Oberheim DMX

Immediately following the success of the Linn LM-1, other manufacturers began to develop and release drum machines intended to compete with the LM-1's ease of programmability and realistic sound quality.

In addition, it boasted several humanizing elements such as rolls, flams, and timing variations that were meant to mimic those of real drummers.

The DMX features 24 individual drum sounds derived from 11 original samples[1] and allows for a maximum 8-voice polyphony; one voice per card.

[2] The data format is 8-bit PCM using μ-law companding, increasing sound resolution to approximately 12 bits in the analog domain (a design technique also employed by other early drum machines, including products by Linn Electronics, E-mu Systems and Sequential Circuits).

The DMX's punchy and realistic drum sound made it attractive towards many artists and producers involved in the fledgling hip-hop scene and it is featured on many of the genre's early landmark recordings.