Synsonics Drums – more than just a toy
Today we go through the sounds and features of this rare and forgotten classic, the Synsonics Drums.
While it’s no match for the fabled (and nearly unobtainable) Roland TR-808, it’s still a fun little analog synth drum. The best part about this little guy being so void of features is that it makes it much more affordable. At the time of writing this, one can be won on eBay for a starting bid of $50 bucks. That’s a steal in my books any day.
Like so many drum machines of this era, I believe this was originally sold as a toy. There is a Mattel version that is a lighter gray so I’m guessing the target market was young teens in the late 80’s or early 90’s.
I couldn’t get the record and playback function to work on my model but it might just be that I don’t know how. According to the small sticker with instructions on the back, it appears that there are a few memory banks that you can store to by pressing the play and number simultaneously.
If you have played with one of these I’d love to know where you got yours and if you enjoyed it.
As always, I have included a free sample pack of the sounds for use in your projects.
