Stu's Heavily Modified Tr808
List of Modifications to Roland Tr808 :
BASS DRUM
~ Bass drum pitch control added (lowest point is just under 20Hz, highest
point is in the conga range).
~ Bass drum pitch bypass switch added to recall the original 808 pitch.
~ Bass drum pitch sweep modified, switchable from original sweep to two
times that amount.
~ Bass drum decay range modified, it's now from zero to self oscillation.
~ Bass drum decay bypass switch added (for those cool blippy drum fills).
~ Bass drum tone range modified, adjustable from smoother than the original
to a really harsh crack
SNARE
~ Snare drum decay installed (lowest point is zero decay, highest point
is 50% longer than the original).
~ Snare drum noise filter installed
TOMS
~ Toms (LT/MT/HT) Conga
switch removed and tune range increased to a max. of 5 times the original
amount (from Tom to way way above Conga range).
~ Toms (LT/MT/HT) decay range modified to start from ZERO decay (tom oscillators
off - ie. you can isolate the reverb) to 50% greater than self oscillation
(ie. distortion).
~ Toms (LT/MT/HT) reverb ON/OFF switch added (as flouro blue illuminated
switch).
~ Toms (LT/MT/HT) reverb amount added (lowest point is the original amount,
highest point is 10 times louder than the original level)
~ Toms (LT/MT/HT) pitch sweep ON/OFF switch added (as flouro blue illuminated
switch).
~ Toms (LT/MT/HT) frequency modulation input added.
RIM SHOT
~ Rim Shot oscillator filter installed.
~ Rim Shot/Claves circuits have been split in two modular pieces. Half
of the Claves sound generation circuit can be switched into the Rim Shot
circuit for a high pitched sound, and half of the Rim Shot sound generation
circuit can be sent into the Claves circuit to produce a warm resonant
blip (which is one of my favorite sounds). The original Rim Shot and Claves
sounds can be recalled by switching each circuit back to it's original
config. Both the half circuit switches are illuminated neon red.
CLAP
- Clap noise source filter installed (sounds like a tune or pitch control).
- Clap reverb level added. Adjustable from zero reverb to 120% of the
original level.
- Clap width control added. VERY COOL!!! The time it takes to complete
the Clap sound generation is now controllable, from a big fat noisy Clap
spanning 1.5seconds to a tiny few millisecond click. (when
you use the filter control while on the "fat clap" setting you
can get some realy long resonant ingsssssssss.......)
CYMBAL
- Cymbal oscillator mixer added. There are three oscillators in total
that create the Cymbal sound, it is now possible to isolate them.
- Cymbal oscillator 3 range modified (osc.3 was the original one used
to create the adjustable Cymbal decay). Lowest point is now zero (osc.3
off), highest point is the original Cymbal decay maximum.
- Cymbal oscillator 3 distortion switch added.
Note: The Cowbell, Marracas and HiHats I did not modify as they are brilliant just as they are.
Added Modular output
section:
- 12db multimode (diode ladder) filter installed, with patchable input
section. Each instrument (BD, SN, Toms...etc) has an individual switch
that routes it's output to the filter before it goes to the 808 on board
mixer. In other words, any instrument or combination of instruments can
be filtered AND switched in and out of the filter while you are playing.
- LFO added. Patchable to the multimode filter frequency CV or the
Tom frequency modulation via 1/8 inch patch cables.
Non-Sound mods:
- The original power supply was replaced.
- All switches and pots were replaced.
- The Tempo range was modified to be more realistic and the Fine Tempo
control was deleted.
- All wiring was re-done.
- Memory backup installed (Lithium Battery).
- New case (obviously) and heaps of other crap I've forgotten.