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107-422: The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer , commonly known as the 808 , is a drum machine manufactured by Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patterns. Unlike its nearest competitor at the time, the more expensive Linn LM-1 , the 808 generates sounds using analog synthesis rather than by playing samples . The 808

214-540: A graphical user interface for the software sequencer. Also in 1983, Roland Corporation 's CMU-800 sound module introduced music synthesis and sequencing to the PC, Apple II , and Commodore 64 . The spread of MIDI on personal computers was facilitated by Roland's MPU-401 , released in 1984. It was the first MIDI-equipped PC sound card , capable of MIDI sound processing and sequencing. After Roland sold MPU sound chips to other sound card manufacturers, it established

321-476: A symphonic orchestra in the song "Je t'aimais bien, tu sais..." in his album L'Espoir , released in 1974. Miles Davis ' live band began to use a drum machine in 1974 (played by percussionist James Mtume ), which can be heard on Dark Magus (1977). Osamu Kitajima 's progressive psychedelic rock album Benzaiten (1974) also used drum machines. In 1972, Eko released the ComputeRhythm, which

428-443: A "drum synthesizer" with which users could program drum sequences and edit parameters such as tuning, decay and level. Though they aimed to emulate real percussion, the prohibitive cost of memory drove them to design sound-generating hardware instead of using samples (prerecorded sounds). Kakehashi deliberately purchased faulty transistors to create the 808's distinctive sizzling sound. The chief engineer, Makoto Muroi, credited

535-622: A "plurality of inverting circuits and/or clipper circuits" which "are connected to a counting circuit to synthesize the output signal of the counting circuit" where the "synthesized output signal becomes a desired rhythm." Ace Tone commercialized its preset rhythm machine, called the FR-1 Rhythm Ace, in 1967. It offered 16 preset patterns, and four buttons to manually play each instrument sound ( cymbal , claves , cowbell and bass drum ). The rhythm patterns could also be cascaded together by pushing multiple rhythm buttons simultaneously, and

642-501: A CRT display to simplify the management of music synthesis in realtime, 12-bit D/A converter for realtime sound playback, an interface for CV/gate analog devices, and even several controllers including a musical keyboard, knobs, and rotating joysticks to capture realtime performance. In 1971, Electronic Music Studios (EMS) released one of the first digital sequencer products as a module of Synthi 100 , and its derivation, Synthi Sequencer series. After then, Oberheim released

749-454: A MIDI sequencer. Since its introduction, MIDI has remained the musical instrument industry standard interface through to the present day. In 1987, software sequencers called trackers were developed to realize the low-cost integration of sampling sound and interactive digital sequencer as seen on Fairlight CMI II "Page R". They became popular in the 1980s and 1990s as simple sequencers for creating computer game music , and remain popular in

856-531: A better one. In 1963, their new company Keio-Giken (later Korg ) released their first rhythm machine, the Donca-Matic DA-20 , using vacuum tube circuits for sounds and a mechanical wheel for rhythm patterns. It was a floor-type machine with a built-in speaker, and featured a keyboard for manual play, in addition to the multiple automatic rhythm patterns. Its price was comparable with the average annual income of Japanese at that time. Next, their effort

963-785: A built-in speaker. Roland released the first official software emulations of the 808 and 909 in 2018. In 2019, Behringer released a recreation of the 808, the Behringer RD-8 Rhythm Designer. Unlike Roland's TR-08 and TR-8S, which use samples and virtual synthesis to recreate the 808 sounds, the RD-8 uses analog circuitry. Drum machine While a distinction is generally made between drum machines (which can play back pre-programmed or user-programmed beats or patterns) and electronic drums (which have pads that can be struck and played like an acoustic drum kit), there are some drum machines that have buttons or pads that allow

1070-521: A combination of synthesizer tones and white noise that resemble "bursts coming from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop " more than a real drum kit. In Music Technology , Tim Goodyer described the cowbell as "clumsy, clonky and hopelessly underpitched". The 808 is noted for its powerful bass drum sound, built from a sine oscillator, low-pass filter and voltage-controlled amplifier . The bass drum decay control allows users to lengthen

1177-464: A distinctive use of a drum machine and keyboard arrangement on both tracks. Another early example of electronic drums used by a rock band is Obscured by Clouds by Pink Floyd in 1972. The first album on which a drum machine produced all the percussion was Kingdom Come 's Journey , recorded in November 1972 using a Bentley Rhythm Ace. French singer-songwriter Léo Ferré mixed a drum machine with

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1284-608: A light-pen that would be converted into sound, simplifying the process of composing computer-generated music . It used PDP-5 minicomputer for data input, and IBM 7094 mainframe computer for rendering sound. Also in 1970, Mathews and F. R. Moore developed the GROOVE (Generated Real-time Output Operations on Voltage-controlled Equipment) system, a first fully developed music synthesis system for interactive composition (that implies sequencer) and realtime performance, using 3C/ Honeywell DDP-24 (or DDP-224 ) minicomputers. It used

1391-546: A maximum of 5200 notes (large for the time), and a polyphony function which allocated multiple pitch CVs to a single Gate . It was capable of eight-channel polyphony, allowing the creation of polyrhythmic sequences. The MC-8 had a significant impact on popular electronic music , with the MC-8 and its descendants (such as the Roland MC-4 Microcomposer ) impacting popular electronic music production in

1498-443: A multitude of ways to obtain fills , breakdowns and other elements that the programmer sees fit, which in turn could be sequenced with song-sequence — essentially the drum machine plays back the programmed patterns from memory in an order the programmer has chosen. The machine will quantize entries that are slightly off-beat in order to make them exactly in time. If the drum machine has MIDI connectivity, then one could program

1605-561: A particular pitch , either individually or in any combination, including en masse, if desired. Received with considerable interest when it was publicly introduced in 1932, the Rhythmicon was soon set aside by Cowell. In 1957, Harry Chamberlin, an engineer from Iowa, created the Chamberlin Rhythmate, which allowed users to select between 14 tape loops of drum kits and percussion instruments performing various beats. Like

1712-589: A polyphonic synthesizer with sequencer called Andromatic built for them by Erkki Kurenniemi . The step sequencer s played rigid patterns of notes using a grid of (usually) 16 buttons, or steps, each step being 1/16 of a measure . These patterns of notes were then chained together to form longer compositions. Sequencers of this kind are still in use, mostly built into drum machines and grooveboxes . They are monophonic by nature, although some are multi-timbral , meaning that they can control several different sounds but only play one note on each of those sounds. On

1819-472: A positive review, predicting that it would become "the standard for rhythm machines of the future". Despite some early adopters, the 808 was a commercial failure and fewer than 12,000 units were sold. Roland ended production in 1983 after semiconductor improvements made it impossible to restock the faulty transistors essential to its design. Though the 808 was unsuccessful, it was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine and became one of

1926-643: A sequencer for the GS-1 . It was only available at Yamaha's headquarters in Japan ( Hamamatsu ) and the United States ( Buena Park, California ). In June 1981, Roland Corporation founder Ikutaro Kakehashi proposed the concept of standardization between different manufacturers' instruments as well as computers, to Oberheim Electronics founder Tom Oberheim and Sequential Circuits president Dave Smith . In October 1981, Kakehashi, Oberheim and Smith discussed

2033-441: A sound module also features a sequencer, it is, strictly speaking, not a drum machine. In the 2010s a revival of interest in analogue synthesis resulted in a new wave of analogue drum machines, ranging from the budget-priced Korg Volca Beats and Akai Rhythm Wolf to the mid-priced Arturia DrumBrute, and the high-end MFB Tanzbär and Dave Smith Instruments Tempest. Roland's TR-08 and TR-09 Rhythm Composers were digital recreations of

2140-672: A unique character. For this reason, many of these early machines have achieved a certain "cult status" and are now sought after by producers for use in production of modern electronic music , most notably the Roland TR-808 . The Linn LM-1 Drum Computer, released in 1980 at $ 4,995 (equivalent to $ 18,500 in 2023), was the first drum machine to use digital samples. It also featured revolutionary rhythmic concepts such as swing factors, shuffle, accent, and real-time programming, all of which have since rooted themselves in beat box technology. Only about 500 were ever made, but its effect on

2247-408: Is often supported on the drum machines, bass machines and several groove machines . Realtime sequencers record the musical notes in real-time as on audio recorders , and play back musical notes with designated tempo , quantizations , and pitch . For editing, usually " punch in/punch out " features originated in the tape recording are provided, although it requires sufficient skills to obtain

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2354-467: Is possibly referred as " audio sequencing ". Possibly it may be one origin of " audio sequencing ". The early music sequencers were sound-producing devices such as automatic musical instruments , music boxes , mechanical organs , player pianos , and Orchestrions . Player pianos, for example, had much in common with contemporary sequencers. Composers or arrangers transmitted music to piano rolls which were subsequently edited by technicians who prepared

2461-414: Is that they use sound synthesis rather than digital sampling in order to generate their sounds. For example, a snare drum or maraca sound would typically be created using a burst of white noise whereas a bass drum sound would be made using sine waves or other basic waveforms . This meant that while the resulting sound was not very close to that of the real instrument, each model tended to have

2568-655: The Atari ST home computer in the 1980s gave programmers the opportunity to design software that could more easily record and play back sequences of notes played or programmed by a musician. This software also improved on the quality of the earlier sequencers which tended to be mechanical sounding and were only able to play back notes of exactly equal duration. Software-based sequencers allowed musicians to program performances that were more expressive and more human. These new sequencers could also be used to control external synthesizers , especially rackmounted sound modules , and it

2675-600: The Chamberlin keyboard , the Rhythmate was intended for family singalongs. Around 100 units were sold. In 1959, Wurlitzer released the Side Man, which generates sounds mechanically by a rotating disc, similar to a music box . A slider controls the tempo (between 34 and 150 beats per minute). Sounds can also be triggered individually through buttons on a control panel. The Side Man was a success and drew criticism from

2782-860: The E-mu Drumulator and the Yamaha RX11 . In 1986, the SpecDrum by Cheetah Marketing , an inexpensive 8-bit sampling drum external module for the ZX Spectrum , was introduced, with a price less than £30, when similar models cost around £250. In 1980, the Roland Corporation launched the TR-808 Rhythm Composer. It was one of the earliest programmable drum machines, with which users could create their own rhythms rather than having to use preset patterns. Unlike

2889-645: The Fender Stratocaster guitar, which dramatically influenced the development of rock music . It was used by pioneering hip hop acts including Run-DMC , LL Cool J and Public Enemy . The 808 bass drum, in particular, became so essential that Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad production group declared that "it's not hip hop without that sound". The New Yorker wrote that the "trembling feeling of [the 808 bass drum], booming down boulevards in Oakland,

2996-590: The Hammond Organ Company hired the American musician and engineer Don Lewis to demonstrate its products, including an electronic organ with a built-in drum machine designed by the Japanese company Ace Tone . Lewis was known for performances using electronic instruments he had modified, decades before the popularization of instrument hacking via circuit bending . He made extensive modifications to

3103-509: The Linn LM-1 , manufactured by Linn Electronics , which used samples of real drum kits. The 808 sounded simplistic and synthetic by comparison; electronic music had yet to become mainstream and many musicians and producers wanted realistic-sounding drum machines. According to many reports, one review dismissed the 808 as sounding like "marching anteaters", though this likely referred to machines that predated it. Contemporary Keyboard wrote

3210-766: The Oramics designed by Daphne Oram in 1957, and so forth. During the 1940s–1960s, Raymond Scott , an American composer of electronic music, invented various kind of music sequencers for his electric compositions. The "Wall of Sound", once covered on the wall of his studio in New York during the 1940s–1950s, was an electro-mechanical sequencer to produce rhythmic patterns, consisting of stepping relays (used on dial pulse telephone exchange ), solenoids , control switches, and tone circuits with 16 individual oscillators . Later, Robert Moog would explain it in such terms as "the whole room would go 'clack – clack – clack', and

3317-624: The Roland MC-8 Microcomposer , and Kakehashi realized they could be used to program drum machines. In 1978, Roland released the CompuRhythm CR-78 , the first drum machine with which users could write, save and replay their own patterns. With its next machine, the TR-808, Roland aimed to develop a drum machine for the professional market, expecting that it would mainly be used to create demos . The engineers conceived

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3424-520: The Sly & the Family Stone album There's a Riot Goin' On , released in 1971. Sly & the Family Stone was the first group to have a number #1 pop single that used a drum machine: that single was " Family Affair ". The German krautrock band Can also used a drum machine on their songs " Peking O " and " Spoon ". The 1972 Timmy Thomas single " Why Can't We Live Together "/"Funky Me" featured

3531-471: The Soulsonic Force released their single " Planet Rock ", which used the 808 to create "strange, futuristic" percussion that was popular in clubs. The track influenced the development of electronic and hip hop music and subgenres including Miami bass and Detroit techno , and popularized the 808 as a "fundamental element of futuristic sound". According to Slate , "Planet Rock" "didn't so much put

3638-403: The Soulsonic Force 's " Planet Rock ". The 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine; its popularity with hip hop in particular has made it one of the most influential inventions in popular music, comparable to the Fender Stratocaster 's influence on rock . Its sounds continue to be used as samples included with music software and modern drum machines. The 808

3745-525: The TR-909 , the first Roland drum machine to use samples. Like the 808, the 909 influenced popular music, including such genres as techno , house and acid . 808 samples were included in ReBirth RB-338 , an early software synthesiser developed by Propellerhead Software . According to Andy Jones of MusicTech , ReBirth was "especially incredible" as the first software emulation of 808 sounds. It

3852-538: The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign wrote one of the earliest programs for computer music composition on ILLIAC , and collaborated on the first piece, Illiac Suite for String Quartet , with Leonard Issaction . In 1957 Max Mathews at Bell Labs wrote MUSIC , the first widely used program for sound generation, and a 17-second composition was performed by the IBM 704 computer. Subsequently, computer music

3959-574: The Yamaha Electone (electric organ), and Mini Pops was established as a series of compact desktop rhythm machines. In the United States, Mini Pops MP-3, MP-7, etc. were sold under the Univox brand by the distributor at that time, Unicord Corporation. In 1965, Nippon Columbia filed a patent for an automatic rhythm instrument. It described it as an "automatic rhythm player which is simple but capable of electronically producing various rhythms in

4066-506: The demoscene and chiptune music. Modern computer digital audio software after the 2000s, such as Ableton Live , incorporates aspects of sequencers among many other features. In 1978, Japanese personal computers such as the Hitachi Basic Master equipped the low-bit D/A converter to generate sound which can be sequenced using Music Macro Language (MML). This was used to produce chiptune video game music . It

4173-488: The tempo and time signature , including unusual signatures such as 4 and 8 . The 808 includes volume knobs for each voice, numerous audio outputs and a DIN sync port (a precursor to MIDI ) to synchronize with other devices. Its three trigger outputs can synchronize with synthesizers and other equipment. The 808 launched in 1980 with a list price of US$ 1,195 (equivalent to $ 4,419 in 2023). Roland marketed it as an affordable alternative to

4280-550: The 1960s, the implementation of rhythm machines had evolved into fully solid-state ( transistorized ) from early electro-mechanical with vacuum tubes , and also size was reduced to desktop size from earlier floor type. In the early 1960s, a home organ manufacturer, Gulbransen (later acquired by Fender ) cooperated with an automatic musical equipment manufacturer Seeburg Corporation , and released early compact rhythm machines Rhythm Prince (PRP), although, at that time, these sizes were still as large as small guitar amp head, due to

4387-455: The 1970s and 1980s more than any other family of sequencers. The MC-8's earliest known users were Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. In 1975, New England Digital (NED) released ABLE computer (microcomputer) as a dedicated data processing unit for Dartmouth Digital Synthesizer (1973), and based on it, later Synclavier series were developed. The Synclavier I , released in September 1977,

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4494-483: The 808 include Damon Albarn , Diplo , Fatboy Slim , David Guetta and New Order . It has been referenced in lyrics by artists including the Beastie Boys, Beck, Outkast , Kelis , TI , Lil Wayne , Britney Spears , Beyoncé , R Kelly and Robbie Williams . Its bass drum has been used as a metaphor for a heartbeat in songs by artists including Madonna , Rihanna and Kesha . The 808 was followed in 1983 by

4601-408: The 808 is now so ubiquitous that "its beats are almost a language of their own", with sounds recognizable even to listeners who do not know what drum machines are, and so "you also notice when somebody messes with them or uses them in unusual contexts". In 2019, DJMag wrote that it was likely the most used drum machine of the preceding 40 years. The 808 has been described as hip hop's equivalent to

4708-454: The 808 on the map so much as reorient an entire world of post-disco dance music around it". The British electronic group 808 State took its name from the 808 and used it extensively. 808 State's Graham Massey said: "The Roland gear began to be a kind of Esperanto in music. The whole world began to be less separated through this technology, and there was a classiness to it—you could transcend your provincial music with this equipment." With

4815-590: The 808 voice circuit design to "Mr. Nakamura" and the software to "Mr. Matsuoka". The 808 imitates acoustic percussion: the bass drum , snare , toms , conga , rimshot , claves , handclap , maraca , cowbell , cymbal and hi-hat (open and closed). Rather than playing samples, it generates sounds using analog synthesis ; the TR in TR-808 stands for "transistor rhythm". The sounds do not resemble real percussion, and have been described as "clicky", "robotic", "spacey", "toy-like" and "futuristic". Fact described them as

4922-524: The Ace Tone drum machine, creating his own rhythms and wiring it through his organ's expression pedal to accent the percussion. Lewis was approached by Ikutaro Kakehashi , the president and founder of Ace Tone, who wanted to know how he had achieved the sounds using the Ace Tone machine. In 1972, Kakehashi formed the Roland Corporation and hired Lewis to help design drum machines. By the late 1970s, microprocessors were appearing in instruments such as

5029-701: The American Federation of Musicians, which ruled in 1961 that its local jurisdictions could not prohibit Side Man use, though it could not be used for dancing. Wurlitzer ceased production of the Sideman in 1969. In 1960, Raymond Scott constructed the Rhythm Synthesizer and, in 1963, a drum machine called Bandito the Bongo Artist . Scott's machines were used for recording his album Soothing Sounds for Baby series (1964). During

5136-455: The Bronx and Detroit, are part of America's cultural DNA". Even after the 808 fell out of use by East Coast hip hop producers in the 1990s, it remained a staple of Southern hip hop . The rapper Kanye West used the 808 on every track on his 2008 solo album 808s & Heartbreak , which Slate described as "an explicit love letter to the device". The New Yorker wrote in 2015 that the 808

5243-582: The DAW or the integrated music authoring environments. The features provided as sequencers vary widely depending on the software; even an analog sequencer can be simulated. The user may control the software sequencer either by using the graphical user interfaces or a specialized input devices , such as a MIDI controller . Alternative subsets of audio sequencers include: This type of software actually controls sequences of audio samples; thus, it can potentially be called an " audio sequencer ". This technique

5350-557: The DS-2 Digital Sequencer in 1974, and Sequential Circuits released Model 800 in 1977 In 1977, Roland Corporation released the MC-8 MicroComposer , also called computer music composer by Roland. It was an early stand-alone, microprocessor -based, digital CV/gate sequencer, and an early polyphonic sequencer. It equipped a keypad to enter notes as numeric codes, 16  KB of RAM for

5457-567: The Internet. However, traditional drum machines are still being made by companies such as Roland Corporation (under the name Boss ), Zoom , Korg and Alesis , whose SR-16 drum machine has remained popular since it was introduced in 1991. There are percussion-specific sound modules that can be triggered by pickups, trigger pads , or through MIDI. These are called drum modules ; the Alesis D4 and Roland TD-8 are popular examples. Unless such

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5564-707: The LinnDrum specifically to drummers. Following the success of the LM-1, Oberheim introduced the DMX , which also featured digitally sampled sounds and a "swing" feature similar to the one found on the Linn machines. It became very popular in its own right, becoming a staple of the nascent hip-hop scene. Other manufacturers soon began to produce machines, e.g. the Sequential Circuits Drumtraks and Tom,

5671-677: The UK, marketed under the Bentley Rhythm Ace brand. A number of other preset drum machines were released in the 1970s, but early examples of the use can be found on The United States of America 's eponymous album from 1967–8. The first major pop song to use a drum machine was " Saved by the Bell " by Robin Gibb , which reached #2 in Britain in 1969. Drum machine tracks were also heavily used on

5778-399: The ability to make slight variations in their playing, such as playing "ahead of the beat" or "behind the beat" for sections of a song, in contrast to a drum machine that plays a pre-programmed rhythm. As well, human drummers play a "tremendously wide variety of rhythmic variations" that drum machines cannot reproduce. Drum machines developed out of a need to create drum beats when a drum kit

5885-442: The bass drum to produce new sounds, such as on the 1984 single "Set it Off", in which the producer Strafe used it to imitate the sound of an underground nuclear test . The producer Rick Rubin popularized the technique of lengthening the bass drum decay and tuning it to different pitches to create basslines . The Beastie Boys used a reversed recording of an 808 on their 1986 track " Paul Revere ". In 1982, Afrika Bambaataa and

5992-601: The buyer would use to build the machine. In 1975, Ace Tone released the Rhythm Producer FR-15 that enables the modification of the pre-programmed rhythm patterns. In 1978, Roland released the Roland CR-78 , the first microprocessor -based programmable rhythm machine, with four memory storage for user patterns. In 1979, a simpler version with four sounds, Boss DR-55, was released. A key difference between such early machines and more modern equipment

6099-415: The characteristic tones of a drum, a piccolo and so on." It has some similarities to Seeburg's slightly earlier 1964 patent. In 1967, Ace Tone founder Ikutaro Kakehashi (later founder of Roland Corporation ) developed the preset rhythm-pattern generator using diode matrix circuit, which has some similarities to the earlier Seeburg and Nippon Columbia patents. Kakehashi's patent describes his device as

6206-615: The concept with representatives from Yamaha , Korg and Kawai . In 1983, the MIDI standard was unveiled by Kakehashi and Smith. The first MIDI sequencer was the Roland MSQ-700, released in 1983. It was not until the advent of MIDI that general-purpose computers started to play a role as sequencers. Following the widespread adoption of MIDI, computer-based MIDI sequencers were developed. MIDI-to- CV/gate converters were then used to enable analogue synthesizers to be controlled by

6313-450: The course of the 1980s, the 808 attracted a cult following among underground musicians for its affordability on the used market, ease of use, and idiosyncratic sounds, particularly its deep, "booming" bass drum . It became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, dance , and hip hop genres, popularized by early hits such as Marvin Gaye 's " Sexual Healing " and Afrika Bambaataa and

6420-463: The desired result. For detailed editing, possibly another visual editing mode under graphical user interface may be more suitable. Anyway, this mode provides usability similar to audio recorders already familiar to musicians, and it is widely supported on software sequencers, DAWs, and built-in hardware sequencers. A software sequencer is a class of application software providing a functionality of music sequencer, and often provided as one feature of

6527-425: The development of dance music , especially electronic dance music , and hip hop . Its successor, the TR-909 , introduced in 1983, heavily influenced techno and house music . The first drum machine to use samples of real drum kits, the Linn LM-1 , was introduced in 1980 and was adopted by rock and pop artists including Prince and Michael Jackson . In the late 1990s, software emulations began to overtake

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6634-445: The development of electronic genres such as techno , house and acid . By 2000, standalone drum machines had become less common, partly supplanted by general-purpose hardware samplers controlled by sequencers (built-in or external), software-based sequencing and sampling and the use of loops, and music workstations with integrated sequencing and drum sounds. TR-808 and other digitized drum machine sounds can be found in archives on

6741-453: The domain of a new world of music". According to Slate , it was instrumental in pop music's shift from conventional structure and harmonic progression to "thinking in terms of sequences , discrete passages of sound and time to be repeated and revised ad infinitum ". The Argentine artist Charly García used the 808 for all percussion on his second album, Clics modernos (1983). In the 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense ,

6848-440: The drum machine with a computer or another MIDI device. While drum machines have been used much in popular music since the 1980s, "...scientific studies show there are certain aspects of human-created rhythm that machines cannot replicate, or can only replicate poorly" such as the "feel" of human drumming and the ability of a human drummer to respond to changes in a song as it is being played live onstage. Human drummers also have

6955-509: The drum sounds on the LM-1 were composed of two chips that were triggered at the same time, and each voice was individually tunable with individual outputs. Due to memory limitations, a crash cymbal sound was not available except as an expensive third-party modification. A cheaper version of the LM-1 was released in 1982 called the LinnDrum . Priced at $ 2,995 (equivalent to $ 9,500 in 2023), not all of its voices were tunable, but crash cymbal

7062-547: The electronic organ as an accompaniment of organists and finally spread widely. In the early 1960s, a nightclub owner in Tokyo, Tsutomu Katoh was consulted by a notable accordion player, Tadashi Osanai , about the rhythm machine he used for accompaniment in the club, a Wurlitzer Side Man. Osanai, a graduate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tokyo , convinced Katoh to finance his efforts to build

7169-799: The first use of the 808 to the Japanese electronic group Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1980. The first records to feature the 808 were released the following year: the Yellow Magic Orchestra album BGM and the Monitors single "Nobody Told Me". In 1982, the American R&;B artist Marvin Gaye released the first hit single that featured the 808, " Sexual Healing ". Gaye was drawn to 808 because he could use it to create music in isolation, without other musicians or producers. 808 samples are common in music software, and it has inspired numerous unlicensed clones. Flavorwire wrote that

7276-680: The inventions of phonographs , radios , and sound films which eventually eclipsed all such home music production devices. Of them all, punched-paper-tape media had been used until the mid-20th century. The earliest programmable music synthesizers including the RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer in 1957, and the Siemens Synthesizer in 1959, were also controlled via punch tapes similar to piano rolls . Additional inventions grew out of sound film audio technology. The drawn sound technique which appeared in

7383-512: The late 1920s, is notable as a precursor of today's intuitive graphical user interfaces . In this technique, notes and various sound parameters are triggered by hand-drawn black ink waveforms directly upon the film substrate, hence they resemble piano rolls (or the 'strip charts' of the modern sequencers/DAWs). Drawn soundtrack was often used in early experimental electronic music, including the Variophone developed by Yevgeny Sholpo in 1930, and

7490-593: The late-18th or early-19th century, with technological advances of the Industrial Revolution various automatic musical instruments were invented. Some examples: music boxes , barrel organs and barrel pianos consisting of a barrel or cylinder with pins or a flat metal disc with punched holes; or mechanical organs , player pianos and orchestrions using book music / music rolls ( piano rolls ) with punched holes, etc. These instruments were disseminated widely as popular entertainment devices prior to

7597-451: The more expensive LM-1, the 808 is completely analog , meaning its sounds are generated non-digitally via hardware rather than samples (prerecorded sounds). Launched when electronic music had yet to become mainstream, the 808 received mixed reviews for its unrealistic drum sounds and was a commercial failure. Having built approximately 12,000 units, Roland discontinued the 808 after its semiconductors became impossible to restock. Over

7704-409: The most influential inventions in popular music, comparable to the Fender Stratocaster 's impact on rock . Its sounds are included with music software and modern drum machines and it has inspired unlicensed recreations. The TR-808 is a piece of art. It's engineering art, it's so beautifully made. If you have an idea of what is going on in the inside, if you look at the circuit diagram, and you see how

7811-431: The most influential inventions in popular music. By the time Roland discontinued it in 1983, it had become common on the used market, often selling for less than $ 100 (equivalent to $ 306 in 2023). Its ease of use, affordability and idiosyncratic sound earned it a cult following among underground musicians and producers, and it became a cornerstone of the developing electronic and hip hop genres. CBC News credited

7918-420: The music industry was extensive. Its distinctive sound almost defines 1980s pop, and it can be heard on hundreds of hit records from the era, including The Human League 's Dare , Gary Numan 's Dance , Devo 's New Traditionalists , and Ric Ocasek 's Beatitude . Prince bought one of the first LM-1s and used it on nearly all of his most popular albums, including 1999 and Purple Rain . Many of

8025-416: The musical notes designated by a series of knobs or sliders corresponding to each musical note (step). It is designed for both composition and live performance ; users can change the musical notes at any time without regarding recording mode. And also possibly, the time interval between each musical note (length of each step) can be independently adjustable. Typically, analog sequencers are used to generate

8132-422: The newer internal digital buses than the old-style analogue CV/gate interface once used on their prototype system. Then in the early-1980s, they also re-recognized the needs of CV/gate interface, and supported it along with MIDI as options . Yamaha 's GS-1, their first FM digital synthesizer , was released in 1980. To program the synthesizer, Yamaha built a custom computer workstation designed to be used as

8239-491: The original TR-808 and 909, while Behringer released an analogue clone of the 808 as the Behringer RD-8 Rhythm Designer. Korg released an analog drum machine, the Volca Beats , in 2013. Programming of drum machines varies from product to product. On most products, it can be done in real time : the user creates drum patterns by pressing the trigger pads as though a drum kit were being played; or using step-sequencing :

8346-416: The other hand, software sequencers were continuously utilized since the 1950s in the context of computer music , including computer- played music (software sequencer), computer- composed music ( music synthesis ), and computer sound generation ( sound synthesis ). In June 1951, the first computer music Colonel Bogey was played on CSIRAC , Australia's first digital computer. In 1956, Lejaren Hiller at

8453-412: The pattern is built up over time by adding individual sounds at certain points by placing them, as with the TR-808 and TR-909, along a 16-step bar. For example, a generic 4-on-the-floor dance pattern could be made by placing a closed high hat on the 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th steps, then a kick drum on the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 13th steps, and a clap or snare on the 5th and 13th. This pattern could be varied in

8560-456: The performer to play drum sounds "live", either on top of a programmed drum beat or as a standalone performance. Drum machines have a range of capabilities, which go from playing a short beat pattern in a loop, to being able to program or record complex song arrangements with changes of meter and style. Drum machines have had a lasting impact on popular music in the 20th century. The Roland TR-808 , introduced in 1980, significantly influenced

8667-479: The popularity of physical drum machines housed in a separate plastic or metal chassis. In 1930–32, the innovative and hard-to-use Rhythmicon was developed by Léon Theremin at the request of Henry Cowell , who wanted an instrument that could play compositions with multiple rhythmic patterns , based on the overtone series , that were far too hard to perform on existing keyboard instruments. The invention could produce sixteen different rhythms, each associated with

8774-572: The possible combination of rhythm patterns were more than a hundred (on the later models of Rhythm Ace, the individual volumes of each instrument could be adjusted with the small knobs or faders). The FR-1 was adopted by the Hammond Organ Company for incorporation within their latest organ models. In the US, the units were also marketed under the Multivox brand by Peter Sorkin Music Company, and in

8881-430: The repeated minimalistic phrases which may be reminiscent of Tangerine Dream , Giorgio Moroder or trance music . On step sequencers, musical notes are rounded into steps of equal time intervals, and users can enter each musical note without exact timing; Instead, the timing and duration of each step can be designated in several different ways: In general, step mode, along with roughly quantized semi-realtime mode,

8988-510: The rise of rave culture , a precursor to acid house , the 808 became a staple sound on British radio. In the early 90s, the Japanese composer Yuzo Koshiro incorporated samples of the 808 in his soundtracks for the Streets of Rage games. The 808 was used extensively in pop. The New Yorker wrote that it triggered "the big bang of pop's great age of disruption, from 1983 to 1986", and that its "defiantly inorganic timbres ... sketched out

9095-576: The rolls for mass duplication. Eventually consumers were able to purchase these rolls and play them back on their own player pianos. The origin of automatic musical instruments seems remarkably old. As early as the 9th century, the Persian (Iranian) Banū Mūsā brothers invented a hydropowered organ using exchangeable cylinders with pins, and also an automatic flute -playing machine using steam power , as described in their Book of Ingenious Devices . The Banu Musa brothers' automatic flute player

9202-430: The singer David Byrne performs " Psycho Killer " accompanied by an 808, stumbling against its "gunshot"-like sounds. The drummer and songwriter Phil Collins found the 808 useful for looping rhythms for long periods, as human drummers would be tempted to add variations and fills . Whitney Houston 's 1987 single " I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) " makes extensive use of the 808. Other artists who have used

9309-474: The sound, creating uniquely low frequencies that flatten slightly over time, possibly not by design. The New Yorker described the bass drum as the 808's defining feature. The 808 was the first drum machine with which users could program a percussion track from beginning to end, complete with breaks and rolls . Users can program up to 32 patterns using the step sequencer , chain up to 768 measures and place accents on individual beats. Users can also set

9416-420: The sounds would come out all over the place". The Circle Machine, developed in 1959, had incandescent bulbs each with its own rheostat , arranged in a ring, and a rotating arm with photocell scanning over the ring, to generate an arbitrary waveform. Also, the rotating speed of the arm was controlled via the brightness of lights, and as a result, arbitrary rhythms were generated. The first electronic sequencer

9523-734: The term "sequencer" is often used to describe software. However, hardware sequencers still exist. Workstation keyboards have their own proprietary built-in MIDI sequencers. Drum machines and some older synthesizers have their own step sequencer built in. There are still also standalone hardware MIDI sequencers , although the market demand for those has diminished greatly due to the greater feature set of their software counterparts. Music sequencers can be categorized by handling data types, such as: Also, music sequencer can be categorized by its construction and supporting modes. Analog sequencers are typically implemented with analog electronics , and play

9630-523: The unknown Roland engineer was making the best out of super limited technology, it's unbelievable. You look at the circuit diagram like you look at an orchestral score, you think, how on earth did they come up with this idea? It's brilliant, it's a masterpiece. — Robert Henke , musician and co-creator of Ableton Live In the 1960s, drum machines were most often used to accompany home organs . They did not allow users to program rhythms , but instead offered preset patterns such as bossa nova . In 1969,

9737-423: The use of bulky electro-mechanical pattern generators. Then in 1964, Seeburg invented a compact electronic rhythm pattern generator using " diode matrix" ( U.S. patent 3,358,068 in 1967), and fully transistorized electronic rhythm machine with pre-programmed patterns, Select-A-Rhythm (SAR1), was released. As a result of its robustness and enough compact size, these rhythm machines were gradually installed on

9844-445: The used market, ease of use and idiosyncratic sounds, particularly its deep, booming bass drum . It became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, dance and hip hop genres, popularized by early hits such as " Planet Rock " by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force and " Sexual Healing " by Marvin Gaye . The 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine. Its popularity in hip hop has made it one of

9951-422: Was a commercial failure, as electronic music had yet to become mainstream and many producers wanted more realistic drum sounds. After building approximately 12,000 units, Roland discontinued the 808 after its semiconductors became impossible to restock. It was succeeded by the TR-909 in 1983. Over the course of the 1980s, the 808 attracted a cult following among underground musicians for its affordability on

10058-522: Was a drum machine where pegs ( cams ) bump into little levers that operated the percussion. The drummers could be made to play different rhythms and different drum patterns if the pegs were moved around. In the 14th century, rotating cylinders with pins were used to play a carillon (steam organ) in Flanders, and at least in the 15th century, barrel organs were seen in the Netherlands. In

10165-604: Was focused on the improvement of reliability and performance, along with size and cost reductions. Unstable vacuum tube circuits were replaced with reliable transistor circuits on the Donca-Matic DC-11 in the mid-1960s. In 1966, the bulky mechanical wheel was also replaced with a compact transistor circuit on the Donca-Matic DE-20 and DE-11. In 1967, the Mini Pops MP-2 was developed as an option for

10272-486: Was followed in 1983 by the TR-909 , the first Roland drum machine to use MIDI , which synchronizes devices built by different manufacturers. It was also the first Roland drum machine to use samples for some sounds. Like the 808, the 909 was a commercial failure, but had a lasting influence on popular music after cheap units circulated on the used market; alongside the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer, it influenced

10379-580: Was included as a standard sound. Like its predecessor the LM-1, it featured swappable sound chips. The LinnDrum can be heard on records such as The Cars ' Heartbeat City and Giorgio Moroder 's soundtrack for the film Scarface . It was feared the LM-1 would put every session drummer in Los Angeles out of work and it caused many of L.A.'s top session drummers ( Jeff Porcaro is one example) to purchase their own drum machines and learn to program them themselves in order to stay employed. Linn even marketed

10486-451: Was invented by Raymond Scott, using thyratrons and relays . Clavivox , developed since 1952, was a kind of keyboard synthesizer with sequencer. On its prototype, a theremin manufactured by young Robert Moog was utilized to enable portamento over 3-octave range, and on later version, it was replaced by a pair of photographic film and photocell for controlling the pitch by voltage . In 1968, Ralph Lundsten and Leo Nilsson had

10593-620: Was mainly researched on the expensive mainframe computers in computer centers, until the 1970s when minicomputers and then microcomputers became available in this field. In Japan, experiments in computer music date back to 1962, when Keio University professor Sekine and Toshiba engineer Hayashi experimented with the TOSBAC computer. This resulted in a piece entitled TOSBAC Suite . In 1965, Max Mathews and L. Rosler developed Graphic 1 , an interactive graphical sound system (that implies sequencer) on which one could draw figures using

10700-503: Was no longer necessary for each synthesizer to have its own devoted keyboard. As the technology matured, sequencers gained more features, such as the ability to record multitrack audio . Sequencers used for audio recording are called digital audio workstations (DAWs). Many modern sequencers can be used to control virtual instruments implemented as software plug-ins . This allows musicians to replace expensive and cumbersome standalone synthesizers with their software equivalents. Today

10807-612: Was not available. Increasingly, drum machines and drum programming are used by major record labels to undercut the costly expense of studio drummers. Music sequencer A music sequencer (or audio sequencer or simply sequencer ) is a device or application software that can record, edit, or play back music , by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically CV/Gate , MIDI , or Open Sound Control , and possibly audio and automation data for digital audio workstations (DAWs) and plug-ins . The advent of Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) and

10914-523: Was not until the advent of MIDI , introduced to the public in 1983, that general-purpose computers really started to play a role as software sequencers. NEC 's personal computers, the PC-88 and PC-98 , added support for MIDI sequencing with MML programming in 1982. In 1983, Yamaha modules for the MSX featured music production capabilities, real-time FM synthesis with sequencing, MIDI sequencing, and

11021-669: Was one of the earliest digital music workstation product with multitrack sequencer. Synclavier series evolved throughout the late-1970s to the mid-1980s, and they also established integration of digital-audio and music-sequencer, on their Direct-to-Disk option in 1984, and later Tapeless Studio system. In 1982, renewed the Fairlight CMI Series II and added new sequencer software "Page R", which combined step sequencing with sample playback. While there were earlier microprocessor-based sequencers for digital polyphonic synthesizers, their early products tended to prefer

11128-511: Was one of the first programmable drum machines. It had a 6-row push-button matrix that allowed the user to enter a pattern manually. The user could also push punch cards with pre-programmed rhythms through a reader slot on the unit. Another stand-alone drum machine released in 1975, the PAiA Programmable Drum Set was also one of the first programmable drum machines, and was sold as a kit with parts and instructions which

11235-503: Was retired in 2017 as Roland said it infringed on its intellectual property. Roland has included 808 samples in several drum machines, including its Grooveboxes in the 1990s. Its TR-8 and TR-8S drum machines, released in the 2010s, recreate the sounds electronically rather than through sample playback. In 2017, Roland released the TR-08, a miniaturized 808 featuring an LED display, MIDI and USB connections, expanded sequencer control and

11342-412: Was the bedrock of the modern "urban-youth-culture soundtrack", particularly in trap music , and had influenced a new blend of dance and retro hip hop that "embraces and fetishizes ... street music from the past". Artists pushed the limits of the 808's limited pattern storage; according to Slate , "Those eight-bar units became veritable playgrounds for invention and creativity." Artists manipulated

11449-444: Was the first programmable music sequencer device, and the first example of repetitive music technology , powered by hydraulics . In 1206, Al-Jazari , an Arab engineer , invented programmable musical automata , a " robot band " which performed "more than fifty facial and body actions during each musical selection." It was notably the first programmable drum machine . Among the four automaton musicians were two drummers. It

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