Behringer, who have announced a multitude of yesteryear inspired clones at various trade shows and on their website, looks to be finally debuting their RD-8, their analog clone of the famed Roland TR-808. Retailers are said to be taking preorders for the unit with anywhere from a month to three months stated as delivery time.
In response to the announcements, Roland is ramping up the intellectual property protection of their 303, 808 and 909 namesakes and designs by recently filing trademark applications. Behringer, who is no stranger to intellectual property lawsuits, actually changed the name of the RD-8 from its initial moniker of RD-808. While the corporations will ultimately fight it out in the courts, you can grab the first of Behringer’s clones for $349 / €299 by putting your name on a list at your favorite music retailer. FutureMusic had the opportunity to briefly play with the RD-808 at SuperBooth, and found it to be a compelling option when comparing it against Roland’s own TR-08 reboot.
Compared to Roland’s TR-08, which employs their digital emulation technology dubbed Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB), the Behringer TD-8 attacks the Roland TR-08 in its most vulnerable spot – it’s not analog. Behringer’s TD-8 utilizes an “authentic analog sound engine to create the classic sound performance” – quite a feat considering Roland’s Ikutaro Kakehashi claims in the 808 documentary that they could no longer make analog 808’s because they could no longer source the original chips. In true Behringer fashion, the TD-8 also undercuts the Roland Boutique TR-08’s price as well.
Behringer TD-08 Features:
» 16 original drum sounds with additional parameters and global Accent capability
» 29 knobs, 5 switches and 59 buttons
» Powerful 64-step drum sequencer supports poly-meter, step-repeat, note-repeat, real-time triggering, track-mute and track-solo
» Integrated FX bus features Wave Designer and dual-mode Analog Filter with per voice assignment
» Live recording, editing and playback of Analog Filter cutoff via automation
» Storage of up to 16 songs and 256 patterns, all of which can be imported/exported during playback for unlimited songs and patterns
» Pattern Mode allows arrangement of patterns into full songs and setting number of repeats per song part
» Song Mode allows chaining songs together for live sets and expanded compositions
» Auto Scroll feature enables improvisation in all modes
» Comprehensive MIDI In/Out/Thru and USB implementation for synchronization and connection to external devices
» Sync options include USB, MIDI, Clock and Internal
» 11 independent analog outputs for external processing or recording your rhythms as multi-track audio
» Headphone and main outputs on 1/4″ connectors
» LED display
» Encoder for editing parameters such as Tempo, Swing, Probability, Flam and Random
» 16 vintage-style step buttons with LED indicators for pattern creation
» 3 trigger outs can control external synths and hardware sequencers
» Send and receive clock information with accurate timing to sync it to the outside world
» USB connectivity or sync and MIDI triggering
Cloning an 808 is not complete without adding your own flava and Behringer adds a few superpowers in their offering, an enhanced 64-step sequencer, Wave Designer and a dual-mode filter. The RD-8’s sequencer contains features for live use in each of the sequencer modes, including step repeat, note repeat, real-time triggering and live step-overdubbing. Users can build song structures on-the-fly and switch back to manual mode at the touch of a button, all while adding autofill to introduce more variations. You can even cue up another song from memory without interrupting playback, allowing you to perform entire sets from start to finish—just using your RD-8.
The integrated Wave Designer has individual attack and sustain controls that can be applied to individual voices to add dimension to your beats. This provides yet another way to control sounds and create new tonal variations. RD-8’s dual-mode 12 dB filter button toggles between LPF and HPF, allowing you to experiment with the cutoff frequency and resonance controls. And those fluid sweeps can be recorded straight into the sequencer and further tweaked using the step editor. RD-8’s encoder lets you set separate chain preferences for each of your parameters, allowing them to function globally or to switch on when a song or pattern changes. Parameters include tempo, swing, flam, probability, independent track mutes/solos, FX bus assignments, filter modes and sweeps for real-time control. Patterns can be changed on-the-fly for further creative control when using the RD-8 as the heart of your live setup.
Behringer’s TD-8 costs $349 / €299 and is available for preorder.
Behringer
