An 808 bass line is a type of bass line that is typically used in hip hop and electronic music. The name comes from the Roland TR-808 drum machine, which was one of the first drum machines to use digital samples. The 808 bass line is characterized by its deep, booming sound.
Is 808 a kick or bass?
The difference between an 808 and a kick drum is that an 808 refers to just the low-end bass sounds that emanate from the kick, but not the attack of the kick drum. In other words, an 808 is the bass – the sound and frequency – whereas the kick refers to the actual kick drum or VST.
Why is 808 called bass?
Many know an ‘808’ nowadays to be a booming bass drum sound, frequent in almost all modern hip hop music. But the term 808 came from a drum machine that Roland produced in 1980: the TR-808 Rhythm Composer.
What type of bass is 808?
808s are a type of electronic percussion sample that originates from the Roland TR-808 drum machine. They’re characterized by a punchy low-end subby-ness that is easily tunable to different pitches.
What instrument is a 808?
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 808, is a drum machine manufactured by the Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patterns.
Why are 808s so popular?
Unlike most drum machines at the time, the 808 gave musicians remarkable freedom: You weren’t limited to pre-programmed rhythms or orchestrations, which meant you could fashion sounds and stack them on top of one another until you’d created something that had never been heard before.
Are kick and bass the same?
Like if you have big headphones, if you cover one side with your hand, you’ll feel vibrations from the music. Most of those vibrations are bass. A kick drum is a percussion instrument that’s mostly bass. Kick drums are usually pretty short sounds.
Did Kanye invent 808s?
What Kanye was able to create with 808s paved the way for trap music and some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop today wouldn’t exist, or at least wouldn’t be who they are if it wasn’t for 808s.
What instrument makes bass in rap?
There are two main ways to compose a bass line in today’s hip-hop climate. You can choose a more traditional route by writing and recording a bass guitar or synth bass part, or you can go for a super-low, super-sub bass by using trap-style 808-kick bass lines or other sine wave sounds.
Who popularized 808s?
His name was Afrika Bambaataa, and his 1982 masterstroke “Planet Rock” is widely believed to be the first hip-hop single to utilize the 808. The song would become hip-hop’s sonic Magna Carta.
What does 808 stand for?
What does 808 mean? 808 is the common nickname for the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, an electronic drum machine from the 1980s popular in hip-hop music. 808 is also often mistakenly referenced as the penal code for “disturbing the peace.”
Do 808s count as drums?
The TR-808, and other machines in the TR series were drum machines.
What does it mean to tune an 808?
808’s are incredible sub sounds that are used heavily in hip hop since the 80s. The whole dirty south and trap genre is based on 808’s, as was Rick Rubin’s style in the 80s (Beasty Boys, LL Cool J etc). 808’s can be used to replace basslines cause no other sound so far can compete with the sub of an 808.
Who introduced 808s to rap?
Afrika Bambaataa
The 808: Meaning in Hip-Hop
One of the first popular songs to use the 808 was “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa, a seminal track in hip-hop culture that brought rap to dance floors in the 1980s.
Why did Kanye make 808s and heartbreak?
The 2008 release was his first after the passing of his mother, Donda, who played a tremendously large role in his life, considering she was a single mother. “808s” was West’s way of dealing with his internalized sadness, not only from his mother’s passing, but also from other aspects of his tumultuous personal life.
What songs today use the 808 sound?
808: The Playlist
- Planet Rock. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force.
- Egypt Egypt. The Egyptian Lover.
- Let the Music Play. Shannon.
- Hip Hop, Be Bop (Don’t Stop) Man Parrish.
- Set It Off (Vocal) Strafe.
- It’s Yours (12″ Radio Mix) T La Rock.
- Yo! Bum Rush the Show.
- Paul Revere. Beastie Boys.
Why are my 808s so quiet?
808s are made up almost entirely of low-end frequencies. This is why they’re tricky to mix. While you might hear them on big speakers, they often disappear on small ones that can’t play back sub frequencies.
What is 90s rap called?
Golden age hip hop is a name given to mainstream hip hop music created from the mid-1980s to early-mid 1990s, particularly by artists and musicians originating from the New York metropolitan area.
Does 808 have to be in Key?
A lot of 808 samples can be a random note (G#, F, A, etc.). Of course you can play/tune your 808s to your song so you can pitch them out and play a melodic bass line.
Should bass be louder than drums?
The bass should be loud enough that the low end is big and powerful, but not so loud that it overpowers the kick drum. Remember to check your reference mixes often to make sure you’re staying on course. Once you have the bass level where you want it, don’t be afraid to adjust some of the other faders as well.
Should kick be lower than bass?
Traditionally, the kick drum bangs out the lower portion of the low-end while the bass hums along higher. What is this? But in recent pop music, largely in techno and drum & bass electronic music, the bass will be the lower of the two. Both options are legit and you’ll need to make this choice first.