Roland TR-08

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Drum machine

Compact replica of the legendary TR-808 drum machine
Sound character, behaviour and user interface as the original
Controls of the corresponding instruments: Tone, Level, Tuning, Decay, Compressor, Gain, Tune, Pan
16-step sequencer / 16-sub-steps / 16 memory banks (12 x 16 pattern / 4 x 16 intro / fill-in)
Programmable by classic "Step & Tap"
Uninterrupted playing even when switching modes
LED display
10 separate outputs via USB audio
Assignable trigger output for controlling external instruments
Solid metal construction
Contains Roland DK-01 Boutique Dock for adjusting various angles
Powered by 4 AA batteries or USB power
Built-in mini speaker
Dimensions (W x D x H): 308 x 130 x 51 mm
Weight (including batteries and boutique dock): 1.3 kg

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

3-Year Thomann Warranty

Available since October 2017

Item number 419461

Sales Unit 1 piece(s)

Sound Synthesis Modeling

Pads 0

Effects No

Bass No

Display Yes

MIDI interface 1x In, 1x Out, USB

Number of analog outputs 1

Headphone Connector Yes

Mains Operation Yes

Battery Operation Yes

Footswitch connection 0

Extras USB Audio

Shape Desktop

$309

The shipping costs are calculated on the checkout page.

Sales Rank

in Drum Machines

83 Customer ratings

5 60 Customers 4 17 Customers 3 5 Customers 2 1 Customer 1 0 Customers

4.6 / 5

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41 Reviews

Not Bad

AdamM 16.08.2018

This unit, although it appears to be faithful to the original, didn't quite live up to my expectations.
In my view, it's a specialist (boutique) unit which seeks to recreate the original 808 unit and does have its (albeit limited) uses; unless you're Kanye West of course, then you can base a million-selling album on it.
It is a fun unit and has an air of nostalgia about it but if you want a simple drum machine to create beats, this isn't the one. It is more of a complementary unit to have around when you want a different intro or middle 8.
Also, I do find that you have to invest a fair amount of time getting to know the unit. This may be a deliberate nod to the original but I think the settings could have been made a bit more user-friendly as, after all, it's about the sound as opposed to the functionality of the unit that brings the appeal.
In summary, this unit is slightly complicated to navigate and is a bit of a One Trick Pony, but that makes sense as it is marketed as such. Don't expect to exercise complete control over it straight out of the box but if you invest some time getting to know it, you could be on to a winner.

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808 great little brother

prodam 02.02.2019

I had a 808 and have both the TR-8s and Tr-08
If you search a 808 sounds + same programming the tr-08 is the best choice it looks like it and sounds amazing connected on a analog desk with a decent eq its fat ! the 08 have small potis .but they send midi cc out ..perfect for control a vst or midi samplers)
the basdrum long decay is good, , theres some good extra options to tune the kick (not possible on the real 808) and a compressor and even the tr-8s have way more posibilities, sounds & samples separate outputs .. the little 08 wins , it sounds better connected to my mixing desk, listening on adam speakers. a analog extra kick output would have been nice .but a plus is it have a trigger out.. . This boutiques are rarely used as only drumbox .. its part of a collection..

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Super cute, but sounds serious

The Professor 05.05.2020

This little boutique version of the TR-808 manages to nail the sound very closely indeed. I didn't have an original to do a side-by-side comparison, but if you're interested by the unit you'll find decent critical reviews from folks like Sound on Sound have done exactly that and found that it's very close indeed. For me, it's certainly close enough to be worth spending a tenth of the price of a used 808 :-D
In terms of handling, you're somewhat at the mercy of the 808's original workflow – which is not entirely intuitive. It's taken me a few hours to get my head around the procedure for mapping out beats and then stringing them together. But the unit has the definite virtue of minimal menu-diving (it's basically only some of the more esoteric settings and effects that are hidden in menus), and the one-control-per-function vibe makes programming pretty easy once you have the hang of things.
The "manual" is an A3 sheet with the basics printed on it, which feels a bit cost-cutting (a little booklet would have been much nicer), and I wish it had a proper PSU rather than just batteries or USB power. But those minigripes aside, I'm really liking it :-)

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Worth its price - this is a serious piece of gear

Gajdzin 13.12.2021

Despite its diminutive size, it's a serious piece of gear that I already incorporated into my setup. OK, I have some 808 samples that sound even more genuine, but these are good enough 99% of the time and the joy of using the original workflow of the original 808 is hard to beat. I like the built quality and attention to detail.

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