The Drum Computer (or Percussion Computer) from Movement Computer Systems is a very rare British made drum machine circa 1981. It is estimated that only 30 or so units were produced. It combines analog synthesized drum sounds (Simmons style) and digital 8-bit sampled drum sounds (LinnDrum style). There are seven voice cards, each with two drum voices, for a total of 14 drum voices. Each drum voice can be switched between either the analog (syn) or digital (real) mode and has its own Volume and Pitch-Sustain control knobs.

Its most obvious and unique feature is the computer-like interface. It is used to facilitate graphic editing of the sequencing of drum patterns, with data displayed on a monochrome CRT display (video can be output to an external monitor via connections on the rear). Sequenced patterns can be chained together into Songs. It does not offer graphic drum sample editing or synthesis. New drum sounds can not be sampled in to it either as it does not appear to have audio inputs. It does, however, have extensive outputs including stereo out, individual outputs for each voice, individual Trigger inputs and outputs for each voice, Drum sync in and out, clock output, and cassette in and out for saving data to tape.

Two models are known to exist: the MK1 which may have been a two-piece unit in which the monitor was separate from the rest of the machine, and the MK2 (released in 1983) which integrated the CRT monitor and had an orange (or black) case. In 1984, the MIDI specification was added to the MK2, along with an additional 8-track sequencer, battery backed memory and a floppy disk drive.

Its most prominent user was David Stewart of the Eurythmics on tracks such as "Sweet Dreams". However, it never sounded as good as the competition surrounding it from Linn, Simmons and Oberheim and the product never really took off. It has been owned/used by The Eurythmics, Phil Collins, The Thompson Twins, Human League, Thomas Dolby, Kajagoogoo, Japan, Willian Orbit, Chemical Brothers and Vince Clarke. Supposedly, some of these artists used the same machine as it passed from one group to the next.

elgauchoandres

March 30, 2013 @ 6:49 pm

@big chris Actually MCS also had a (very primitive) sampler called MIMIC, probably 5 (or less I think) were built around 1983, the only one seen recently on the web was the prototype and was not working.

visceralvoids

February 19, 2013 @ 4:53 pm

Nice to see this gem up on the site. This was the drum machine used by Mick Karn on the "Titles" album.

dgl

February 6, 2013 @ 2:19 pm

Dave stewarts machine was purchased by and now resides in vince clarkes' studio

big chris

February 5, 2013 @ 10:25 am

@matt - Dave Stewart sold his MCS via a small ad back in the 1990s. The one in the picture on this page was up for auction on eBay a couple of months ago, with a Buy It Now price of 2500 GBP. It didn't sell, but I was sorely tempted to buy it despite the monitor not working (the seller had a picture of it working via an external screen connected to the TV out socket).

Matt

February 5, 2013 @ 8:31 am

The Movement did sound a bit crap but that was part of its charm - it was a definite contrast to the Linndrum and TR-808 which were, I think, the only viable alternatives at the time. Dave Stewart liked it in part becuase he was intrigued by it being, essentially, a computer on which he could "also do his accounts" which seemed a very modern idea at the time, and it was used on most of the tracks on the 'Sweet Dreams' album until Robert Crash arrived with one of the first Oberheim DMX machines, after which I don't think Dave used the Movement again.

<21>

 

Post Comment!

Your Name: (Required.)

Email Address: (Required, not published.)

Image verification: (required)

Message:

 

Posting Rules:
Please keep your comments relevant! Do not post requests for help, do not use for sales, do not post unless you have something interesting to say about this instrument, or we may delete your post.

I have read and understand the posting rules.