Korg KR-55 Rhythm 55 Drum Machine

The 1979 Korg KR-55 Rhythm 55 is a rhythm machine with 12 analog sounds and 48 preset rhythms. It was released at the same time as the smaller KR-33 model. Since 21 of the rhythms are drawn from the worlds of pop, rock, and disco, it was widely used in these musical genres. It can be heard on Depeche Mode’s album *Speak & Spell* and on Jean-Michel Jarre’s *Equinoxe*.

The KR-55 features a 6-channel mixer section. The bass drum, snare drum, cymbal, and hi-hat can be adjusted separately. Channel 5 combines toms and congas, while Channel 6 combines rimshot, cowbell, and claves. The rhythms can be selected from three banks—A, B, and C—each containing 16 beats per bank: Foxtrot, Shuffle, March, Swing 1–3, Bossa Nova 1–3, Cha-Cha, Samba, Afro, Enka, Tango, Habanera, Rock 1–12, Disco 1–6, Waltz, Jazz Waltz, Rock Waltz, Ballad 1–3, Beat 1–3, Mambo, Rumba, Beguine, Pop 1–3, Disco 1–3. The intensity of the swing can be continuously adjusted, and you can choose whether it affects all rhythms or only the swing presets. There is also a trigger output that can be switched between whole notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, or sixteenth notes, as well as the bass drum pattern of the respective pattern. The unit features controls for Intro/Fill-in, Balance, Tempo, and Volume, as well as a Start/Stop button. On the back panel are TRS jacks for Trig Out, footswitch, and signal output (High & Low).