When I bought the tr-808 for $3200 I was super excited to finally play it. First thing I did was plug it into my KC-550 15" Roland amplifier. The BASS was so amazing and powerful. It moved crap off my walls and shook the house foundation. The KICK sucked the air out of the room and pulsated through my chest like an metal concert. The SNARE snapped in that mid-range field filling the spectrum up. The TOMS reminded me instantly of all those 80's songs. It is an amazing piece of hardware. I'm super happy someone else got the chance to hear the real deal. It's worth the money if you can find it. Thanks for making another great video about one of my favorite drum machines. Take care, Sam.
Being 57 years Young and knowing the impact the 808 had on hip-hop and into Electro funk I am very happy you made this video giving the 808 it's props. From TLA Rocks It's Yours to Egyptian Lover, Planet Rock, Play at Your Own Risk the list goes on my friend.
The first time you program a 16th pattern for 808's HiHats you understand in 2 seconds why that machine is so unique. The sound and groove that the original machine has on its sequencer can't be cloned. Amazing instrument.
welllll, arguably it as a piece of technology, should be able to be replicated and produced again. but yeah, i get what you intend to try to mean by idiom.
The clap is still THE sound that amazes me the most, that comes from this box. Because it simply sounds so freaking real and yet it's entirely synthesized with late 70s-early 80s analog synthesis technology.
Always loved the 808, the sounds, the sound programming method, even those rainbow button colors! Sadly as a penniless 13 year old in 1987, I had to pass up a new old stock 808 at a local music shop for $250. The salesman said it was obsolete as it had no midi and was not sample based. I knew he was an idiot at this stage but was too polite to say so! The 808 was out of production by the time it started to become fashionable in the late 80s and is STILL the sound of now!
..sounds like you have never used a actually TR-909 or TR-808 otherwise you would understand its proformance limitations..? ..Eurorack has solved this problem and Behringer is about to make Roland look very stupid.. lol
@@normdurkin6425 Have you ever seen Jeff Mills. The TR-909 is the performance drum machine. Beringer's been bragging about their 09 for how many years now, and still nothing. Oh and euro rack sucks.
@@FattSunny ..you are an idiot.. I was there the first Mills did a live set with 3 turntables and the 909 in New York City back from Germany I think it was 1997.. I own a TR-909.. you can not switch it from write mode to play mode once it is running.. so you are stuck with either patterns that can not be changed or in play mode were you can't play patterns.. besides the fact that the double triggering kick patterns are super annoying.. that's why a beatstep pro is a million times better.. or course you have no idea the massive expansion of control possibilities over the 909 kick with Dijstar RiDrum TK-09 or TK-01.. such as EG Depth and EG Decay.. lol
@@FattSunny ..let's break it down.. obviously you have never owned a TR-909 or TR-808.. and most likely never will.. I personally know 3 other people besides myself that own or have owned the TR-909.. I have also used theirs and they all sounded different.. it's the gold standard in your mind because you don't own one.. lol
@@normdurkin6425 I was there man... Give me a break. For your information I've owned a 909,303,and 606 that I had to sell back in 90's. I currently Tr09,08,06 and a circuit bent 505 along with the rest of the Boutique collection. TwoToFourStudios on here. Any examples of your work available to back up your smug opinions.
As you said "there's really nothing like it" in 01:02 you were probably right, when you recorded this video. But meanwhile (I think since the 808 day in 2021) there is the re-808 and I just got one! Just wow! I can not imagine how the "real" 808 could feel any different. Maybe for some people a placebo is kicking, cause the original "ROLAND" letters are missing, but I don't care haha
The first time i heard the sound of that legendary drumsynth was somewhere in 1995 or so, when i listened to a cassette version of the east german electronics album "Der Traum von Asgard" by Reinhard Lakomy, from 1983. I will never forget that experience when the first track played and the drumsynth faded in and blew me away. It was such a fat and ear-pleasing (almost ASMR ish) sound and for years i had NO idea how that sound was created. Until i played with a demo of Propellerhead Rebirth somewhere in 2002 or 2003. This was when i was first officially introduced to the 808 by its name.
Some people say 808 sound got boring, but i say its like Stradivari Violin, one of the finest human engineering pieces of gear created and is genre of its own
Foot pedals are extremely useful for human beings solo performing. As we only have two hands. While both hands are busy, the two feet can trigger that 808! Kool. Great video Espen. I’m trying to catch up on all your videos. I love the 80s. I was born in 78.
Great video. I’ve only played an 808 on my iPad and had a lot of fun making some rhythms, I can’t imagine how cool it’d be to play with the whole sound and controls of a real one
I have a replica Rolex. It works great and with the naked eye, even upon closer inspection, it's very difficult to spot that it's not the original. However, I know it's not and that makes the original so much more attractive.
Nice demo of the classic TR-808. I also own a TR-808. One of the fun things about 808s is that they all sound a bit different. The one you demonstrated here sounds different than mine. On my machine the bass drum has a much wider decay range, but the snare has a shorter decay and has less 'noise' volume. Same goes for the toms. On my machine they sound shorter and with minimal noise, making them sound almost the same as the conga setting, but with lower pitch. The other sounds like the clap and cowbell sound almost identical to your unit. The 808 also really sounds 'alive' with every hit sounding a little different from the previous one. That's one of the ways you can tell a recording of the real thing apart from a sampled version.
Very true. Such old gear will have components in various state of decay (pun intended) and as such sound quite different. Another reason using samples CAN sound stale compared to the real one, a fact many seems to forget when they say old gear is easily replicated in soft. ;-)
Also take account, most of the sample packs of the TR-808 out there, esp free ones has to have a lot of variations because of knobs in particular having adjustable decay, tone, to snappiness as I found out. That's one feature in particular I find really cool for it since you can adjust it for your own liking
SSL + 808 is a great combo. I never really got into the workflow of the "real" 808, so it didn't add anything for me to have the real-deal. But a lot of people I know swear that it opens up something creative for them, so I'm not discounting it. Of course it soaks in effects and compressors and EQ, so the creative manipulations are quite amazing. Mix it with the 707 and you'd have everything you need for 80's and 90's. Well, you also need a 303. Everybody needs a 303.
i am the 80s and i was thinking that a sample , or a mathematic model of a 808 will sound the same of a real 808 in mix. Nice channel, plenty of bullshits as usual. ( by the way i ve been owning an 808 for 25 years and i ve read or listen so many bullshits about real/ fake one . but at least now you are less ignorant.
What a strange comment. Are we supposed to be impressed by the fact that you owned an 808 for 25 years? Can you be more specific about how Espen is a bullshitter? Snob. Keep up the great work Espen!
Man, it's crazy how good a drum machine from 1980 still sounds today. Although I'm more of a fan of later drum machines, the 808 always has a special place. The 808 seems to be the one that never died! I was wondering when you were going to get one on the channel, and I'm really excited to see where this takes you.
Sometimes the sum is greater than the parts and this is a fine example of this. Much like the Casio RZ-1 btw, that also has a very organic internal groove to its patterns actually. Cheers! :D
There is something about the sound. With samples after 10 bars I have enough from that bar, with a 808 after 40 min it work still and not boring at all. I have 4 808s “sorry” and3 909s
Hej, you actually have 2 bars behind A and B (each!), which makes it a 64 Step sequencer per pattern. You utilize that when having the mode selctor in 2nd, starting the machine, while holding the RED buttom and pressing step 16.
I know. I actually recorded that part as well, but cut it out as the length of the video started to be a problem. I didn't set out to make a tutorial. But thanks for mentioning it! Cheers :D
@@repeatle UR welcome. Don´t know why they haven´t designed that for the TR8. But the TR8 didn´t even come with copy pattern feature from the very beginning either.
Amazing I had one of these in 1986. I bought it for £150.00. And sold it for £250.00 in 1987. If only I could have foreseen how ridiculous their second hand prices would become 30 years later.
I love the fact that you have been real and described the sound of the 808 as "dull." It is. As with any analogue drum machine you have to process the individual sounds to make it sound the way you want. The sampled 808 sounds that people use are all post-processed samples. Anyone playing an 808 from the stereo outs (or mono) probably wouldn't like the sound if they were honest and not going with the hype. The processing chain that you are putting the individual sounds through with SSL EQ and compression sounds similar to what I used to use as plugins to make the Arturia Drumbrute sound like a beast. In that regard, I really do understand what you mean by enjoying the journey and the process of achieving the sound that you want.
I'm happy you picked up on that. It's so much easier to get a good sound going on this when the sounds themselves aren't processed in in any way from the get go. ;-) Cheers! :D
Just tell the truth, man, you don’t own real 808 and never even played one :-) Otherwise you would never say “anyone wouldn’t like it played from stereo outs”. This machine is so balanced and so rounded that you wonder why you need any processing at all when you work with it. Same things you can say about all the really great synths from that era. And you never can get this from any toy made by Arturia, that’s for sure. And Espen is too polite to say this, hope you understand.
@@danalexpiano I never owned one but Arthur Baker did and I've worked for him a couple of times so I'm going by what he said. When I said stereo outs I was talking about instruments in general. I may have said stereo outs and I would say the same about the MPC60 even though it's got a balanced out. The point what I was making is that to get the best out of the 808 you would need to use the individual outs and then process the individual sounds. That is why I compared it to the Drumbrute as you have to do the same thing with it otherwise it sounds dull. Obviously you know more than Arthur Baker and from what I've seen in a recent video Q Tip rates King Arthurs opinion so I will take their opinions over yours but like arseholes everybody got one. Bye
@@RoomAtTheTopStudio you are welcome to prefer any opinion over any other, you can only know the truth if you have your own opinion. I have both mpc60 and tr808 (as well as many other devices like these), and I can tell you they sound fantastic from their main outputs, an when you go individual, they sometimes tend to lose something “special”. Yes, you can process sounds more freely from individual outputs, but if you talk about overall sound of exact machine, main outputs rule. Many people who are aware of this stuff will tell you the same. Oh, don’t worry, none of them will force you to believe, when you get your own experience, you will see how funny it is to talk to someone relying on others’ opinions.
@@danalexpiano :-) Obviously you don't know who Arthur Baker is. Ironic as this channel is about the '80s music and instruments. Anyhow no problem. I'll take his opinion over yours for if you do some research, obvious reasons.
Brilliant video as always, great tour of an 808. Always dreamt of owning an original myself, I can remember seeing them for sale back in sos in early 90s for as little as 250 UK pounds, I so wish I had bought one back then, they crazy money now. Keep up the great vids :-)
Imagine if Roland werent listening back in the 80s like they aren't now and didnt produce these instruments because they didnt believe there was a market for them. Clearly there was once people realised their potential and some amazing groundbreaking music was created which wouldn't have sounded the same had these machines not been around.
I have the RD-8 and although I've never played with a real 808, the sound and warmth it generates is definitely different to samples... Plus you can jam and make your own patterns, as well as run individual outs and treat those accordingly for some stuff that you just wouldn't likely come up with in the box!
The 808 is legendary and sounds incredibly good! But to be honest, I personally prefer the LinnDrum. It depends on what kind of music you are doing. Your video is, as always, very nice and interesting! :)
I own the R70 and the 808 samples are bang on! Extremely realistic. Also own a Novation Drumstation, it is a 808 and 909 in a 1u rack space module, it also has excellent sound.
I had one in the 80s. It stopped working. It was kinda..ordinary. No one ever said ' oooh I love your drum machine. I heard a lot of can you play without it?' Now people are used to it. Fond of it. Funny how that goes.
Fantastic video thank you. What I would really love to find is guide to purchasing one of these. I can see a few for sale but I cant imagine anything worse than buying one that doesn't have the sound quite right..
That Roland TR-808 looks like something I would have loved to play with. I love drum beats and machines!! Thanks for the tutorial! If I had one I would be up for 3 days playing with it.
it's like with Minimoogs. Due to the analog nature it is hard to ever have one that sounds exactly the same. I dare to assume that even the 808 doesn't always sound exactly the same. There will always be variations and if you'd compare the Behringer clone with 2 or 3 of the originals and not knowing which is which, you wouldn't really keep them apart.
@@KRAFTWERK2K6 yeah man absolutely, i was just amazed over how close they were at all. amazing sounding machines both of them, and yeah for sure in a blindtest i would not be able to keep them apart. no doubt there.
@@matt_one Yeah, they didn’t only use the TR-808 of course, but did use it a lot. I don’t know what was used for the snare on that song. It sounds good in the track. Personally I really liked their 1983 album “On the rise” and the follow up “Just the way you like it”. Good stuff!
... one last thing I have to mention: What Roland missed on their TR-8 (ACB emulation) very sadly is the sound the 808 makes, when havin closed and open HH on the same step.
@@siliconteens5637 I couldn’t wait to get away from analog and go digital, thus passing up a 303 for 50 pounds. I’ve come full circle now, and wish I still had my old Juno 60. So I’m snapping up every behringer clone I can afford, and they are very good, my 101 sounds just like the 101 i had back In the late 1980s, the crave is really powerful for a single oscillator synth, and the model d has a sound that only a 12db ladder filter can produce.so analog and fat with its 3 oscillators . Wish I could have owned an original 808 back in the day but I was skint and so went down the yamaha rx route instead.
Fun part is as well, that no 808 similar to another 808. we have had two 808s in the studio and mine sounded as your´s in the video. while the other one sounded very soft - almost like early drummachines from the late 70ies. Kick, Snare, Hats and Cowbell where so different from mine. I guess that must have been either deviation in components or earlier vs later model.
@@dalecutlemusic586 I can say that the RD8 sounds great. I have an RD8 as well as two original TR808s. The RD8 sounds very good. In my opinion, many of the sounds hold up to the original quite nicely. In fact, some of the percussion sounds like the toms and congas I would not be able to tell the RD8 from the original in a blindfold test as they are identical. However, I would say the original still has the edge when it comes to the hihats and cymbal. With that said. I actually prefer the snare of the RD8 to either of my original TR808s (Hmmm must have something to do with the calibration perhaps?). The rimshot of the RD8 also has more presence and definition compared to my original 808. I like the bassdrum of both RD8 and TR808, but the classic bassdrum of the original TR808 is unmistakable, especially at maximum decay on accented notes.
Great video! I wonder about the dependability of a TR-808....as well as a LinnDrum LM2. To get both of these beauties would set me back $10k to $12k USD. I've had my Oberheim OB-8 and Korg Trident Mk1 serviced several times already. I guess the good thing about a vintage drum computer would be that shipping it to a tech, if needed, would be a lot easier and cheaper than most vintage synths. Maybe its just placebo, but the 808 sounds more alive than the B. Thanks for another great tutorial. :)
Thanks! Very good point about shipping. Drum machines will be a lot cheaper and easier to ship when in need for maintenance. I've never owned a 808 before, but they seem very reliable to me. Of course 40 year old gear will require some TLC from time to time.
I had a orignal 808 which I sold to get the Linndrum. Though the 808 is a classic it’s price for the original today is crazy. Roland’s TR8S is a better alternative.
Beautiful. I have the Roland R8m rack unit, which is missing many of the features (e.g., no sequencer) but it has essentially the same sounds and the capability to use multiple patch collections at once via three ROM cards. For my hybrid setup with a DAW, it works amazingly well to get those nice sounds, but certainly without all the fun you had programming!
Absolutely, I have the R8m as well and those sounds are great in that, as they often do in almost all other emulations and clones as well. For some reason, the sum is sometimes greater than the parts, and the 808 is a great example if that. ;-)
Imo r8 is the best drum machine from Roland.i worked with it alot in the studio.ended all with a devastating studio fire and the r8 was one of the victims.i had 5 cards from it 2, 4,6, 8 and 10 , but I coudnt find a good r8 for years I sold all cards for 200 euros
I don't have a real TR-808 but by the way I've always felt removing the work process it removes something from the real fun. So I know in a way that is real nice. Now you need a CSQ-600 to complete the color palette.
Good review and walkthru...Wonder if Depeche Mode used this on the Speak & Spell album. It definitiely sounds like that. I recently tried the TR8-S ... that machine is a monster..Not analogue but still cool.
hey Espen, did you now buy one for yourself? Together with the Jupiter-8? When did you get these two beauties? I am looking forward to hearing the new album. Kind regards, Hans.
This video is quite old now. There's no way I'd ever pay those ridiculous prices the market is asking for this gear now. I don't mind borrowing them though, as was the case here. ;-)
@@EspenKraft I agree, those went nuts now. But since I have seen both instruments often in your recent videos, I thought I just ask 🙂 Great if one can borrow these. In my region, I do not know anyone who has these, so I "had" to buy them 😬😅 Thanks for the reply ❤️🧡💛🤍
I have a virtual (VST) TR-808 by Roland, it sounds the same, but... I want the real thing regardless, because having it physically is a lot different experience.
Same here, I have the Behringer too which is fantastic but still want a Roland analog remake. I've heard the clone kits sounding very close but cant be bothered putting one together.
hardware will ALWAYS be more fun because we humans are physical beings and direct contact with the instruments is just the most natural experience. It is so incredibly unsatisfying to control a VST on a screen.... it's like controlling a simulation, behind glass....
i’m ngl as a TR-08 owner i’m satisfied. the VST sounds close enough for me but being able to program it in hardware is much more fun, and the TR-08 has the sounds and the programmability. i know the behringer gets a lot more love because it’s all analog for the sound generation, but the size of both it and the original is too much for my current studio, while the tiny size of the TR-08 fits really nicely on my desk right next to my keyboard and mouse. plus the behringer doesn’t program the way the original does, it’s a lot more modern which is good if that’s what you want, but i wanted to play with the 808’s original programming workflow, which the TR-08 replicates perfectly. my only issue is it does cost more than the behringer and i think it’s not being sold anymore so you have to search around on reverb, but i got mine used for about the same as the behringer costs. i would honestly recommend it if you want to play with the kind of unique way the 808 programming works and don’t mind it being digital or are happy with the VST
It's actually very advanced in terms of Midi. Full Midi CC controllable and multi timbral too. Not bad for being 1984. But the arp is tricky to sync up.
Will you try Behringer clone? Even maybe put it against this actual one (if you have time for doing that), that ll be very interesting, especially due to your workflow. All the best!
I don't have the Behringer clone and even if they sent me the RD-6 earlier, to check out, I don't think they were very happy with how I used it in my videos so I doubt they send me anything else. ;-)
@@EspenKraft Thats why I rather watch your productions. Maybe im minority or weird, but all thoose cool "dawless" and "jamming" videos I often find kinda boring and useless. Right and well produced and thought out tunes is what I want to see / hear (and ofc I dont mind at all various improvised parts, I think improvisation is awesome way of pure self expression).
Thanks! I'm in this to make songs, I've always been a songwriter, that's my main interest. Synths are tools to make sounds for songs. They don't exist just to jam. Not to me. ;-)
Yes indeed, it is the 80s! It has that magic ALIVE feeling. But wait, I've been thinking... On second thoughts, the true heyday of the TR-808 came after the 90s and its usage was not synth pop. Much of its fame actually came from aggressively edited samples like the sizzling hat or tuned down bass drum with a long decay (or a DBX subharmonizer attached for that purpose). Wouldn't it be somewhat controversial to say it is the most famous drum machine of the 80s? Well, never mind, I should shut up and appreciate that rich dark analog sound.
Well, I don't say it's the most famous (or best) drum machine of the 80s. I only ASK (in the title) if it's the best drum machine ever? I don't have the answer. ;-)
Can you midi export the demo you did, is it Sexual healing that is the melody in this? How would you say that digitialization has changed the characteristic of the 808, like with things like ReBirth in the 90s I fell in love with sound creation using 808 emulation. I have a mc303 groove box that again samples the 808. Is it the interface or the actual sound characater that is different. Now I am a heavy flstudio daw user that again is defaultive with 808 samples as default templates. Then behind the scenes and at the origin of all these things I love is the tr808 - is this something I should aim to add to my analog equipment as it actually is an enhancement on the sound as its character is unique or are all these other formats I have been getting labeled as 808 sound actually equivolent?
No midi on the TR-808. It is a variation of Sexual Healing yes. Nothing beats the real thing. Neither the sound nor the interface, but samples can be good too. I currently have the TR-8S which I think is great.
Espen Kraft Спасибо за обзор.Как раз мучаюсь вопросом что покупать беринжер клон может быть TR8S или копить деньги на Akai Force. Можешь объяснить как ты используешь выходы задней панели ,а то я по английски через видео не все могу налету перевести.Какие эффекты ты задействуешь на раздельные ударные ?
I've never used either TR8s or Akai force so can't help you out there. My mixing techniques is well documented in many of my videos here on this channel so I suggest you watch some of those for tips on how to mix drums in a 80s synthpop style. Cheers
That's funny, on your commercial on 5:01 whe showing the board manufacturing, there is a blob of solder jumping from the robot to the board, not a good commercial I would say.
I don t have to watch this video. I know how good it is. I own one. The groove is what does the magic. Repeating patterns sound way less repeated boring on a tr 808. So drop the price on the 909. Because that doesn t and i need to buy one :)
One of the greatest drum machines ever, but of course it is not worth the ridiculous current prices if you look at it as an instrument and not an investment or collector’s item. If you don’t have one by now, it’s hardly justifiable to still spend 8k or more on it, so get a Dinsync RE-808 instead and enjoy life.
Wow there is a difference especially on the snares and claps I guess that’s an insignificant comparison on my part because if you really want to do an apples to apples the RD8 would be a better candidate than the TD 6 but it’s a great sound palette to have both of them together.
@@majicboxstudios3996 It's not insignificant. The original Roland TR-606 (Drumatix) was the "poor mans 808" back then and people always compared that to the 808. That's why I did this here. The RD8 would only be a clone, so the Rd-6 is interesting to anyone wanting to know the difference up to the 808 sounds. And as you point out, there are differences. ;-)
Is it me or the Hi Tom is pitched weird? I like the simplicity, rotary input, less clutter, etc over the Behr RD-8 where I get lost with all these flashy led buttons ;) Good job on explaining and vid as usual!
There's way too many flashy buttons and lights on most modern gear. That's really one of the things that put me off the most. Very DJ oriented, but it makes me wanna puke most of the time. The high Tom here is pitched how I want it to sound, but of course it might not be to everyone's liking, which is fine. ;-) Cheers! Edit: actually I think there is some slight electronics maintenance due for some of the circuits here, the snare as well. It might be that you're picking up on.
I had one of those 808 way back then. When the Linn Drum came out and particularly the Oberheim DMX, I got rid of it. I got the DMX with the DSX and the OB-8 "combo". Today, I wouldn't dream of spending one penny on either of those drum machines. I might understand some current fascination about vintage synths like the OB-8, but the drum machines? And particularly the 808? Seriously?
are you using samples nowadays or modern hardware? I am looking for a solution right now. I bought a volca beats 2 years ago and recently got rid of it, didn't like it much. I just don't have any idea what to replace it with. It surely won't be an old 808, that's only for rich people in 2021. And a drum track in the DAW is.. it doesn't feel right.
@@couchcamperTM Any velocity sensitive keyboard triggering samples while recording MIDI data in a DAW is better than any of these outdated drum machines.
Same here, used to have an original 808 & linndrum. Great drum machines but definitely would not pay silly prices for these machines as you can get better modern machines far cheaper.
For me the most significant and the most revolutionary is the Linn LM-1, the world's first sampled base drum machine, also responsable for the lack of popularity of the 808 both came out basically at the same time. For the drum kit, look no further, the Simmons SDSV, still today the king of analog Electronic Drums.
@@SPAZZOID100 My comment is based on my experience and what I saw as a musician in the 80'S. The TR-808 is great but when it came out was a total failure compare to the Linn LM-1 and the Oberheim DMX. Same happens to the TR-909, when the Linndrum came out it wipe out the 909 and suffer the same fate as the 808.
When I bought the tr-808 for $3200 I was super excited to finally play it. First thing I did was plug it into my KC-550 15" Roland amplifier. The BASS was so amazing and powerful. It moved crap off my walls and shook the house foundation. The KICK sucked the air out of the room and pulsated through my chest like an metal concert. The SNARE snapped in that mid-range field filling the spectrum up. The TOMS reminded me instantly of all those 80's songs. It is an amazing piece of hardware. I'm super happy someone else got the chance to hear the real deal. It's worth the money if you can find it. Thanks for making another great video about one of my favorite drum machines. Take care, Sam.
I bet Sam! Rock on! :D
Was literally just looking up a bunch of TR-808 videos. Glad yours popped up!
Cheers! :D
Being 57 years Young and knowing the impact the 808 had on hip-hop and into Electro funk I am very happy you made this video giving the 808 it's props. From TLA Rocks It's Yours to Egyptian Lover, Planet Rock, Play at Your Own Risk the list goes on my friend.
The first time you program a 16th pattern for 808's HiHats you understand in 2 seconds why that machine is so unique. The sound and groove that the original machine has on its sequencer can't be cloned. Amazing instrument.
welllll, arguably it as a piece of technology, should be able to be replicated and produced again. but yeah, i get what you intend to try to mean by idiom.
The clap is still THE sound that amazes me the most, that comes from this box. Because it simply sounds so freaking real and yet it's entirely synthesized with late 70s-early 80s analog synthesis technology.
That Clap sound, cannot be duplicated.
I tried it and i saw many people trying and is impossible.
An Absolutely Beautiful Machine.
Thanks for share!
Cheers! :D
The clap circuit warms up as the machine plays, changing it slightly each time
@@Ferrichrome Awesome!
Always loved the 808, the sounds, the sound programming method, even those rainbow button colors!
Sadly as a penniless 13 year old in 1987, I had to pass up a new old stock 808 at a local music shop for $250.
The salesman said it was obsolete as it had no midi and was not sample based. I knew he was an idiot at this stage but was too polite to say so!
The 808 was out of production by the time it started to become fashionable in the late 80s and is STILL the sound of now!
The TR series will still be making beats 100 years from now. They are not just legendary and iconic. They are timeless!
..sounds like you have never used a actually TR-909 or TR-808 otherwise you would understand its proformance limitations..? ..Eurorack has solved this problem and Behringer is about to make Roland look very stupid.. lol
@@normdurkin6425 Have you ever seen Jeff Mills. The TR-909 is the performance drum machine. Beringer's been bragging about their 09 for how many years now, and still nothing. Oh and euro rack sucks.
@@FattSunny ..you are an idiot.. I was there the first Mills did a live set with 3 turntables and the 909 in New York City back from Germany I think it was 1997.. I own a TR-909.. you can not switch it from write mode to play mode once it is running.. so you are stuck with either patterns that can not be changed or in play mode were you can't play patterns.. besides the fact that the double triggering kick patterns are super annoying.. that's why a beatstep pro is a million times better.. or course you have no idea the massive expansion of control possibilities over the 909 kick with Dijstar RiDrum TK-09 or TK-01.. such as EG Depth and EG Decay.. lol
@@FattSunny ..let's break it down.. obviously you have never owned a TR-909 or TR-808.. and most likely never will.. I personally know 3 other people besides myself that own or have owned the TR-909.. I have also used theirs and they all sounded different.. it's the gold standard in your mind because you don't own one.. lol
@@normdurkin6425 I was there man... Give me a break. For your information I've owned a 909,303,and 606 that I had to sell back in 90's. I currently Tr09,08,06 and a circuit bent 505 along with the rest of the Boutique collection. TwoToFourStudios on here. Any examples of your work available to back up your smug opinions.
This is the 80s! :)
Cheers! :D
Thumbs up for - Behringer RD-6. It can really stand up to its ancestor. Good enough in any case for 150 €. Great video!
As you said "there's really nothing like it" in 01:02 you were probably right, when you recorded this video.
But meanwhile (I think since the 808 day in 2021) there is the re-808 and I just got one!
Just wow! I can not imagine how the "real" 808 could feel any different.
Maybe for some people a placebo is kicking, cause the original "ROLAND" letters are missing, but I don't care haha
RE-808 is identical, just the Roland badge missing 👏🏻👌🏻
Ah the holy grail of drum machines ! The high prices are almost worth it if you have the spare cash.
When I get that feeling, I need 808 healing!
The first time i heard the sound of that legendary drumsynth was somewhere in 1995 or so, when i listened to a cassette version of the east german electronics album "Der Traum von Asgard" by Reinhard Lakomy, from 1983. I will never forget that experience when the first track played and the drumsynth faded in and blew me away. It was such a fat and ear-pleasing (almost ASMR ish) sound and for years i had NO idea how that sound was created. Until i played with a demo of Propellerhead Rebirth somewhere in 2002 or 2003. This was when i was first officially introduced to the 808 by its name.
Goddamn, just looked up a the album. What a trip. Talk about ahead of its time.
Some people say 808 sound got boring, but i say its like Stradivari Violin, one of the finest human engineering pieces of gear created and is genre of its own
Foot pedals are extremely useful for human beings solo performing. As we only have two hands. While both hands are busy, the two feet can trigger that 808! Kool. Great video Espen. I’m trying to catch up on all your videos. I love the 80s. I was born in 78.
Many thanks man! :D
Great video. I’ve only played an 808 on my iPad and had a lot of fun making some rhythms, I can’t imagine how cool it’d be to play with the whole sound and controls of a real one
Thanks! It's a lot of fun. :)
The Dinsync RE-808 is an exact replica.
I have a replica Rolex. It works great and with the naked eye, even upon closer inspection, it's very difficult to spot that it's not the original. However, I know it's not and that makes the original so much more attractive.
Nice demo of the classic TR-808. I also own a TR-808. One of the fun things about 808s is that they all sound a bit different. The one you demonstrated here sounds different than mine. On my machine the bass drum has a much wider decay range, but the snare has a shorter decay and has less 'noise' volume. Same goes for the toms. On my machine they sound shorter and with minimal noise, making them sound almost the same as the conga setting, but with lower pitch. The other sounds like the clap and cowbell sound almost identical to your unit. The 808 also really sounds 'alive' with every hit sounding a little different from the previous one. That's one of the ways you can tell a recording of the real thing apart from a sampled version.
Very true. Such old gear will have components in various state of decay (pun intended) and as such sound quite different. Another reason using samples CAN sound stale compared to the real one, a fact many seems to forget when they say old gear is easily replicated in soft. ;-)
@@EspenKraft That’s right. You can get the basic sound of the 808 with samples, but you’ll don’t get the ‘analog flavor’ of the real thing.
Also take account, most of the sample packs of the TR-808 out there, esp free ones has to have a lot of variations because of knobs in particular having adjustable decay, tone, to snappiness as I found out. That's one feature in particular I find really cool for it since you can adjust it for your own liking
SSL + 808 is a great combo. I never really got into the workflow of the "real" 808, so it didn't add anything for me to have the real-deal. But a lot of people I know swear that it opens up something creative for them, so I'm not discounting it. Of course it soaks in effects and compressors and EQ, so the creative manipulations are quite amazing. Mix it with the 707 and you'd have everything you need for 80's and 90's. Well, you also need a 303. Everybody needs a 303.
The 303 is good if you don't make acid, and keep it to pop. ;-)
Now you only need the other big kahuna with the same colour palette to complete your setup. 🤩🤤🥸
That's true! ;-)
i am the 80s and i was thinking that a sample , or a mathematic model of a 808 will sound the same of a real 808 in mix.
Nice channel, plenty of bullshits as usual.
( by the way i ve been owning an 808 for 25 years and i ve read or listen so many bullshits about real/ fake one . but at least now you are less ignorant.
Just for the record; I don't speak bullshit. Ever.
What a strange comment. Are we supposed to be impressed by the fact that you owned an 808 for 25 years? Can you be more specific about how Espen is a bullshitter? Snob. Keep up the great work Espen!
I'm curious to what that Kahuna is... do you mean the Jupiter?
The sound quality on your mix is fantastic. It sounds like a record.
Many thanks! :D
I used the TR-808 in the 90's but i am pleased with the Behringer RD-8 mk II who has the right ommf, and is as close as it can be,...love
Man, it's crazy how good a drum machine from 1980 still sounds today. Although I'm more of a fan of later drum machines, the 808 always has a special place. The 808 seems to be the one that never died! I was wondering when you were going to get one on the channel, and I'm really excited to see where this takes you.
Cheers! :D
You hit the nail on the head when you say it's all about the workflow and process of creating. Samples are just not quite the same experience!
Sometimes the sum is greater than the parts and this is a fine example of this. Much like the Casio RZ-1 btw, that also has a very organic internal groove to its patterns actually. Cheers! :D
Fabulous machine. And hilarious that they were initially considered rather undesirable.
I love that MSY2 box. No more playing around with trigger outputs trying to sync things to your 606/808/909 clock.
There is something about the sound. With samples after 10 bars I have enough from that bar, with a 808 after 40 min it work still and not boring at all. I have 4 808s “sorry” and3 909s
Great collection! :)
Finally I know a bit of programming the TR 808, thanks.
Cheers!
You're not old, you're experienced.
That must be it. :P
Seasoned
Great video espen . their is really nothing like a real 808. Great song choice as well.
Thanks Steve! :D
Hej, you actually have 2 bars behind A and B (each!), which makes it a 64 Step sequencer per pattern. You utilize that when having the mode selctor in 2nd, starting the machine, while holding the RED buttom and pressing step 16.
I know. I actually recorded that part as well, but cut it out as the length of the video started to be a problem. I didn't set out to make a tutorial. But thanks for mentioning it! Cheers :D
Lovely! I've had my 808 for almost 20 years. Never knew this. Thank you.
@@repeatle UR welcome. Don´t know why they haven´t designed that for the TR8. But the TR8 didn´t even come with copy pattern feature from the very beginning either.
@@repeatle +1 thx
Thanks Espen! The 80s rule. That cowbell! I heard it in the 80s for the first time in the song Loose Ends - Hangin' on a string.
Cheers! :D
Hangin' on a string is the best 808 song Imo. The beat is ripped from a SOS Band tune though, but who cares.
@@Bobhead1587 not ripped. Just inspired by.
Amazing I had one of these in 1986. I bought it for £150.00. And sold it for £250.00 in 1987. If only I could have foreseen how ridiculous their second hand prices would become 30 years later.
Dude... you are making want to dust off my TR-808 and listen to it again. Cheers from a Yank!
I love the fact that you have been real and described the sound of the 808 as "dull." It is. As with any analogue drum machine you have to process the individual sounds to make it sound the way you want. The sampled 808 sounds that people use are all post-processed samples. Anyone playing an 808 from the stereo outs (or mono) probably wouldn't like the sound if they were honest and not going with the hype.
The processing chain that you are putting the individual sounds through with SSL EQ and compression sounds similar to what I used to use as plugins to make the Arturia Drumbrute sound like a beast. In that regard, I really do understand what you mean by enjoying the journey and the process of achieving the sound that you want.
I'm happy you picked up on that. It's so much easier to get a good sound going on this when the sounds themselves aren't processed in in any way from the get go. ;-)
Cheers! :D
Just tell the truth, man, you don’t own real 808 and never even played one :-) Otherwise you would never say “anyone wouldn’t like it played from stereo outs”. This machine is so balanced and so rounded that you wonder why you need any processing at all when you work with it. Same things you can say about all the really great synths from that era. And you never can get this from any toy made by Arturia, that’s for sure.
And Espen is too polite to say this, hope you understand.
@@danalexpiano I never owned one but Arthur Baker did and I've worked for him a couple of times so I'm going by what he said. When I said stereo outs I was talking about instruments in general. I may have said stereo outs and I would say the same about the MPC60 even though it's got a balanced out. The point what I was making is that to get the best out of the 808 you would need to use the individual outs and then process the individual sounds. That is why I compared it to the Drumbrute as you have to do the same thing with it otherwise it sounds dull.
Obviously you know more than Arthur Baker and from what I've seen in a recent video Q Tip rates King Arthurs opinion so I will take their opinions over yours but like arseholes everybody got one. Bye
@@RoomAtTheTopStudio you are welcome to prefer any opinion over any other, you can only know the truth if you have your own opinion. I have both mpc60 and tr808 (as well as many other devices like these), and I can tell you they sound fantastic from their main outputs, an when you go individual, they sometimes tend to lose something “special”. Yes, you can process sounds more freely from individual outputs, but if you talk about overall sound of exact machine, main outputs rule.
Many people who are aware of this stuff will tell you the same. Oh, don’t worry, none of them will force you to believe, when you get your own experience, you will see how funny it is to talk to someone relying on others’ opinions.
@@danalexpiano :-) Obviously you don't know who Arthur Baker is. Ironic as this channel is about the '80s music and instruments. Anyhow no problem. I'll take his opinion over yours for if you do some research, obvious reasons.
Brilliant video as always, great tour of an 808. Always dreamt of owning an original myself, I can remember seeing them for sale back in sos in early 90s for as little as 250 UK pounds, I so wish I had bought one back then, they crazy money now. Keep up the great vids :-)
I finally bought one as well and yes, it’s special ❤
Imagine if Roland werent listening back in the 80s like they aren't now and didnt produce these instruments because they didnt believe there was a market for them. Clearly there was once people realised their potential and some amazing groundbreaking music was created which wouldn't have sounded the same had these machines not been around.
Good vid. Dusting off my yocto 808 clone since your video was inspiring
Cheers! :D
Congrats on the 808! I wish I could win one alongside the 909 but I'm know where near affording one because I'm still in school! 🟥🟧🟨◻
I meant get one.
I have the RD-8 and although I've never played with a real 808, the sound and warmth it generates is definitely different to samples... Plus you can jam and make your own patterns, as well as run individual outs and treat those accordingly for some stuff that you just wouldn't likely come up with in the box!
Not close to original
@@beesting6135 I don't agree, but to each their own.
Way off.
@@beesting6135
whats the difference? I bet you couldn't tell the difference in a blind test.
@@VincentPresley
how so? could you distinguish between the two in a blind test?
What a machine...great upload..
Cheers :D
The 808 is legendary and sounds incredibly good! But to be honest, I personally prefer the LinnDrum. It depends on what kind of music you are doing.
Your video is, as always, very nice and interesting! :)
I agree totally. I love the 808 but for me the linn was the best drum machine of all time. I’m eagerly awaiting Behringers clone hitting the shops.
Thanks! :D
@@kentaccordionist Agree, both there LM-1 and the Linndrum defines the modern digital drum machine.
@@carlosserrano3985 “their”
Espen puts the 80 in 808 ✌
we love you 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 keep up the good work.. you are the man!!!
Thanks! :D
For the people with a much smaller budget a Roland R 70 could be ineresting. Digital ,but with many Roland samples from the classics and 4 outputs.
Rd8 is your best bet.
I own the R70 and the 808 samples are bang on! Extremely realistic. Also own a Novation Drumstation, it is a 808 and 909 in a 1u rack space module, it also has excellent sound.
@@muzixco I had one in the 90s but think the RD8 is better for 808.
Or a R8 with the electronic card, it's digital but due to the converters it packs quite a punch
Roland Zenbeats. Not sure if it's still free, but in 2020 it was. It turns your iPad into a monster of a drum machine. Also usable on other platforms.
I had one in the 80s. It stopped working. It was kinda..ordinary. No one ever said ' oooh I love your drum machine. I heard a lot of can you play without it?' Now people are used to it. Fond of it. Funny how that goes.
Fantastic video thank you.
What I would really love to find is guide to purchasing one of these.
I can see a few for sale but I cant imagine anything worse than buying one that doesn't have the sound quite right..
Cheers!
a beautiful song. thank you espen
That Roland TR-808 looks like something I would have loved to play with. I love drum beats and machines!! Thanks for the tutorial! If I had one I would be up for 3 days playing with it.
Cheers! :D
Or the RE-808
I love your style, I make 80s music too, it’s my favorite era as well.
Nice StepTual Healing 808 is Awesome!
Cheers! :D
what an amazing machine. in the end there with the behringer. really close, but the 808 just sounds a bit "bigger"
it's like with Minimoogs. Due to the analog nature it is hard to ever have one that sounds exactly the same. I dare to assume that even the 808 doesn't always sound exactly the same. There will always be variations and if you'd compare the Behringer clone with 2 or 3 of the originals and not knowing which is which, you wouldn't really keep them apart.
@@KRAFTWERK2K6 yeah man absolutely, i was just amazed over how close they were at all. amazing sounding machines both of them, and yeah for sure in a blindtest i would not be able to keep them apart. no doubt there.
Instantly thought to S.O.S. Band, they made great use of it! No One's Gonna Love You.....
Yeah, I always called them the '808 band' because there sound was heavily influenced by the TR-808. 😅
@@MacXpert74 I really loved their music!
@@matt_one Me too!
@@MacXpert74 I'm crazy about "Even When You Sleep (12" version) ".... that snare drum! Not from TR-808 in this case...
@@matt_one Yeah, they didn’t only use the TR-808 of course, but did use it a lot. I don’t know what was used for the snare on that song. It sounds good in the track. Personally I really liked their 1983 album “On the rise” and the follow up “Just the way you like it”. Good stuff!
There's no debate, it's 808.
OMG! That RD-6 really hurts my ears, whereas the 808 just is pure pleasure!
a tr 606 or rd 6 is not a 808 or rd 8 .
This is a beautiful machine
Iconic unit. Thanks a lot!
Cheers! :D
... one last thing I have to mention: What Roland missed on their TR-8 (ACB emulation) very sadly is the sound the 808 makes, when havin closed and open HH on the same step.
Good point.
This is the main reason I don't want the tr8.
@@asdifasi what about behringers rd8 Asdi, I believe that has the choke on the hi hats. And it’s over £5000 cheaper than an original.
@@kentaccordionist Haven´t checked out the RD8 yet. I purchased my 808 for non-fantasy-prices back in 1997 for 1100,- Deutsch Marks - like 550,-€ ish.
@@siliconteens5637 I couldn’t wait to get away from analog and go digital, thus passing up a 303 for 50 pounds. I’ve come full circle now, and wish I still had my old Juno 60. So I’m snapping up every behringer clone I can afford, and they are very good, my 101 sounds just like the 101 i had back In the late 1980s, the crave is really powerful for a single oscillator synth, and the model d has a sound that only a 12db ladder filter can produce.so analog and fat with its 3 oscillators . Wish I could have owned an original 808 back in the day but I was skint and so went down the yamaha rx route instead.
Fun part is as well, that no 808 similar to another 808. we have had two 808s in the studio and mine sounded as your´s in the video. while the other one sounded very soft - almost like early drummachines from the late 70ies. Kick, Snare, Hats and Cowbell where so different from mine. I guess that must have been either deviation in components or earlier vs later model.
Gear 40 years old will never sound the same even between the same models, that is a truth. ;-)
Love the video! Thank you for the share. Have you played with the Rd8 at all? I can't afford the real 808 but picked up an RD8 and really enjoy it.
No, didn't try the Rd-8. Cheers :D
@@EspenKraft I cant wait to try an actual 808! I know I will one day. The RD8 will hold me over until then.
@@dalecutlemusic586 I can say that the RD8 sounds great. I have an RD8 as well as two original TR808s. The RD8 sounds very good. In my opinion, many of the sounds hold up to the original quite nicely. In fact, some of the percussion sounds like the toms and congas I would not be able to tell the RD8 from the original in a blindfold test as they are identical. However, I would say the original still has the edge when it comes to the hihats and cymbal. With that said. I actually prefer the snare of the RD8 to either of my original TR808s (Hmmm must have something to do with the calibration perhaps?). The rimshot of the RD8 also has more presence and definition compared to my original 808. I like the bassdrum of both RD8 and TR808, but the classic bassdrum of the original TR808 is unmistakable, especially at maximum decay on accented notes.
@@kvmoore1 very cool insight. Thanks for the reply I enjoyed reading this
Really lovely arrangement ! :))
Great video!
Thanks!
Great video! I wonder about the dependability of a TR-808....as well as a LinnDrum LM2. To get both of these beauties would set me back $10k to $12k USD. I've had my Oberheim OB-8 and Korg Trident Mk1 serviced several times already. I guess the good thing about a vintage drum computer would be that shipping it to a tech, if needed, would be a lot easier and cheaper than most vintage synths. Maybe its just placebo, but the 808 sounds more alive than the B. Thanks for another great tutorial. :)
Thanks! Very good point about shipping. Drum machines will be a lot cheaper and easier to ship when in need for maintenance. I've never owned a 808 before, but they seem very reliable to me. Of course 40 year old gear will require some TLC from time to time.
I had a orignal 808 which I sold to get the Linndrum. Though the 808 is a classic it’s price for the original today is crazy. Roland’s TR8S is a better alternative.
Beautiful. I have the Roland R8m rack unit, which is missing many of the features (e.g., no sequencer) but it has essentially the same sounds and the capability to use multiple patch collections at once via three ROM cards. For my hybrid setup with a DAW, it works amazingly well to get those nice sounds, but certainly without all the fun you had programming!
Absolutely, I have the R8m as well and those sounds are great in that, as they often do in almost all other emulations and clones as well. For some reason, the sum is sometimes greater than the parts, and the 808 is a great example if that. ;-)
Imo r8 is the best drum machine from Roland.i worked with it alot in the studio.ended all with a devastating studio fire and the r8 was one of the victims.i had 5 cards from it 2, 4,6, 8 and 10 , but I coudnt find a good r8 for years I sold all cards for 200 euros
The R8 is indeed very good.
I don't have a real TR-808 but by the way I've always felt removing the work process it removes something from the real fun. So I know in a way that is real nice. Now you need a CSQ-600 to complete the color palette.
Yes, or a Jupiter 8.
All the video trying to reach that mellow high pitch singing 😅 Thanks!!
Cheers!
Sounds great!
Good review and walkthru...Wonder if Depeche Mode used this on the Speak & Spell album. It definitiely sounds like that. I recently tried the TR8-S ... that machine is a monster..Not analogue but still cool.
1:39 absolutely!
hey Espen, did you now buy one for yourself? Together with the Jupiter-8? When did you get these two beauties? I am looking forward to hearing the new album. Kind regards, Hans.
This video is quite old now. There's no way I'd ever pay those ridiculous prices the market is asking for this gear now. I don't mind borrowing them though, as was the case here. ;-)
@@EspenKraft I agree, those went nuts now. But since I have seen both instruments often in your recent videos, I thought I just ask 🙂 Great if one can borrow these. In my region, I do not know anyone who has these, so I "had" to buy them 😬😅 Thanks for the reply ❤️🧡💛🤍
I have a virtual (VST) TR-808 by Roland, it sounds the same, but... I want the real thing regardless, because having it physically is a lot different experience.
Same here, I have the Behringer too which is fantastic but still want a Roland analog remake. I've heard the clone kits sounding very close but cant be bothered putting one together.
hardware will ALWAYS be more fun because we humans are physical beings and direct contact with the instruments is just the most natural experience. It is so incredibly unsatisfying to control a VST on a screen.... it's like controlling a simulation, behind glass....
i’m ngl as a TR-08 owner i’m satisfied. the VST sounds close enough for me but being able to program it in hardware is much more fun, and the TR-08 has the sounds and the programmability. i know the behringer gets a lot more love because it’s all analog for the sound generation, but the size of both it and the original is too much for my current studio, while the tiny size of the TR-08 fits really nicely on my desk right next to my keyboard and mouse. plus the behringer doesn’t program the way the original does, it’s a lot more modern which is good if that’s what you want, but i wanted to play with the 808’s original programming workflow, which the TR-08 replicates perfectly. my only issue is it does cost more than the behringer and i think it’s not being sold anymore so you have to search around on reverb, but i got mine used for about the same as the behringer costs. i would honestly recommend it if you want to play with the kind of unique way the 808 programming works and don’t mind it being digital or are happy with the VST
@@defiantDreemurr The Behringef version has actual multiple outputs.
oh yeah!
Beat buddy !! Is the best
Cheers! :D
Could you make the track available seperately? It's such an awesome version and even more enjoyable than the original instrumental!
Didn't think of this as I really only "produced" parts of it. ;-)
@@EspenKraft That's too bad, now I'll have to continue watching the first two minutes of the video over and over again 😅 thanks anyway, Espen!
@@TheMasterOfMovie I might put it out for download in a day or two. Keep watching the video description. ;-)
@@EspenKraft Awesome, I'm very much looking forward to it!!
Hi Espen:
here is the Equipment that Daft Punk used:
Sequencers
- Alesis MMT-8
- Apple Macintosh + EMAGIC MicroLogic
Samplers
- AKAI S01
- E-Mu E III
- E-Mu SP-1200
- Ensoniq ASR-10
- Roland S-760
Synthesizers
- Roland Juno-106
- Roland MC-202
- Roland MKS-80
- Roland TB-303
- Sequential Prophet-VS
- Drum Machines
- Linn LinnDrum
- Roland TR-707
- Roland TR-808
- Roland TR-909
Effects
- Alesis Microverb III
- Alesis 3630 Compressor
- Behringer Compressor
- Behringer Parametric EQ
- Ensoniq DP/4+
- Lexicon Vortex
- Lexicon JamMan
- LA Audio Gate/Compressor
- Waldorf MiniWorks 4-pole
- Yamaha Digital Delay
Mixers/Recorders
- Mackie. MS-1202
- Mackie. CR-1604
- Panasonic SV-3700
Really not into Daft Punk as they're not an 80s band, but thanks anyways. ;-)
Tiene un sonido mágico...
Would love to hear it din synced with the Six-Trak, that machine can create some awesome bass that would sound great appergiated with an 808 beat!
The Six-Trak is notoriously difficult to sync up from anything than the Drumtraks. ;-)
@@EspenKraftMust have been limited functionality with it being one of the first synths equipped with Midi, but it paved the way!
It's actually very advanced in terms of Midi. Full Midi CC controllable and multi timbral too. Not bad for being 1984. But the arp is tricky to sync up.
I'm curious how did people add shuffle/seing to a TR808 before the SBX-1? Is the SBX-1 just a remake of an older sync box from the 80s?
Will you try Behringer clone? Even maybe put it against this actual one (if you have time for doing that), that ll be very interesting, especially due to your workflow.
All the best!
I don't have the Behringer clone and even if they sent me the RD-6 earlier, to check out, I don't think they were very happy with how I used it in my videos so I doubt they send me anything else. ;-)
@@EspenKraft Well you have used it for making real music and there is nothing greater to show than that I guess. ;-)
That's what I thought as well. I'm not a "jam" person. :P
@@EspenKraft Thats why I rather watch your productions. Maybe im minority or weird, but all thoose cool "dawless" and "jamming" videos I often find kinda boring and useless. Right and well produced and thought out tunes is what I want to see / hear (and ofc I dont mind at all various improvised parts, I think improvisation is awesome way of pure self expression).
Thanks! I'm in this to make songs, I've always been a songwriter, that's my main interest. Synths are tools to make sounds for songs. They don't exist just to jam. Not to me. ;-)
Yes indeed, it is the 80s! It has that magic ALIVE feeling.
But wait, I've been thinking... On second thoughts, the true heyday of the TR-808 came after the 90s and its usage was not synth pop. Much of its fame actually came from aggressively edited samples like the sizzling hat or tuned down bass drum with a long decay (or a DBX subharmonizer attached for that purpose). Wouldn't it be somewhat controversial to say it is the most famous drum machine of the 80s?
Well, never mind, I should shut up and appreciate that rich dark analog sound.
Well, I don't say it's the most famous (or best) drum machine of the 80s. I only ASK (in the title) if it's the best drum machine ever? I don't have the answer. ;-)
@@EspenKraft Same here ;-) I do think it sounds great, especially in your mix. Thanks for the great video as always.
Can you midi export the demo you did, is it Sexual healing that is the melody in this? How would you say that digitialization has changed the characteristic of the 808, like with things like ReBirth in the 90s I fell in love with sound creation using 808 emulation. I have a mc303 groove box that again samples the 808. Is it the interface or the actual sound characater that is different. Now I am a heavy flstudio daw user that again is defaultive with 808 samples as default templates. Then behind the scenes and at the origin of all these things I love is the tr808 - is this something I should aim to add to my analog equipment as it actually is an enhancement on the sound as its character is unique or are all these other formats I have been getting labeled as 808 sound actually equivolent?
No midi on the TR-808. It is a variation of Sexual Healing yes. Nothing beats the real thing. Neither the sound nor the interface, but samples can be good too. I currently have the TR-8S which I think is great.
Wow you got one??
Now I do. ;-)
13:20 It´s like T.X.T. - Girls Got A Brand New Toy
I remember that song very well.
Espen Kraft Спасибо за обзор.Как раз мучаюсь вопросом что покупать беринжер клон может быть TR8S или копить деньги на Akai Force. Можешь объяснить как ты используешь выходы задней панели ,а то я по английски через видео не все могу налету перевести.Какие эффекты ты задействуешь на раздельные ударные ?
I've never used either TR8s or Akai force so can't help you out there. My mixing techniques is well documented in many of my videos here on this channel so I suggest you watch some of those for tips on how to mix drums in a 80s synthpop style. Cheers
@@EspenKraft Спасибо
That's funny, on your commercial on 5:01 whe showing the board manufacturing, there is a blob of solder jumping from the robot to the board, not a good commercial I would say.
Tell it to them, not me. ;-)
Well, a surprise at the end, the Behringer RD-6 for me, sounded better, cutting through the mix more clearly than the 808.
The Rd-6 is very good imo.
Nah, 808 sounds better
What about the RD-8 then? It clearly has the better sequencer and sounds almost identical to the 808. Almost like an MK II.
No
@@LousyFaceliftHate that version. Too many added features.
Cool!!
Will there be a video about Roland Sound Canvas SC-55 and SC 88?
If you send me those it will be. ;-)
I don t have to watch this video. I know how good it is. I own one. The groove is what does the magic. Repeating patterns sound way less repeated boring on a tr 808. So drop the price on the 909. Because that doesn t and i need to buy one :)
Cheers! :D
One of the greatest drum machines ever, but of course it is not worth the ridiculous current prices if you look at it as an instrument and not an investment or collector’s item. If you don’t have one by now, it’s hardly justifiable to still spend 8k or more on it, so get a Dinsync RE-808 instead and enjoy life.
Best 808 tutorial ever.
The TD 6 and the TR 808 did you use a different EQ and effects on the TR 808 tracks? They sound totally different.
Same treatment.
Wow there is a difference especially on the snares and claps
I guess that’s an insignificant comparison on my part because if you really want to do an apples to apples the RD8 would be a better candidate than the TD 6 but it’s a great sound palette to have both of them together.
@@majicboxstudios3996 It's not insignificant. The original Roland TR-606 (Drumatix) was the "poor mans 808" back then and people always compared that to the 808. That's why I did this here. The RD8 would only be a clone, so the Rd-6 is interesting to anyone wanting to know the difference up to the 808 sounds. And as you point out, there are differences. ;-)
And this is confirm the rule: " Old ones do that better". ..... I am wrong Espen? ;^)
I enjoy what I do, even if I'm old. ;-)
linn lm-1 is up there. I've heard the behringer clone isn't far off from this either.
Absolutely!
Is it me or the Hi Tom is pitched weird? I like the simplicity, rotary input, less clutter, etc over the Behr RD-8 where I get lost with all these flashy led buttons ;) Good job on explaining and vid as usual!
There's way too many flashy buttons and lights on most modern gear. That's really one of the things that put me off the most. Very DJ oriented, but it makes me wanna puke most of the time.
The high Tom here is pitched how I want it to sound, but of course it might not be to everyone's liking, which is fine. ;-) Cheers!
Edit: actually I think there is some slight electronics maintenance due for some of the circuits here, the snare as well. It might be that you're picking up on.
I had one of those 808 way back then. When the Linn Drum came out and particularly the Oberheim DMX, I got rid of it. I got the DMX with the DSX and the OB-8 "combo". Today, I wouldn't dream of spending one penny on either of those drum machines. I might understand some current fascination about vintage synths like the OB-8, but the drum machines? And particularly the 808? Seriously?
are you using samples nowadays or modern hardware? I am looking for a solution right now. I bought a volca beats 2 years ago and recently got rid of it, didn't like it much. I just don't have any idea what to replace it with. It surely won't be an old 808, that's only for rich people in 2021. And a drum track in the DAW is.. it doesn't feel right.
@@couchcamperTM Any velocity sensitive keyboard triggering samples while recording MIDI data in a DAW is better than any of these outdated drum machines.
Same here, used to have an original 808 & linndrum. Great drum machines but definitely would not pay silly prices for these machines as you can get better modern machines far cheaper.
For me the most significant and the most revolutionary is the Linn LM-1, the world's first sampled base drum machine, also responsable for the lack of popularity of the 808 both came out basically at the same time.
For the drum kit, look no further, the Simmons SDSV, still today the king of analog Electronic Drums.
808
@@SPAZZOID100 My comment is based on my experience and what I saw as a musician in the 80'S.
The TR-808 is great but when it came out was a total failure compare to the Linn LM-1 and the Oberheim DMX.
Same happens to the TR-909, when the Linndrum came out it wipe out the 909 and suffer the same fate as the 808.