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]

Originally Posted by 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!

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]

Originally Posted by Jiberish

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]

Originally Posted by 3stooges

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]

Originally Posted by 3stooges

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.

Originally Posted by Sir SkratchaLot

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]

Originally Posted by Jiberish

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.

[Sir SkratchaLot]

Originally Posted by Jiberish

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.