Seriously, what do you guys think producers will use in the future once the 808 sound becomes so over-saturated that it starts to become so boring and common-place that people need to start moving forward to new alternatives?

Didn't that already happen 20 years ago?

Yep, but history repeats itself in certain ways

The 808 has been around since 1985 and has had more hits than any other drum machine.

I think there is less use with the boomy sub 808 than the short decay 808.

This kick pretty well cuts through in most mixes hence its wide use.

Has Yamaha, Akai , Korg got a drum sound that competes .

If it has then go use and abuse it.

Cheers

Im a little tired of it. Trap hats particularly.

Maybe another drum machine take its place but probably just random samples.

I could totally live with linndrum or dmx coming back for a while.

I predict a return to electric guitar bass for a bit

909 4 to the floor latina infused beats with trap rolls.

It's been around since 1980!

[QUOTEIt's been around since 1980!][/QUOTE]

I stand corrected.

Cheers

There's a ridiculous amount of stuff that doesn't use 808s, no shortage of alternatives.

So you're more asking when 808s will cease to exist being used. I'm pretty sure that answer is never.

Probably around the same time house/dance gets tired of the 909.

Who knows. From Planet Rock in 1986 to early nyc hip hop to Miami Bass all to the current trap style. The 808 was used less at some eras than others. Trap is the very first era that has been totally reliant on the 808 since the regional Miami bass though.

Many see trap as having a lack of imagination. All same drum sounds, all same tempo range, all same chords, most same synth sounds from logic n fruity loops, etc. Most dictated by the strip club and fitting in with current playlists. Something will change at some point. Won’t be in the near future though.

Yep !!!!

As long as you have strippers there will always be strip clubs.

Dont forget to tip your waitress !

Cheers

Everything that can be done to the 808 has been done already. The demand has driven the price through the roof. I think it was 1987 when I bought 1 and I think I paid $400 or $500 for it. Sampled it years later and sold it. Never in a million years would I pay what they’re going for now. Wish I was smart enough to had put it in the back of the closet til now

As highly as producers like to think of themselves in the music creation hierarchy, it's more about what the recording artists are currently into doing that determines the particular style of music being commonly composed at any given time.

If a new or existing artist dares to be open enough to trying something vastly different in urban music, and that somehow catches on, then we'll actually have something different to discuss here on this forum aside from the usual 808 related threads.

808s will only go away when a different type of bass can replace the type of low end energy the 808 can give you. Low end is so important nowadays and will probably just only get more and more important as time goes on. It's just that feeling the 808 gives you its hard to get from anything else. And honestly the way their effecting 808s today its like the new guitar of the new generation. It will probably never die off just as the guitar never died off. The guitar is less popular now but it's still extremely relevant and I don't think it will ever go away. Same thing with 808s, its here to stay.

808 is basically pure bass, so I think the kick drum will in fashion be in some form to emphasize low end.

That said throughout the 80s -90s 808s were popular but IMO not as popular as they were in the 2000s - today.

IMO I think around 2005 or so when Crunk became popular and started being featured on R&B songs (Usher Yeah) the 808 seemed to be the most popular thing in fashion. Around that time I started hearing less unique drum sounds and more plain stock 808s. Not to criticize modern sounds, 808s these days is all about being able to process, arrange, mix to get the unique sound.

Before then producers were known for their unique drum sounds. Dr. Dre had a sound, Timbaland had a sound, Neptunes had a sound.

Granted they still probably used 808s to emphasize the low end, but they also used a mix of breakbeat samples, sound modules, and even their mouths.


I think though bringing the bass guitar and synth bass back will help too. For awhile the 808 boom has become the defacto bassline in Rap.



All in all though as far as using an actual 808 drum machine, I'd say a real 808 is probably barely used and probably not even suitable for modern Trap (as it is much harder to pitch the drums precisely with modern tools and the limitations of the sequencer). The samples have outlived the box. Whereas the kicks on a 808 where phat as hell, all of the other sounds are fairly thin and synthetic which makes it a perfect compliment to the phat boom though. Also many producers have learned to synthesize these drums from other synths so from that point, the 808 will probably start to evolve, but the boom foundation will probably stick as it is pure bass.

I dont know about classic House but most EDM has moved on from stock 909 drum kits. Even some of the modern House songs I heard, the 909 element seems at least more subdued. That grainy open hi hat sound gives it up and remind me of the 90s.

That said some are even using the 808 ironically.


909 kick drum is pretty nice too though. Snare and clap are ok (Not as cool as 808). The high hats and cymbals though are cliched

The 808 bass boom itself isn't going anywhere, but the "FL Studio-esque" note slides could (probably will) eventually bite the dust in favor of a different style approach. Styles change, while instruments for the most part remain mostly the same.

Having a solid low end in Hip Hop has always been important from the very beginning. In fact, a lot of beats back in the day were comprised of nothing more than Kick+Bass+Sample, with the kick and bass carrying the most important load.

Tastes vary. On any given beat, I could personally go for a nice 808 Bass groove, Moog bass line, or bass guitar, but as far as producing stuff for professional artists is concerned, the demand right now is still trap drums and that 808 Bass boom that shakes the room.

Personally, I'm hoping that acoustic instruments make a comeback.

likewise!!!

Digable Planets were on the right track with Blowout Comb, WAY back in the day. One of the lushest sounding hip-hop albums IMO.

We will never ditch the 808. Hell, it has given rise to many sub genres. Instead, we will have various incarnations of it....

Ahh, the beautiful strip clubs....

Its true that making people dance a certain way is trap's primary purpose. The actual purpose of the music sometimes gets forgotten by those that live in the studio.

I got deleted for putting that in a much more visually pleasing way earlier in the thread.

I understand those who wish mainstream hip hop would appeal to more of the intellect. But then I see these girls dancing and got dam I can ride this out There's plenty of good underground stuff for when I want something else.

Basically I believe trap is satanic music. It's anti-soul.

You should kick it with Tipper and the US Congress in the 80s.

http://www.vh1.com/news/54726/rememb...satanic-panic/

I can stretch to understanding at least the seeds of this sentiment, as trap pulls you into the physical and is largely based around the hedonistic search for pleasure, but I dig the beat and love the dancing. Call me a hedonist.

no, I am a hedonist as much as everybody. It is the "melodies" reminding ritual sacrifices, the lyrics. Heck, the hanging of a child in that shot teen psycho's video says more than any pmrcs.

I think that real basslines will come back

I tell you what's kind of funny to me, back in the day a lot of Bass Music producers were using samples of the 808 and usually not the 808 bass drum at all.

808 isn't a sample pack company?

The percentage of 808 music that actually uses a hardware 808 has to be well under 10%.

We’re going to replace 808s with farts. It’ll be kinda like that South Park episode.

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