Tech

Watch The First Drum Machine From 1931 In Action

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When we think about drum machines, we usually don’t think further back than the 1970s. There are some earlier examples, of course, but they’re rarely referenced in electronic music; techno and house history pretty much starts with the Roland 808. Check out the world’s first drum machine from 1931 above, and get the full rundown about the “Rhythmicon” on Open Culture. For more ancient tech, check out the 1995 software sequencer that inspired Ableton here or play a fully functional 909 in your browser here.

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