808 Day: Free 808s and 8 808 Inspired Tracks to Celebrate the TR-808

It’s 808 day!

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer is no doubt the most iconic drum machine.

Since it came out in the 1980s, it inspired music creators and beat makers in a radically new way. It didn’t sound like a real drummer – its greatest advantage.

The 808 also changed the opinion of the music world about drum machines. Believe it or not most drum machines used to be dismissed as toys.The 808 changed that and made drum machines a new instrument in their own right.

The rest is history: hip hop, techno, house and beyond … these genres are all indebted to the 808 sound.

But not everyone can afford an 808 these days…

We believe is accessibility of good sound here at LANDR.

So to make sure EVERYONE can enjoy 808 day here are VSTs, sample packs and online 808 sounds to use with your DAW or MIDI controller. Make everyday 808 day!

Get your 808

Today, the 808 goes for around 5000$ on ebay and Reverb … ouch!

The solution? Grab some free 808s from a critical sample pack and learn how to mix them right in your session.

1. Get the best 808 samples with LANDR Samples.  The Jazzfeezy LANDR Sounds Vol. 1 and Edsclusive Element Soundkit free sample packs are great places to start.
2. Learn how to make your 808s hit harder with our senior audio engineer Al Isler.
3. Get the scoop on how to mix kick and 808 bass so it stands out.
4. Find out how to EQ kick and bass to get the low end you’re looking for.

8 great tracks built with an 808

Now that you’ve got your 808 sounds, time to get inspired. Here’s 8 iconic tracks made with 808s:

Yellow Magic Orchestra – 100 Knives (1980)

This is arguably the first use of the 808. Yellow Magic Orchestra is a Japanese band that’s been a major innovator and influencer for many electronic genres – from techno to hip hop.

Share this article:

Leticia is a lover of acid basslines and hypnotic techno. She DJs and produces under the name softcoresoft. Writer at LANDR.

@Leticia Trandafir