Gearank High Notes
- 2019.03: Equal Highest Rated Drum Machine
Tied With:Elektron Digitakt
Gearank Recommendation
The TR-8S appeared on our now defunct recommended list for Drum Machines in March 2019.
Overview
The Roland drum machine legacy was not off to a good start with the commercial failure of the TR-808 in 1980.
Only 12,000 of the original TR-808 unit were shipped.
Eventually, producers everywhere picked up the little machine for cheap and it started a revolution.
There are more hit records done on a TR-808 than any other drum machine like Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” and Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” among others.
While the TR-808 has been long discontinued, Roland’s latest incarnation of these legacy machines comes in the form of the TR-8S. Not to be confused with its predecessor the TR-8, the Roland TR-8S is more than just an upgrade.
It sports a large library of classic and modern drum sounds as well as having the ability to load up your own samples. All this in a streamlined mix of old and new school.
With vintage TR-808 and TR-909 units reaching the $4000 mark, the TR-8S is not only a great alternative, it one-ups the originals in terms of flexibility and functionality. Earning near-universal praise from users makes the TR-8S one of our top picks for those who want a taste of vintage without breaking the bank.
Specifications
- Large collection of classic TR series drum machine sounds available
- WAV and AIFF sample Support via SD card slot
- 150 factory samples
- Up to 600 seconds total time for all samples at 44.1kHz
- Built-in audio interface direct multitrack recording to your DAW
- 8 analog audio outputs allow numerous routing options
Demo
