Groove-based music like hip-hop and various electronic genres wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for drum machines — and the Roland TR-808 is the drum machine that started the revolution. It wasn’t the first drum machine, nor did it provide the most realistic drum sounds — far from it. But, as the world’s first dedicated drum synthesizer (as opposed to sample-based drum machines, like the Linn LM-1 from Linn Electronics) that allowed you to program a complete drum track, the TR-808 provided vast creative potential that would take more than a decade for producers to fully realize. From the designers themselves, the TR-808 utilized faulty components, was riddled with sonic instabilities, and was only intended for creating demo tracks — and yet, it would go on to define the sound of numerous forward-thinking musical genres. Today is 808 Day, so let’s take a moment to reflect on why that is.
The World’s First Programmable Drummer
The TR-808 Rhythm Composer was the brainchild of Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi, who approached musician/engineer Don Lewis to create drum machines. Up until this point, drum machines didn’t exist as we know them today — you either had the preset, pattern-based rhythms found on Hammond organs or greatly limited sample-based drum machines like the Linn LM-1. Roland soon realized it would be much more cost-effective to develop a synthesis-based drum machine as opposed to a sample-playback machine. With the ability to edit sonic parameters like tuning, decay, and volume accents, the TR-808 gave producers more creative potential than any drum machine before it.
In other words, the TR-808 Rhythm Composer was developed simply because something like it did not exist yet. But if necessity was the mother of the 808’s invention, then the blossoming popularity of hip-hop was the TR-808’s cool uncle that taught it how to bend the rules.
A New Sound for Hip-hop and R&B
While the TR-808 was released in 1980, it wasn’t until 1982 that the world began to hear its potential. Two releases stand out: Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force’s “Planet Rock” and Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.” “Planet Rock” would prove highly influential in the developing sound of electro-funk. “Sexual Healing” put the 808’s signature bass drum, clavs, claps, and cymbals in an R&B setting and continues, to this day, to be a masterclass in the use of the 808 in that genre.
Compared to other tracks released in the early ’80s that were mostly based on sampled drum breaks, the programmed rhythms of the TR-808 make these two songs stand out. Scouring YouTube for early examples of TR-808 grooves shows a steady increase of producers experimenting with the 808, and something interesting happens as the years progress. By 1985, you’ll notice that bass drum sound starts to get longer and boomier. The 808 was beginning to show off its best-hidden secret — using the bass drum as a bass sound in its own right.
The Kick Drum That Wanted to Be a Bass
It’s difficult to define when exactly the 808’s bass drum began to be employed as a bass instrument in its own right, but you can definitely tell that by the end of the ’80s, producers were becoming quite comfortable with lengthening the decay time of the simple bass drum circuit. It would not be long before innovative producers learned to pitch the bass “drum” to a specific note, sample it with the new generation of sample workstations (like the Akai MPC), and then play it chromatically as a bass instrument. Some producers even preferred the low tom sound as a bass drum sound (with appropriate tone and decay settings) and relied completely on the bass drum for their bass lines — and thus, that classic, trunk-rattling 808 bass sound was born. By the time Dr. Dre’sThe Chronicwas released in 1992, it was practically official — the Roland TR-808 was an indispensable tool for hip-hop producers.
One of the more famous and (somewhat) recent examples of the 808 bass sound can be heard on Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown” from his 2008 album808s & Heartbreak. Right from the start, that deep, powerful 808 bass sets the haunting tone for this composition. And, for the modern generation of budding producers, that bassisthe 808 sound.
The TR-808 Rhythm Composer Is Back
Fewer than 12,000 TR-808 units were originally manufactured between 1980 and 1983, but, with the prevalence of sampling in the late ’80s and early ’90s, any producer could add the sound of an 808 to their sampler of choice. But you know how musicians are — many producers craved the original hardware experience. While many clones and knockoffs would appear over the years, Roland would finally bring the TR-808 into the modern producer’s tool kit with theRoland TR-08 Rhythm Composer. Featuring the sound, character, and user interface from the original 808, and bolstered with modern conveniences like USB and MIDI, onboard compression, and a more compact design, the TR-08 Rhythm Composer delivers everything that producers loved about the original — with none of the minor instabilities caused by the faulty transistors used in the original.
Want to Add the 808 Sound to Your Studio?
Beyond sample packs, there are more options than ever for musicians who want to tap into the iconic 808 sound.
Gear Up with Official 808 Merch
You’ve nailed the sound of the 808, now get the look with this official 808 merch!
Learn More About the Roland TR-808
We’ve barely scratched the surface of the deeper cultural significance that the 808 represents for hip-hop, R&B, and electronic genres. For an inside look at the history of the Roland TR-808 drum machine, we highly recommend checking out the 2015 documentary808, directed by Alexander Dunn. And if you’re wondering about the best way to add the 808 sound to your studio workflow, then give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at(800) 222-4700.
