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Roland TR-808

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 808, is a drum machine manufactured by Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patterns. Unlike its nearest competitor at the time, the more expensive Linn LM-1, the 808 generates sounds using analog synthesis rather than by playing samples.

Roland TR-808

1980–1983

US$1,195
£765
¥150,000 JPY

32 patterns, 768 measures

Individual level, tuning, attack, decay, and tone controls for some sounds

16 pattern keys

DIN sync in/out

The 808 was a commercial failure, as electronic music had yet to become mainstream and many producers wanted more realistic drum sounds. After building approximately 12,000 units, Roland discontinued the 808 after its semiconductors became impossible to restock. It was succeeded by the TR-909 in 1983.


Over the course of the 1980s, the 808 attracted a cult following among underground musicians for its affordability on the used market, ease of use and idiosyncratic sounds, particularly its deep, booming bass drum. It became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, dance, and hip hop genres, popularized by early hits such as "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force and "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye.


The 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine. Its popularity in hip hop has made it one of the most influential inventions in popular music, comparable to the Fender Stratocaster's impact on rock. Its sounds are included with music software and modern drum machines and it has inspired unlicensed recreations.

Sounds and features[edit]

The 808 imitates acoustic percussion: the bass drum, snare, toms, conga, rimshot, claves, handclap, maraca, cowbell, cymbal and hi-hat (open and closed).[10] Rather than playing samples, it generates sounds using analog synthesis; the TR in TR-808 stands for "transistor rhythm".[11] The sounds do not resemble real percussion,[3][7] and have been described as "clicky",[7] "robotic",[9] "spacey",[4] "toy-like" and "futuristic".[3] Fact described them as a combination of synthesizer tones and white noise that resemble "bursts coming from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop" more than a real drum kit.[10] In Music Technology, Tim Goodyer described the cowbell as "clumsy, clonky and hopelessly underpitched".[12]


The 808 is noted for its powerful bass drum sound, built from a sine oscillator, low-pass filter and voltage-controlled amplifier.[13] The bass drum decay control allows users to lengthen the sound, creating uniquely low frequencies that flatten slightly over time, possibly not by design.[13] The New Yorker described the bass drum as the 808's defining feature.[9]


The 808 was the first drum machine with which users could program a percussion track from beginning to end, complete with breaks and rolls.[14] Users can program up to 32 patterns using the step sequencer,[6] chain up to 768 measures[15] and place accents on individual beats.[6] Users can also set the tempo[6] and time signature, including unusual signatures such as 5
4
and 7
8
.[16] The 808 includes volume knobs for each voice, numerous audio outputs and a DIN sync port (a precursor to MIDI) to synchronize with other devices.[6] Its three trigger outputs can synchronize with synthesizers and other equipment.[17]

Release[edit]

The 808 launched in 1980 with a list price of US$1,195 (equivalent to $4,419 in 2023).[10] Roland marketed it as an affordable alternative to the Linn LM-1, manufactured by Linn Electronics, which used samples of real drum kits.[10] The 808 sounded simplistic and synthetic by comparison; electronic music had yet to become mainstream and many musicians and producers wanted realistic-sounding drum machines.[7][10] According to many reports, one review dismissed the 808 as sounding like "marching anteaters", though this likely referred to machines that predated it.[16] Contemporary Keyboard wrote a positive review, predicting that it would become "the standard for rhythm machines of the future".[14]


Despite some early adopters,[10] the 808 was a commercial failure[15] and fewer than 12,000 units were sold.[18] Roland ended production in 1983[3] after semiconductor improvements made it impossible to restock the faulty transistors essential to its design.[9]

– 2015 documentary about the Roland TR-808

808 (film)

. Music Technology. November 1986. pp. 70–1. ISSN 0957-6606. OCLC 483899345.

"Beat Box Chic"

. One Two Testing. January 1983. ISSN 0265-7139. OCLC 14985145.

"Roland Beatboxes"

Official Roland site

In-browser emulation of the 808

Pattern for 808 Drum Machines

Roland TR808 – Sound On Sound retrospective