yaledelay wrote:an MXR Blue box through a drum machine sounds amazing. total sputtering nintendo noise

Obviously, I will back this up. I love drum machines, and I love effects. These two are a great combo.

I've achieved good results with distortions like the Boss Metal Zone or the Turbo Distortion with a decent EQ (not too much high end) and the distortion knob set a bit low.

Also, just sending a drum machine through an amp and mic'ing it is a good way to get some extra dimension and 'oomph', as it were.

Phasers and flangers will work okay, depending on which ones you're using. Delays and reverbs are fun to play with and can give you some really intersting stuff. You're only limited to how many boxes you have access to (have any guitarist friends) or how many plug-ins you can get. You'll eventually find something you like. Experiment away.

hmm a few ideas i guess ...
- resonant filters can be cool on some drum sounds instead of eq
- feedback delays can be cool, it's worked well in dub...
- distortion/fuzz has been mentioned
- getting drum sounds from unlikely places like vinyl can get a "gritty" sound
- pitch shifting drum sounds down in a sampler can be great for a dj shadow "midnight in a perfect world" sorta sound
- slight reverb on just the hats sometimes can go well with other drum sounds being dry

FuzzBob wrote:SansAmps are great on drum machines.

i think rza has used a sans amp psa-1 on drum sounds

i've used all kinds of stuff, lots of boss guitar effects & shit. fun times. if you've got bassist/guitarist friends, have them bring their boards over & experiment a bit first to get a feel for what the different things are.

i don't use plugins so much for drum effects when working with the laptop. can't help so much there. but just search freeware, plugin, industrial & i'm sure you'll have some luck.

back to hardware: if you're looking for a small, cheap multi-effect for this stuff, check out the korg mini kaospad. it will definitely do what you are looking for & it you won't break the bank buying a bunch of pedals. i love mine.

good luck!

bitrman