What the heck is an 808, anyway?

Taking a little peak at the history behind one of the most iconic sample tools used not only in hip-hop, but in all music genres – the 808

The 808 ended with heartbreak for Ikutaro Kakehashi

The Roland TR-808, or just “808” as we so lovingly call it, is a drum machine created by a dude named Ikutaro Kakehashi in 1980. This thing is now a national treasure, my guy, but it definitely didn’t start that way. It was an absolute failure of a product when it was released, and was only sold for three years. Betcha didn’t know that. The Verge says that people thought it was more like a toy than a serious instrument. Insane, right? In all honesty, though, it was one of the first times that producers and artists could use drum samples without needing an actual, real, live drummer on hand. We’ve come a long way, my friends. Now, it’s basically impossible to go a day without hearing an 808 or even hearing the word “808” in song lyrics. Everybody from Britney to Kanye references our buddy, the 808, almost as much as Taylor Swift references breakups. Does it kind of have a cult-like following? Yessss… but am I mad about it? Not even a little bit. I love that f*cking thing.

The 808 makes my heart beat… like an 808

The 808 is like the heartbeat of music. Deep, right? Nah, for real though, it’s not just a “hip-hop thing”. You’ll hear that good ol’ bass in R&B, rap, rock, house music, EDM… I could go on and on. The heartbeat-like bump of the 808 straight up just hits your soul no matter what kind of music you’re into. Wait – you do know what it sounds like, right? It’s a drum machine. Don’t make me spell it out for you. Eh, fine… I’ll show you a sample in a bit. Honestly though? The majority of people talking about 808s are just talking about the sub. I love feeling that growl of a deep bass as much as the next guy, but the 808 is the whole shebang; the entire drum machine. Losers. Ha, anyway… what would music be without the 808? I don’t wanna know, tbh. Thanks, Ikutaro – you’re a legend.

Audeobox’s 808s hit harder than Jake Paul's right hook on Tyron’s face

So let’s take a little looksie at some of Audeobox’s glorious 808s, shall we? Oh and btw – we’re giving away a little 808 starter pack on Instagram today to celebrate 8/08. We’re only giving it out to 50 people, so get your ass into our DMs ASAP. Yeah, you’re welcome. Our guy Skimmy gives us a little preview of some Audeobox 808s. Throw an 808 in your beat and it’ll spice up your track by approximately 82% (that’s almost a real stat, but technically isn’t). Give your beat a pulse to bring it to LIFE, bro.

https://youtube.com/shorts/19v2UYLy74s?feature=share

And not that I’m biased or anything, but Audeobox has some of the dopest 808s out there. They hit prrrretty damn hard, so make sure those pictures are secured to your walls, ya know? And as always, they are all yours, 100% royalty free. We’re almost as cool as our man Ikutaro for that… but not quite. We’ll get there someday.

About Maxx:
If you’ve spent some time on Audeobox.com, you’ve probably noticed the spiky-haired, racially ambiguous, somewhat shady-looking character named Maxx. Maxx represents so much more than the Audeobox brand, though. He’s the curious mind that lives inside us all: he’s able to use his curiosity for good or evil at any moment, is searching for meaning in a seemingly dark and mysterious world, and looks for humor in nearly all scenarios. His sarcasm, wit and crude satire make him equal parts lovable and hateable. Maxx is your go-to guy for behind the scenes information and dirt on the sample packs, plugins and Producers of Audeobox.