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Few instruments have a story as strange as the Roland TR-808. It was built to make realistic drums and failed at that. It was not a commercial success and was out of production within two years. Then it went on to define the sound of electro, hip hop, house, techno, Miami bass and trap. Today, the word 808 alone means a booming kick drum to millions of people.
This guide covers how the 808 was made, why it sounds the way it does, how it took over and how you can get that sound today. Facts come from Roland's own history of the TR-808 and its product pages.
Where the 808 came from
In the 1970s, drum machines were mostly simple home rhythm boxes with preset patterns. Roland's CR-78 CompuRhythm, launched in 1978, was the company's first drum machine able to create and store patterns. It was designed to accompany organs, which is why it had so many waltz and bossa nova patterns, but it found fans among working musicians. Phil Collins used it for the core groove of In the Air Tonight.
For the successor, a young team worked under Tadao Kikumoto, with Hiro Nakamura developing the analog voice circuits. The goal was a machine for composing musicians making demos, and the aim was realistic drums.
Why it sounds the way it does
Memory chips that could play back sampled drums were too expensive at the time, so the engineers used analog synthesis. They first built the sounds on Roland's System 700 modular synthesizer, then recreated the settings in the TR-808's own circuits. The result did not sound like a real drum kit at all. It sounded like something new.
There was also a secret ingredient. Roland bought transistors that had been rejected as out of specification. They were not faulty, but they had particular qualities that gave the 808 its sizzling sound. One component, the 2SC828-R, was so important that when supplies ran out, the TR-808 was discontinued.
Because the sounds were analog, they could be shaped. Players could tweak the sizzle of the hi hats and the snap of the snare, and most importantly, extend the decay of the kick drum. That long, warm, booming kick became the 808's signature. Roland notes that cranked up 808 tracks regularly blew out speaker cones.
The rest of the kit is just as famous: the snappy snare, the robotic, clicky rim shot and the unmistakable cowbell.
The Rhythm Composer
The front panel says Rhythm Composer, a reminder that the 808 was designed for writing. A row of 16 colored buttons let users program and store beats one step at a time. The TR-808 was the first appearance of Roland's TR-REC sequencing method, which the company still uses. Those buttons are a big part of why the 808 felt so playable, and why its patterns are so easy to recognize.
From flop to legend
The TR-808 was in production only from 1980 to 1982. Roland made around 12,000 units. Early adopters included Yellow Magic Orchestra in Japan, but the machine was not considered a commercial success, and in 1982 the arrival of sample based drum machines pushed the trend toward digital sounds.
That was when the 808 really began. Once discontinued, used units turned up in second hand shops, where younger artists with a taste for breaking rules bought them. From the mid 1980s the 808 sound became embedded in party music scenes from Chicago to Detroit and Manchester to Miami. Roland points to records such as Newcleus with Jam On It, Beastie Boys with Paul Revere and Loose Ends with Hangin' On a String, and later hits like Kanye West's Love Lockdown and Beyonce's Drunk in Love.
Roland sums it up simply: the 808 was heard on many thousands of tracks, and entire genres were spawned from it.
How to get the 808 sound today
An original. Roland notes that original TR-808s are big and heavy, and their rarity makes them extremely expensive and sought after on the used market. They also need care, since they are now decades old.
The Roland TR-08. For most people, the TR-08 is the answer. It brings the look, sound and feel of the original 808 to Roland's compact Boutique format. The interface is miniaturized but laid out like the original, and the sound comes from Roland's Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology, which models each analog circuit of the original down to the component level.
The TR-08 also adds modern touches:
- 16 sub steps per step for detailed snare fills and rolling hi hats
- A track selectable trigger out for other gear, like the TB-03 or modular systems
- A light emitting diode (LED) display for finer control of tempo and shuffle
- Step programming or real time entry without changing modes
- Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) control, plus audio and MIDI over Universal Serial Bus (USB)
- Power from four AA batteries or USB, with a built in mini speaker
- A dock for angled viewing on a desk
Samples and software. Samples of the 808 are everywhere, and Roland also offers a software version through its Roland Cloud platform. Roland's view is that the hardware interface and the odd ways the sounds interact are a big part of the real 808 feel, which is why the TR-08 keeps the knobs and buttons.
Tips for programming 808 beats
Start with the kick. Lengthen its decay until it rings like a bass note, and leave space around it. Use the snare or clap on beats two and four, then add hi hats in eighth or sixteenth notes. On the TR-08, the sub steps let you add the quick rolls that define trap hats. Finally, sprinkle in a cowbell or rim shot sparingly. A little goes a long way.
Building a setup? See our best drum machines for beginners, our home studio starter gear guide, the classic Roland RE-201 Space Echo and the Technics SL-1210MKX. There is more in our home studio hub.
