Yamaha RX21 Digital Drum Machine

Looks and sounds like 1985. This is one of those bits of my kit that somehow survived four decades in genuinely immaculate condition. Lived in a smoke-free, humidity-free studio its entire life, stored properly.

Tested and working perfectly. Every pad, every preset, every output.

The 12-bit samples share DNA with Yamaha's flagship RX11, and the sounds hold up in a way a lot of its contemporaries simply don't. The bass drum and snare are properly huge, the toms and claps are useful, and the cymbals are, ahem... characterful. Think classic 80s drum machine.

There are 40 ROM preset patterns, all of which can be pulled into RAM and edited, plus room for 100 patterns total. Pattern and song data can be saved to cassette if you're into that kind of workflow (not included!). It has MIDI in and out, so it plays nicely with modern setups too.

Specs at a glance

• Sound source: 12-bit wave ROM, 256kb total sample memory
• 9 voices, accessible directly from the pads
• 100 patterns (44 preset, 56 programmable), 4 programmable songs
• Stereo line outputs (L/R), stereo headphone jack, cassette in/out, MIDI in/out
• Dimensions: 350 × 56 × 203mm, Weight: 1.3kg
• Runs on DC 9V power supply