UPVOTED ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS

Ready to drop a banger? Chris Rowlands loops us in with the best tools for home beatmaking...

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The rhythm rig

Native Instruments Maschine Mikro
Schubert never needed drum pads. Then again, dear Franz didn't do trip-hop beats. If you're more about Unfinished Sympathy than Unfinished Symphony, try this groovebox. Colour-coded pads help you compose percussion parts, while a Smart Strip lets you add effects.
£219/go.stuff.tv/Mikro

The groovy grid

Novation Launchpad X
You need light and sound for a desktop disco. Luckily, this rainbow grid does both: like a dancefloor for your fingers, it has 64 velocity-sensitive pads that let you paint your tunes with RGB pixels. Designed for Ableton Live, it also works with Logic Pro.
£139/go.stuff.tv/LaunchpadX

The stealthy stepper

Arturia BeatStep