The world of pop also embraced the tightly sequenced sound of the 808 – Marvin Gaye’s ’82 hit “Sexual Healing” is often cited as the track that took the 808 mainstream. Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force fused influences from YMO, Gary Numan and Kraftwerk to create the now-legendary Planet Rock, a heavily 808-fuelled proto-electro / hip hop track. But 1982 would prove to be a tipping point in the success of the TR-808.
One of the first available units was picked up by the hugely innovative Yellow Magic Orchestra who would use the 808 in a live performance in December of 1980, while Australian producer Mark Moffatt has been officially recognized as the first to put the 808 on record with The Monitors’ 1981 track ‘Nobody Told Me’. And despite its inherent limitations, the US $1,195 price tag made it eminently affordable.ġ982 Would be the Tipping Point for the 808… While the TR-808’s production run may have only lasted for three years, some 12,000 units left the factory in that time. But right from the start, the long decay of that subsonic boom of a kick ensured the TR-808 would become the backbone to urban music through the 80s and beyond.
And what better way to input patterns into that sequencing brain than through Roland’s now-ubiquitous interface that allowed for quick, easy and visual beat programming. And did we mention that among the TR-808’s largely thin and inauthentic drum sounds was the mother of all kick drums? While all of the TR-808’s sounds have attained legendary status, it wasn’t always that way. Again, purists will argue that the TR-808’s timing is second to none. The second factor is the rock-solid timing of the onboard sequencer.
Published by: Pyramidwest TV The Mother of All Kick Drums… Don’t take our word for it – here’s early pioneer Egyptian Lover’s thoughts on the drum machine that he plays live to this day. Firstly, that all-analogue sound means the sound of each hit is created every time, rather than simply replaying a recorded sound as a sampler might. Purists will argue (as purists do) that the 808’s allure comes from two factors. The “TR” in TR-808 stands for Transistor Rhythm, and the 16 onboard sounds that it is capable of pumping out are all created through analog circuitry. Related: Roland Drum Machines 1972 – Presentįirst, let’s take a quick tour of the machine itself. So against the odds, just how did Roland’s all-analog beatbox prevail to become the world’s most popular programmable drum machine? A pretty harsh debut, given that the TR-808’s designers intended for it to provide rhythmic backing for demos. Consequently the TR-808 is considered a poor relation due to its synthesized sounds and lack of “pro” features. The year is 1980, and Linn has just unleashed the (much more expensive) LM-1 sampling drum machine. This simple fact is made all the more improbable when you look back at the inauspicious launch of the TR-808. Let’s kick this off with a little bit of trivia: the TR- 808 has been used on more hit records than any other drum machine. Author: Oz Owen and Roland UK Features Team