The Sonicstate 808 MegaThread

US Stories, Software, and Sizzle to celebrate SonicTALK milestone      06/07/24

SonicTALK #808 is on the way, this coming Wednesday 10th July. It's a milestone episode for our podcast which started way back on the 6th of December 2006, in addition to over 40,000 articles having now been posted on the site! We couldn't have got this far without you. We've arranged a very special guest to join us for the show and, as the episode number coincides with one of the most famous drum machines, we'll also discuss the machine itself. 

We had some fantastic suggestions for 808 Topics from our community, and as there won't be time to cover them all, we decided to take a look at some of the best 808 related explorations, odes, and oddities from around the internet.

 

The Beginnings of the TR-808

We take our introduction from Roland's article on the legendary drum machine - Four Decades, One Sound Celebrating 40 Years Of The TR-808 Drum Machine:

The Roland TR-808 was officially in production for just two years - from 1980 to 1982. Around 12,000 units were manufactured and although it received support from early adopters like Japan's Yellow Magic Orchestra, it wasn't considered a commercial success. In 1982, the competitor LinnDrum was launched, helping shift the trend away from analog and towards digital sample-based drum machines. The TR-808 started to look like its time had come and gone but ironically, its premature demise was merely the beginning.

The article is extensive and covers: music made on the 808, how it crossed over, it's initial production, and much more. Read the full article on the Roland website here. From the days of it's original release, check out this futuristic original Roland TR-808 advert:

In an excellent article submitted by Sonicstate Discord member JankySwitch, the TR-808s unique sound may have come from the inclusion of some trashed transistors:

Roland's founder, Ikutaro Kakehashi, sits at a desk in a navy suit wearing nasal oxygen tubes and, in labored, heavily accented and subtitled English, spins a familiar yarn. He claims that the 808's distinctive sizzle was produced by the faulty transistors that he chose for the sound generator. As semiconductor improvements made them impossible to restock, "we could no longer buy the defective transistor," he says. "So, no way to come back!"

 

Read the full article in the NewYorker here. A full 16 years after the release of the 808, Chris Carter took a retrospective look at the TR-808 for Sound on Sound magazine in the hazy days of the late 90s. Here he is talking about sampling the 808:

I've read countless interviews where producers, users, DJs and remixers have voiced opinions on whether the 808 should be sampled or not. Most agree that, no matter how good a sample you have, nothing sounds quite like the original, particularly when it comes to the 808 bass drum. Of course, there are circumstances where sampling the 808 is entirely justified. Sampling has been the '90s saviour for thousands of musicians who just don't have access, for whatever reason, to instruments they would love to own or play.

Using samples or PCM sample cards is a way for a lot of people to try sounds that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. I know this will sound like sacrilege to die-hard 808 purists but there are benefits to using an 808 sample - such as the scope it allows for further editing and manipulation. Some 808 sounds sit in a track a lot better if they can be edited or tuned, particularly the cowbell and snare drum.

Chris Carter is one half of Chris & Cosey, Carter Tutti, X-TG & Throbbing Gristle, & co-inventor of the The Gristleizer. His website is here. Read his full Sound On Sound article on the 808 here.

Now, lets take a look at a video from Red Bull Music Academy, for their First Patch series covers the Roland TR-808, with Korg Berlin's Tatsuya Takahashi:

The accompanying article explains:

Its failings, as far as many professional musicians were concerned, are exactly what appealed to other, younger, cash-strapped producers and DJs. Its machine percussion encouraged new genres and, as rhythm became ever more important with the advent of hip-hop and club music, rappers had to change their flow to match the 808's new tempos. Its bass drum also put the boom into hip-hop and, courtesy of its decay dial, the 808 conjured the heavy bass lines that dominated the genre's first decade and beyond.

Read the full article here and check out some music by Afrika Bambaataa, Drexciya and Kanye West.

 

That 808 Sound

It's time to hear the Roland TR-808 in action, in a no-talking demo from Perfect Circuit:

Doctor Mix has also done a neat overview, discussing the features and all of the controllable parameters while programming one:

If you've ever wondered how to actually use an 808, this video tells you all you need to know:

Famous 808 Tracks

The TR808 has underpinned a wealth of classic tracks and continues to do so - take a look at the The history of the Roland TR808 in eight iconic tracks, from Mixmag: 

Today, the music world looks back on the legacy of the Roland TR808, one of the most important drum machines of all time. It's been long said that the Roland TR808 is as important to hip-hop as the Fender Stratocaster was to the development of rock music, but the TR808 goes much deeper than that; it's one of the most iconic electronic drum sounds the world has ever known, and has appeared in abundance across some of the most successful and significant productions of the past 40 years.

Read the full Mixmag article here. And now we have Vice Magazine with some Forgotten TR-808 Classics which you may not have been aware of - inspired by the 808 documentary we list below... 

Following the film's theatrical premiere in LA last week, we asked Baker and Noyer to share some of their favorite 808 tracks: Some of them under the radar, others are well-known, but all with imbued with the Pavlovian appeal that the machine lends any cut that it's used on. As to the source of the 808's everlasting appeal, Noyer has a simple explanation: "It's magic."

Find out the best forgotten 808 tracks on Vice here. By far the most popular 808 video trope today covers classic drum patterns, so lets see what's on offer. Here we have a video from RetroSound sharing some Famous Drum Beats from the likes of Afrikaa Bammbaata, A Guy Called Gerald, Mantronix and more: 

 

Now to Captain Pikant, and 16 Legendary Beats from the machine, with artists from 4 decades of music - including Yellow Magic Orchestra, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Daft Punk and Aphex Twin: 

 

And turning back time, let's take a look at Famous Roland TR-808 Drum Patterns from 1982-1985, with the likes of Phil Collins, Genesis, Paul Hardcastle, Marvin Gaye and Whitney Houston.

 

Here are some of the above TR-808 Patterns in visual form, shown in this video on The Drum Machine of the 80s - from Kevin McCabe Music.

There are further articles on this subject from MusicRadar, and Roland - featuring The iconic Roland TR-808 tracks that made a legend and 10 808 Tracks You May Not Know respectively. A couple of playlists for Spotify and Youtube complete our look at classic tracks. 

Notable Users

Now it's time for Building the Beat: Inside Legendary Roland TR-808 Tracks - which features the likes of Arthur Baker, A Guy Called Gerald, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jermaine Dupri, the Avila Brothers, Cozmo D, and Carl Craig discussing underground classics and mainstream hits which feature the classic machine: 

The Egyptian Lover is otherwise known as The King of the TR-808. Here he is talking about the iconic Drum Machine with Splice:

 

808 Documentaries

Okay, grab your 808 and some popcorn and prepare to sink as low as an 808 Kick Drum into the sofa. As we posted in our news recently, this phenominal 808 Documentary has everything you need to know about the world's most influential drum machine.
 

And if that's not enough for you, how about the Entire History of the Roland TR-808 from humourously named youtube channel a funny looking squash...

Modern 808s

How does the 808 stand up in the modern world? Decap is here to talk us through the History of 808s, and the Old School vs New School sound:

Furthermore we have an article and accompanying video covering How Kanye West's '808s & Heartbreak' Influenced A New Generation Of Rap, from Genius News:

Kanye West's 2008 album, 808s & Heartbreak, turns ten years old this week. Inspired by the death of his mother, Donda West, as well as the end of his engagement to Alexis Phifer, the album threw fans and critics for a loop with its radical departure from the sounds that made Kanye famous.

In the decade since its release, however, the project's style and subject matter has increasingly been cited as an inspiration for today's hip-hop scene. It introduced many fans to Kid Cudi, helped inspire Drake's sound, and further pushed the use of Auto-Tune in rap music.

Read the full article here and watch the video below:

Taking 808s to modern day productions, follow this guide from Andrew Huang on how to Make Huge 808s:

 

808 Plugins

We can't all afford an original unit, so 808 software is often the easiest way in. Here are some of the most prominent ways to make 808 beats using your computer - this is by no means an exhaustive list and we're open to hear your ideas:

Nepheton By D16 Group

You'll find all the nuances of the 808 booming sounds perfectly reproduced. Now you have everything you need to create your next dancefloor shaking hit.

More info here https://d16.pl/nepheton2
 

Revolution by Wave Alchemy 

Revolution, the award winning drum machine used by artists ranging from Dua Lipa and Björk to Chris Lake and Nine Inch Nails.

More info here: https://www.wavealchemy.co.uk/product/revolution/

TR-808 Roland Cloud 

The TR-808 Software Rhythm Composer is a detailed replica of the legendary TR-808--one of the most revered and sought-after electronic musical instruments of all time. Our plug-in recreation delivers all the boom, snap, and sizzle of the original hardware, plus modern enhancements for more sound design choices and faster beatmaking.

More details here https://www.roland.com/ca/products/rc_tr-808/

SubBassDoctor808/ by United Plugins 

Treating the lowest frequencies is not an easy task. And in some listening environments, it is almost impossible. If you mix while travelling or your mixing room or your system is not 110% perfect, you should see the doctor. Namely SubBass Doctor 808.

More details here: https://unitedplugins.com/SubBassDoctor808/

It must be said that you don't actually need software to play with an 808, you can play one directly from your browser using this site:  https://io808.com/ Roland also released their own version, twinned with a 303:

There are also free 808 samples from Sample Magic on Splice as well as Music Radar - in addition to Every 808 You will ever need from a Reddit thread.   

808 Hardware Clones & Remakes

Some might say there is only ONE 808, and they're not correct because there are loads of clones available! We know there are many replications, so we can't put them all here. Let's check out some gear which replicates the classic, do they still have the sizzle?

AcidLab Miami - Analog Drumcomputer based on the circuits of the 808. Here's a head to head with the real deal:

More details on the AcidLab Miami: https://acidlab.de/ 

Here we have a SonicLAB, looking at the Roland AIRA TR8 Drum Machine:
 

And now to the Roland TR-08 Boutique in another SonicLAB

And it wouldnt be gear without a word from Mr AudioPilz and his legendary Bad Gear series: 

 
Here is a comparison from Espen Kraft, looking at the TR-8S and the real deal... 

And how about the Behringer RD-8, in another SonicLAB deep dive:

We also want to name drop the Yocto which was one of the first authentic replications:

There is, of course, the DinSync RE808:

 

808 Sample Libraries 

If you have a sequencer, then maybe you just need samples! Here's a quick collection of some of the best free and paid for 808 sample libraries and 808 sample packs:

F9 Audio Analog 808 Volume 1 - This is the decade of the 808. Named after the kick drum circuit of the world's most prolific drum machine, they are modern music's subsonic foundation and are used in everything from Hip Hop, Tech House and heard everywhere from your favourite club's subs to the worlds' most popular radio stations. 

More details here: https://www.f9-audio.com/products/f9-analog-808s-vol-1

Wave Alchemy 808 TAPE - 300 TR-808 drum machine samples recorded directly to 1/4" analogue tape, including multiple tape saturation levels. Get it here. 

808 From Mars (Free) - Two new 16x hit 808 kits - recorded through our API console to tape, with a variety of high end hardware processing along the way. These are our best sounding 808s yet. The kits feature clean, colored, and super saturated 808 hits. Get the free version here.

Goldbaby Cassette808 (Free) - These samples were created by recording the TR808 drums onto cassette! Dirty! 21 x 24 bit wavs (with Maschine kits) 4 MB download. Get the free 808s from GoldBaby here.

There are also free 808 samples from Sample Magic on Splice as well as Music Radar - in addition to Every 808 You will ever need from a Reddit thread.

MILESTONE Podcast Episode: SonicTALK 808! 
 
It's going to be a great 808th episode of the podcast,. tune in next week for the show with a very special Guest 

 

About the author [midierror]: midierror is co-founder of Potato Audio, he makes nifty Max For Live devices, award-winning Sample Packs and hosts the 'midierror meets...' interview series speaking with all kinds of people working in sound & music. 

More From: ROLAND

• Roland Boutique JUPITER-08 More Voices and Control 20-Oct-26
• N/VISION - Roland's First Wavetable Hardware Synth 20-Oct-26
• Roland's MV-30 Emulated & Running in MAME 16-Oct-26
• Roland Updates TD-07 Series V-Drums 15-Oct-26
• Roland Updates ZENOLOGY GX for iPad 30-Sep-26

Even more news...