Happy 808 Day!

Roland is showcasing its legendary TR-808 as part of 808 Day, the global music community’s annual salute to the world-famous drum machine.

Dive into the 808’s fascinating history with insights from Roland and the music makers who’ve helped elevate this drum machine to legendary status around the world.

Click here to see what’s going on with the 808 around the world!

Larry Smith Jr., Rashad Smith, and Iz Avila sit down with Roland at 1500 Sound Academy to discuss acclaimed Run DMC and Whodini producer Larry Smith, the lore of his personal TR-808, the music created with it, and its influence on generations of creators old and new. Learn about how Larry Smith’s TR-808 was shared in the same studio with Rick Rubin for the production of the album License to Ill and watch as 1500 Sound Academy students figure out how to reverse engineer a beat and reanimate it on the original TR-808 it was created on.