It’s completely tube based (even the sound generating circuits are tube), and has a great, crunchy sound. There is a slider that adjusts the wheel’s speed, and there are 10 preset rhythms. You can also individually trigger each sound via dedicated buttons and play the sounds yourself.
After the Sideman came out, the Musicians Association got pretty freaked out and put a lot of pressure on Wurlitzer to discontinue making the Sideman because they were worried about the unit putting drummers out of a job. I guess this was because it sounded so much like a real drummer…not.