So that was my original question: Do the Beastie Boys pay royalties now for Paul’s Boutique on sold tracks? I assume the answer is yes, given your reply.
Also, that quote about it being a “cheap rhythm box” is from 1982, so well before copyright liability was an issue. (It’s from a 1982 issue of “Musician, Player and Listener.”)
I dont know what deals were made in acquiring sampling rights for Beastie Boys late 1980s albums. Could be royalties, work for hire agreements or even uncompensated permissions. What’s your point and how does it relate to David Robinson twice avoiding the specifics of the OP?
I guess I’m confused. I thought it was your point that he could be avoiding specifics in order not to get in trouble with copyright infringement. I’m saying that certainly wasn’t the case, especially in 1982. My point is I completely believe him that it was some cheap rhythm box. I have no reason to believe otherwise.
Well it’s case closed for you then. The instrument the OP asked for is “rhythm box”.
I think it might be possible to determine which one, though, and even eliminate all the very limited possibilities. Too bad Robinson wouldn’t say.
It is. It’s also too bad that nobody else except us and the OP seem to care, as I can’t find any speculation anywhere about it. The best I could find is that the popular press repeats that it’s a drum machine, but no other details.
Well, if we want to play some more, this is what I see with the mystery percussion sound:
Each single “hit” is composed of three rapid sounds. The first two sounds are 0.012 seconds apart. The third sound comes 0.021 seconds after the second one. This timing appears to be consistent throughout each of the hits. The space between each beat (between each “DUM” in DUM-DUM-DUM-da-DUM)in is 0.627 seconds apart–like perfectly unwaveringly so. Whatever it is, it is a sound that is electronically triggered to achieve that kind of precision. I mean, it can be a triggered sample, that’s for sure. I originally guessed an actual tap dancer’s sample, but it’s something of an electronically triggered nature.
Woo hoo, took this long to find my deliberate punctuation trap!! Actually I wasn’t sure, I thought Cars’s looked funny. 
Denny
What is that little-cymbals sound in ‘Copacabana’? Just before the percussionisty bridge in the middle. There is a ‘ching ching ching ching’ sound amidst the clop-clops. I associate it with parades and such, and I looked it up but all it said used was ‘percussion instruments.’