TR-808 and DIN sync or MIDI beat clock

23 Oct 2016, 23:05

I am wondering if this product which came out in 1980 has either a DIN sync port or if it responds to the MIDI beat clock?

From the description on the wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-808, it doesn't appear to have any MIDI ports at all. In particular, it was issued before MIDI was finished. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI

Re: TR-808 and DIN sync or MIDI beat clock

24 Oct 2016, 12:31

The TR-808's have DIN Sync but you can buy MIDI kits to mod it.

Re: TR-808 and DIN sync or MIDI beat clock

29 Oct 2016, 16:23

Does the modern TR-8 use the MIDI beat clock?

Re: TR-808 and DIN sync or MIDI beat clock

29 Oct 2016, 22:19

Yep it uses MIDI.

early Roland drum machines

5 Feb 2017, 19:27

I'm going to list the early drum machines with info from Vintage Synth.com: which have MIDI In/Out, which have DIN Sync; which, if I understand correctly, carries a metronome signal, and which have both:

TR-808, Sync, 1981
TR-606, Sync, 1982
TR-909, MIDI+Sync, 1984
TR-505, MIDI, 1985
TR-707, MIDI+Sync, 1985
TR-727, MIDI+Sync, 1985
TR-626, MIDI, 1987

The question is, did any of these devices use MIDI and Sync at the same time?

Re: TR-808 and DIN sync or MIDI beat clock

3 Feb 2018, 17:56

k, classic drum machines such as the TR-909 have a "MIDI sync" output. The more modern, Digitakt Elektron has "Sync A" and "Sync B" labels above the MIDI out and thru.

Does sync include a CLK output?

Is there a CLK input pin on a MIDI in?

Re: TR-808 and DIN sync or MIDI beat clock

15 Sep 2018, 00:56

I use a Korg KMS-30 for my TR-808 to sync to MIDI. It works in both directions, sending and receiving. Driving Ableton with the 808 can be entertaining. It shows the sway of the tempo every quarter note, which can vary sometimes up to 3 BPM. Locking the 808 to MIDI with it is rock solid.