Kawai R-100
Digital Drum Machine (1987)

 

Digital drum machine from mid-eighties features 24 samples with separated outs and some handy sync options.

DRUM MACHINE Main panel features a basic 16 x 2 lines display, 8 velocity sensitive pads, 30 buttons and 2 knobs for volume and tempo rate.

Back panel terminals connectors:
- main analog signal out + 8 analog outs
- Midi interface
- headphones
- metronome out
- trigger out +5V
- hihat pedal control
- click out at 24 PPQ
- tape I/O
- Sync I/O at 24 PPQ

 

TECH drum machine based on a 8-BIT M50734 SP which manages 8 voices polyphony.
Each voice can play a PCM SAMPLE with minor parameters edit (at 15 quantised levels):

- volume gain - stereo panning - pitch tuning HEAR tom pitch

Download all R100 samples

 

EDIT INTERFACE R100 is quite easy to use with logic matrix control interface:

 

WAVETABLE ROM contains 24 PCM samples at 32 kHz 12 bits.
TECH: Officially there were 2 other EPROM kits sold by Kawai and a mod to switch between the kits.

PCM LIST: kick x3, ride x2, claps, timbale, snare x3, crash x2, shaler, claves, tom x2, cowbell, agogo, hihat x2, china and tambourine. HEAR all the R100 sounds.

SEQUENCER note entry system works in 2 modes:

- real-time quantisize range from 1/4 to 1/96 resolution - step entries. Some handy sequencer functions: erase, punch, reframe, swing (3 X modes, 12 X amounts), copy, overdub and insert. HEAR internal sequence

SYNC tempo can be entered by TAP button, changed during a song or synched to external devices in different ways:

- Midi clock - sync at 24 PPQ resolution - tape sync protocol - external analog trigger (24/48/96 PPQ) The TIME ADJUST function sets the time offset if needed.

MIDI the machine receives and send Note with velocity, program change (pattern) and pads can be assigned to specific MIDI notes (for OUT) - in addition R100 handles Midi sysex.




MEMORY:

- 100 patterns - 100 songs - 10 chains - 3500 notes Patterns can be saved to midi Sysex dump or to RAM cartridge model Kawai RC-16

MODIFICATION cheap digital drum machines are often modded for experimental noises.
Most common modifications from the web are:

- EPROMS burning: wavetable is on 4 common EPROMS that can be reprogrammed with custom sounds - Circuit Bending: experimental noises can be made bending both wavetable and DAC

RELATED FAMILY:

Kawai R50 smaller version, no sensitive pads, less outs albeit it it features some extra effects The R50 exists in 3 different ROM versions: - R50 standard - R50 E - R50 III

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION non official plugin, however here's all sampled sounds:

Free original sample pack

FREE

GALLERY:

original advert		crash with Japanese characters :)