It's difficult to know where to start if you're planning on introducing your kids to electronic music-making – most DAWs, grooveboxes and hardware synths aren't exactly child-friendly, presenting a steep learning curve that's likely to put off even the most determined youngster.
But if a seven-year-old can pick up a guitar and get a headstart on their journey into musicianship, why shouldn't they be able to do the same thing with a drum machine? That's the ethos behind Tembo, a new instrument from American manufacturer Musical Beings that's designed to "enable everyone to create music from the very first touch".
Tembo is a drum machine and sampler aimed at kids, young adults and anyone that's new to music-making, and though it's designed to be simple, intuitive and easily accessible, it's actually more powerful than it looks.
Tembo's wooden chassis is dominated by a five-channel, eight-step sequencer, and step input is achieved by placing circular magnets, or Beats, on the chosen steps. Beats can be flipped over to trigger a different sample or stacked to create rhythmic subdivisions, and tempo, swing and pattern length are dialled in via the knobs in the bottom-left corner.
Tembo has five channels for samples, and each channel has its own pitch, volume, and send routed to return channels for the delay and reverb effects. These are joined by four additional channels that can play longer loops.
The instrument arrives with eight sample packs onboard, but you can also sample external instruments with Tembo's combo XLR/TRS input or the built-in microphone, or resample Tembo's sample channels into the loop channels to build up more complex arrangements.
Tembo has dual USB-C MIDI connections, so you're able to hook it up to a DAW and sync up with external gear, and sessions can be recorded via USB audio, a stereo output, or through a companion app. Power is provided by a USB-C rechargeable battery and there's a built-in speaker too.
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"We’re amateur musicians ourselves, and parents, and we’ve seen how quickly that initial spark can fade when trying to learn an instrument. It takes so long to get to the fun part, to the part where you feel free, creative, and expressive," says Tembo co-creator David Davidov.
"We wanted to bring that feeling into the very first steps of the musical journey – to help people experience music as something they do, not just something they listen to."
“Everyone I’ve shown it to in the studio becomes obsessed. It invites instant creation, a real game changer,” added Abbey Road's Artist Relations Manager Jack Lintorn.
While Tembo isn't yet available for purchase, the instrument will be launching on Kickstarter in March. We've no word yet on pricing.
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