808 documentary

[mgriffin]

Many here may be interested in this, and I haven't seen it mentioned... it's a document about the mighty 808, Roland's TR-808 drum machine.

http://www.808tales.com/

"Planet Rock and Other Tales of the 808" - Teaser 1 on Vimeo

[doombient]

Just from watching the teaser I was tempted to sell mine .

Stephen

[LNerell]

I could only watch half of that preview, was making me sick.  I have to say I am probably one of the few people who never liked the 808 sound.

[hdibrell]

I could only watch half of that preview, was making me sick.  I have to say I am probably one of the few people who never liked the 808 sound.

Count me as another one.

[ffcal]

Have to admit, some pretty cheesy stuff was made on the 808 in the 80s.  I did like the way Haruomi Hosono used it, though.

Forrest

[APK]

Annoying video.
Give me the TB 303 any day.

[El culto]

Seems the director of this video was on drugs 

@APK: 303 isnīt really better, except you are looking for some farty sounds...lol

[LNerell]

Have to admit, some pretty cheesy stuff was made on the 808 in the 80s.  I did like the way Haruomi Hosono used it, though.

Forrest

Yeah for me it was Rüdiger Lorenz who made some interesting use of it, except he didn't really use it as a drum machine, more as something for producing weird sounds.

[Paul Vnuk (Ma Ja Le)]

Was always more partial to the CR-78 myself, and I would kill to find one now 

Actually the only drum machine I ever used and owned was the Alesis HR-16

Paul

[hdibrell]

I still enjoy playing with my Sequential TOM. Big time fun! 

[doombient]

For a specific style of electronic music, the TR-808 is the only drum machine that really works well within that context (think Tangerine Dream "Logos" or "Poland"). Itīs just one organic-sounding beast with a wonderful timing. To some extent, the same can be said about the CR-78, and Iīm happy to have both .

I tried the mighty Linn LM-1 Drum Computer (which I used to own for many years), just to find out it didnīt work for me -- it always made me sound like either Kraftwerk, Moroder, or Prince -- but that wasnīt where or what I wanted to be. Same thing with the Oberheim D(M)X (although I found it nicer than the Linn). As soon as TD started using those early digital units, their rigid timing did the feel of the music no good.

Never liked techno or house, though, and anytime I hear an RīnīB or Hip Hop track using the 808 to death I find myself thinking "now, this would a good point for selling the 808". The first ten minutes of "Poland" is the best argument for keeping the 808, though .

Stephen

[sraymar]

I've got a Roland R5 which is the son of the R8. I've never read anything about these two machines! They do feature some 808 samples that I never used. Never cared for the thump, thump, thump of the 808 or that style of music, but I do prefer what some people have done with it as opposed to  sampled drum loops. The moment electronic music becomes danceable my ears reject it outright. The R5 Human Rhythm Composer was better at sounding like a real drummer and I got away with foraying into jazz fusion with it for awhile.