VISCOUNT FROM MARS

The Funky & Rare "Italian Lindrum" The Viscount R64 is one of the more mysterious drum machines we've ever sampled. There's little to no information about it online, and by some accounts there are less than 10 functional units left in existence 😳 (not to be confused with the later and more common model R64S). What we do know is that the R64 was released in 1980 by Viscount, an Italian, family-run manufacturer that began in the 1800s making accordions, and have since made everything from synths to bicycles!    The R64 has the functionality and limitations of a typical rhythm box, but sounds quite different, as it's sample based rather than analog. 12bit PCM samples, sourced mostly from acoustic percussion, give the Viscount a punchy quality more akin to a Lindrum or Drumulator than a CR78. But unlike these classic EPROM based machines, the Viscount sports analog sounding cymbal samples, giving the unit a unique, hybrid flavor all its own.... Like a lo-fi Lindrum crossed with an 80