The best thing about the Pearl Drum-X is that it doesn't sound like anything else. The guy who sold it to me said it has a softer, deeper and darker tone than the Simmons and that is a very adequate description. Electro, dark synth and industrial music makers should have this for sure.

The kicks are the best I have. They can really can destroy rooms. Contrary to another review the other oscillators are similar but not exactly the same. Even the three toms are slightly different waveforms.

Clicks are no problem you just turn up the attack. Although the click is a little noisier than I'd like.

I got mine (just the drum brain) for $150. I trigger it with 707 or ST-305. The 707 is better. You have to make sure you are sending a really strong, loud trigger to your channel if you are using a drum machine or it will not sound as good as it can. Pads are best (I use ones I got with my techstars) but I am not a drummer.

The SC80 is also an excellent machine but it does not sound like the Drum-X at all. But it is wel worth getting as it can sound like way more things. The Drum-X is specifically very synthy sounding drums.

Considering the cost of new analog drum synths or an 808 just hit your craigslist, kijiji or Ebay ads and get some of these and some Techstars to get rockin'!

The SC-40 is the youger brother of the Drum-X (and the real Syncussion) and I'm sure it sounds very differently. It uses ROM waves as oscilators, it has about 30 diferent samples built in, but has two real analogue bandpass filters which operate paralel and can be mixed together. The curve (up or down), depth, speed and decay (something like ADSR, but a little different) of each filter can be programmed, as well as, of course, it's frequency. The same goes for the wave forms, pitch, bend up or down, speed and depth of the bend can be programmed.

There are no knobs, just buttons for programming, so real time tweaking isn't what it's made for.

Programmed sounds can be stored and recalled. The meomory can hold 16 groups (or kits) of 8 sounds. 4 sounds can be played at one time - apparently the SC-20 can play 2 sounds at once, hence the 20.

Due to its filters the machine is capaple of very analogue sounding toms, snares and deep bassdrums. All quite punchy. But metallic sounds are also possible - there is a hihat sample for example, as well as bells etc. It even has a preset called "Jet".

It has midi in and out, but can't receive sysex information, so software editors will not work. Sequencing via midi works very well though. Because the SC-40 also has pad trigger ins, it can be used as a trigger to midi converter (this is what the midi out is for). Didn't try this function yet.

In short: an interesting and very usable digital-analogue hybrid.