The Namco Museum soundtracks use the TR-808 extensively as the main rhythm generator. Other percussion and effects were added to the soundtrack via software sequencer.
is it for real? i can't find any proof sources for this...
are there any other games that used 808 for drums?
Why? 'cause 909 was the work horse for Detroit techno, whereas the 808 (nice sounds too, but... for softies) was too often used for cheap R&B, Soul and other related 'crap'. Not to say that some artists like FSOL and everyone Harthouse/Acid related did not intend to make good use of it...
> Soul? To cite Icon of Coil: 'The soul is in the software'.
I think you should get your hands on the equipment and play with it. The 808 and the 909 are worlds apart.
There is no "software" on the 808, it's like an analog synthesizer but with less knobs on it. And like older synths (and arcade games with discrete sound such as Asteroids) the sounds it generates are affected by temperature, humidity and component age.
The 909 is purely digital and has MIDI. You can place it outside in a snow storm and it will continue to sound exactly the same as it always does. It's a robot.
Almost every sound the 808 can produce has a separate control voltage output on the back, when connected to the trigger input on another analog synth you can use this to make the hi-hat of the 808 play chords on the synth, for example. Or you could plug it in to a vocoder and make the hi-hat "sing"!
I used to hook it up to a Korg Polysix, then put it on 'hold' and use the arpeggiator to play a few selected low notes but in random order. Those would then be triggered by the 808's bass drum output so that a bass note always would play when the bass drum played.
When you connect old analog equipment like this, there is a slight lag on the triggered sounds that causes a certain swing or groove that you don't get with digital equipment. Then add and tweak some delay effects and the most incredible grooves grow out of it like some kind of grotesque funk plant.
It's very cool and fun to play with. unlike the 909, this type of gear has a "living and breathing" quality to it. That's what I mean when I say that it has soul.
> > Soul? To cite Icon of Coil: 'The soul is in the software'. > > I think you should get your hands on the equipment and play with it. The 808 and the > 909 are worlds apart. > > There is no "software" on the 808, it's like an analog synthesizer but with less > knobs on it. And like older synths (and arcade games with discrete sound such as > Asteroids) the sounds it generates are affected by temperature, humidity and > component age. > > The 909 is purely digital and has MIDI. You can place it outside in a snow storm and > it will continue to sound exactly the same as it always does. It's a robot. > > Almost every sound the 808 can produce has a separate control voltage output on the > back, when connected to the trigger input on another analog synth you can use this to > make the hi-hat of the 808 play chords on the synth, for example. Or you could plug > it in to a vocoder and make the hi-hat "sing"! > > I used to hook it up to a Korg Polysix, then put it on 'hold' and use the arpeggiator > to play a few selected low notes but in random order. Those would then be triggered > by the 808's bass drum output so that a bass note always would play when the bass > drum played. > > When you connect old analog equipment like this, there is a slight lag on the > triggered sounds that causes a certain swing or groove that you don't get with > digital equipment. Then add and tweak some delay effects and the most incredible > grooves grow out of it like some kind of grotesque funk plant. > > It's very cool and fun to play with. unlike the 909, this type of gear has a "living > and breathing" quality to it. That's what I mean when I say that it has soul. > > S
This was pure joking on my part, scusi for getting it the wrong way. Almost everything now can be recreated truthfully in Sw, Arturia's TAE is a good example. And adding quantization / swing / shuffle / od time signatures (the 'soul') in the sequencer of your choice should do it most of the time. The interface and accessibility is another question, though. I was interested in analog sound creation technology during the 90's, so i think my background is not that bad. Ever needed to warm up an old analogue beast to get it into stable tuning...
Btw, owned an TR707, JX-8P, and R70 myself (still have it). Loved the MIDI speed dial and the step sequencer on the 707, it's the closest to the 909. Loved to own an MC-202 and TR-606, but those days are over. My experiences with the 808 come mostly from the Rebirth recreation which is not even virtual analog in the strict sense but 90% sample based, i admit. I'm almost exclusively into VSTi stuff, because it's reliable, doesn't take up space, and besides not having to dust everything off, you cannot damage the physical appearance of your babies with your sweat etc.
> I'm almost exclusively into VSTi stuff, because it's > reliable, doesn't take up space, and besides not having to dust everything off, you > cannot damage the physical appearance of your babies with your sweat etc.
Ditto, although screwing with MAME eats nearly all the time I'd otherwise use for that sort of thing.
If I can steer this somewhat in the vicinity of on-topic, there's a lovely VSTi called Chipsounds that gives you very precise emulation of 15 classic arcade and console sound chips. And the guy who programs it does experiments on the actual chips and shares his results with MAME/MESS, which is uber cool.
> But blows for actual musical timbres. Digital all the way.
lol, now you're just trolling.
And what the hell is a "musical timbre"?!
You can make music out of anything that produces a sound. A synthesizer (analog or digital) is a real instrument in its own right, if you like it better when it sounds like a saxophone or an acoustic guitar, fine, but why waste time with that when you can make so many awesome and fresh sounds that nobody has ever heard before?
Music is not based in sound, but in harmonic language. (This means non-pitched percussion doesn't count. Arguably, even Milton Babbitt would disagree with me.) However, timbre has some relation to intonation, and this latter facilitates harmonic language.
Without these, you have a sonic experience. You might enjoy it, but it ain't music. (Xenakis would surely disagree with me.)
So, back to gear: analog synths produce cheesy, generic, raw sounds, that effects can't dress up.
By the way, whether they may disagree with me, my sources trump yours - not only chronologically, but academically, and philosophically.
> > But blows for actual musical timbres. Digital all the way. > > lol, now you're just trolling. > > And what the hell is a "musical timbre"?! > > You can make music out of anything that produces a sound. A synthesizer (analog or > digital) is a real instrument in its own right, if you like it better when it sounds > like a saxophone or an acoustic guitar, fine, but why waste time with that when you > can make so many awesome and fresh sounds that nobody has ever heard before? > > Have you ever heard of Walter/Wendy Carlos? > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Carlos > > Joe Zawinul? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Zawinul > Listen to the Weather Report albums Tale Spinnin', Black Market and Heavy Weather. > > S
Consider it high comedy....sincere tragedy....whatever...don't take it personally.
> > So, back to gear: analog synths produce cheesy, generic, raw sounds, that effects > > can't dress up. > > I'm sorry you feel that way, that means you'll never get to enjoy a lot of great > music from the past 30 years.
xEleventy-billion.
I've heard similar arguments before regarding electric vs. acoustic guitars; they aren't any more valid in that case than they are in analogue vs. digital synths.
Analogue synths create and reproduce sounds in a way that digital ones simply can't and vice-versa. I'm fine with both, but dismissing one or the other simply because of how they generate those sounds is exactly that: dismissive.
Preferring one to the other is fine - but opinion doesn't make for an absolute judgement on the matter.
> Analogue synths create and reproduce sounds in a way that digital ones simply can't > and vice-versa. I'm fine with both, but dismissing one or the other simply because of > how they generate those sounds is exactly that: dismissive.
Yeah, my usual synth setup has a Korg EX8000 (digitally controlled analog), Yamaha TX7 (digital FM) and Yamaha P-155 (ROMpler). Each does a separate job, and they all contribute to delivering music.
> By the way, whether they may disagree with me, my sources trump yours - not only > chronologically, but academically, and philosophically.
Abracadabra dude, is that you?
I hate to quote Elvis Costello because it means people will think I live in Brooklyn and have ironic facial hair, but "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture".
> If only someone would beat that into album reviewers' heads. I've always found album > reviews to be the most infuriating type of articles/reads.
Popcul reviewers generally have no real knowledge of music. While those in art music may, a 'review' still often becomes a matter of what they thought about the music. In which case, all one has to say is whether they liked it.
'Why' could be a different story, but usually isn't. It is for me - ie: harmonic and rhythmic elements used.
> Abracadabra dude, is that you? > > I hate to quote Elvis Costello because it means people will think I live in Brooklyn > and have ironic facial hair, but "Writing about music is like dancing about > architecture".
Nope, never been. People dance about architecture all the time, even when outdoors. Talking about music doesn't take the place of listening to it - but it can severely complement it. Regardless, I mostly was discussing sound, sound generation, and composition.
Consider it high comedy....sincere tragedy....whatever...don't take it personally.
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