I’m still learning about synths, so someone can probably give a better answer for why this was significant. However, here is what I got when I asked GPT:
The Roland TR-808 drum machine, often simply referred to as the “808,” holds immense significance in the music world. Introduced in the early 1980s, the 808 synth played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of multiple genres, including hip-hop, electronic, and dance music. Its distinct analog drum sounds, such as the booming bass kick and snappy snare, have become iconic and have had a lasting influence on the sonic palette of contemporary music. The 808’s affordability, innovative features, and unique sound led to its adoption by musicians and producers, helping to define the sound of an era and inspiring countless artists to explore new creative avenues.
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One thing the AI response fails to address is why the 808 became affordable. It got a really mixed response when it was released as people didn’t really like the unnatural synthetic sounds. The 808 (and 909) was a commercial failure and many of them made their way into the second hand market as producers were “upgrading” to sample based machines. Younger and upcoming producers found these machines for cheap and started experimenting with the sounds without regard to how natural they sounded. This pretty much gave birth to the sound of hip hop and many electronic music styles.
