The machines that built techno: TR-808, TR-909 and TB-303

A flop that became a legend

In the early 1980s Roland wanted to sell musicians cheap machines to replace a drummer and a bass player. The plan failed. The machines sounded "unnatural", and studios preferred real instruments or pricier sampling gear. Production stopped quickly and the units ended up in second-hand shops for next to nothing. That is exactly where young musicians in Detroit, Chicago and New York, with no money for a proper studio, found them.

TR-808: the kick that shakes the ground

The Roland TR-808 (1980) generated its sounds with analogue circuits, not recorded samples. Its kick is a low, long "boom" you feel in your chest on a big sound system. The 808 became the backbone of electro and hip-hop, and in Detroit Juan Atkins and Cybotron built a futuristic, mechanical groove from drum machines. Listen to "Clear", an electro classic of the era, to hear that aesthetic.

TR-909: the heart of techno

The TR-909 (1983) was a hybrid. The kick, snare and clap are analogue, while the cymbals and hi-hats are short digital samples. It also had MIDI, so it was easy to sync with other gear. The hard, punchy 909 kick and its hissing hi-hats are the sound most people associate with techno. Jeff Mills became famous for playing a 909 live during his sets, programming beats on the fly.

TB-303: the accidental invention of acid

The TB-303 Bass Line was meant to be a stand-in bass player for guitarists practising at home. It sounded nothing like a bass guitar. Turn the filter and resonance knobs and the sound starts to squeal and bubble. Chicago group Phuture turned that into "Acid Tracks", and acid house was born. In the 1990s the German duo Hardfloor built a whole career on this sound.

Why it still matters

The originals now cost a fortune, but their sound is everywhere: in samples, plugins and new hardware versions. When you hear a dry kick, metallic hats and a squelching bassline in a club, you are hearing the echo of three failed products from the 1980s.