So, does the Concussor sound exactly like a vintage Roland drum machine? Simple answer: No. OK, let's ask another question. Does it allow you to do the things that the vintage Rolands would? Answer: Yes, and a whole load more.
Let's clarify this. Some of the Concussor's sounds are quite close to the sounds on which they are based. For example, the BD88 can get very close to the TR808's bass drum sounds, but the additional click and tuning range make it more flexible when you want it to be. In contrast, the SD88 has the wrong basic pitch for the TR808 snare sound, and I couldn't get it even close to the original. Likewise, the RC88 rimshot is not quite 'right', and the clave is too clicky and not 'woody' enough. The toms in the TC88 suffer (or benefit, depending on your point of view) from the same clickiness, and, together with the conga in the same module, lack the body of the Roland sounds. I can't comment on the CP88 in my Concussor (it's a dummy module) but the CB88 is a good reproduction of the TR808 cowbell and, courtesy of its twin tuning controls, can offer a variety other sounds. Finally, I couldn't get the closed hi-hats in the HH88 to sound like a TR808, but that didn't bother me -- I prefer the sounds of the Concussor. The open hi-hat, though, is not as satisfying -- the Roland had a characteristic tonal quality that the HH88 lacks.
But to concentrate on the fine details is to miss the point. The Concussor modules are not a slavish imitation of the original Rolands -- they are the bases of a fully configurable rhythm system that shares many of the attributes of its forebears, but with enhanced flexibility. Who cares whether the SD88 sounds exactly like a TR808? Some people might, but personally, I'm more interested in what you can do with it, and how it works in a musical context. Having said that, only you can decide how complex -- and therefore how expensive -- your sound palette needs to be. Remember that some of the modules have dual functions, so that (for example) you'll need more than one SD88 if you want to incorporate TR808 bongo and conga sounds in the same sequence as a TR808 snare drum. Similarly, you'll need two RC88s for rimshots and claves, and I would suggest at least a couple of HH88s (treated by independent EQs and reverbs) for hi-hats and cymbals. The review system only offered one RC88 and one HH88, but at least it had three TC88s, so it was possible to configure these into a conventional 'kit'.
