Sonic LAB: Roland Tr-08 Boutique Drum Machine 

Excellent video Gaz! I always enjoy your personality. :) I bought the TR-08 when it came out and the TR-808 last year. I did a comparison video of the two and I feel this new version is pretty close to the original. And after working with the TR-808 for the last year I really love the new functions they offered on it. Thanks for making this wonderful video. I love the Roland Boutique line. After carrying around the originals for the last year it sure makes it more convenient to move around. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Still planning on getting this! It will fit good in a mix & my budget! Thank you for this video!!

Thanks Gaz and SonicState! Pretty much decided I wanted one soon as they were teased - your review has only cemented that idea:-)

Thanks , Gaz! What a nice review! I just got mine a week ago for about HK$2,000 on sale which was great. I also owned a TR505 which was a nice machine too but I’ve found theTR08 to be having a lotta fun to work with.

Just bought mine today, fun to have a stand alone drum machine

This is a very good product review, good intro of nearly all features and a run through of what is plugged in and not (reviewers are often crap at explaining the ports) a good practical demo of this calibre is just what I need to crack on and learn how to program my new TR-08.

Thank you so much for the Video. Bought a tr-08 the other Day but totally did not got into it.had no idea how to program.with your vid i finally got into it and can use it now.

Love it Gaz! Real blue peter vibe to this sonic LAB (in a great way!) Merry Christmas all!

Thanks Gaz! Great review!

Nice. Good to show it does have separate outs into DAWs. Also good you mentioned the TR-8 for everyone who prefers the practical. The 08 is all about the look and history.

Got mine recently. Thought the small knobs and buttons would be a problem with my large f'd up handz but so far I am too busy having fun twerkin' da knerbz to notice any such problem. The unit while small, seems quite tight/solid/not cheap. Even the tiny button things seem better than larger ones on another "groove box" I've got. And it's solid metal case is a nice thing to feel in the winter. Convenient adjustable angle stand thing is a nice touch and comes in handy. Most importantly it sounds plenty "phat" for real! I can understand how this may not be for "most" musicians but it works well for me... a DAW-less "producer" who loves little hardware gadgets and lots of fun effects.

Great review again Gaz

Having Gaz and Nick represent Sonicstate is one of the absolute benefits of the core. Both have deep passions for their demos,and it shows. What a great team.⚡️ I’m not sure if they’ve worked together on music and live shows,but I bet that combo would rock.⚡️

thank you, I've enjoyed watching you. now need to buy it ;]

Great video, thanks Gaz : )

apologies if someone already asked this/got it answered, but what other drum machine/software combo allows you to record and split all the parts into separate tracks all at once like what he does at 15 minutes in??

Very informative without being too OTT on tech details. Thanks.

Entertaining review thankyou Gaz.

Amazing choice of t-shirt there Gaz

Very helpful tips here,eg i couldn't figure out the copying of patterns so I'll try reversing it like this guy.

THAT DEFINING MOMENT THOUGH @18:40 GAZ... YOU TOUCH MY SOUL WITH SUCH EXPRESSION OF LOGICAL CURIOUSITY!

Excellent demo! Thanks!

I own various drum machines including the Roland Tr-08, and found a 808 menu on one of my old drum machines, a Dr-5 I had from the maybe mid 90's and the sound on that sounds remarkably like my Tr-08 in quality...

Thanks for this, super informative.

i feel your enthusiasm gaz...same like mine. Best machine from roland.

Best Overview so far thanks 😀

Great presentation Gaz.

I was unable to afford an 808 in the 80s but was fortunate to purchase a second-hand 606, the poorman's 808, to go with my second-hand 101 and 202. From owning the 606, I recognise many of the features and the methodology for programming a Roland drum machine. Point 1. I love the nostalgia of programming drums in this way and it would perhaps, offer younger fans of electronic gear a different modus operandi for producing electronic music, which cannot be at all bad. 2. Many of the reviews of using the 808 by 808 owners comment on the fact that no two 808s sound the same due to the analogue technology available at the time. So it may be worth younger electronic enthusiasts noting that point when electronic 'officiandos' or mates become @rsy. Great review Gaz and well thought out as always.

Channels over usb is a cool little feature, hope to see that more in the future.

Now I wanna see a Boutique reissue of the LinnDrum so I won’t pay out the nose for a vintage one!

le tshirt du groupe français MAGMA

anyone know if the trig out can be used as a gate signal for Microbrute?

Sounds like AIRA engine in new small case with retro original 808 touch.

Hey hi, how do i set up cubase 11 pro on a mac so that I can record and hear plus see the multiple tracks via usb out of this please???? Big ask but I cannot find an answer on internet

Hell yeah! Nice Magma shirt!

9:35 the way you said that made me miss my british friends straight away :D great review!

A lot of the potential customers for the TR-08 are people who have collected a good few of the other Boutiques and simply can't resist the nostalgic appearance.

Great review.

For a similar prize you can get the MFB Tanzmaus or the Tanzbar Lite which are analog (for the purists) and also have parameter locks and much more modulation probabilities, also separate outputs for when wanted or necessary. This one for me seems more like a really fun drum machine but not a serious one when compared to the other options in the market. I would still buy one just for the fun and looks of it.

Can you play bass drum chromatically with a midi keyboard?

does anyone knows music using drum machine like the video? im really gettin into it now

Where can I get that amazing magma t???

The knobs on the TR-808 instrument channels are even smaller than on the boutique

The tb-03 comes with the dock in silver. So I’m a bit ticked off that the rest don’t come in the dock

Gaz my tr o6 won’t re set ,, plus. What’s next. Korg u no the one about 140 quid /with the sequencer , or behringer 303 replica ,, and I don’t use computers ,. Any tips on mixers ,,.cheers from briz

Crazy, watching this at 8:08am

How does something like this compare to an equivalent VST? Is there a noticeable audible difference?

This guy is Freakin AWESOME

I love Gaz William's enthusiasm, and it helps peak my interest in things, such as the boutique line, which generally do not appeal to me. The USB audio feature is quite nice, and would be a great asset for any drum machine. Nicely done, and entertaining as well.

Very cool T shirt of Magma : the fantastic french progressive rock band with the fabulous drummer Christian Vander . Seventies was really an awesome period for music !

Very good review, as a previous owner of an original 808 I was especially interested in the emulation of its workflow. The substep feature in particular is very promising as an enhancement, because for something like that you had to recreate your pattern then. However, I don't remember if the 808 forced you to have the same step number for A/B, which the TR-08 does (I just read that in the Tr-08-manual, but couldn't figure it out in the 808 manual).

Roland got it right! Good review.

Gaz, as always excellent video. I bought the Roland TR-08 AIRA version when it came out and still haven't stopped tinkering with it. for a few more dollars the AIRA edition is well worth it. Especially for triggering your own samples via MIDI (if you have a sampler laying around) with the new firmware update. This boutique edition is just that. A boutique item. It's for those who are limited on space and have always wanted a piece of Roland history without the fuss, mess of trying to acquire the original. My TR-08 Aira edition can't quite sit in my lap while on the couch plus I am then tethered by the AC adapter, but this boutique edition one can add batteries and case and easily enjoy life on a commute on the bus or train / tube / subway. I know I would have easily picked it up if I didn't have to drive. Great review again as always, Gaz.

Can you use this with the roland tb-3?

Gotsta love that Magma shirt

So you can’t step edit (rearrange) the sounds on the laptop?

Stereo mix is what windows calls an aggregate device (I'm guessing, never used a mac), it's just an option on the recording devices

First a shout-out to all: Even if you're not gonna watch the whole thing, jump to 20:00 !!! Great review, Gaz' enthusiasm is quite contagious, but I've noticed several reviewers are starting to hit the nail on the head regarding the boutique series. Between the missing PSU and some weaknesses in the connectivity, they just seem a little too expensive. It's not actually about them being digital or any of that. And gotta say; that bottom end, especially on the closing jam.

Hello folks! I have really appreciated Sir Williams's examination on Tr-O8, I appreciating his accent very much, so i should ask you if there are any suggestion about A-O1 by Roland. I would like to know more of that machine before to buy and use it. Greatings from Pescara!

If it acts as a decent controller for the cloud TR-808 vst then it might be worth getting

Gaz was only 46 when the original 808 came out

Nice of you pointing towards the signature misusage of the bd now being an actual feature of it being allowed to feature an extense decay. But lacking the ability of programming basslines internally due to not being able to tune the bd, is it possible to do so on an external hardware sequencer? This unanswered quest is the only unsolved mystery keeping me from getting a hold of this. I want this as a bassline badly, just as, in contrary, I would not want my 303 as a bassline at all...

Veeery cool Magma shirt, Gaz. 😍👍

Have looked at all the current drum machines and decided on the Elektron Digitakt. By far the most value box of the moment. No dubt the TR-08 is fun and sounds good but eventually you want more functionality and sounds. Agree with Gaz it is expensive.

4:57 Gaz == only guy doing a TR-08 review who knows how to pronounce clave!

Sounded like the synth on those daw disc?

Analogue chic Huh? Can't deny the accessibility of a stand alone machine vs a 'puter window. Funnily enough I dug my old Alesis SR-16 out the other day. I think I might still have an old 606 around here somewhere. I certainly still have an SH-101 and a Kenton MIDI Converter which I used to run with it. >Koz disappears for days to return, covered with cobwebs and dust, clutching curious ancient device.... Nice review Gaz

Which Unit is Better? this one vs. The Behringer RD-8 - they both Sound so Authentic.

Sounds great and classic. Although I didn’t hear they huge kick drum from those famous rap songs it was used on. That why I would want to get one. Great demo just the same.

I just switch audio device in the middle of a session, Gaz..just to record my TR-8..then I switch back to my sound card..works a treat

The TR-8 emulates the 606/707/727/808/909 for just a little bit more. It surprises me there actually is a market for the TR-08.

Cool Magma shirt!

Love the MAGMA T-Shirt!!! - Good Man!!!

MAGMA!!!

At 3 minutes you mention the optional dock. My TR-08 came with the 2 angle tilt function at no extra cost !? I assumed this was standard. Are you sure its an optional extra ? Nice in depth review i learned a couple of things here today.

Is the 3.5mm audio output on the TR-08 Stereo or just summed mono?

I'm trying to trigger the D05 in the same way you triggered the TR08 at 4:32 with a Roland A800Pro in Reaper. I can't seem to figure it out. Can you point me in the right direction?

Got the USB 12-channel output working flawlessly in Win10 and Cubase by using ASIO4ALL.

Gaz should do a trap album

Nice Shirt Brother - Magma Forever

I am still bummed they didn't include audio out for each channel. Sure via usb-midi... But then I get groundloop noice :(. Guess I'll wait for the behringer rd808

You cant do the individual out on a PC...Well you can but you will end up scrapping it as its a total pita. If you have more than one you can only do one. And when yo udo that it has to be your interface. Hardly anyone will do that. The other issue is when the USB is pluggued in to your computer there is noise/hum. Its from the USB connection. So, the only way to get rid of that is to plug in to a USB power socket on the wall but then you lose the USB connectivity. I have the TR-09 one which is great. Shame about the USB/power/noise stuff though.

Biggest thing I miss on it are separate analog outs, audio over USB is fine if you just use one boutique but if you have more.. nope. It's a pain on PC, dunno about mac. Other than that it's really great.

Thanks

Karl Marx

At 14:54 Gaz made a new intro for all Sonic State videos in 2018.

looking forward to namm 2018...what next? Tr-8 II? updated tr - 8 maybe?..more patterns ir diff color scheme love to see a W30 boutique

WARNING FOR PC USERS!! doing the audio over USB thing is quite limited on windows. It only works if you use the TR-08 as your only soundcard, but what Gaz is referring to, using it as an aggregate device alongside your soundcard is very unstable in windows. You have to use ASIO4ALL and I did not get this to work cleanly. I am now a quite bit dissapointed with my tr-08 ... Wish sonicstate would have pointed this out. That would have made me reconsider my purchase ...

Magma Shirt!

oh, we got a Zeuhl lover here :D

HIM: "we don't have compression on an accent, that would be silly....." ME: "would it now.....? :-/ " lmao

is that boom sounding realistic like a real 808 boom?

Magma thsirt !!!

I see these drum machines as drum sets that have certain qualities and limitations. I prefer to have dedicated machines that are predictable when I add them to my jam at hand. I find the workflows are more conducive FOR ME than using one uber menu-diving "do-it-all oh but not that" single unit box (that is essentially a DAW).

Hey great review, I'm thinking of buying one of these! Is there any way of making patterns that are for instance 6 or 7 steps?

This is good to allow children to experience the great Roland of the past whose passionate lovers of circuitry are apparently gone.

Magma!!!

MAGMA!

Got my own for AUD $350. Should grab & connect it up & work thru this great tutorial ... but ... the couch has swallowed me up, passed out writing this, came to + crick in me neck🤣

This is a F*ck%n great review! Thank you 😄