Roland TR-808

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, produced 1980–1984

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines ("TR" serving as an initialism for Transistor Rhythm). Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real drum kit. Indeed, because the TR-808 came out a few months after the Linn LM-1 (the first drum machine to use digital samples), professionals generally considered its sound inferior to sampling drum machines; a 1982 Keyboard Magazine review of the LinnDrum indirectly referred to the TR-808 as sounding like marching anteaters. However, the TR-808 cost US$1,195 upon its release, which was considerably more affordable than the US$5,000 LM-1.

Drum machines in general became an integral part of hip hop music as a cheap and simple way of producing a drum sound. The Roland TR-808 held specific appeal because of the ability of its bass drum sound to produce extremely low-frequency sounds. It also featured various unique artificial percussion sounds that characterized the TR-808: a deep bass kick drum, "tinny handclap sounds," “the ticky snare, the tishy hi-hats (open and closed) and the spacey cowbell.” The Roland TR-808 would eventually be used on more hit records than any other drum machine, and has thus attained an iconic status within the music industry.

Origins

Roland credits the design of the TR-808 to two of its employees: Mr. Nakamura, responsible for the analog voice circuits, and Mr. Matsuoka, who developed the software. The Roland TR-808 was produced between 1980 and 1983 by the Roland Corporation, with approximately 12,000 units manufactured in that time. Immediately after its appearance it was rendered essentially obsolete by the superior sound and ability to sample of the Linn LM-1. However, the much cheaper price of the TR-808 ($1,195 versus $5,000 for the Linn LM-1) and a distinctive sound (in particular its deep bass kick) made the drum machine popular among rap artists several years after it ceased production. By the end of the 1980s, the TR-808 was popular within electronic music and hip hop genres. As with many analogue electronic musical instruments, a great deal of effort has been put into sampling the sounds of the TR-808 for use in modern devices; however, due to the nature of analog circuitry, the result is often considered unsatisfactory and can sound unduly static and digital. Demand for the real 808 sound is so great that street prices for a used TR-808 have stayed close to what the cost of a new TR-808 was upon its initial release in 1980 when adjusted for inflation. The 808 also had a significant impact on dance music due to its ability to program rhythm and drum sounds separately and store up to 32 patterns, enabling it to become a serious compositional tool. The bass drum of the 808 is few more than a Bridged T-network sine oscillator, a low filter and a VCA. The output works continuously and like that makes it possible to produce an overdub of the same signal even after 32 steps in a medium tempo. The kick is a triggered CV pulse which is added into the audio signal. The typical flattening of the decay directly after the attack is due to the audio design of the oscillator and appears like a compression.

Popular media

The first band to use the TR-808 was the Japanese electronic music group Yellow Magic Orchestra, as soon as it was released in 1980. One of the earliest uses of the TR-808 for a live performance was by Yellow Magic Orchestra in December 1980 for the song "1000 Knives," an electro rendition of member Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Thousand Knives" (1978). The hand-clap sound was later publicized by YMO's innovative album BGM, released March 1981 in Japan; used again on "1000 Knives" and in "Music Plans," another of Sakamoto's songs. The TR-808 would later be further popularized in 1982, with the release of the mainstream American hits "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye and "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa. Other early users of the TR-808 include Australian producer Mark Moffatt, with his studio project "The Monitors" (1981), and Indian musician Charanjit Singh, who used it alongside a Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer to produce music resembling acid house in 1982. A TR-808 was also David Byrne's sole accompaniment (apart from his acoustic guitar) at the beginning of Stop Making Sense (1984), prior to the gradual appearance of the rest of Talking Heads, although Byrne created the illusion that the sound came from "a tape I want to play" on a boombox he brought onstage.

As more realistic and tubular drum computers appeared, the TR-808 was discontinued and it became easy to buy a used machine for a low price. Its availability led to a second life as a cheap source of rhythm for hiphop artists in the mid 1980s. The Beastie Boys breakout album Licensed to Ill consists mostly of hip-hop rhymes backed by the characteristic TR-808 beats and samples from popular rock songs; its success led to a new surge in popularity.

The sounds of the TR-808 were and still are very often used in drum and bass, hip hop, R&B, house, electro, and many forms of electronic dance music, albeit often unrecognizable after extensive processing. The use of the 808 drum by Double Duce on the 1985 track "School Breakdown" and 2 Live Crew on its third album, As Nasty As They Wanna Be, established a foundation for sounds of Miami bass and southern rap. The TR-808 is also still used for most acid house music, alongside the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer.

On 8 August 2008 (08.08.08), a party was held in London, England, UK, to celebrate the TR-808. It featured 808 State, Arthur Baker, DMX Krew, and I-f—artists associated with the machine. The party was organized by the electro label Citinite.

The Namco Museum soundtracks use the TR-808 extensively as the main rhythm generator. Other percussion and effects were added to the soundtrack via software sequencer.

Metalcore and Deathcore bands often make use of a sub-drop to emphasize the first chord of a breakdown, this is commonly produced by using a sample of an 808 kick that has been equalized to accent the bass and sub-bass frequencies.

Several musicians have paid tribute to the TR-808 in their music:

• Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles in their song "Déjà Vu" (Beyoncé Knowles song) which mentions the TR-808 in its lyrics
• Kool Keith in the Ultramagnetic MC's hit "Late Night Rumble" says: "Girl with the boobs out, white potatoes/ Let me squeeze tomatoes, pie lemon Loradoes/ Eight-Oh-Eight-Oh-Eight-Oh's
• Beck mentions that he's "bangin' like an 808" in his song "Hollywood Freaks". Also in his song "The Little Drum Machine Boy" from Just Say Noël he says "We'll shut it down harmoniously, rockin' softly 808 Beats"
• The Unknown DJ, with "808 Beats".
• Kanye West, with the title of his 2008 release 808s & Heartbreak.
• J. Cole, in his song Cole World says "Turn up tha 808 for me".
• OutKast, in their 2003 song, "The Way You Move," say, "But I know ya’ll wanted that 808 can you feel that B-A-S-S, bass".
• Bassnectar, with "The 808 Track," which glorifies the TR-808.
• Blue Scholars, with "HI-808."
• D-Nice, with "The TR-808 is coming".
• Far East Movement, with "Like a G6" which mentions the TR-808 in its lyrics, "That 808 bump make you put your hands up".
• Ke$ha, in her 2010 song, "Your Love is My Drug," asks, "Do I make your heart beat like an 808 drum?"
• Sir Mix-A-Lot in his song, "Posse on Broadway," says, "The 808 kick drum makes the girlies get dumb."
• The Black Eyed Peas, in their 2010 song, "Boom Boom Pow," say, "We got the beat, that 808."
• LMFAO, in their song, "Boom Boom Pow Party Rock Remix" say "We rock that 808, until you call the cops"
• The Beastie Boys, in their song, "Super Disco Breakin," say, "Everybody gettin' down make no mistake, nothing sounds quite like an 8-0-8."
• The Game references 808 drums in the first verse of "How We Do" ("Fresh like - uhh; Impala - uhh; chrome hydraulics, 808 drums")
• Lil Wayne was featured in the T-Pain song remix of "Studio Luv" and says, " Make the control room boom like an 808".
• Kelis, in "Bossy" featuring Too $hort, says, "I'm back with an 808 'cause I'm bossy".
• Britney Spears, in her song "Break The Ice", says, "Got my heart beating like an 808".
• Alexis Jordan, in her 2011 Song "Good Girl", says, "When I walk the ground shakes (boom) Like an 808 (boom)"
• Kid Rock, in the song Roving Gangster (Rollin')from Devil Without a Cause sings, "My gun's gunnin and the 808's hummin..."
• Dem 808z a dance group in Baltimore that based their group off of the drum machine
• Felix da Housecat, in his 2001 track "Happy Hour", vocalist Melistar raps "Happy hour, sun shower, 808s gives you power."
• Emily Osment, in the song "Lovesick", "Heart like an 808."
• The Cataracs, in their song "Top Of The World" say "She hit me like an 808"
• Eminem, in an unreleased song, "Syllables", says "Is it a finger snap? Or the same 808 clap "
• Beyoncé, in her song "Deja Vu", "Bass... hi-hat... 808"
• The-Dream, refers to the TR-808 on his tracks "Luv Songs" and "Hit It On The Road".
• Family Force 5, in their song "Earthquake", says, "Drop that 808, the walls begin to shake."
• T.I., in his song "Top Back", says "My 24 blades glistening, an my 808 kickin'."
• Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, in the song "Can't Hold Us ft. Ray Dalton", says, "Go hard like I got an 808 in my heart beat."
• Roscoe Dash, in the song "Good Good Night", says, "I swear those 808 and snares got me go insane."
• Frank Ocean , in his song "Swim Good", he says, "Got some pretty good beats on this 808 CD, yeah."
• The Ready Set, in his song "Limits", he says " You got my heart strapped down to the beat just like that 808."
• Fred Falke. in his song "808 At The Beach." The song was a tribute to the machine. He used the TR-808 drum machine for the song.
• Madonna, in her song "Girl Gone Wild", she sings "When I hear them 808 drums".

External links

• TR-808 owner's manual
• TR-808 info, manual, mp3 clips