Editing Roland TR-808 (section)

== Sounds and features ==
{{Listen
|pos=right
|filename=808patterns 01.ogg
|title=Various patterns
|description=Various patterns played by a TR-808
|filename2=808acctrig 01.ogg
|title2=Accent trigger
|description2=A recording of the TR-808, with the accent trigger used in a musical context
|filename3=808cbtrig 01.ogg
|title3=Cowbell trigger
|description3=A recording of the TR-808, with the cowbell trigger controlling the sequencer of a [[Roland JX-3P]] synthesizer
}}

The 808 imitates acoustic percussion: the [[bass drum]], [[Snare drum|snare]], [[Tom-tom drum|toms]], [[conga]], [[rimshot]], [[claves]], [[Clapping|handclap]], [[maraca]], [[Cowbell (instrument)|cowbell]], [[cymbal]] and [[hi-hat]] (open and closed).<ref name="Fact-2014">{{Cite web |date=16 January 2014 |title=Everything you ever wanted to know about the Roland TR-808 but were afraid to ask |url=http://www.factmag.com/2014/01/16/roland-tr-808-beginners-guide-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-introduction/ |access-date=16 January 2017 |website=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]] |publisher=[[The Vinyl Factory]]}}</ref> Rather than playing samples, it generates sounds using [[Analog synthesizer|analog synthesis]]; the TR in TR-808 stands for "transistor rhythm".<ref name="Valle-2014">{{Cite web |last=Valle |first=OV |date=13 February 2014 |title=TR-808 drum machine flashback – Roland U.S. blog |url=http://www.rolandus.com/blog/2014/02/13/tr-808/ |access-date=16 January 2017 |website=[[Roland Corporation|Roland US]]}}</ref> The sounds do not resemble real percussion,<ref name="Beaumont-Thomas-2014" /><ref name="Hamilton-2016" /> and have been described as "clicky",<ref name="Hamilton-2016" /> "robotic",<ref name="Norris-2015" /> "spacey",<ref name="Anderson-2008" /> "toy-like" and "futuristic".<ref name="Beaumont-Thomas-2014" /> [[Fact (UK magazine)|''Fact'']] described them as a combination of synthesizer tones and [[white noise]] that resemble "bursts coming from the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]" more than a real drum kit.<ref name="Fact-2014" /> In ''Music Technology'', Tim Goodyer described the cowbell as "clumsy, clonky and hopelessly underpitched".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Goodyer |first=Tim |date=November 1986 |title=Beat Box Chic |url=https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/beat-box-chic/983 |journal=Music Technology |issue=Nov 1986 |pages=70–71}}</ref>

The 808 is noted for its powerful bass drum sound, built from a [[Sine wave|sine]] oscillator, [[low-pass filter]] and [[voltage-controlled amplifier]].<ref name="Reid-2002">{{cite journal |last=Reid |first=Gordon |date=February 2002 |title=Synth secrets: practical bass drum synthesis |url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Feb02/articles/synthsecrets0202.asp |url-status=live |journal=[[Sound on Sound]] |location=UK |publisher=SOS Publications Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040215232500/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Feb02/articles/synthsecrets0202.asp |archive-date=15 February 2004 |access-date=2015-11-25}}</ref> The bass drum [[Decay (music)|decay]] control allows users to lengthen the sound, creating uniquely low frequencies that [[Flat (music)|flatten]] slightly over time, possibly not by design.<ref name="Reid-2002" /> ''[[The New Yorker]]'' described the bass drum as the 808's defining feature.<ref name="Norris-2015" />

The 808 was the first drum machine with which users could program a percussion track from beginning to end, complete with [[Break (music)|breaks]] and [[Drum roll|rolls]].<ref name="keyboard">''[[Keyboard (magazine)|Contemporary Keyboard]]'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=JDpLAAAAYAAJ Volume 7, Issues 1–6], 1981: "The Roland TR-808 will undoubtedly become the standard for rhythm machines of the future because it does what no rhythm machine of the past has ever done. Not only does the TR-808 allow programming of individual rhythm patterns, it can also program the entire percussion track of a song from beginning to end, complete with breaks, rolls, literally anything you can think of."</ref> Users can program up to 32 patterns using the [[Music sequencer#Step sequencers|step sequencer]],<ref name="Kirn-2011" /> chain up to 768 [[Bar (music)|measures]]<ref name="Reid-2014">{{Cite web|last=Reid|first=Gordon|date=December 2014|title=The history of Roland: part 2|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/people/history-roland-part-2|access-date=3 January 2016|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|publisher=SOS Publications Group}}</ref> and place [[Accent (music)|accents]] on individual beats.<ref name="Kirn-2011" /> Users can also set the [[tempo]]<ref name="Kirn-2011" /> and [[time signature]], including unusual signatures such as [[Quintuple meter|{{music|time|5|4}}]] and [[Septuple meter|{{music|time|7|8}}]].<ref name="Werner-2015">{{Cite web|last=Werner|first=Kurt|date=29 November 2015|title=The Roland TR-808 and the tale of the marching anteaters|url=http://ethnomusicologyreview.ucla.edu/content/roland-tr-808-and-tale-marching-anteaters|access-date=16 January 2016|website=Ethnomusicology Review}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Kirn-2011" /> Its three trigger outputs can synchronize with [[synthesizer]]s and other equipment.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Suzanne|first=Ciani|date=1982|title=Riding the new waves|url=https://archive.org/stream/DB_Magazine_1982_07#page/n29/mode/2up|journal=DB Magazine|pages=32}}</ref>