We recently sent the amazing musician and spoken word artist TRISHES one of the brand-new Donner Essential D1 Performance Beat Machines to test out and review in her home studio. She produced the two videos below highlighting her favorite features, and even treated us to an original recording using the D1 as the centerpiece of her track.
In Episode 1 of her series above, she gets things unboxed and starts to explore what the D1 is capable of.
For us, one of the best things about the D1, next to its super-affordable price tag, is the ability to integrate it into your workflow whether you prefer using the light-up pads as a traditional finger-drumming platform or as a step-sequencer. For us, the traditional MPC-like workflow works best, as we prefer a more musical approach to triggering pads in real time to create our beats and samples. It feels like the most organic way to “perform” the instrument.
That said, there’s no wrong way to create sequences with the D1, so if you prefer a more methodical approach to a step sequencer, go ahead and enter your sequence one step at a time with precision using the pad interface to create that perfect pattern as you see fit.
Either way, there are 16 on-board drum kits loaded up and ready to use, so dialing in the right sound for your track is a breeze, and you may even discover new sounds you hadn’t thought of using on your song before. Likewise, there are 64 beat patterns available, so you’re never gonna get stuck for ideas or inspiration, no matter how complex your pattern turns out.
As you can see in Episode 2 of TRISHES’ video series above, the D1 sounds great in the context of a real mix, demonstrated here on a track she whipped up from scratch using the D1 as her key source of beat-making inspiration.
The D1 has more features on tap, too, that even the most veteran synth-heads and beat-makers will appreciate. The on-board (and full-size, yay!) MIDI I/O makes it the perfect companion to the Donner B1 bass synth we’ve previously looked at, and there are also handy send fx (delay and reverb) and a compressor on the main master. So tweaking a few simple parameters can really add the perfect finishing touch to your raw beats and sequences.
Can we say again how much we appreciate full-size MIDI DIN ports here, as opposed to mini-jacks and proprietary dongles other companies force us to use in order to connect our gear via MIDI? Thanks, Donner.
Rounding things out, the D1 features stereo outs, which is a nice touch for those adding panning effects or thinking about stereo mixes for headphones listeners, modern USB-C connectivity as well as an aux in for playing along. The 4GB of storage should suffice for most users, and Donner makes it easy to import your own samples so you can trigger anything you’ve already got as part of your repertoire with ease, either on stage or in the studio.
All in all, the features you get for just under $300 USD added to the incredible intuitive interface make this a no brainer for those either dipping their toes into the world of electronic music production, or seasoned veterans seeking a new piece of gear to inspire their next major work.
Whichever camp you fall in, we highly recommend the Donner D1.