Drumtraks 400 [DRUM SAMPLES]

Drumtraks Model 400

The Drumtraks (officially the Drumtraks Model 400) is a classic drum machine developed and released by American synthesiser pioneer Sequential Circuits in 1984. Widely regarded as one of the earliest drum machines to offer individual, digitally sampled drum voices with tune and mix control, the Drumtraks played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of mid-1980s pop, funk, R&B, and electro. 

Each sound is stored on a dedicated 8-bit EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) chip housed within the front-access panel. One of the standout features of the Drumtraks is its chip-swapping capability, allowing users to physically replace sound chips with others from different machines or custom samples, long before sample-swapping became a common digital feature.  

This sample pack includes high-quality extractions of each original sound directly from the machine’s EPROMs, captured using a precision Arduino-based EPROM reader. The process ensures each sample is bit-perfect, preserving the authentic lo-fi texture, punchy transients, and unmistakable warmth that defined the Drumtraks sound. All files have been carefully edited and formatted for use in any modern DAW or hardware sampler, while retaining the character and grit of the original 1980s circuitry.  

As an added bonus, I also printed the samples to a terrible cassette tape with a dreadful supermarket-bought boombox. The awful result is included in the pack (I am sorry) 

Features:

• 18 original Drumtraks sounds, leanly extracted from genuine Sequential ROMs
• 18 sounds recorded to and from a dodgy cassette recorder and craptacular TDK90 that has been abused for decades.
• Processed as 24/48 mono WAV from the 8-bit, 27kHz–35kHz raw sample rate (per original EPROM specs) 

Whether you're seeking the authentic snappy snare, chunky kick, or metallic hats that gave countless 1980s hits their signature flavour, this pack delivers the true sonic fingerprint of the Drumtraks Model 400 - direct from the source.