Behringer RD-8 Quickstart Guide and Tutorial 

Absolutely fantastic, Behringer should be paying you for doing this.

Thank you! Thought my unit was DOA. It only arrives with a "Quick Start" that just describes the connections. Thanks to you I got some sound out of it! :-)

Thanks for the video! I can learn in a day what would have taken me months to figure out, as well as some stuff I would probably have never figured out with how I was getting on with the manual.

One of my fave uses for the WD is about 8pm attack and full sustain on a cymbal with full decay, set up some kicks and hit the lo toms through it too and watch what happens to the cymbal being sucked and pushed , almost lfo like, very nice tool.

Excellent tutorial, got me up and running in like 5 minutes. Thanks for making this!

Thank you kind sir! Just got mine yesterday and got damn I love it already

Starksy for THE WIN!!!! Thank you so much for making this easy. Was having a hard time getting into the RD-8 until I saw your video. As always, you are my Sensei Of Sound!

So great to listen to him.

Great job as always, thanks

Very cool! I just ordered one yesterday! Thanks for sharing.

Great video. Particularly helpful for programming songs.

Okay, I've watched you through now and have found this very useful. I'm going to have to look around at other videos about this piece as well. This has been far more informative for a n00b like me though than many videos with much more elaborate production, I think this is the kind of video you want to learn from.

Thanks for the video, great stuff. I ordered one of these today and can't wait for it to arrive, looks like fun and excellent sounds

Excellent video. Was wondering where I was going wrong with a few areas. Hadn’t had a chance to read the manual

Excellent video! Been thinking about this one and the Crave lately, I just bought them and your videos have been REALLY helpful! Something about the cryptic character of interfaces from these glory days of electronic dance music, really reminds me of computers from those days too. Your video is dense with information that I need to learn my way around and it is presented in the order, roughly, that other n00bs to this hardware will encounter it as well. Or that's how it's been for me. This is from the older days of interfaces, you have to do a little searching to find those sweet spots sometimes. Not going to go on about how lovely the machine is because I just wanted to comment on your video. I like the fact that you didn't have to add a lot of bling, you got right to the point and it worked well, for me. Subscribed.

Nice! The sound is awesome, I mean so close to the original I'm really blown away tbh. Top vid

Thanks mate, excellent video as usual

Thank you for this! Great video 👍🏼

Thank you so much for doing this!!

I got one this week, I have been watching this vid to get started, Thanks. I have the v2/Mark2 version with first black keys instead the white ones. In this version, looks like the probability is off by default and it shows in different led color which step the probability is enabled. Nice.

Didn't even bother with the manual and probably wouldn't have worked it out in a hurry as its not obvious, so thanks for your excellent tutorial. I had no intentions of buying this as I was happy with cloud and Tr8 but saw it for £220 new and couldnt resist. I must admit when I first used it I wasnt blown away as maybe I was expecting more due to the legendary status of the 808. I even tried the cloud alongside it and that sounded nicer to begin with, very punchy and detailed whereas the RD8 was more subdued. It wasn't until I used it in the context of a recording alongside the TD3 that it all made sense. The RD8 has that magical 80s sound whereas the cloud version doesn't. I could easily recreate all those famous 80s electro and house tracks with the RD8 and they felt much the same whereas I couldnt recreate the same with the plugin, it sounded good but was missing something and didn't balance too well in the mix. I only intended to test it out and put it back in the box until later but had to be dragged off it 5 hours later as I was having so much fun, this machine is highly addictive and I haven't experienced this in any plugin emulation so far or even the Tr8. Very pleased with this, yet another Behringer classic at an unbelieveable price.

Great video. I just got this one but and used to have a TR808. There are a lot more options with the Behringer. Love it

Thanks so much for this! Helped a lot to get started!

Thanks for this review.I order mine 3 weeks ago but i have to wait for it

This is appreciated! Great job.

18:17 - The work around "Flam" bullshit is to make an empty 64 bar pattern with flam deactivated everywhere and save it as your initial pattern like song 1 pat one, so in the future you will have it deactivated everywhere and active it when needed :) (same thing for probability)

Excellent video -- many thanks!

Great job, really helpful. Thanks.

Finally getting mine on Friday!!!! WOOOOOOT!!!

Thank you Sir! Yes I subscribed! Best RD-8 Tuto on NET!

This was súper useful, thank you so much

With the midi out and I’d like to see something like this connected to an MPC live as a sequencer. Any have experience with this?

Brilliant simple for minds

Thank you for this!

Great Tutorial :)

I have read on countless occasions that no two TR-808s sound the same, so who is to say that it doesn't sound like one of the originals? I have the poor man's 808 a 606. I wasn't interested in purchasing an RD-8, because I have the 606 and samples of an 808 that can be triggered on my Akai MPX8, until you sold it to me (Behringer take note, sign up Starsky now). I can overlook it's quirks/foibles because at £299 it's a bl00dy bargain. Great video as always Starsky. Keep churnin' 'em out la'.

The workflow looks a lot like that of the Roland MC grooveboxes, minus the menu diving. I’m pretty stoked about having more than 16 step A and B patterns, I’m coming from the Aira TR-8. I think I’m equally as excited about not frying my eyes with the TR-8’s LEDs

thanks 4 the tutorial RD8 brill

Aight!!! Thanx man, this vid does what the manual could never make clear to me, the unlit pattern/song was the point I got stuck, and really _frustrated._ Your vid's info isn't even made clear on behringer's own channel.....

Excellent video. I had my own head scratch moments when mine arrived! Had to switch it off a couple of times having got stuck 😂

Gr8 video, thanks!

Thanks! I was really annoyed by the Flam affecting all the voices (wtf?) but thanks to this video I figured out how to solve this. Thnx a lot!!

Only just got mine after a 2 year wait (for all of us, right?), so this is helpful as in the box the Quick Start manual just told me what the buttons do, NOT how to programme up the beast! Now DL'd the User Manual off Behringer's website Music Tribe. More UL's please!! Cheers 😎🎶👍

Thank you kind sir 🙏

godverdomme wat een wereldvideo. Thanks a lot. Very helpful indeed

Nice starter tutorial and sooo useful since the original manual (is it even a manual?) is useless. Thanks for that !!!

Thank You!!! I'm trying to figure one of these out!!! I subscribed to you. I will check out your videos. Cheers!!!

Awesome thanks

This Video is a big help for the beginning with RD-8, Thanks

Thank you!!

I love how it sounds I have had mine for nearly a week now it's as close as you are going to get to the original.

Cheers for the info 👍 😎

I had a problem with mine initially - had to perform a reset.....works fine now

thx for the lesson

I have recently acquired an RD-8, and just now powered it on- this video is a great help- I have watched it multiple times... btw- your facebook link is a dead end... and, I wish that you'd consider publishing an "RD-8 For Dummies" guide book- ha ha; but, seriously- would you, please?

my shyt just arrived today looks like I have a lot to learn

Just got it and having a blast with it. What I need to do now is synching it's midi clock with a synthesiser (Roland Gaia or Behringer Monopoly)

they should write a program, like a wrapper; for all the Behringer drum machine like models someone would use for electronic music. rd-8,9, td-3, etc. as "modular" software devices. perfect tutorial. thanks again :)

Thanks! 👍🏻

I can’t get over how great this device sounds. It’s ace. On a side note I cannot imagine Behringer leaving Flam and Probability staying that way to program as it’s totally backwards. Might be an error? 😬 Waiting for mine to arrive. Next it 909!!!

can-t wait for the rd-9

Agree on probability and flam suggestion. Hope that will be changed in future updates. Did you compare individual outs with master summing?

I would have done all the things...forget to hit Record, forget to hit Save...brilliant coverage here

Whoaaa man. I like your settings Bro! Uno Mass!

Please one Video more about Dump-Handling, Step-,Note-Repeat Recording in RD-8, Copy-Functions, etc Thanks

Great vid. The manual needs work for sure or maybe it was intentional to force us to experiment. Just a little pedantic thing in your vid: at 16:05 you say "Not flashing = Not muted" but flashing = not muted.

Manual says you need a balanced TRS cable for the mono output and some people reported (myself included) low gain by using an unbalanced TS cable, it seems the mono output is phase inverted while the individual outs aren't, meaning higher gain on those.

Hahah - I've thought mine was broken at first too. I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING!! All sorted now and thanks for the video.

Great info especially on all this song mode stuff, pattern chaining and all that! Flam pre -set for everything seems quite weird indeed, I can (kind of) see why they did it for probability though.

Bought one. Sounded great, but found the record,save a massive pain in the arse. Sold it Not sure why B could not have made the basics Exactly the same as the original, but with added features .. I never tried it without headphones, but the effects section does not function thru headphones anyway..so thought I’d just use as I would a traditional 808, but it’s not the same

2 missed tricks on the rd8 i find , 1. Using seperate outs does not defeat the instrument on the mono bus out, this would enable you to group instruments on mono and solo some from group if you used these on seperate ( like on the rx5 , i dont remember if my original 808 did this) 2. return bus cant be used to channel external sound through wave designer

Auto scroll during song creation had me going crazy!!

Brilliant video, do you know if the Roland tb3 will work with this? Bearing in mind I'm not using a computer

programming probability seems to be tedious but you could programm a empty preset pattern for this, right? maybe something with probability on the weak steps of the kick, hi hat and claves for example. do it for 4 bars so you dont always have to do the same stuff again and again. you can recall it work on it and then save it to another place when you finished. when working on a beat you just have to adjust it to your liking. or would it not work?

I've managed to setup Drumazon to respond to the midi out of the RD8. So if your ever bored of the sounds and want to turn the RD8 into a 909 with the benefit of the sequencer features (probability , polyrhythms etc) give me a shout and I'll send you the drum map for drumazon. 👍

try putting the instrument voice switches in the middle position xD

Thanks for this...... great intro. One question I can't find the answer to anywhere is, what does the tap/hold button do when held? The manual mentions macros and leaves it as a mystery.....

How do you save your patterns and songs to computer?

1:30 Simple Question: isn't the filter and wave designer out useless if you use individual outs? and if you use main out it will be mono so everything sound in the middle as there is no panning option? am I wrong?

Another important thing I like to ask: If I save a Song 1 pattern with the kick for example with a different tone level say the knob is at 2. Then on another song 2 with the kick at tone level 8. I SAVE THESE: Then when I go do a live, does the sounds of the kick played at song 1 still be at tone 2 and when play song 2 will the kick be at tone 8?

Has anyone noticed that if you leave the unit unplugged for power, there must be something plugged into the audio out for the unit to power up? Only happens when it has been unplugged for power for a few days

I’ve been thinking of one of these in my production flow as all my drums are samples. Honestly I’m a big 909 fan, even if they get one or two things wrong. But after watching it’s convinced me, for my style I rather wait for the 909 or a linn drum clone. Sounds great and the feature sets seems easy to learn, but I mean the kick on this thing is the main star, along with the snare behind it. From an 808 I’ve never really liked the cowbell or cymbals, I n comparison to the 909. The 909 seems less dull and futuristic to me as a full kit. But if I could have both, I def welcome this kit... just not as a main drum machine. Feel the same way Towards say an ms20 or Moog vs a 303. Different beasts, but the 808 has a dull heavy lower mid range muck to me, in comparison to a 909. Nailed it though!

Great vid! Can you cave the bass drum play more than 1 tone in the same pattern? Like in OutKast “the way you move.” I know yall want that 808 Can you feel the B A S S bass?

Is there a way to change the midi ch to 10 ? I hooked it up to my best step pro but it's so sketchy it misses hits randomly

Amazing tutorial as always. I recently bought the RD-8, I noticed the output level is very low even with the pots all the way up (about -20db), is this normal?

Tnx this video was also "GR808"

Just received it today. I can't understand why only the Mid Tom, Rim Shot and Hand Clap buttons are working, while the others not?? They doesn't make ANY sound while pressing trigger, even the knob are on a higher level. Any help, please?

Hi! Can you record the sequence as MIDI on a DAW and edit that sequence on the computer? Thanks!

When i connect my rd8 with my d05 via midi, my drumloops also are playing on my d05 in notes, like the bass, snares, hats etc, i have to set my d05 to another channel and not 1 and while it still triggers play etc, the step and note repeat don't seem to work anymore on d05

Hey thank you very much, nice video ! I have being having a problme on mine... if i click on mute / solo, the button flash in orange but the select for each voices doesn't flash in red like yours... and the Wave designer receive signals but doesnt affect my voices, same for the FX, any advice please ?

Hey man, great tutorial. Does the unit save your programmed beats when you turn it off? Does it require battery back up?

Can you program a shuffled beat like "I Know You Got Soul"?

I have the RD 8. How do I save individual BPM‘s for different patterns

Is it easy to set the RD 8 up in Ableton? Can I record the midi from my patterns into Ableton and record the automation I use for adjusting the sounds on the RD8 live?

I have not messed with probability at all. Have they fixed it so it works with a single instrument with any firmware updates, that you know of?

Hello ! Can the rd8 do unquantize recording? Can it also have different step size per track? Cool review !

How does this stack up against the Drumbrute? Which would you prefer or which sounds better?

Ordered one of these yesterday and i'm a COMPLETE BEGINNER to making music (although i've been dj'ing for 22yrs)... Stupid question alert... Do i need to have this going to my Xone 4D mixer and monitors to get sounds from it? Same question goes for the Behringer TD-3 which i bought today... Hope someone can answer this... Cheers :)

Is it possible to apply swing just to the high hats? If so how?!

No a-b variation ? Can you record unquantized..? Can you play high and low conga's at the same time (like the drumbrute) or do you have to choose between them…? Thx