The Roland TR-8 Rhythm Machine builds on decades of drum machine history and combines the classic sounds of the Roland TR-808 and TR-909 into a performance tool for stage and studio. These are the units that have shaped electronic dance music since the 1980's, with more boom, punch and snap than you can shake a stick at, and the audio wizards at Roland have meticulously sampled the originals at component level, meaning all the subtle nuances of tone and raw analogue power have been captured and married to all the benefits of 21st century digital technology.
Discontinued several decades ago, the original units that inspire the TR-8 have recently only been available as highly-prized eBay items, meaning that owning one has been out of reach for most producers for years as the vintage pieces become rarer. Those unable to find an original have had to use the samples and VST instruments that have been released years. This is no bad thing, but what we've all been missing is some hands-on control - let's face it, we all love hardware.
Hands On Control
The Roland TR-8 builds on the rich history of two iconic drums machines - the TR-808 famously used in hip-hop production, and the TR-909 as used in dance music production and techno. Some of the features of the originals have been retained, such as the step-input sequencer and controls over the drum timbres, such as decay, attack and pitch. The TR-8 is intuitive and easy to use, and you probably won't even need the manual to get creating beats right away. The TR-REC behaviour that gave the TR-808 its feel, and became the benchmark for drum machine rhythm programming, has been modelled down to the last detail.
The TR-8 has per-knob control over the voice envelopes for attack and decay and a master tuning knob as well as the familiar level slider for balancing the drums individually - allowing total control over your beats. The sequencer lets you input rhythms in real time and each of the pads have full colour LEDs which indicate the current status.
Far beyond a VST plugin
The Roland TR-808 kick was known for its trademark subby boom; and the TR-909 kick was revered for its mid-range punch and thud. Each of these circuits was meticulously scrutinised and modelled for the TR-8 using their new Analogue Circuit Behaviour technology, ensuring the sound is faithfully re-created to capture the analogue goodness of the originals. Where the Roland TR-8 departs from its predecessors is with the inclusion of a 24bit, 96k effects section which uses delay and reverb and can be applied per step. You only want a reverb on the last snare of the bar? No problem. Delays on just the hi hats? Go for it!
The inclusion of an external input means that audio signals can be processed through the effects section. This offers perfect integration with the rest of the units in the range such as the VT-3, or any other hardware. This signal can be side chained on a per step basis, meaning the signal can pump in time with the kick drum.
Scatter Brain
The Roland TR-8 also includes Scatter, a new performance feature that adds real-time variation in the form of (amongst others) glitch, stutter and reverse, and can be applied to any pattern or external signal input, all matched and in sync with the current tempo. Choose from ten different types of Scatter and adjust the amount or 'depth' of Scatter with a large dial.
Get Connected
The Roland TR-8 connects to a computer via USB to send and receive audio and MIDI data. This allows a great integration with modern computer based DAW workflows, meaning the TR-8 can be used as a hardware VST plugin and can be synced via MIDI clock to use its own intuitive sequencer or it can be sequenced via the DAW sequencer. Audio and MIDI over USB means less cables to mess up your production environment. Of course, you can also connect the TR-8 via the stereo outputs and a stereo headphone output is also included.
ACB | Analogue Circuit Behaviour
The AIRA range is the first to use Roland’s new proprietary digital emulation system, ACB. Analogue Circuit Behaviour (ACB) has enabled incredibly accurate modelling of some of the most sought-after classics in the Roland range.
Yasuyuki Watanabe explains: “The first priority was to study the behaviour of these analogue instruments, and try to carefully recreate it. However, in today’s music styles, there are certain elements which have to be created digitally. So in order to achieve a harmony between these elements, we chose to use digital gear to recreate these analogue instruments.”
The main features of the Roland TR-8 Rhythm Machine include:
- Build dream kits made up of different instruments from the TR-808 and TR-909.
- 16 stunning kits made up of 11 instrument types.
- Control the intensity of the Accent function with a dedicated knob.
- Per-step Gate Reverb and Delay effects with dedicated, real-time knobs.
- Mix sources connected to the external inputs
- Built-in Side Chain function creates rhythmic ducking effects on external Inputs with per-step control.
- Two assignable analogue outputs and full parallel outputs via USB for total mixing flexibility.
- Faithful TR-REC behaviour for pattern creation
- Large tempo control knob and a Fine adjustment knob for total tempo control.
- 16-step sequencer allows you to switch between variations [A] and [B] as well as continuous playback
- Scatter lets you freak and tweak your grooves with real-time control and perfect sync
- 16 per-step pads with bold, full-colour LEDs clearly show the current status
- Real-time pattern creation up to 32 steps
- Change the pattern step count seamlessly and on the fly
- Rec/Play modes have been eliminated enabling seamless pattern making and performance
- Seamless switch between step input and playing pads in real-time to create patterns
- Real-time play of 4 different types of rolls to suit your beat
- Quickly Mute/Unmute individual instruments during performance or production
- Shuffle function from original TR-909 now has a knob for continuous real-time control
- Pattern randomising function induces creativity and brings spontaneity to live performance
- 7 segment, 4 character LED display shows the current tempo and has Tap function
- Pattern copy makes it easy to create pattern variations