I am selling my gently-used MFB Tanzbar 2 analogue/digital drum machine. This is an excellent specimen of a somewhat rare device, one of the final machines released by MFB before Manfred Fricke (MFB = Manfred Fricke Berlin) passed away. It is with a heavy heart that I need to part ways with it due to my financial circumstances.

It's arguably the most unique drum machine I've owned, with a bunch of analogue sounds (bass drums, snares, toms, and congas) on the lefthand side, purely sample-based (12-bit for extra crunch) on the righthand side, and then 3 hybrid instruments (samples run through analogue filters) in the middle. To top it all off, he included an analogue 1-oscillator bass synthesizer that sounds suspiciously like a 303.

As you can see from the photos, it's in excellent cosmetic condition. Aside from maybe some very small/faint scratches on the metallic side panels (see photos), it looks like it did when it was new. The LCD screen, all buttons, and all knobs are working correctly. Most importantly, all of the instruments sound correctly through both the individual and summed outputs. The wooden side panels look great, and they are still firmly attached to the sides.

This unit is running Firmware version 1.08b, which is the final version released by MFB. Since MFB is basically defunct, it is highly unlikely there will ever be a new update. I think the most annoying bugs had been ironed out by the time this version was released, but seeing as MFB is now defunct it's unlikely there will be any further updates. I'm not sure if it's possible to roll-back to earlier versions of the firmware, so maybe do some research about the differences between the different firmware versions before ordering. That said, I jam with it at least once per week and have never had trouble accomplishing the things I want to do.

I've figured out how to do most operations on the Tanzbar 2, so if you order from me I'll do my best to help you figure out how to get up and running. It works a bit differently from other XOX-style drum machines, but that's not to say it's "difficult." It just requires you to learn to think differently at first. But once it clicks, it's quick to get some cool patterns going. I have the sample transfer software (for loading custom samples onto the device) up and running on macOS, so can tell you how I got that working too. I think it might be a bit easier to do that on Windows, but I've personally not tried to do that.

I will include the Tanzbar 2, a mini-USB cable for providing power, and a print-out of the manual. I do not have the original box. I always pack securely and ship quickly, which you will see mentioned in my feedback. The price includes the cost of shipping in the continental USA only. If you need me to ship elsewhere, just drop me a message and I will provide a quote. I'm happy to answer any other questions, but please note I am currently not considering lower offers. Thank you!