8/08: The Best TR-808 Emulations Out There
To music production nerds, 808 Day is sort of what “May the 4th” is to regular nerds: a dumb pretext to celebrate something that has defined a portion of your life. Roland’s original TR-808 isn’t the only drum machine, it wasn’t the first either, but something about it really struck a chord with beatmakers. It still does. Something about the fun of using the sequencer, having beats form intuitively, sometimes with a little bit of randomness. And then, of course, there are those weird and wonderful analog drum samples that are immediately recognizable. The crisp hi-hat, the quirky cowbell, and - of course - the sustained kick drum that still resonates in popular culture today (including in every fucking movie trailer). The TR-808 is cool, and if you can’t afford a real vintage machine, here are the best emulations for you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you.
Nepheton 2 | D-16 Group
With D16, you don’t get all the bells and whistles that come with modern VST plugins. What you get is streamlined (not to say, sometimes “austere”) software that yields results. They have some of the best Roland x0x box emulations out there, and Nepheton 2 is no different. If you’d like all the functionality of the original machine, this one is for you. It’s the next best thing to having one in your hands and giving it sweet little kisses.
D16 has cool fx plugins too, and they pair really well with 808 sounds. Check out Decimort, the best bit crusher out there IMO. Just saying…
Planet 808 | Niche Audio
Do you have a Maschine at your disposal? Yes?
Well, first of all, stop bragging. Second of all, I have the pleasure to inform you that you’re on your way to producing great TR-808 grooves. All you need is the right sample pack. There are a few options out there, but I recommend checking out Planet Audio’s Planet 808 (which almost rhymes, but not quite.)
Another great option is Samples From Mars, which offers really exhaustive sampling of all sorts of classic electronic instruments, including - you’ve guessed it - the TR-808. They’re compatible with Maschine, as well as Ableton, and it’s on sale for 808 day.
It costs 7 bucks just kidding. It’s 8.08$.
Sample Magic + Splice
Maybe you don’t own a Maschine. Or maybe you do own one, but you’re one of those lawless beatmakers, a non-conformist with a mind of his or her own. Well, don’t let me stop ya. Find your own damn samples and load them up in your DAW of choice, like a renegade.
You can find some pretty cool samples on Splice if you type 808 in the search bar. I don’t know if I need to tell you how to search for stuff, but I just did. I’m a renegade too… Surprise motherfucker!
Yeah, so anyway, I like Sample Magic’s All 808 sample pack on Splice. Maybe you’ll like it too. I don’t know.
Beat Machine 2 | DopeSONIX
Beat Machine 2 isn’t so much a TR-808 emulation as it is an encyclopedia. To my younger readers, I should say: An encyclopedia is like Wikipedia but boring.
You can use Beat Machine 2 for all your hip hop drum needs, including boom bap and vintage West Coast hits, but the 808 is strong with this one. You can channel in different flavors of the famous drum library, whether you prefer hard-hitting trap drums à la Lex Luger, or muffled ambient drums more in the vein of Drake and all that OVO stuff.
This plugin even comes preloaded with patterns to get your juices flowin’ and your inspiration goin’. So you can let it do all the hard work while you go out to take a vape, or whatever kids do these days.
Free Options 👇
I know you’re broke. And maybe you thought I had forgotten you, but I didn’t. Here are a couple of options to get you started, oh you my economically challenged reader.
Just remember me when you make it big and are full of cash and fame thanks to all the free plugins I suggested to you through the years. I don’t ask for much, I don’t want your money. All I ask in lieu of a “thank you” is that you buy me a solid gold private jet. I’ll take the smallest, least expensive they have. It’s the least you can do.
Roland TR-808 X Fairchild 670 Compressor MKIV | Liveschool
If you’re an Ableton user, this nifty gifty is for you. Liveschool has carefully sampled all the nuances of an 808 and ran it through a bunch of fancy gear, and then they crammed it all in a Drum Rack that you can use with your Ableton Push controller, or whatever you use to make music with.
And it’s free.
SMACKOS 808 SIMULATOR | Legowelt
Just pointing out the obvious, Legowelt is a great techno producer, as well as a notorious synth nerd. The iconoclastic musician has a mind of his own, and if you think he likes boring TR-808 samples… Oh buddy, you have something else coming.
Legowelt has sampled his own vintage drum machine - because, yes, he has one which makes him already better than all of us - and he ran it through a bunch of funky algorithms to give us an Ableton Drum Rack that’s a little boncos.
It’s called SMACKOS 808 SIMULATOR. I told you this guy was nuts.
Oh and btw, it’s free.
Roland50 Studio | Roland
Are you too broke to even own a DAW? And yet, you have too many principles to torrent one like the rest of us?
Wow, must be nice. Must be really, really nice. I’m sorry, I’ll speak a bit louder because you’re probably having trouble hearing me with you all the way up there on your high horse!
I have some news for you though, you can now make music without a DAW, for free, in your browser. And you have the blessing of the Roland company itself. That’s right, the Roland50 Studio lets you punch in drum hits on a truly beautiful sequencer (which I kinda wish I could have in Ableton tbh.)
You also can fuss around with other great drum machines and synths, such as the 303 and the SH-101. And you can record your performance and use it as you wish. Even if you have all the VST plugins in the world, I recommend jamming in Roland50 Studio to generate some ideas, or maybe a couple drum fills. It’s really fun to use.
And it’s free, for some reason…
Hardware
Maybe you’re tired of staring at a screen all day and you want to take your music-making out of the box. Then, you need to get yourself some hardware. There are plenty of options out there. The Behringer RD-8 is great and looks the part, while Roland’s TR-8S is an hommage as much as it is an evolution. It’s also more versatile and modern.
If you’d prefer to go the boutique route, roll back your white suit’s sleeves and give the Acidlab Miami a go. For a cheaper option, you can take a look at the TR-6S, or order the brand new AIRA Compact T-8.
To be honest, the TR-808 is all about tweaking those knobs and punching in them drums. It can be worthwhile to find a way to take your beatmaking out of the box and experiment with performance. Of course, you could also do that by mapping the important settings to a MIDI controller you probably have laying around the house somewhere.
Finally, a little bit of history…
In closing your honor, I’d like to suggest a viewing of the documentary 808. Look, it’s not exactly Citizen Kane, but it’s a really inspiring little flick about the origins of the TR-808. Rick Rubin is in the mix, so if you like him, then there’s that. He has the crazy hair and everything.
It’s worth a watch is all I’m saying.
If you’d like some synths with those drums, I wrote a post about 4 great VST instruments that are perfect for people who love presets. Check it out and get grooving.
Cover photo: Steve Harvey
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means Internet Tattoo may receive a commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you.