to operate. If there was an easy mapped out computer interface that was customized for this product and offered more patterns my jaw would continue to drop even further. But as it stands, for me, this is the only game in town.

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Overall:
* . . . . . . . . . 1 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
I Want It:
* . . . . . . . . . 1 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Feature:
The guitar preamp is good. I wouldn't use it for serious gigging but it is great for practice. I would like the drum pads to be ever so slightly larger for live performance real-time drum fills and then grouped as close together as possible. That combination has never been done on a drum machine yet.

Quality:
It is a bad idea in general to make something out of plastic that is going to be struck with some force hundreds of thousands of times over and over. I, however, did not use this product long enough to find out if would hold up to the wear and tear of the road.

Value:
The price would have been just fine if it had been usable. If you need the (Roland) Boss DR-880 for studio use or as a drum sequencer only (being used in the song mode only) it would be a fine product. As it is I would not pay $5.00 for it.

Desirability:
I do not "lust" after any piece of gear. It is either practical and helps me make better music/helps making good music better or it is useless to me.

Sound:
The sounds are top quality.

Support:
I give them (Tech support for friendliness, accesibility and not being too condesending on the phone. As you have figured out already, they were not able to resolve any of my issues as it was bad engineering to begin with, therefore, not their responsibility. They were, however, able determine fairly quickly that it was unresolvable.

Overall:
This is the second DR series drum machine by Roland (BOSS) that I have returned because it was unusable to me live. The other was the DR-770. It had the inability with the Stop/Start buttons or pedals to start the pattern at the beginning after stopping. It would ALWAYS pick up the pattern at the point in which it was stopped. Hmm...let me see...I stop the drums at the & of beat three...I wonder if I would EVER want start the drums back at that point in the measure?!! I wonder if they even payed their engineers who designed that little gem. (I use the word ENGINEER loosely) I would use another Boss or Roland product if it was designed with the live musician in mind. I have no prejudice against the company. Heavens knows they have made some great products over the years. You are, however, only as good as the gear you are producing at the moment!

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
All the features are cool man!!

Quality:
Dude...this thing is made wicked good!- It's wicked light and easy to carry around town if you want to go mobile with the sick little machine...it's crazy!!

Value:
Wicked sick value dudes...i would of payed a million dollars for this crazy little machine!!!!

Desirability:
I was wicked attracted to this sick little machine as soon as i saw it...you might say, it was love at first sight.-i say to myself "I want you" every time i see it sitting alone in a room waiting to be played...it calls to me, "play me dude"..."play me" it says.

Sound:
This thing sounds absolutly sick- I love how realistic it sounds!...like theres a crazy little man with the best drums sounds you ever heard jammin out inside of it!- I plug into a huge PA system and crank it up...sometimes the cops show up cuz it's to friggin loud and they think there's a real band in there... and it's just me wasted, and the DR-880 rockin out full blast!...i love it man.

Support:
The sickest support you've ever see man!!

Overall:
The sickest little piece of equipment i have ever bought in my whole life...it's better than my car i think.- I would give away everything i own for this crazy little machine!...it's totally sick dudes...i would sell my children to buy one, ha ha ha!...i don't even have kids...but i would if i had them!

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Quality:
only own it six months, and it has not left my studio, but seems sturdy, and has withstood florida lighting spikes and power outages ok

Value:
it is not cheap, but seems to be worth it.

Sound:
excellent all around sound. since i have not bought a drum machine since my roland 505, this is something out of freakin NASA. fantastic amount of fills per pattern, great intros and endings, and an unreal number of (500) pre set patterns. great nuance in snares and cymbals. NOT INTUITIVE, steep learning curve(for this dummy)but rewarding. i am happy with it.

Support:
no experience

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * . . . . 6 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10

Feature:
The only big disappointment. In the old SR-16 there is an A->Afill->B->Bfill function (controled by footswitch) for every patch. This was ideal for impromptu live performance and probably the main reason why a product designed in 1990 is still sold new today! For all of the DR-880s wonderful innovation, how could Boss have overlooked this fundamental requirement for live work? Yes, you can easily create complex songs and modify patterns with multiple fills but there seems to be no option to assign any combination of foortswitches that will move from one pattern to a fill variation, to another pattern, to its fill variation and back to the 1st pattern. C'mon guys, this is no great programming challenge; all of the tools are already in the code!

Quality:
A lower score only because its new.

Value:
I paid substantially less on a discounted promotion but would still consider buying at the current price.

Desirability:
I'm not much for form over function, but I will say that it looks pretty good sitting on my keyboard in a live venue.

Sound:
The best I've heard.

Support:
Not yet.

Overall:
The DR-880 is the best I've seen and I would have given it a 10 if it had the A->Afil... described above. I expect to use this tool for many years.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Feature:
The features are what makes this machine shine. To begin with, it's packed with 500 very useful preset patterns. No bank after bank of mambo and cha-cha here (yes, they're in there too, but the DR-880 is mainly about rock, alternative, hip-hop, etc). You can take any one of those patterns and build a song very easily. The DR-880 is equipped with a fill-in library that can be combined with any of the patterns. You can easily select wher