MFB - Tanzbär 2

Tanzbär 2 is a hybrid drum computer with eight analog and eight sample-based sounds. Its blue color alone makes common clones of old rhythm machines look rather dull. True to its design, the sound is very modern and can be tweaked in various directions. Besides a wide range of drum sounds, you even have an analog bass synthesizer with SSM-style filter at hand. Thanks to 32 potentiometers, 13 faders and 44 buttons, making music with the Tanzbär 2 is a breeze. Parameter movements can be recorded or programmed on a per step basis, making it easy to create lively grooves in no time.

The Tanzbär 2 features a total of 16 voices. For playing them, there is a sequencer with classic layout. It holds up to 100 patterns. One sequence can be 64 steps long. Alternatively to straight 16th notes, it is possible to use 16th or 8th triplets as a pattern’s measure. Several sequences can be daisy chained. For each pattern, you may program A, B, C and D variations. Alternating between them is possible either manually or automatically. The track length can be set individually for each instrument. Thus, polyrhythmic figures are not a problem for the Tanzbär 2. Furthermore, you have flam and shuffle functions as well as four-stage accents at hand to make your grooves come to life.

The buttons of the sequencer are arranged in a keyboard-style layout. Thanks to this, it is very easy to create melodies using the bass synthesizer. Besides notes, you can also record parameter changes. You may do this either in real time or step by step. Additionally, there is a LFO with four waveforms per instrument channel. A two-line display visualizes parameter values while editing the Tanzbär 2.

The sequencer not only contains tracks for all internal voices, but two MIDI channels as well. Here, besides notes, you can also program CC values. Thus, external equipment is controllable as comfortably as the internal synthesis circuits. In a synchronized MIDI setup, the Tanzbär 2 may be used as master or slave.

The voices and their parameters at a glance:

• Kick 1: Attack, decay, tune, pitch, pitch decay, noise, transient, LFO
• Kick 2: Decay, tune, tone, pitch, pitch decay. LFO
• Snare 1: Snappy, snappy decay, tune, detune, tone, decay, pitch decay, LFO
• Snare 2: Snappy, tune, tone, pitch, pitch decay, LFO
• Tom / Conga 1-3: Tune, decay, pitch, pitch decay, LFO
• Synth: Decay, cutoff, resonance, envelope, waveform, tune, attack, LFO
• Sample Voice 1-3: Tune, cutoff, decay, resonance, hold, LP/BP, bit crush, LFO
• Hi-hat: Decay, tune, hold, bit crush, LFO
• Percussion 1-3: Decay, tune, level, hold, panorama, LFO
• Crash: Decay, tune, level, hold, panorama, LFO
• MIDI 1-2: CC A, CC B (assignable)
• LFOs: Rate, amount, wave, destination

The Tanzbär 2 comes with 8 x 26 samples. The repertoire includes all kinds of drum and percussion snippets. You can import your own samples via the instrument’s USB port.

In addition to the master audio channels, there are twelve individual outputs. Thanks to level faders and mute buttons, you can easily alter the instrument mix and (de)activate individual drum voices.