Influence on Modern Music
In hip-hop, where styles depends highly on percussion rhythms, the drum machine has become one of the most important music devices in the genre. Hip-hop music was born through the innovative uses of electronic music technology. Hardware such as turn tables, mixers, and drum machines defined the sound of the music and made way for an entire influential culture to develop. The various styles of hip-hop music can be distinguished by its style and use of drum rhythms. Hip-hop made in the West side of the United States tends to have a more laid-back rhythm, while hip-hop music from the South and Midwest tends to be more upbeat and with higher tempos. Hip-hop created on the East coast can range from the two extremes, intermixing the styles to produce definitive sounds. The characteristic of heavy or intricate drum rhythms indicates the incredible importance of drum machines in the production of such electronic music.
Likewise, in other music styles in which hardware and software is relied upon to produce the sound of the music, the drum machine has been utlized to make the music move to a distinctive beat and rhythm. The sounds for such styles of music are so closely tied to drum machines and other hardware and software, that one need only a computer and necessary applications to produce music. In such cases, drum machines can now be purely software on computers to establish the track's beat and other elements of percussion. As a result of the device;s versatility, it had been one of the most used pieces of electronic music hardware. Drum machines will not only continue to be a large part of today's popular music, but maintain its influence in music to provide a further foundation for those musical styles to come.