JackBox L1MDrum

Jackbox L1MDrum is a drum module based on one of the first and most iconic sample based drum machines in the market, which shaped the entire decade of the 80’s.

Jackbox L1MDrum is a drum module based on one of the first and most iconic sample based drum machines in the market, which shaped the entire decade of the 80’s. It had many avid fans among artists, and it was a key ingredient to the beats behind many 80s dance genres, especially before the house era. From Pop and Euro Disco to Electro Hiphop and Free Style this beautiful machine always delivered a punchy, sturdy sound which still defines the heart and soul of several modern dance genres.

Of course we brought together under Reason’s virtual rack all knobs and faders that shape the sound of the L1M’s drum set. But we didn’t do just that! The L1M mimics the way that the original drum machine plays back sample data! Which means that you don’t just use recordings of the drums. You are using actual binary data encoded and stored in 8bit uLAW at 24KHz which are expanded, decoded and played back in real time. The result is the more crunchy sound, the original machine had, which can’t be produced exactly with recorded samples - especially once you start tweaking the tuning pots.

But we didn’t stop just there: The original LM2 used a set of EPROM chips to store it’s audio data. These EPROM chips could be removed, replaced and ultimately swapped, and this gave the musicians a way to change the samples of their LM-2 drum set, to their own liking! Thanks to a technology we implemented called ASIC (Audio to String Interchange Conversion) L1M is capable of offering this feature to it’s users, meaning that L1M is actually the first Rack Extension that allows you to use custom samples as drum sounds! This feature is provided using an external application – which is free of charge. Yet beware that, retrospective-wise, the original memory limitations of the hardware device, still apply :)

Nevertheless L1M is still a citizen of the Reason Rack, which means that all of it’s parameters are automatable and can be controlled from external sources via CV.

Here is a list of the Jackbox L1M main features:

Create your own drum sets, using WAV and AIFF samples or actual binary dump files from EPROMs (with the use of an external free of charge application).
uLAW Playback! Stock and custom drum sets are decoded from uLAW data, in order to produce the actual “crunchy” sound of the original hardware.
Controls matching those of the original hardware: Individual level & pan sliders, pitch and decay pots.
Individual audio outputs for all drum sounds.
3 Stage Accent (like the original) with / and Velocity Sensitivity.
Modulation CV Inputs for all parameters.
Input and output CV Triggers to link drum hits from and to the device.
30 Patches, 30 MIDI Drum Loops and 5 Combinator Patches, to get you started.

NOTE : Jackbox L1MDrum is a drum module. Not a complete drum machine with sequencer).

IMPORTANT: Please visit the product page, for additional links to the Virtual EPROM Tool application, which allows you to create your own drum sets for your L1M. The application is -and will remain- free of charge.