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79-422: The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer , commonly known as the 808 , is a drum machine manufactured by Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patterns. Unlike its nearest competitor at the time, the more expensive Linn LM-1 , the 808 generates sounds using analog synthesis rather than by playing samples . The 808

158-500: A delay parameter before the attack . Modern synthesizers, such as the Prophet '08 , have DADSR (delay, attack, decay, sustain, release) envelopes. The delay setting determines the length of silence between hitting a note and the attack. Some software synthesizers , such as Image-Line's 3xOSC (included with their DAW FL Studio ) have DAHDSR (delay, attack, hold, decay, sustain, release) envelopes. A common feature on many synthesizers

237-469: A symphonic orchestra in the song "Je t'aimais bien, tu sais..." in his album L'Espoir , released in 1974. Miles Davis ' live band began to use a drum machine in 1974 (played by percussionist James Mtume ), which can be heard on Dark Magus (1977). Osamu Kitajima 's progressive psychedelic rock album Benzaiten (1974) also used drum machines. In 1972, Eko released the ComputeRhythm, which

316-443: A "drum synthesizer" with which users could program drum sequences and edit parameters such as tuning, decay and level. Though they aimed to emulate real percussion, the prohibitive cost of memory drove them to design sound-generating hardware instead of using samples (prerecorded sounds). Kakehashi deliberately purchased faulty transistors to create the 808's distinctive sizzling sound. The chief engineer, Makoto Muroi, credited

395-615: A "plurality of inverting circuits and/or clipper circuits" which "are connected to a counting circuit to synthesize the output signal of the counting circuit" where the "synthesized output signal becomes a desired rhythm." Ace Tone commercialized its preset rhythm machine, called the FR-1 Rhythm Ace, in 1967. It offered 16 preset patterns, and four buttons to manually play each instrument sound ( cymbal , claves , cowbell and bass drum ). The rhythm patterns could also be cascaded together by pushing multiple rhythm buttons simultaneously, and

474-523: A better one. In 1963, their new company Keio-Giken (later Korg ) released their first rhythm machine, the Donca-Matic DA-20 , using vacuum tube circuits for sounds and a mechanical wheel for rhythm patterns. It was a floor-type machine with a built-in speaker, and featured a keyboard for manual play, in addition to the multiple automatic rhythm patterns. Its price was comparable with the average annual income of Japanese at that time. Next, their effort

553-769: A built-in speaker. Roland released the first official software emulations of the 808 and 909 in 2018. In 2019, Behringer released a recreation of the 808, the Behringer RD-8 Rhythm Designer. Unlike Roland's TR-08 and TR-8S, which use samples and virtual synthesis to recreate the 808 sounds, the RD-8 uses analog circuitry. Drum machine While a distinction is generally made between drum machines (which can play back pre-programmed or user-programmed beats or patterns) and electronic drums (which have pads that can be struck and played like an acoustic drum kit), there are some drum machines that have buttons or pads that allow

632-511: A combination of synthesizer tones and white noise that resemble "bursts coming from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop " more than a real drum kit. In Music Technology , Tim Goodyer described the cowbell as "clumsy, clonky and hopelessly underpitched". The 808 is noted for its powerful bass drum sound, built from a sine oscillator, low-pass filter and voltage-controlled amplifier . The bass drum decay control allows users to lengthen

711-459: A distinctive use of a drum machine and keyboard arrangement on both tracks. Another early example of electronic drums used by a rock band is Obscured by Clouds by Pink Floyd in 1972. The first album on which a drum machine produced all the percussion was Kingdom Come 's Journey , recorded in November 1972 using a Bentley Rhythm Ace. French singer-songwriter Léo Ferré mixed a drum machine with

790-458: A hold time parameter; the sustain level is not programmable. Another common variation in the same vein is the AHDSR (attack, hold, decay, sustain, release) envelope, in which the hold parameter controls how long the envelope stays at full volume before entering the decay phase. Multiple attack, decay and release settings may be found on more sophisticated models. Certain synthesizers also allow for

869-443: A multitude of ways to obtain fills , breakdowns and other elements that the programmer sees fit, which in turn could be sequenced with song-sequence — essentially the drum machine plays back the programmed patterns from memory in an order the programmer has chosen. The machine will quantize entries that are slightly off-beat in order to make them exactly in time. If the drum machine has MIDI connectivity, then one could program

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948-546: A particular pitch , either individually or in any combination, including en masse, if desired. Received with considerable interest when it was publicly introduced in 1932, the Rhythmicon was soon set aside by Cowell. In 1957, Harry Chamberlin, an engineer from Iowa, created the Chamberlin Rhythmate, which allowed users to select between 14 tape loops of drum kits and percussion instruments performing various beats. Like

1027-472: A positive review, predicting that it would become "the standard for rhythm machines of the future". Despite some early adopters, the 808 was a commercial failure and fewer than 12,000 units were sold. Roland ended production in 1983 after semiconductor improvements made it impossible to restock the faulty transistors essential to its design. Though the 808 was unsuccessful, it was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine and became one of

1106-441: A sound module also features a sequencer, it is, strictly speaking, not a drum machine. In the 2010s a revival of interest in analogue synthesis resulted in a new wave of analogue drum machines, ranging from the budget-priced Korg Volca Beats and Akai Rhythm Wolf to the mid-priced Arturia DrumBrute, and the high-end MFB Tanzbär and Dave Smith Instruments Tempest. Roland's TR-08 and TR-09 Rhythm Composers were digital recreations of

1185-665: A unique character. For this reason, many of these early machines have achieved a certain "cult status" and are now sought after by producers for use in production of modern electronic music , most notably the Roland TR-808 . The Linn LM-1 Drum Computer, released in 1980 at $ 4,995 (equivalent to $ 18,500 in 2023), was the first drum machine to use digital samples. It also featured revolutionary rhythmic concepts such as swing factors, shuffle, accent, and real-time programming, all of which have since rooted themselves in beat box technology. Only about 500 were ever made, but its effect on

1264-414: Is that they use sound synthesis rather than digital sampling in order to generate their sounds. For example, a snare drum or maraca sound would typically be created using a burst of white noise whereas a bass drum sound would be made using sine waves or other basic waveforms . This meant that while the resulting sound was not very close to that of the real instrument, each model tended to have

1343-584: The Chamberlin keyboard , the Rhythmate was intended for family singalongs. Around 100 units were sold. In 1959, Wurlitzer released the Side Man, which generates sounds mechanically by a rotating disc, similar to a music box . A slider controls the tempo (between 34 and 150 beats per minute). Sounds can also be triggered individually through buttons on a control panel. The Side Man was a success and drew criticism from

1422-818: The E-mu Drumulator and the Yamaha RX11 . In 1986, the SpecDrum by Cheetah Marketing , an inexpensive 8-bit sampling drum external module for the ZX Spectrum , was introduced, with a price less than £30, when similar models cost around £250. In 1980, the Roland Corporation launched the TR-808 Rhythm Composer. It was one of the earliest programmable drum machines, with which users could create their own rhythms rather than having to use preset patterns. Unlike

1501-625: The Fender Stratocaster guitar, which dramatically influenced the development of rock music . It was used by pioneering hip hop acts including Run-DMC , LL Cool J and Public Enemy . The 808 bass drum, in particular, became so essential that Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad production group declared that "it's not hip hop without that sound". The New Yorker wrote that the "trembling feeling of [the 808 bass drum], booming down boulevards in Oakland,

1580-571: The Hammond Organ Company hired the American musician and engineer Don Lewis to demonstrate its products, including an electronic organ with a built-in drum machine designed by the Japanese company Ace Tone . Lewis was known for performances using electronic instruments he had modified, decades before the popularization of instrument hacking via circuit bending . He made extensive modifications to

1659-504: The Linn LM-1 , manufactured by Linn Electronics , which used samples of real drum kits. The 808 sounded simplistic and synthetic by comparison; electronic music had yet to become mainstream and many musicians and producers wanted realistic-sounding drum machines. According to many reports, one review dismissed the 808 as sounding like "marching anteaters", though this likely referred to machines that predated it. Contemporary Keyboard wrote

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1738-601: The Roland MC-8 Microcomposer , and Kakehashi realized they could be used to program drum machines. In 1978, Roland released the CompuRhythm CR-78 , the first drum machine with which users could write, save and replay their own patterns. With its next machine, the TR-808, Roland aimed to develop a drum machine for the professional market, expecting that it would mainly be used to create demos . The engineers conceived

1817-511: The Sly & the Family Stone album There's a Riot Goin' On , released in 1971. Sly & the Family Stone was the first group to have a number #1 pop single that used a drum machine: that single was " Family Affair ". The German krautrock band Can also used a drum machine on their songs " Peking O " and " Spoon ". The 1972 Timmy Thomas single " Why Can't We Live Together "/"Funky Me" featured

1896-464: The Soulsonic Force released their single " Planet Rock ", which used the 808 to create "strange, futuristic" percussion that was popular in clubs. The track influenced the development of electronic and hip hop music and subgenres including Miami bass and Detroit techno , and popularized the 808 as a "fundamental element of futuristic sound". According to Slate , "Planet Rock" "didn't so much put

1975-403: The Soulsonic Force 's " Planet Rock ". The 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine; its popularity with hip hop in particular has made it one of the most influential inventions in popular music, comparable to the Fender Stratocaster 's influence on rock . Its sounds continue to be used as samples included with music software and modern drum machines. The 808

2054-514: The TR-909 , the first Roland drum machine to use samples. Like the 808, the 909 influenced popular music, including such genres as techno , house and acid . 808 samples were included in ReBirth RB-338 , an early software synthesiser developed by Propellerhead Software . According to Andy Jones of MusicTech , ReBirth was "especially incredible" as the first software emulation of 808 sounds. It

2133-619: The Yamaha Electone (electric organ), and Mini Pops was established as a series of compact desktop rhythm machines. In the United States, Mini Pops MP-3, MP-7, etc. were sold under the Univox brand by the distributor at that time, Unicord Corporation. In 1965, Nippon Columbia filed a patent for an automatic rhythm instrument. It described it as an "automatic rhythm player which is simple but capable of electronically producing various rhythms in

2212-488: The tempo and time signature , including unusual signatures such as 4 and 8 . The 808 includes volume knobs for each voice, numerous audio outputs and a DIN sync port (a precursor to MIDI ) to synchronize with other devices. Its three trigger outputs can synchronize with synthesizers and other equipment. The 808 launched in 1980 with a list price of US$ 1,195 (equivalent to $ 4,419 in 2023). Roland marketed it as an affordable alternative to

2291-550: The 1960s, the implementation of rhythm machines had evolved into fully solid-state ( transistorized ) from early electro-mechanical with vacuum tubes , and also size was reduced to desktop size from earlier floor type. In the early 1960s, a home organ manufacturer, Gulbransen (later acquired by Fender ) cooperated with an automatic musical equipment manufacturer Seeburg Corporation , and released early compact rhythm machines Rhythm Prince (PRP), although, at that time, these sizes were still as large as small guitar amp head, due to

2370-477: The 808 include Damon Albarn , Diplo , Fatboy Slim , David Guetta and New Order . It has been referenced in lyrics by artists including the Beastie Boys, Beck, Outkast , Kelis , TI , Lil Wayne , Britney Spears , Beyoncé , R Kelly and Robbie Williams . Its bass drum has been used as a metaphor for a heartbeat in songs by artists including Madonna , Rihanna and Kesha . The 808 was followed in 1983 by

2449-408: The 808 is now so ubiquitous that "its beats are almost a language of their own", with sounds recognizable even to listeners who do not know what drum machines are, and so "you also notice when somebody messes with them or uses them in unusual contexts". In 2019, DJMag wrote that it was likely the most used drum machine of the preceding 40 years. The 808 has been described as hip hop's equivalent to

Roland TR-808 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2528-454: The 808 on the map so much as reorient an entire world of post-disco dance music around it". The British electronic group 808 State took its name from the 808 and used it extensively. 808 State's Graham Massey said: "The Roland gear began to be a kind of Esperanto in music. The whole world began to be less separated through this technology, and there was a classiness to it—you could transcend your provincial music with this equipment." With

2607-587: The 808 voice circuit design to "Mr. Nakamura" and the software to "Mr. Matsuoka". The 808 imitates acoustic percussion: the bass drum , snare , toms , conga , rimshot , claves , handclap , maraca , cowbell , cymbal and hi-hat (open and closed). Rather than playing samples, it generates sounds using analog synthesis ; the TR in TR-808 stands for "transistor rhythm". The sounds do not resemble real percussion, and have been described as "clicky", "robotic", "spacey", "toy-like" and "futuristic". Fact described them as

2686-519: The Ace Tone drum machine, creating his own rhythms and wiring it through his organ's expression pedal to accent the percussion. Lewis was approached by Ikutaro Kakehashi , the president and founder of Ace Tone, who wanted to know how he had achieved the sounds using the Ace Tone machine. In 1972, Kakehashi formed the Roland Corporation and hired Lewis to help design drum machines. By the late 1970s, microprocessors were appearing in instruments such as

2765-673: The American Federation of Musicians, which ruled in 1961 that its local jurisdictions could not prohibit Side Man use, though it could not be used for dancing. Wurlitzer ceased production of the Sideman in 1969. In 1960, Raymond Scott constructed the Rhythm Synthesizer and, in 1963, a drum machine called Bandito the Bongo Artist . Scott's machines were used for recording his album Soothing Sounds for Baby series (1964). During

2844-451: The Bronx and Detroit, are part of America's cultural DNA". Even after the 808 fell out of use by East Coast hip hop producers in the 1990s, it remained a staple of Southern hip hop . The rapper Kanye West used the 808 on every track on his 2008 solo album 808s & Heartbreak , which Slate described as "an explicit love letter to the device". The New Yorker wrote in 2015 that the 808

2923-557: The Internet. However, traditional drum machines are still being made by companies such as Roland Corporation (under the name Boss ), Zoom , Korg and Alesis , whose SR-16 drum machine has remained popular since it was introduced in 1991. There are percussion-specific sound modules that can be triggered by pickups, trigger pads , or through MIDI. These are called drum modules ; the Alesis D4 and Roland TD-8 are popular examples. Unless such

3002-679: The LinnDrum specifically to drummers. Following the success of the LM-1, Oberheim introduced the DMX , which also featured digitally sampled sounds and a "swing" feature similar to the one found on the Linn machines. It became very popular in its own right, becoming a staple of the nascent hip-hop scene. Other manufacturers soon began to produce machines, e.g. the Sequential Circuits Drumtraks and Tom,

3081-653: The UK, marketed under the Bentley Rhythm Ace brand. A number of other preset drum machines were released in the 1970s, but early examples of the use can be found on The United States of America 's eponymous album from 1967–8. The first major pop song to use a drum machine was " Saved by the Bell " by Robin Gibb , which reached #2 in Britain in 1969. Drum machine tracks were also heavily used on

3160-399: The ability to make slight variations in their playing, such as playing "ahead of the beat" or "behind the beat" for sections of a song, in contrast to a drum machine that plays a pre-programmed rhythm. As well, human drummers play a "tremendously wide variety of rhythmic variations" that drum machines cannot reproduce. Drum machines developed out of a need to create drum beats when a drum kit

3239-442: The bass drum to produce new sounds, such as on the 1984 single "Set it Off", in which the producer Strafe used it to imitate the sound of an underground nuclear test . The producer Rick Rubin popularized the technique of lengthening the bass drum decay and tuning it to different pitches to create basslines . The Beastie Boys used a reversed recording of an 808 on their 1986 track " Paul Revere ". In 1982, Afrika Bambaataa and

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3318-586: The buyer would use to build the machine. In 1975, Ace Tone released the Rhythm Producer FR-15 that enables the modification of the pre-programmed rhythm patterns. In 1978, Roland released the Roland CR-78 , the first microprocessor -based programmable rhythm machine, with four memory storage for user patterns. In 1979, a simpler version with four sounds, Boss DR-55, was released. A key difference between such early machines and more modern equipment

3397-415: The characteristic tones of a drum, a piccolo and so on." It has some similarities to Seeburg's slightly earlier 1964 patent. In 1967, Ace Tone founder Ikutaro Kakehashi (later founder of Roland Corporation ) developed the preset rhythm-pattern generator using diode matrix circuit, which has some similarities to the earlier Seeburg and Nippon Columbia patents. Kakehashi's patent describes his device as

3476-583: The control voltage determining pitch and the other to trigger the envelope generator. The envelope generator became a standard feature of synthesizers. Following discussions with the engineer and composer Vladimir Ussachevsky , the head of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center , in 1965, Moog developed a new envelope module whose functions were described in f T1 (attack time), T2 (initial decay time), ESUS (sustain level), and T3 (final decay time). These were later simplified to

3555-446: The course of the 1980s, the 808 attracted a cult following among underground musicians for its affordability on the used market, ease of use, and idiosyncratic sounds, particularly its deep, "booming" bass drum . It became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, dance , and hip hop genres, popularized by early hits such as Marvin Gaye 's " Sexual Healing " and Afrika Bambaataa and

3634-504: The creator of the Moog synthesizer , in the 1960s. The composer Herbert Deutsch suggested Moog find a way to articulate his synthesizer so notes did not simply trigger on and off. Moog wired a doorbell button to the synthesizer and used a capacitor to store and slowly release voltage produced from hitting a key. He refined the design to remove the need to push a separate button with every keypress, with two switches on every key: one to produce

3713-425: The development of dance music , especially electronic dance music , and hip hop . Its successor, the TR-909 , introduced in 1983, heavily influenced techno and house music . The first drum machine to use samples of real drum kits, the Linn LM-1 , was introduced in 1980 and was adopted by rock and pop artists including Prince and Michael Jackson . In the late 1990s, software emulations began to overtake

3792-445: The development of electronic genres such as techno , house and acid . By 2000, standalone drum machines had become less common, partly supplanted by general-purpose hardware samplers controlled by sequencers (built-in or external), software-based sequencing and sampling and the use of loops, and music workstations with integrated sequencing and drum sounds. TR-808 and other digitized drum machine sounds can be found in archives on

3871-453: The domain of a new world of music". According to Slate , it was instrumental in pop music's shift from conventional structure and harmonic progression to "thinking in terms of sequences , discrete passages of sound and time to be repeated and revised ad infinitum ". The Argentine artist Charly García used the 808 for all percussion on his second album, Clics modernos (1983). In the 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense ,

3950-440: The drum machine with a computer or another MIDI device. While drum machines have been used much in popular music since the 1980s, "...scientific studies show there are certain aspects of human-created rhythm that machines cannot replicate, or can only replicate poorly" such as the "feel" of human drumming and the ability of a human drummer to respond to changes in a song as it is being played live onstage. Human drummers also have

4029-504: The drum sounds on the LM-1 were composed of two chips that were triggered at the same time, and each voice was individually tunable with individual outputs. Due to memory limitations, a crash cymbal sound was not available except as an expensive third-party modification. A cheaper version of the LM-1 was released in 1982 called the LinnDrum . Priced at $ 2,995 (equivalent to $ 9,500 in 2023), not all of its voices were tunable, but crash cymbal

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4108-589: The electronic organ as an accompaniment of organists and finally spread widely. In the early 1960s, a nightclub owner in Tokyo, Tsutomu Katoh was consulted by a notable accordion player, Tadashi Osanai , about the rhythm machine he used for accompaniment in the club, a Wurlitzer Side Man. Osanai, a graduate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tokyo , convinced Katoh to finance his efforts to build

4187-777: The first use of the 808 to the Japanese electronic group Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1980. The first records to feature the 808 were released the following year: the Yellow Magic Orchestra album BGM and the Monitors single "Nobody Told Me". In 1982, the American R&;B artist Marvin Gaye released the first hit single that featured the 808, " Sexual Healing ". Gaye was drawn to 808 because he could use it to create music in isolation, without other musicians or producers. 808 samples are common in music software, and it has inspired numerous unlicensed clones. Flavorwire wrote that

4266-462: The modern ADSR form (attack time, decay time, sustain level, release time) by ARP . The most common kind of envelope generator has four stages: attack, decay, sustain, and release (ADSR). While attack, decay, and release refer to time, sustain refers to level. Some electronic musical instruments can invert the ADSR envelope, reversing the behavior of the normal ADSR envelope. During the attack phase,

4345-546: The modulated sound parameter fades from the maximum amplitude to zero then, during the decay phase, rises to the value specified by the sustain parameter. After the key has been released the sound parameter rises from sustain amplitude back to maximum amplitude. Some envelopes, such as that of the Korg MS-20 , have an extra parameter, hold. This holds notes at the sustain level for a fixed length of time before decaying. The General Instrument AY-3-8910 sound chip includes only

4424-451: The more expensive LM-1, the 808 is completely analog , meaning its sounds are generated non-digitally via hardware rather than samples (prerecorded sounds). Launched when electronic music had yet to become mainstream, the 808 received mixed reviews for its unrealistic drum sounds and was a commercial failure. Having built approximately 12,000 units, Roland discontinued the 808 after its semiconductors became impossible to restock. Over

4503-409: The most influential inventions in popular music, comparable to the Fender Stratocaster 's impact on rock . Its sounds are included with music software and modern drum machines and it has inspired unlicensed recreations. The TR-808 is a piece of art. It's engineering art, it's so beautifully made. If you have an idea of what is going on in the inside, if you look at the circuit diagram, and you see how

4582-431: The most influential inventions in popular music. By the time Roland discontinued it in 1983, it had become common on the used market, often selling for less than $ 100 (equivalent to $ 306 in 2023). Its ease of use, affordability and idiosyncratic sound earned it a cult following among underground musicians and producers, and it became a cornerstone of the developing electronic and hip hop genres. CBC News credited

4661-420: The music industry was extensive. Its distinctive sound almost defines 1980s pop, and it can be heard on hundreds of hit records from the era, including The Human League 's Dare , Gary Numan 's Dance , Devo 's New Traditionalists , and Ric Ocasek 's Beatitude . Prince bought one of the first LM-1s and used it on nearly all of his most popular albums, including 1999 and Purple Rain . Many of

4740-485: The original TR-808 and 909, while Behringer released an analogue clone of the 808 as the Behringer RD-8 Rhythm Designer. Korg released an analog drum machine, the Volca Beats , in 2013. Programming of drum machines varies from product to product. On most products, it can be done in real time : the user creates drum patterns by pressing the trigger pads as though a drum kit were being played; or using step-sequencing :

4819-412: The pattern is built up over time by adding individual sounds at certain points by placing them, as with the TR-808 and TR-909, along a 16-step bar. For example, a generic 4-on-the-floor dance pattern could be made by placing a closed high hat on the 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th steps, then a kick drum on the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 13th steps, and a clap or snare on the 5th and 13th. This pattern could be varied in

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4898-456: The performer to play drum sounds "live", either on top of a programmed drum beat or as a standalone performance. Drum machines have a range of capabilities, which go from playing a short beat pattern in a loop, to being able to program or record complex song arrangements with changes of meter and style. Drum machines have had a lasting impact on popular music in the 20th century. The Roland TR-808 , introduced in 1980, significantly influenced

4977-479: The popularity of physical drum machines housed in a separate plastic or metal chassis. In 1930–32, the innovative and hard-to-use Rhythmicon was developed by Léon Theremin at the request of Henry Cowell , who wanted an instrument that could play compositions with multiple rhythmic patterns , based on the overtone series , that were far too hard to perform on existing keyboard instruments. The invention could produce sixteen different rhythms, each associated with

5056-557: The possible combination of rhythm patterns were more than a hundred (on the later models of Rhythm Ace, the individual volumes of each instrument could be adjusted with the small knobs or faders). The FR-1 was adopted by the Hammond Organ Company for incorporation within their latest organ models. In the US, the units were also marketed under the Multivox brand by Peter Sorkin Music Company, and in

5135-505: The rise of rave culture , a precursor to acid house , the 808 became a staple sound on British radio. In the early 90s, the Japanese composer Yuzo Koshiro incorporated samples of the 808 in his soundtracks for the Streets of Rage games. The 808 was used extensively in pop. The New Yorker wrote that it triggered "the big bang of pop's great age of disruption, from 1983 to 1986", and that its "defiantly inorganic timbres ... sketched out

5214-430: The singer David Byrne performs " Psycho Killer " accompanied by an 808, stumbling against its "gunshot"-like sounds. The drummer and songwriter Phil Collins found the 808 useful for looping rhythms for long periods, as human drummers would be tempted to add variations and fills . Whitney Houston 's 1987 single " I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) " makes extensive use of the 808. Other artists who have used

5293-474: The sound, creating uniquely low frequencies that flatten slightly over time, possibly not by design. The New Yorker described the bass drum as the 808's defining feature. The 808 was the first drum machine with which users could program a percussion track from beginning to end, complete with breaks and rolls . Users can program up to 32 patterns using the step sequencer , chain up to 768 measures and place accents on individual beats. Users can also set

5372-523: The unknown Roland engineer was making the best out of super limited technology, it's unbelievable. You look at the circuit diagram like you look at an orchestral score, you think, how on earth did they come up with this idea? It's brilliant, it's a masterpiece. — Robert Henke , musician and co-creator of Ableton Live In the 1960s, drum machines were most often used to accompany home organs . They did not allow users to program rhythms , but instead offered preset patterns such as bossa nova . In 1969,

5451-417: The use of filters ) or pitch . Envelope generators , which allow users to control the different stages of a sound, are common features of synthesizers , samplers , and other electronic musical instruments . The most common envelope generator is controlled with four parameters: attack , decay , sustain and release ( ADSR ). The envelope generator was created by the American engineer Robert Moog ,

5530-423: The use of bulky electro-mechanical pattern generators. Then in 1964, Seeburg invented a compact electronic rhythm pattern generator using " diode matrix" ( U.S. patent 3,358,068 in 1967), and fully transistorized electronic rhythm machine with pre-programmed patterns, Select-A-Rhythm (SAR1), was released. As a result of its robustness and enough compact size, these rhythm machines were gradually installed on

5609-445: The used market, ease of use and idiosyncratic sounds, particularly its deep, booming bass drum . It became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, dance and hip hop genres, popularized by early hits such as " Planet Rock " by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force and " Sexual Healing " by Marvin Gaye . The 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine. Its popularity in hip hop has made it one of

5688-422: Was a commercial failure, as electronic music had yet to become mainstream and many producers wanted more realistic drum sounds. After building approximately 12,000 units, Roland discontinued the 808 after its semiconductors became impossible to restock. It was succeeded by the TR-909 in 1983. Over the course of the 1980s, the 808 attracted a cult following among underground musicians for its affordability on

5767-581: Was focused on the improvement of reliability and performance, along with size and cost reductions. Unstable vacuum tube circuits were replaced with reliable transistor circuits on the Donca-Matic DC-11 in the mid-1960s. In 1966, the bulky mechanical wheel was also replaced with a compact transistor circuit on the Donca-Matic DE-20 and DE-11. In 1967, the Mini Pops MP-2 was developed as an option for

5846-479: Was followed in 1983 by the TR-909 , the first Roland drum machine to use MIDI , which synchronizes devices built by different manufacturers. It was also the first Roland drum machine to use samples for some sounds. Like the 808, the 909 was a commercial failure, but had a lasting influence on popular music after cheap units circulated on the used market; alongside the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer, it influenced

5925-574: Was included as a standard sound. Like its predecessor the LM-1, it featured swappable sound chips. The LinnDrum can be heard on records such as The Cars ' Heartbeat City and Giorgio Moroder 's soundtrack for the film Scarface . It was feared the LM-1 would put every session drummer in Los Angeles out of work and it caused many of L.A.'s top session drummers ( Jeff Porcaro is one example) to purchase their own drum machines and learn to program them themselves in order to stay employed. Linn even marketed

6004-474: Was not available. Increasingly, drum machines and drum programming are used by major record labels to undercut the costly expense of studio drummers. Envelope (music) In sound and music , an envelope describes how a sound changes over time. For example, a piano key, when struck and held, creates a near-immediate initial sound which gradually decreases in volume to zero. An envelope may relate to elements such as amplitude (volume), frequency (with

6083-500: Was one of the first programmable drum machines. It had a 6-row push-button matrix that allowed the user to enter a pattern manually. The user could also push punch cards with pre-programmed rhythms through a reader slot on the unit. Another stand-alone drum machine released in 1975, the PAiA Programmable Drum Set was also one of the first programmable drum machines, and was sold as a kit with parts and instructions which

6162-499: Was retired in 2017 as Roland said it infringed on its intellectual property. Roland has included 808 samples in several drum machines, including its Grooveboxes in the 1990s. Its TR-8 and TR-8S drum machines, released in the 2010s, recreate the sounds electronically rather than through sample playback. In 2017, Roland released the TR-08, a miniaturized 808 featuring an LED display, MIDI and USB connections, expanded sequencer control and

6241-412: Was the bedrock of the modern "urban-youth-culture soundtrack", particularly in trap music , and had influenced a new blend of dance and retro hip hop that "embraces and fetishizes ... street music from the past". Artists pushed the limits of the 808's limited pattern storage; according to Slate , "Those eight-bar units became veritable playgrounds for invention and creativity." Artists manipulated

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