Finding killer 808 samples

The road to a great 808 usually starts with finding the right source sound. Here are some good places to begin your search for those topdrawer kick/bass tones…

Sample packs

There are hundreds of dedicated TR-808 sample packs available, including high-quality digital recordings from the original unit as well as 808 sounds that have been run through valve preamps, analogue tape and other processing. Goldbaby’s set of TR-808 libraries are a great starting point, as is the excellent 808 Warfare multisampled instrument for Kontakt.

DAW/synth presets

The majority of DAWs have a bundled palette of TR-808 style sounds that can work well in your own productions. Also, as the 808 kick was originally synthesised, it’s possible to recreate the sound fairly accurately using a softsynth – Synapse Audio’s Dune CM, free in Plugins, has a killer 808 kick preset, for example.

Bass Engine CM

If you’re after some fat-sounding, easy-to-use 808 kicks, you should check out our very own Bass Engine CM ROMpler by DopeVST. There are five 808-style multisampled patches on offer that can be used for either kick or bass, each boasting a distinctive tone. The instrument also features an adjustable ADSR envelope to help you shape dynamics.