Roland R8 Drummachine

Roland R8 Drummachine
Demo of the raw internal R8 Sounds, no added FX!

[@LittleRichard1988]

I bought an R-8 last summer, some of those sounds still sound realistic even by today's standards. I also love the contrasting grey casing and
black buttons on these older Roland units. The late 80s and 90s was definately the golden age of music production and this sort of gear still
sounds good in modern productions. I also have an Alesis SR-16.

[@lab-by-the-sea]

And they are built like a tank.A kid once attacked mine with some scissors, only minor damages ;-)

[@thomasmatthews8873]

I know A gentleman who did major damage with the R8. He had that Raw Pete Rock type sound that was to die for. Drum beats jumped out the speakers like Scorpion's "GET OVER HERE"

[@limelightstudio9694]

purchased my R-8 in 1989 and still programming drum tracks in my home studio :)

[@sachinbeatmaker]

I was born in 1989. Still a fan of R 8 😍

[@augustinenathan266]

This are timeless products

[@dpalaoro]

Thanks for going through the sounds. I was looking for a video with showing JUST the stock sounds. ❤

[@aki_gong6271]

Great thumping sounds. Tremendous machine!

[@soundadapter]

I once had the R8
great device
thumbs up
greeting Frank

[@lab-by-the-sea]

+soundadapter Hi Frank! Yes i remember when they showed it on the Roland Tour in 1988, the R8 was outstanding.Best wishes! RP

[@wernerschreiber3854]

ich hatte eine R8, für meine Band für das Schlagzeug mit Schocksensoren ausgestattet. War damals der Hit. Jetzt habe ich mir vor ein paar Jahren wieder eine Gebrauchte gekauft. ;))

[@SanplerVarondaro]

hey bro que buena
exelente el roland R5 un clasico gracias por el video saludos desde tijuana mx

[@Nikku4211]

So this is actually where the drums used in the SC-55 really came from...

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Many products from Roland after 1989 had samples from these R8 Sets and from the Cards.But with the different DA-Converters sounded a bit different.

[@ymotechnopopfan]

Great sounds!

[@zanecovington3438]

So is the actual studio drummer for Type O Negative circa 1996-2005ish?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Don't know Johnny personal!

[@LuisBaltes]

damnit, I hear a lot of rick rubin's productions in there :D

[@officialknightowlz]

Jo I was thinking the same shit, license to kill and radio frfr

[@jeffcole5565]

Can you link, for example, a 3/4 with a 2 to make a 5 beat measure? I need different meters, not just 4 or 3.

[@popbott2]

THIS DRUME MAHINE IZ HAWESOMEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! LUV
IT TONZ!!!

[@lab-by-the-sea]

+Pop Bott Hi Pop Bott! Yes and in 1989 the Studio standard.

[@chrislewis8579]

What sound card do you use in this video?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Sorry for answering late! No soundcard was used in the video, all onboard sounds.

[@TempoQuill]

Seems like this baby was pretty popular when composing SNES music.

[@lab-by-the-sea]

In the Studios for quite some time, also because it was undestructable hardware, built like a tank!

[@deelux5519]

Is there still need of an R8 full tutorial? I'm not going to waste time making one if the need has been filled elsewhere

[@paul-yy5qf]

yes please, I have had a look around youtube, can't find any tutorials, only short demos of how it sounds.

[@Originalcopy20]

Yes, that would be awesome!

[@Liliedugg]

Yes please

[@sonjaadamson1714]

2:50 Donkey Kong Country

[@GeneLeoneMix]

I used my R-8 used in this track: ua-cam.com/video/PSpNbMhnD8g/v-deo.html

[@MrJuicyHamburger]

Just bought one yesterday with the jazz card but no power supply. Any tips on how to find the power supply?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Hi Nathan, welcome to my channel.I think the Internet is the place, the Powersupply is special, i never saw other supplies for the R8 than the once from Roland. Maybe someone here has one from a broken R8 to sell!? Good luck!

[@luisderivas6005]

The supply is called a "Roland ACH-120". It's unfortunately a special split supply unit providing not only +10VDC at 500ma, but also -10VDC at 150ma. If you can find a mating plug, you could always take two 500ma 10VDC supplies, wire them in series, giving you a positive/negative and use the center tap as ground.

[@quido1360]

Hello! I received an email from you about helping me out with my Roland R8. I am having a hard time linking patterns together to create an entire song. I able to create 2 different patterns and would like to know how to link together, and would like to know how to make each pattern (as an example) play 12 bars (more or less) and then doing the same with another pattern and link the two together to create an entire song. It is probably very easy, but I am missing something or overlooking something that is right in front of me, per the instructional manual. Thanks for getting back to me on this. Any help, would greatly be appreciated!

[@DoctorMonkeyWrench]

Quido Song writing starts on Page 111: cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/R-8MKII_OM.pdf
In brief you want to hit the "song" button just below the "value" slider at top left. Hit "2" for write.
If the pattern you are trying to repeat for 12 bars is the first pattern, you will need to insert a repeat "||:" symbol BEFORE the pattern by hitting "select" one time. Then advance by hitting enter, and choose the pattern number you wanted repeated. After that, hit enter again, and hit "select" twice to get to the ":|| X?" (close repeat) symbol and tell it how many times you want to repeat with the +1 -1 keys. Keep hitting enter and adding patterns. Don't forget that before any pattern(s) you want repeated you must first put in a "||:" symbol before that pattern(s). If you want the whole thing to repeat, since you can have a few nested repeats, just insert a repeat in front of everything, and a close repeat at the end of every pattern. Tell it how many times to repeat. Bang. (the manual actually makes it sound like telling it the number of repeats is optional, but it unfortunately doesn't seem to be. so no endless looping a song)

[@quido1360]

+N ic (K) I forgot to tell you that I have the R8 and not the R8 MKII. The two drum machines must differ somewhat. As for the song write portion in my manual, that starts on page 125/126 and not page 111 and I am not sure what symbol you are talking about either, as I do not see that with my machine???? Do you have any video tutorials of how to create a song, step by step with created patterns???? That is what I need to know how to do, just step by step instructions???? I can create patterns, but creating a song with those created patterns, is what I am having a hard time understanding on how to do...I have actually created 5 patterns, which are stored on user patterns 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 and these are the patters I would like to link together, to complete a song I am trying to write. I am so close, but yet so far from understanding how to do this???? Please advise???

[@DoctorMonkeyWrench]

.

[@DoctorMonkeyWrench]

Quido
page 125 in that pdf IS page 111 of the manual. I have the R8 as well. The MKII just had different sound sets i believe.
Anyway,
I haven't even powered my machine on in a *while*. ... but look at page 113 in the manual for reference and essentially the simplistic version of the process is
Press SONG
Press 2 Write (on lcd)
Pick the pattern you want to use (on lcd)
Press ENTER
that advances to next pattern and you choose another pattern and repeat until you are done. Then play the song.
That symbol is a repeat symbol that you will eventually see on the LCD display once you are in Song mode. You can skip that for now and just string a few patterns together without any repeats. Look at my original comment to figure it out, thats why i wrote it. :D
cheers man.

[@quido1360]

+N ic (K) Thanks.... you have answered my questions and now I am able to do exactly what I was wanting..

[@carygeorges]

Thank you!. Can someone make a video tutorial on programming the R8?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

+Cary Georges Hi Cary! What would you like to see in a R8 Tutorial Video?

[@carygeorges]

+DJRexParis would it be possible to do a video tutorial and walk thru of programming the R8, chaining sequences together, and adding efx? Also using the step sequencer

[@lab-by-the-sea]

+Cary Georges ok cory i see, but what do have in mind with adding efx?

[@carygeorges]

+DJRexParis adding efx during live performing

[@deelux5519]

Do you still need one?

[@ignaciohiguera5634]

incorporate sounds or a card?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Only R8 no cards used!

[@drumroller27]

Hey are these the internal sounds or are you using a card?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

In the video are only the internal sounds of the original R8

[@VRENDesi]

This is osm 😍

[@quido1360]

I just watched your video clip on the R-8, which it appears you know how to create your own patterns. I recently purchased a used R-8 and having a hard time trying to figure out how to use the machine, particularly creating my own patters. The drums keypad sounds (at power-up) are acceptable, but I can't figure out how to create my own patters, just figured out how to play back preset patterns that programmed from the factory etc. I would like to know how to get started to create my own patterns to jam along with, but can't figure it out. In fact, I cant figure out how to even get the metronome started to try to create a pattern, I think in my opinion that the manual (though fairly straight forward) it is missing the essential basics for creating patterns etc. Any help would greatly be appreciated!

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Hi Quido, sorry saw your comment today. If you are still struggeling i can do a video for your help, what exactly do you wanna see?

[@quido1360]

I had already commented on your posting as I was not aware that I could have connected with you here. Anyway, if you look at your video tutorial at the comments below that, you will see my comment seeking help.....Cheers!

[@lamegobruna]

I just bought a r8 and i can't use the metronome, start don't work. anybody knows if I need a cartridge to make it work? or is it broken?

[@deelux5519]

No it's not broken, look for "Shift" + Metronome set be aware of all the shift options and also be aware that no other piece of gear works quite like this one, you are going to have to learn it from the beginning past experience with Drum machines won't help with the R8

[@georgeshermannhyppolite3304]

hi, thanks for the info i would like to have one, but we do not deliver in my country Haiti how to do?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

i think the best for you is to look in the us market, should be same voltage as haiti right? and the cheapest transport costs! from europe to haiti you pay nearly the same price for delivery as for the r8 and then need a voltage converter and adapter.

[@andregodfrey559]

If Behringer was going to clone a drum machine this is the one I would like,never was a big fan of the 808

[@lab-by-the-sea]

and if you want 808 you can use the electronic card.

[@simonb1009]

Autechre's sound

[@MrSinestesico]

where can I find, for a decent price, a power supply for it?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

@Wladimir Figueroa as far as i know roland uk were the last who had it for sale, at all others it dissapeared 10 years ago, the r8 is now more than 30 years old. so if uk has no stock, the best will be to buy it used from people who have a faulty R8, but i never came across a damaged R8. good luck!

[@Ihav1Funyun]

isn't this the drum machine that Mannheim Steamroller uses?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

possibly!

[@evillain999]

this fucking thing is huge.

[@MrJuicyHamburger]

Agreed, I just bought one yesterday. Biggest drum machine i've ever seen.

[@georgeshermannhyppolite3304]

are they still on the market, if yes or find them?

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Yes they are still on the market, and the good thing very reliable, you nearly can't destroy an R8!

[@maxtract]

I got one and im selling

[@carygeorges]

I just bought an R-8, can you record more than one bar with it? I can't figure out how to

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Cary Georges Hi Cary you have to record different patterns and put it together in Songmode.

[@rozz3r]

+DJRexParis Actually you can. Go to Pattern mode, choose a pattern, Shift+Clear, enter the number of bars then press ENTER.

[@lab-by-the-sea]

+rozz3r Thanks rozz3r! You are right -->Go to Pattern mode, choose a pattern, Shift+Clear, enter the number of bars then press ENTER. You can go up to 99 Bars!!!!!!

[@greyaliensc3d2]

to do this you need to erase a track even if it already empty. Then move the underscore onscreen with the -> right arrow Down near the bottom in the small buttons area) untill it is under the bars number. appy music making. I ope this helps.

[@zakur0hako]

Front 242

[@dizzydays]

can u put your OWN samples innit? thanks!

[@lab-by-the-sea]

there are expansion cards with samples like 808/909... but no own samples

[@charlesmusicprojects6800]

It does not sample

[@197979jones]

I'm looking at getting an R8 soon. Any experienced pro R8 users up for a Skype session (will pay) to teach me basics and tips??

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Hi tanza-Send me a list of your questions

[@pepkus6953]

Like 2:33

[@user-do6qr9rm3l]

not for electronic styles

[@lab-by-the-sea]

If you use the editfunctions or optional cards like the electronic, dance etc. you can use it for electronic styles

[@theeltea]

Oh for fucks sake, what a terrible demo.

[@farticusmaximusOG]

General midi drums lol

[@lab-by-the-sea]

No GM here! It was the Drummachine available in all Studios at the time!

[@thorndust5329]

He means that some of these drums were eventually used in the Roland SC-55 GS sound module, which is "the" General MIDI sound module.

[@emilianovillanueva1334]

hello! my question is.
Are the sounds you are playing original to the machine or added from the cards? thank you greetings from Argentina

[@lab-by-the-sea]

Hi to Argentina! The Sounds in the Video are R8 only, all the cards as far as i remember had 26 samples but i used non of it in the video.Some cards were great, but most of the card i would not miss too much today (with the exception of 3 of them).All the best!