The Roland TR-808 flopped commercially. So how did this drum machine become a defining sound in dance music, pop and rock, asks Tom de Castella. You may not recognise the name. But you'll have heard ...

The sequencer on the 808, a row of 16 color-coded buttons, offered artists a way to store beats they programmed. Courtesy of Roland Even if you don't know the Roland TR-808 drum machine by name, ...

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer is credited with more musical innovations than you can wave a plug socket at – even after its rocky start. After flopping commercially upon release in 1980, because ...

Chances are you've heard Roland's iconic TR-808 drum machine at some point during your music streaming. While the name may not ring a bell, artists and producers have been using its trademark sounds ...

Today is August 8, and you know what that means: it's the music tech world's annual excuse to sing the praises of history's most iconic drum machine. This year, the legendary Roland TR-808 turns 45, ...

Anyone who has listened to any music from the 80s has heard the percussive effects of the infamous TR-808 drum machine. To the modern ear, it sounds like an antique. Being the most popular drum ...

These days, few new electronic instruments have an identifiable "sound". We buy them on the understanding that they'll have thousands of preset configurations that will let us emulate sounds we've ...