Roland TR-08
Quick reference and troubleshooting
Mode switch
| Position | What the step buttons do |
|---|---|
| PATTERN CLEAR | Choose a pattern to clear (then CLEAR) |
| PATTERN WRITE 1st PART | Edit steps 1 to 16 of the selected instrument |
| PATTERN WRITE 2nd PART | Edit steps 17 to 32 (once the 2nd part has a length) |
| MANUAL PLAY | 1 to 12 choose a basic rhythm, 13 to 16 an intro/fill-in |
| PLAY | Play a rhythm track (select switch chooses which) |
| COMPOSE | Write a rhythm track |
Button combinations
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Choose instrument to write | Select switch (AC, BD, SD … CH) |
| Choose bank and pattern | Hold BANK, press step 1 to 16 (bank), keep holding, press step (pattern) |
| Clear a pattern (A or B) | PATTERN CLEAR, choose A or B, press CLEAR |
| Set pattern length | In PATTERN WRITE: hold CLEAR, press step 1 to 16 |
| 2nd part length to zero | In 2nd PART: CLEAR + TAP |
| Apply PRE-SCALE | Set the switch, then CLEAR in PATTERN WRITE |
| Sub step (half a step late) | Hold MENU/SUB STEP, press step |
| Tap write | PATTERN WRITE, START/STOP, select instrument, tap TAP |
| Random pattern | MENU/SUB STEP + TAP; hold TAP longer to keep it |
| Copy pattern | PATTERN WRITE, select destination, hold TAP, press source step, START/STOP |
| Copy A to B or B to A | PATTERN WRITE, hold TAP, FINE to A-b or b-A, START/STOP |
| Chain patterns | MANUAL PLAY, press two pattern buttons together |
| Insert a fill | Choose fill with steps 13 to 16, press TAP |
| Auto fill every N bars | MEASURES selector to 2, 4, 8, 12 or 16 |
| Intro | Choose with steps 13 to 16, press TAP, then START/STOP |
| Shuffle | Hold BANK, turn FINE |
| Fine tempo display | Press BANK |
| Mute | Hold BANK + TRIGGER OUT, press steps 2 to 12 |
| Solo | Hold BANK + TRIGGER OUT, press TAP (SOLO), then steps 2 to 12 |
| Store tempo/shuffle in a track | COMPOSE, hold BANK, hold TAP |
| Recall tempo/shuffle | PLAY or COMPOSE, BANK + TAP |
| Menu | MENU/SUB STEP, FINE to choose, TAP to edit, MENU/SUB STEP to exit |
| Backup mode (USB drive) | Hold START/STOP at power on |
| Fixed battery mode | Hold step 9 at power on |
| Factory reset | Hold step 2 at power on, then TAP |
Steps 2 to 12 for mute, solo and per-instrument menu settings follow the select switch order: 2 BD, 3 SD, 4 LT, 5 MT, 6 HT, 7 RS, 8 CP, 9 CB, 10 CY, 11 OH, 12 CH.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Pressing step buttons changes the pattern instead of editing | Mode switch is on MANUAL PLAY; turn it to PATTERN WRITE 1st PART |
| Pressing step buttons edits the wrong drum | Select switch is on another instrument |
| Writing toms or claves makes no sound | The small switch under that channel is on the other sound (conga, rim shot, maracas) |
| An instrument is silent | It’s muted (BANK + TRIGGER OUT, press its step) or its LEVEL is down |
| Open hat sounds cut short | A closed hat follows it; the closed hat chokes the open hat |
| Loop is shorter or longer than 16 steps | Pattern length or 2nd part is set; CLEAR + step 16 in 1st PART, CLEAR + TAP in 2nd PART |
| B has the wrong length after editing A | A and B always share a length; set it again |
| Steps seem to play in triplets or too fast | PRE-SCALE isn’t on 3; set it and press CLEAR (in a pattern you’ve just cleared) |
| Pattern sounds different from yesterday | Knob and switch positions aren’t saved; only the steps are |
| Track plays the wrong patterns | BASIC-VARIATION switch isn’t where it was when the track was written |
| Tempo won’t change or drifts | SynC is following incoming MIDI clock; set SynC to Int in the menu |
| Lights run by themselves when idle | LED demo; set dENO to Off in the menu |
| Unit switched itself off | Auto off after 30 minutes on batteries; set A. Off to Off |
| Won’t run from a USB port | The port gives no power; use fixed battery mode (hold step 9 at power on) |
| Kick sounds weak | Built-in speaker has little bass; use headphones or a speaker |
Where to go next
- Recording: use USB audio to record each instrument onto its own track in a DAW (Lesson 8).
- Deeper reading: Sunshine Jones’s free A User’s Guide to the TR-08 rewrites the manual with diagrams and pattern worksheets.
- History: the 2015 documentary 808 tells the story of the original machine and the records made on it.
Sources
- Roland TR-08 Owner’s Manual (all button combinations, controls, menu settings and memory layout)
- Roland TR-08 manuals and downloads
- Roland TR-08 specifications (instruments, 16 sub steps, memory, connectors, built-in speaker, battery life)
- TR-08 manual reformatted by gjost (an easier-to-read transcription of Roland’s manual)
- Sunshine Jones, A User’s Guide to the TR-08 (Roland’s feature list, including ten USB audio outputs and the trigger out)
- tinyloops TR-08 MIDI reference (note numbers and CC numbers)
- Wikipedia: Roland TR-808 (history and records made with it)