A unique and often overlooked drum machine, the RX5 has many features that other similar models lack. Launched in 1986, this is a surprisingly forward looking piece of equipment, and with the ability to load various palettes of sounds in the form of RAM modules, it is highly versatile. With 24 built in sounds, you can create a range of custom drum kits, and are able to edit the parameters of each voice in detail. The ‘Attack’, ‘Decay’, ‘Damp’ and ‘Reverse’ functions allow almost complete shaping of the samples. In addition, there is a pitch control that spans several octaves. The external RAM/ROM cartridge provides the ability to add an extra 28 custom sounds into the mix, and the sequencer section can record up to 100 patterns into 30 songs. This allows you to program whole sets of material, and with the 12 included outputs, each sound can be further manipulated with external effects either in the studio, or in a live setting.