This drum machine somehow became ULTRA popular in the USSR. It was used in like 95% of all the pop and rock hits of 1987-1989 in all the republics, for example first albums of pop legends Tender May (Ласковый май) and the second album of Mirage (Мираж, "Снова вместе", 1988) were entirely made with RX5. These RX5 e-toms, kick and snare are defintely a symbol of an era in the former USSR, I've always wondered, why this drum machine was so rarely used in western music. However, after 1989 it wasn't used so much, R8 and built in M1 drums took the show. Thanks for your videos Paolo, a pure pleasure for retro hardware lovers
Thank you very much and also for your info about those Russian songs.. I love Russian pop of that era. There's a song called " Альянс - На заре " th-cam.com/video/AaAvxqfhdiI/w-d-xo.html that I really, really like, (and the keyboardist with the moustache has achieved mytical status in synth-land in that video, if you ask me). Not sure which machine they used there, I'd have to compare... Btw, the RX5 was heavily used in Italy as well. There was a very famous Punk / New Wave italian band called "C.C.C.P." (no pun intended, they were called that) who used it heavily in their songs too back in those days, check out this Italian TV live of that era, you can see the RX5 (and DX7) in this video, unfortunately low res --> th-cam.com/video/gRG5I4K5YRw/w-d-xo.html
I’ve got the RX7 too & weirdly it has 100 sounds compared to this but no individual outputs which for me was fine if you get the levels right. I still use mine, it sounds great with some eq and gated reverb and all the pitch bend and delay effects
Ha! :^) Yup, same here... I remember in 1990 I *really* wanted a Roland R-8... but didn't have the moola for it, so I went to the Cherubini store in Via Tiburtina, Rome (IT) and bought an Alesis SR-16 there instead, which I still have (but it's broken. I since bought another one) because it was the best-sounding affordable model. Made a lot of songs with that lovely SR-16, though...
@SynthManiaDotCom Hope you have had a fab Xmas so far with your family Paolo - best wishes for 2025 too!! Looking forward to your YT synth demo drops then..... 😃👍🍻
Thank you, had a fab Christmas and so trust you did too. I'm preparing my "new" studio room! I've been downsizing the studio, and moving to another room at my place, which is smaller / cozier, I'm putting up the sound panels. Plan to do a video in it soon. Happy 2025!~
@SynthManiaDotCom Ahh.... the perpetual studio rearrangement! Don't get too frustrated, just enjoy the time to get fresh layout with a better, new workflow Paolo 😎👍🎹🎶🎵
I had one of these in the late 90s. Back then i thought the sounds were cheesy. So i always used it to sequence a rack sampler loaded up with 707/808/909 or breakbeats. I always liked the sequencer. Very intuitive to use. Many years later i dusted it off and appreciated the sounds alot more once i put the individual outs to use(back in the day i only had an 8 channel mixer). With a little distortion and eq those drums can sound nasty as you want. The stock samples are so dry and for 12bit very clean. They just lend themselves to processing.
I’ve got the baby brother RX7, came with 100 sounds, good multi tap delay, pitch bend, only difference was no individual outputs but if you get it right beforehand it’s not a big deal
I’ve got the little brother RX7, a hundred sounds but no individual outputs so you have to get the levels right, actually sounds really good with eq and effects. I remember hearing it on Adeva- warning and Bomb the bass - beat dis
You need the sound cartridge that came with the RX5 to get the complete instrumentation of Funky Up. This is missing horn hits, other percussion, voice samples and more. The full Funky Up demo sold me on this drum machine. It’s on YT somewhere.
I actually did have the factory sound cartridge that came with the RX5, but omitted to plug it in when I recorded this demo, sorry. I also had the Jazz/Fusion, Heavy Metal, and Effect cartridges, but didn't record demos with those cartridges either... my mistake.
@@SynthManiaDotComNo problem! RX5 was my core drum machine back in my hardware days. I learned it inside out and still feel that it’s very much underrated! Thanks for all your great videos! 😎👍🏼
Not much. I just use search engines like anyone else to know things, so I know that you're selling one on Reverb --> reverb.com/item/85885153-lel-psr-programable-soviet-digital-drum-machine-1989-1992
Yeah to my ears it doesn’t sound good. Can’t understand how PCM samples chosen by a top tier instrument manufacturer can sound dull to me. I would never say that about Linn Drum or 707.
I wonder if Yamaha burned their own EPROMs when they started manufacturing the RX line. Sounds that is perfectly synonymous with its contemporaries and precursors like the LinnDrum, DMX, Drumulator, DrumTraks and TR-707.
In my opinion, Yamaha definitely had the big budget to create their own samples... that company is huge - way bigger than Linn, Oberheim, Sequential, or Roland. If you go to NAMM, they take the biggest show room of all of the synth companies - a dedicated huge hall in an adjacent building. All those samples probably sound similar because it was the same era - the early-mid 1980s... I was there in the '80s and remember... those were the similar sounds you heard on the radio from most bands.
I dig it, Paolo, especially knowing that was my single-digit decade and hearing a lot of the same songs as I was growing up. Furthermore, thank you very much for that quick response. Cheers from rusty old New York City.
@@Shred_The_Weapon Thanks. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for many things), my single-digit decade was the 1960s, even if for just one year... so that's why I remember the '80s.
This drum machine somehow became ULTRA popular in the USSR. It was used in like 95% of all the pop and rock hits of 1987-1989 in all the republics, for example first albums of pop legends Tender May (Ласковый май) and the second album of Mirage (Мираж, "Снова вместе", 1988) were entirely made with RX5. These RX5 e-toms, kick and snare are defintely a symbol of an era in the former USSR, I've always wondered, why this drum machine was so rarely used in western music. However, after 1989 it wasn't used so much, R8 and built in M1 drums took the show.
Thanks for your videos Paolo, a pure pleasure for retro hardware lovers
Thank you very much and also for your info about those Russian songs.. I love Russian pop of that era. There's a song called " Альянс - На заре " th-cam.com/video/AaAvxqfhdiI/w-d-xo.html that I really, really like, (and the keyboardist with the moustache has achieved mytical status in synth-land in that video, if you ask me). Not sure which machine they used there, I'd have to compare... Btw, the RX5 was heavily used in Italy as well. There was a very famous Punk / New Wave italian band called "C.C.C.P." (no pun intended, they were called that) who used it heavily in their songs too back in those days, check out this Italian TV live of that era, you can see the RX5 (and DX7) in this video, unfortunately low res --> th-cam.com/video/gRG5I4K5YRw/w-d-xo.html
don't forget 'gruppa KINO', who used Yamaha RX drum machines in like half of their albums ;)
@@SynthManiaDotCom "Альянс" used RX11 as i can hear
@@kamchatka3601 they used RX11
@@Vitalka_project not only rx11
This takes me back to the 80s. I had the RX7 back in the day. The sound, love it or hate it, is instantly recognizable.
I’ve got the RX7 too & weirdly it has 100 sounds compared to this but no individual outputs which for me was fine if you get the levels right.
I still use mine, it sounds great with some eq and gated reverb and all the pitch bend and delay effects
This is a great drum machine. I was in a band that had one of these and they let me borrow it. Very cool.
My favorite drum machine of all time. Snare and kick sound perfect and clean.
I got RX7, such a time capsule of late 80's electronic / pop music drums. Delivers the sound and tone perfectly.
Needs more cowbell.
😂
As I have always stated, YOU CAN NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS HAVE ENOUGH COWBELL.
Thanks for the demonstration, Paulo!
Thank you for watching!
This bad boy and the RY 30 ...yamaha's best drum machines!
I still have one of these!
The drum machines drum machine! Way above my pay grade when it first came out in 1986!
Ha! :^) Yup, same here... I remember in 1990 I *really* wanted a Roland R-8... but didn't have the moola for it, so I went to the Cherubini store in Via Tiburtina, Rome (IT) and bought an Alesis SR-16 there instead, which I still have (but it's broken. I since bought another one) because it was the best-sounding affordable model. Made a lot of songs with that lovely SR-16, though...
Same here, still got my RX5 with several carts. My classic 80's mainstream drum m/c! Remains a keeper 🎶🎵😎👍☃️🎅💥🍾🥂
Rock on!
@SynthManiaDotCom Hope you have had a fab Xmas so far with your family Paolo - best wishes for 2025 too!! Looking forward to your YT synth demo drops then..... 😃👍🍻
Thank you, had a fab Christmas and so trust you did too. I'm preparing my "new" studio room! I've been downsizing the studio, and moving to another room at my place, which is smaller / cozier, I'm putting up the sound panels. Plan to do a video in it soon. Happy 2025!~
@SynthManiaDotCom Ahh.... the perpetual studio rearrangement! Don't get too frustrated, just enjoy the time to get fresh layout with a better, new workflow Paolo 😎👍🎹🎶🎵
very good Paolo
Thanks!
Thanks Paulo, great recording
Thank you!
I still have this drum machine under my spare bed with 3 sound cartridges and storage cartridges i wouldn't sell this machine it's a keeper
Rock on
I had one of these in the late 90s. Back then i thought the sounds were cheesy. So i always used it to sequence a rack sampler loaded up with 707/808/909 or breakbeats. I always liked the sequencer. Very intuitive to use. Many years later i dusted it off and appreciated the sounds alot more once i put the individual outs to use(back in the day i only had an 8 channel mixer). With a little distortion and eq those drums can sound nasty as you want. The stock samples are so dry and for 12bit very clean. They just lend themselves to processing.
Buono Anno Signiore !!!
I’ve got the baby brother RX7, came with 100 sounds, good multi tap delay, pitch bend, only difference was no individual outputs but if you get it right beforehand it’s not a big deal
I’ve got the little brother RX7, a hundred sounds but no individual outputs so you have to get the levels right, actually sounds really good with eq and effects. I remember hearing it on Adeva- warning and Bomb the bass - beat dis
You need the sound cartridge that came with the RX5 to get the complete instrumentation of Funky Up. This is missing horn hits, other percussion, voice samples and more. The full Funky Up demo sold me on this drum machine. It’s on YT somewhere.
I actually did have the factory sound cartridge that came with the RX5, but omitted to plug it in when I recorded this demo, sorry. I also had the Jazz/Fusion, Heavy Metal, and Effect cartridges, but didn't record demos with those cartridges either... my mistake.
@@SynthManiaDotComNo problem! RX5 was my core drum machine back in my hardware days. I learned it inside out and still feel that it’s very much underrated! Thanks for all your great videos! 😎👍🏼
My first drum machine was a RX 17 the RX5 seems to be more groovy
New beat machine
What do you know about LEL` PSR drums?
Not much. I just use search engines like anyone else to know things, so I know that you're selling one on Reverb --> reverb.com/item/85885153-lel-psr-programable-soviet-digital-drum-machine-1989-1992
You can love Yamaha RX7 or hate it but there is nothing in between. I hate this machine. Thank you for sharing to refresh my hate😂
Yeah to my ears it doesn’t sound good. Can’t understand how PCM samples chosen by a top tier instrument manufacturer can sound dull to me. I would never say that about Linn Drum or 707.
I wonder if Yamaha burned their own EPROMs when they started manufacturing the RX line. Sounds that is perfectly synonymous with its contemporaries and precursors like the LinnDrum, DMX, Drumulator, DrumTraks and TR-707.
In my opinion, Yamaha definitely had the big budget to create their own samples... that company is huge - way bigger than Linn, Oberheim, Sequential, or Roland. If you go to NAMM, they take the biggest show room of all of the synth companies - a dedicated huge hall in an adjacent building. All those samples probably sound similar because it was the same era - the early-mid 1980s... I was there in the '80s and remember... those were the similar sounds you heard on the radio from most bands.
I dig it, Paolo, especially knowing that was my single-digit decade and hearing a lot of the same songs as I was growing up. Furthermore, thank you very much for that quick response. Cheers from rusty old New York City.
@@Shred_The_Weapon Thanks. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for many things), my single-digit decade was the 1960s, even if for just one year... so that's why I remember the '80s.
Eric Serra - Le Grand Bleu
Here cow. Moo moo.
in the past I found one in a flea market, I thought it was a toy for children...
If you believe in Jesus, you and your family will be saved. Thank you for sharing this wonderful video.147
In retrospect, 24 is too many sound pads