Here is a free Roland 808 drum kit inspired by the classic Roland TR-808 drum machine. This free sample pack includes over two hundred free 808 drum samples to add to your music-making collection.

Launched in 1980, the Roland TR-808 has left a lasting impact on music across all genres, carving its unique identity within the music industry.

This sample pack includes 227 samples:

23 Kicks
49 Snares
45 Cymbals
14 Toms
16 Claps
24 Bass

Watch the video below to preview the free drum sounds.

Download Sample Pack Here

I have also added some helpful information on the history of the popular Roland 808 sounds.

I have tons of articles with more free music samples to download.

Roland TR-808 History – 808 Drum Kit

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer (a.k.a. the “808”) was one of the first programmable drum machines (“TR” standing for Transistor Rhythm).

Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980. It was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos.

History of the Roland TR-808

Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real drum kit because the TR-808 was released a few months after the Linn LM-1 (the first drum machine to use digital samples). Professionals generally considered its sound inferior to sampling drum machines.

Drum machines, in general, became an integral part of Hip Hop music as a cheap and simple way of producing a drum sound.

The Roland TR-808 held specific appeal because of the ability of its bass drum sound to produce extremely low-frequency sounds.

It also featured various unique artificial percussion sounds that characterized the TR-808: a deep bass kick drum, “tinny handclap sounds,” “the ticky snare, the tishy hi-hats (open and closed), and the spacey cowbell.”

Free Roland 808 Drum Kit By Hip Hop Makers

The Roland TR-808 would eventually be used on more hit records than any other drum machine and has thus attained an iconic status within the music industry.

The machine’s successor was the Roland TR-909.

Source Wikipedia

Here is a video tutorial with tips on how to mix your 808 drum sounds to sound better.

5 Tips to Step Up Your 808 Mixing ( Trap & Hip Hop )

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What Does 808 Mean On A Drum Kit?

The “808” in 808 drum kit comes from the name of a famous drum machine made by the Roland Corporation. It’s officially called the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, but everyone just shortens it to the “808.”

Why is it so famous, you ask? When it was introduced in the 1980s, the 808 was one of the first drum machines that musicians could program to make their own unique beats. Unlike real drums that you have to hit to make sound, the 808 is an electronic machine that creates drum sounds, like the deep “boom” of a bass drum or the sharp “clap” of a snare drum, all by itself.

The 808 was really different because it didn’t try to sound exactly like a real drum. Instead, it had its own electronic sound.

Many musicians loved that and started using the 808 in all kinds of music genres, from hip-hop to electronic dance music and everything in between. Today, the sound of the 808 is still loved and used a lot in music.

So, when someone says “808” on a drum kit, they’re talking about the unique sounds that the famous Roland TR-808 drum machine makes. It’s not about the number of drums or anything like that. It’s all about that distinctive 808 sound.

With this totally free download, you gain access to an impressive sample pack that fits into hip-hop and many electronic musical styles. Whether you’re a fan of smooth hip hop, house music, or future bass, you’ll find all the samples you need to create tracks with an earth-shaking sound.

The 808 sample packs in this free drum kit are in high demand and widely used by many famous producers in their hip-hop and trap production.

You’ll get to experiment with one-shots and 808 samples, just like music producers, enhancing your music with analog distortion that is characteristic of the classic 808 drum machine. It’s like having a full drum sample pack at your disposal, readily available in your producer’s sound library.

Each of the 808 samples, from the hard-hitting 808 bass to the variety of other samples, are provided as WAV files, ensuring top-notch audio quality.