oZoe Drum Box is a new, hands-on, no-menu-diving 7-track drum machine from France with sample playback and creative sequencing.
I met Jean-Luc Lartigue, founder of the French company oZoe, during my first visit to SynthFest France. He is a passionate, likable developer who builds various instruments and useful MIDI tools in his spare time.
He also works together with other French one-man companies such as NRsynth SYNTHR. His latest project is a new instrument. oZoe has introduced Drum Box, a portable drum machine with a hands-on concept.
oZoe Drum Box
Drum Box is a new portable digital drum machine. According to Jean-Luc of oZoe, the Drum Box follows a very direct, immediate approach to rhythm programming, free from menus or hidden functions.
It’s a seven-track drum machine, six instrument tracks and one accent. At its core is a digital sample-playback engine on each of the six instruments. It supports WAV PCM files in 16-bit / 44,1 kHz mono that you can import into an internal microSD card.
You can set a sound from a sample bank, allowing for multiple sound variations per instrument.
A drum sequencer triggers the six tracks. Each lane has 16 steps and is fully programmable with dedicated controls, giving you direct access to the essential functions. There is a screen, yes, but it isn’t designed for menu-diving.
You can save up to 16 patterns in the hardware. Alongside step programming, it also includes modern functions that easily spice up your sequences: fill, ratcheting, break, human, and chain.
With the chain function, you can create longer sequences. According to the specs, the sequencer supports a BPM from as low as 30 to 600.
Connectivity
The oZoe Drum Box’s connectivity is distributed across the hardware. On the backside, you have 5-pin DIN MIDI OUT and MIDI IN ports. Good: it supports Sysex.
On the side, you have a 3.5mm audio output and a USB-C port that handles audio, MIDI, and 5V power. It also has clock in and clock out on 3.5mm jacks.
Regarding clocking: you can use the internal clock or clock it externally via the dedicated socket or MIDI.
First Impression
At first glance, it’s an interesting little drum machine that feels very hands-on. I like that all the features are laid out on the interface rather than buried in menus. This makes it very tactile. I’m looking forward to the first demos.
oZoe Drum Box availability and price are TBA. Since Jean-Luc’s creations are also available on demand as DIY kits, I assume the Drum Box will be too.
More information here: oZoe
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