BBC Sounds TR808

[timmie]

This is on now about the history of the TR808 drum machine 40 years old, includes the Beasties :)

[3stooges]

I never had one, but in the mid-90s a friend tried to sell his to me for $150. He needed rent money. I didn't buy it cause I was saving up for something else. I wish I had, they go for $4-5K now!

[Jiberish]

I never had one, but in the mid-90s a friend tried to sell his to me for $150. He needed rent money. I didn't buy it cause I was saving up for something else. I wish I had, they go for $4-5K now!

D'oh! Bummer.

A buddy just mailed me his TR-707, which isn't quite the same, I know. I've never seen one of the TR's in real life before. I was blown away by how chintzy it is. The motherfuckin' thing feels like an oversized calculator. Sound awesome though.

[3stooges]

D'oh! Bummer.

A buddy just mailed me his TR-707, which isn't quite the same, I know. I've never seen one of the TR's in real life before. I was blown away by how chintzy it is. The motherfuckin' thing feels like an oversized calculator. Sound awesome though.

That's funny man, I had a 707 for a while too. Around '90 maybe? I bought it thinking it would be like an 808. It has a bunch of those classic sounds, but you can't get the super low deep bass like on the 808. I didn't use it that much.

I also tried making beats with a Kawai R-50 I think it was. It was okay I guess, but at that stage what you really needed was a sampler. Eventually I saved enough to get a used Ensoniq ASR-10, which is great. I still have it.

The 707 would be cool for adding some old style drum machine sounds to a song. Although there are lots of sample libraries available now that would probably have the same sounds, or very similar. The 808 is the special one, because of the way you can get those super low synthesized analog kicks. There are sample libraries that copy it, but many people will say that it is never really the same, like with a Moog synth, or Rhodes keyboard or whatever.

[Sir SkratchaLot]

That's funny man, I had a 707 for a while too. Around '90 maybe? I bought it thinking it would be like an 808. It has a bunch of those classic sounds, but you can't get the super low deep bass like on the 808. I didn't use it that much.

I also tried making beats with a Kawai R-50 I think it was. It was okay I guess, but at that stage what you really needed was a sampler. Eventually I saved enough to get a used Ensoniq ASR-10, which is great. I still have it.

The 707 would be cool for adding some old style drum machine sounds to a song. Although there are lots of sample libraries available now that would probably have the same sounds, or very similar. The 808 is the special one, because of the way you can get those super low synthesized analog kicks. There are sample libraries that copy it, but many people will say that it is never really the same, like with a Moog synth, or Rhodes keyboard or whatever.

Behringer just put out a pretty good clone of the 808 called the "RD-8". It's all analog. I hear there are some minor differences in a sound or two but overall it's pretty damn close (keeping in mind that not all 808s sound alike anyway).

[Jiberish]

That's funny man, I had a 707 for a while too. Around '90 maybe? I bought it thinking it would be like an 808. It has a bunch of those classic sounds, but you can't get the super low deep bass like on the 808. I didn't use it that much.

I also tried making beats with a Kawai R-50 I think it was. It was okay I guess, but at that stage what you really needed was a sampler. Eventually I saved enough to get a used Ensoniq ASR-10, which is great. I still have it.

The 707 would be cool for adding some old style drum machine sounds to a song. Although there are lots of sample libraries available now that would probably have the same sounds, or very similar. The 808 is the special one, because of the way you can get those super low synthesized analog kicks. There are sample libraries that copy it, but many people will say that it is never really the same, like with a Moog synth, or Rhodes keyboard or whatever.


I think the one thing you can't really get w/ the sample libraries is the swing and the way you can move the tempo while it is playing. Especially if you're running it through some pedals. But yeah, an 808 or 707 or 909 sound in a drum machine or sample pack is pretty close. It's just nice to be tactile with the machine, as chintzy as it is.

Behringer just put out a pretty good clone of the 808 called the "RD-8". It's all analog. I hear there are some minor differences in a sound or two but overall it's pretty damn close (keeping in mind that not all 808s sound alike anyway).

The same buddy who sent me the 707 told me not to waste my money on the behringer 808 clone. He works in a studio in NYC, so he getd to try out a lot of toys when they become available.. I think it's probably somewhere in the middle. I bet it feels really nice to use it, because its hands on, AND it doesn't sound exactly right, AND that probably doesn't matter in the end. But maybe it does? I dunno. He called it "an app in an expensive box"

[3stooges]

I think the one thing you can't really get w/ the sample libraries is the swing and the way you can move the tempo while it is playing. Especially if you're running it through some pedals. But yeah, an 808 or 707 or 909 sound in a drum machine or sample pack is pretty close. It's just nice to be tactile with the machine, as chintzy as it is.



The same buddy who sent me the 707 told me not to waste my money on the behringer 808 clone. He works in a studio in NYC, so he getd to try out a lot of toys when they become available.. I think it's probably somewhere in the middle. I bet it feels really nice to use it, because its hands on, AND it doesn't sound exactly right, AND that probably doesn't matter in the end. But maybe it does? I dunno. He called it "an app in an expensive box"

It still might be worth checking out. Really what these things come down to is do you like the sounds they make, and will you like to make something with them? I don't always know until I try it (or watch a video). Plus, $350 is pretty low cost compared to a real one.

For software, I don't know all the different ones, but I remember I used something called Nepheton, which did a pretty convincing 808 style kick.

[Micodin]

i have a Roland MC-505 that i’ve been using for the past 20+ years and it has the CR-78, TR-808, TR-606, TR-909, TR-707 and R-8 rhythm sets. i’m a big fan of the sounds i can get out of it.

[3stooges]

i have a Roland MC-505 that i’ve been using for the past 20+ years and it has the CR-78, TR-808, TR-606, TR-909, TR-707 and R-8 rhythm sets. i’m a big fan of the sounds i can get out of it.

I never used one of those but I remember people talking about them. I was thinking about getting one for awhile. It was the new version of the MC-303 which I remember one of the Dust Brothers saying he really liked, and how they used it alot on Odelay.

Roland is a really good company, they have made a lot of really awesome equipment over the years. They have always been one of the best names out there, for electronic based music.

[Sir SkratchaLot]

The same buddy who sent me the 707 told me not to waste my money on the behringer 808 clone. He works in a studio in NYC, so he getd to try out a lot of toys when they become available.. I think it's probably somewhere in the middle. I bet it feels really nice to use it, because its hands on, AND it doesn't sound exactly right, AND that probably doesn't matter in the end. But maybe it does? I dunno. He called it "an app in an expensive box"

He might be thinking of Roland's clone, which in not an analog machine. I've read from a number of people who have real 808s that say the Behringer is on point as far as the sound is concerned.

[brooklyndust]

What's everyone's take on the TR-08 (https://www.roland.com/ca/products/tr-08/) from the Roland Boutique Series?

I was able to rent it for $20 for a month from my local music store and it sounded great to me, but I don't really have a trained ear nor know what I am doing.

I ended up taking the sounds and plugging them in my sp-808

On a side note, what's everyones thoughts on Pocket Operators (https://teenage.engineering/products/po)? I have the Rhythm, Sub and the KO. I find for a hobbyist like myself they're tons of fun to mess around with.

[Jiberish]

i have a Roland MC-505 that i’ve been using for the past 20+ years and it has the CR-78, TR-808, TR-606, TR-909, TR-707 and R-8 rhythm sets. i’m a big fan of the sounds i can get out of it.

Did you buy it before or after the "At Home with the Groovebox" record? I've wanted one fo those since that album came out but have never pulled the trigger.

[Jiberish]

On a side note, what's everyones thoughts on Pocket Operators (https://teenage.engineering/products/po)? I have the Rhythm, Sub and the KO. I find for a hobbyist like myself they're tons of fun to mess around with.

I bought the straight drum machine a while back. I really dug the sounds. I liked the way you could add fx live, but I didn't love the way you program on it, or how small it was as a piece of equipment. I ended up selling it for only 5 bucks less than I bought it for, and used the money to buy a line 6dl4 pedal. But that turned out to be faulty and even though I've brought it to the shop to have it fixed twice it doesn't actually work and that's a huge bummer.

that's what I think of the pocket operators. haha. I'm actually thinking of buying one again, because I really did dig the sound of the drums.

[Sir SkratchaLot]

I picked up the RD-8. It's pretty dope. The bass is insane (hard to hear it without real speakers or headphones though). The Beat Junkies did a "Peter Piper" challenge last month and I ended up using the RD-8 on it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNlmyVElOMF/

[Brother McDuff]

My brother-in-law and I split a vintage TR-808 a few years back and rocked a timeshare, ha. It looked super bad ass, and the sounds were as expected, but man, a real chore to operate compared to today's interfaces. We didn't last long and ended up selling for considerable profit only months later. Most definitely proud to say I was an owner at one (brief) point in time though.

I've since been using the Roland TR-8. Essentially Roland's digital answer to the classic. Super user-friendly, much more modernized, and all the classic sounds of all the TR series machines. I definitely vouch for it (y)

[Micodin]

Did you buy it before or after the "At Home with the Groovebox" record? I've wanted one fo those since that album came out but have never pulled the trigger.

before. i remember when the Groovebox project came out feeling slightly validated by my purchase lol.

[Jiberish]

before. i remember when the Groovebox project came out feeling slightly validated by my purchase lol.

Nice!