Roland TR-808

The Roland TR-808 was one of the first programmable drum machines. Like its predecessors, it sounded nothing at all like a real drum kit, but as its kick drum produced a very deep sounding amount of sub-bass, it became very popular within electronic music. It did not have MIDI, unlike its follow up, the TR-909. The TR-808 also was the inspiration for the name of the British electronic outfit 808 State.