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, ...

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Released in 1980, the Roland TR-808 was designed as an alternative to an acoustic drum kit for musicians to record with, but took on a new life in hip-hop, pop, R&B, techno, house and electro, as ...

Introduced in 1980 by Japanese electronics manufacturer Roland, the TR-808 Rhythm Composer was, in some ways, doomed to fail from the very beginning. By the time it hit the shelves, the early machine ...

The TR-808 drum machine help crafted many classics records, to celebrate the device’s 40th anniversary, Roland decided to bless beat junkies with some freebies. There is also a very insightful ...

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Today, Roland announced it has brought back its iconic drum machine, the TR-808, for its Boutique ...

It’s the TR-808 drum machine’s 40th anniversary this year, and Roland is marking 808 Day (8/08, of course) with a flood of goodies to celebrate the legendary instrument. To begin with, there’s a mini ...

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer is the most famous drum machine ever made. It remains a staple of modern production despite being more than 30 years old. Roland just posted a video teasing for a new ...

The music-making machine that almost single-handedly birthed pop and hip-hop beats is back in production with some major updates. There hasn’t been anything quite like the 808 in decades, and Roland ...

If you’re into hip-hop and pop, you’ve probably heard “808” at some point. That’s a reference to the iconic Roland TR-808, a drum machine created by Ikutaro Kakehashi in 1980. Its unique dribbling ...