TR808 Bass Drum DIY Project

 TR808 Snare DIY Project

TR808 HiHat DIY Project

Hopefully somebody finds this useful.  I did these layouts in 2007 and the clones came out nicely.  I’ve been playing them ever since.  One advantage to building them on protoboard is that you’ll be able to experiment with modifications and not worry about trashing a real TR-808.  I’ve found that most of the component values are non-critical;  there are lots of ways to vary the sound.

Notes on diodes and transistors:

1N914A diode is a very common diode.  also just called 1N914.  also called a “small signal diode”. you can substitute 1N4148 or probably 1N458.  here’s 1N914 at mouser.com.

sorry I didnt include the exact parts list I used.  I substituted transistors.  for all NPN I use BC546B, and for all PNP I used BC556B.  You should get these instead of the old “2SC” and “2SA” transistors listed on the last page of the plans, because some transistors have different pin connections.  that means I dont know if my layout would work with the old 2SC / 2SA transistors.   So use the BC- parts.

Notes on triggering:

If you’d like to trigger these drum modules manually, it is easy.  All you do is get an SPST momentary pushbutton and wire it between +15V and the Trigger input terminal.  You need to use the diode-cap-resistor trigger circuit here.  Otherwise you will get a weird sound at the moment you release the button.

You can also trigger them with piezo discs and make a drum pad.  get some medium or large plain piezo discs (20mm diameter for example).  Wire the piezo between the Trigger terminal and GND.  When you tap the piezo, it will sound the drum.

Remember, the Accent terminal has to be high (+2 to +15V) for the drum to make sound.

It was really motivating to get so many positive reactions from people at the shows.  So I’ll keep cookin crazy stuff up in the lab for you.

Here’s video of E-Squared and Pete Edwards playing at Handmade Music Night in Brooklyn 4-16-09, courtesy of createdigitalmusic.com

I just finished building a bent clone of the TR-808 cowbell.  Check it out for recordings, schematics, and more.

 808 cowbell bendsequencer

also… LITE2SOUND kits are almost ready.

and… I’m building a new run of ten Drone Commanders.

Main Drag Music in Brooklyn has a few of my dR0NEMATr1X v1.1 units for sale.  They’re the only place to get it currently but I’m about to make ten more.  I really need to make pages for LITE2SOUND and dR0NEMATr1X so you can see what the heck I’m so excited about.

and… Daniel Fishkin built me a daxophone!  It sounds amazing… scary… comical.  Check out Fishkin’s recording project Dandelion Fiction on archive.org to hear some really creative daxophonic looping.

finally, here’s video of the Electro Percussion Lab setup on my workbench, and a 5:04 electro beat made with hacked 808 technology.

electro percussion lab (demo)

Here are some daily demo recordings of improv playing, with everything connected.  Just getting a feel for mixing… trying different styles… thinking about what to build next.

LFG shreddin’:  feb 13 09

bouncy ball hihats:  feb 15 09

bedtime music:  feb 16 09

EA luvz gabber:  feb 17 09

nod yr hedz:  feb 18 09

 robot send love: feb 20 09