Korg Volca Beats
A capable drum machine (analog) for hands-on beat-making.
Drum Machine vs Groovebox: Which Do You Need?
Drum machine and groovebox are often used interchangeably, but they're not quite the same. Knowing the difference helps you buy the right box for how you make music.
What a drum machine does
A pure drum machine focuses on one job: making drum and percussion patterns. You get a set of drum sounds, a step sequencer to program beats, and controls to shape and tweak the drums. It's immediate, focused and great at rhythm - the Behringer RD range, Korg Volca Beats and Roland TR machines are classic examples. If beats are what you're after, a dedicated drum machine does it brilliantly.
What a groovebox adds
A groovebox takes the drum machine and adds more: synthesiser voices for basslines and melodies, usually sampling, and a sequencer that handles whole songs, not just drums. In effect it's an all-in-one music production box you can use standalone - the Novation Circuit and Akai MPC are leading examples. You can build a complete track (drums, bass, melody) without a computer, at the cost of a bit more complexity.
Which should you choose?
Choose a pure drum machine if you mainly want beats and love a focused, immediate, hands-on box - it does one thing extremely well. Choose a groovebox if you want to build full tracks (drums plus melodies and samples) in one machine without a computer. Many producers own both: a drum machine for rhythm and a groovebox or DAW for the rest. Start with what you'll use most.
Our top picks
#1
#2 
Behringer RHYTHM DESIGNER RD-6-SR
A capable drum machine (analog) for hands-on beat-making.
#3 
Akai Professional MPC One+
A capable drum machine for hands-on beat-making.
#4 
Roland TR-8S Rhythm Performer
A capable drum machine for hands-on beat-making.
#5 
#6 
Behringer RHYTHM DESIGNER RD-6-BK
A capable drum machine (analog) for hands-on beat-making.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a drum machine and a groovebox?
A drum machine focuses on making drum and percussion patterns, while a groovebox adds synths, sampling and full song sequencing so you can build complete tracks in one box. Drum machines are focused and immediate; grooveboxes are all-in-one production machines. Choose by whether you want just beats or whole tracks.
Bottom line
Our top pick is the Korg Volca Beats (our score 9.6/10) - A capable drum machine (analog) for hands-on beat-making..