One of the best Roland drum machines I’ve ever used (albeit old school) is the TR-808, which you can pick up on eBay right now.
Back in the ’80s, it was one of the first drum machines that you could actually program, and at the time that was big business.
When the 808 first came out it was primarily intended to be used for home demos and I have to say the sounds on there don’t sound much like a real drum kit. But to me that’s the whole point. I use the 808 for really old school sounding hip hop and it works great.
Think about the first things of NWA …
If you want to get a really authentic drum sound, you shouldn’t go for one of these crazy old-school Roland drum machines. Maybe think of something from the new DR Rhythm range, which are also excellent.
It really makes me laugh to think that the TR-808 cost $1000 when it was released. Many people think that sounds are totally garbage.
But even Marvin Gaye used it in the super hit Sexual Healing!
wow!
Since more realistic drum machines appeared on the market, the TR-808 began to lose popularity. But he made a big comeback as a cheap beat maker for hip hop artists to make tracks on the cheap.
The Beastie Boys used the 808 all the time and only added samples of rock songs that sounded really cool.
If you want to create some classic old school sounds, you can still find them on eBay for a good price.
Final thoughts.
I love it when I hear the 808 sound in modern hip hop tracks today. They’ve put them through a lot of processing, but you can still hear those old beats kicking in like always.
One of the best Roland drum machines ever.
Give it a try.