TIBD808

BD808

Tiptop

Turn your modular system into a self-contained music machine with the white Tiptop Audio BD808, a Eurorack module featuring the original 808 analog bass drum circuit. Adapting the circuit to the modular format has allowed special features to be added like independent accent level, a high-powered gain stage, a dual input pulse-shaper, and an extended decay, all without compromising the signature sound of the TR-808 bass drum. The BD808 is tuned to sound like a machine that came fresh off the original '80s assembly line. The module ships with a ribbon power cable.At a Glance TR-808 s Bass Drum circuit adapted for use in Eurorack formatTuned to sound like a machine that came fresh off the original '80s assembly lineIndependent Accent levelHigh-powered gain stageDual input pulse-shaper and extended decaySignature sound of the TR-808The Making of the BD808 The BD808 is a one-to-one clone of the original circuit found in Roland's TR-808 drum machine. During the design phase, Tiptop created additional features taking care not to compromise the original signature sound, add excessive costs, or sacrifice panel space. Cloning a circuit that was designed and produced in the early '80s was not an easy task. A variety of obstacles including availability of the original parts, the modern SMT manufacturing process, the differences in +/-12V Eurorack power versus the +/-15V of the original 808, and far more were addressed in the creation of this module. The BD808 has gone through several design revisions and was tested and built with components from many different suppliers and various design techniques until the sound came out just right.One of the main problems Tiptop faced while creating this module was that each of the original 808s Tiptop were using for testing and comparing sounded different from each other. So which one sounded right? The 808 machines were built from 1980 to 1984, making the parts in them 30+ years old, so they sound different now than when they were first made. Additionally, the fact that the original machines were using 5% resistors and other parts with wide tolerances made each 808 sound different from one another, even when they were new. The answer lay in the schematics and the math representing these circuits. These defined a precisely tuned circuit aimed at producing a very specific sound. With the BD808, Tiptop followed the design and created an 808 bass drum generator which, to the best of thier knowledge, sounds like the ones that were rolling out of the assembly lines in the '80s.Eurorack Ready 4 HP Eurorack format moduleMaximum depth: 0.6" (14mm)Includes power ribbon cable with Eurorack power headersPower consumption: +12V: 13mA, -12V: 6mA