Crafting the ideal 808 bass drum: Recognized as the most identifiable electronic kick sound ever made.
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The Roland TR-808, a legendary piece of electronic music equipment, is renowned for its distinctive bass drum sound that has become the most recognisable electronic kick sound of all time. This iconic sound isn't created through digital samples but rather through the magic of analog synthesis.
The TR-808's bass drum is crafted from a synthesised sine wave tone, which forms the characteristic deep, booming low-end, and a percussive noise element to simulate the attack or "click" of a drum hit. This combination results in the unique 808 kick that has shaken sound systems in previously unheard ways and continues to be a staple in many genres, often used as a kick, bass, or combined kick-and-bass.
More technically, the TR-808’s bass drum sound was designed by Hiro Nakamura using modular synth technology as a reference, then implemented in dedicated analog circuitry. This circuit generates a low-frequency sine wave with a fast pitch drop (pitch envelope) and a short noise element to simulate the drum hit, resulting in that distinctive "boom" and punch.
Tone, decay, and tuning are adjustable parameters on the TR-808, allowing users to customise the bass drum sound. The pitch and decay of the sine wave are controllable, enabling the iconic 808 kick to be tuned and shaped for warmth and punch. No samples are involved; it is fully analog synthesis based.
This approach of using analog components for sound generation rather than samples is a key reason the 808 bass drum remains warm and dynamic, allowing for the unique "live" feel where each hit subtly differs. This contrasts with later drum machines like the Roland TR-909, which combine analog synthesis with digital samples and have a tighter, punchier kick.
When working with 808s, it's worth having a variety of source sounds to hand. This could include modern emulations like Roland's Cloud plugin or modern TR machines, or Behringer's RD-8. Producers have also discovered a new way to fill the low end of a mix by sampling a single note and playing it across the keyboard, creating a relentless barrage of pitched bass notes.
To achieve the perfect 808 kick, there are several techniques that can be employed. For instance, a punchier kick focused around 80-100Hz can provide the front-end punch for an 808 kick and can be sidechained against it. EQ can be used to cut content at specific frequencies to avoid clashes in low frequencies between an 808 kick and another kick. A compressor with quick attack and release settings can be used to duck an 808 kick out of the way of another kick's attack without squashing it. Gentle saturation is great for exaggerating an 808 kick's low mid harmonics, and can be applied using a linear phase EQ to isolate the areas to be accentuated.
Moreover, multiband distortion, gentle compression, and mid/side boosting can be used to emphasize low-mids in an 808 kick. Slightly longer attack time can be used to compress the decay portion of the sound, ignoring the initial impact. The volume envelope should be carefully considered for an 808 kick's sound. A high-pass filter or shelving EQ can be used to cut frequencies below 25Hz in an 808 kick.
Lastly, it's essential to test a track on a variety of speaker setups to ensure it translates well between different systems. This way, producers can ensure that their 808 kicks, and the rest of their mix, sound great no matter where they're played.
References:
[1] Roland TR-808 Documentation [2] The Roland TR-808: A Brief History [3] The Roland TR-808: How It Works [4] Roland TR-909 vs TR-808: What's the Difference? [5] The Roland TR-808: The Sound That Changed Music
- Incorporating technology and analog synthesis, the iconic Roland TR-808, a popular piece of electronic music equipment, produces a lifestyle-defining sound that has significantly impacted the entertainment industry, particularly in genres like hip-hop and electronic music, due to its distinctive bass drum sound.
- To create the TR-808's unique bass drum, technology and music intertwine as Hiro Nakamura, its designer, utilized modular synth technology as a reference, synthesizing a sine wave tone for the deep, booming low-end and a percussive noise element to mimic a drum hit, resulting in the recognizable 808 kick used in various genres for kicks, bass, or combined kick-and-bass purposes.
