My personal #challenge with the #drum #machine paradigm is that these #instruments expect every beat to fit into their predefined rhythmic framework. Using these for any form of #free #tempo or #rubato is always an uphill battle. Even if the drum machine allows non-#quantised recording (surprisingly few do) the length of a beat is still fixed by the tempo/metre. To my knowledge, there currently is only one drum machine that allows more #flexible #programming - Pulsar 23 by Soma Laboratory.