TR-808 Cowbell Clone w/ Mods

read the full article:
http://ericarcher.net/devices/cowbell/

This was a design exercise. I'm experimenting with digitally-controlled analog circuitry + simple digital pattern generators.

There is a minimal digital sequencer onboard, controlling eight analog switches that activate "bends" to alter the pitch, filter, accent, and envelope.

The 808 cowbell is a cheezy sound, but its design is interesting to study because Roland engineers were masters of minimal analog synth design. They rolled this one up tight! ... with just 2 simple chips (4584 & 4558) and 4 transistors, the 808 cowbell contains two square wave oscillators, two VCAs, a triggered envelope generator, bandpass filter, and buffer amp. Nice one Roland... too bad it doesnt sound like a cowbell.

Eric Archer
2009

Category:

Music

Tags:

• DIY
• electronic
• TR808
• clone
• 808
• electro
• cowbell
• circuit
• bent

[lotusboy101]

Hey, what do you call the audio monitoring thingy in the background, that has the glowing green wave image caused by sound input? I want to find old equipment like that for visual appeal.

[EA78751]

its an oscilloscope.  the one in the video is a Tektronix 453A. its from the 1970s, but it works awesome.

[synthmonger]

any chance for pcbs? We should trade some!

[EA78751]

awesome.  I might make PCBs for this one. I tweaked it since this video and its sounding more interesting now. But I need to think of a name for it first!

[rokuez]

you've got an incredible fever luckily you will survive due to more cowbell!

[DHTSciFiArtist]

the 808 cowbell is NOT cheezy. There is nothing CHEEZY about the 808 cowbell. It's sound has power. Pure POWER! The 808 cowbell is like candy.

[MrJUNLAIS]

@EA78751

Please Eric! I need some help!

I built the microLARGE HH with the schmind trigger chopped from your HH and it is fully workind.

I build too the microLARGE CB and need the schmid trigger for that, I know there´s the schematic but I don´t know how to read thats, sorry.

Please man can you help me with something like your tr-808-cowbell-diy-project-PDF­?

Thanks a lot.

[Detman101]

Oh man, if you could put this into a guitar-pedal case I would buy one!

Dm

[HijoozuRakoi]

2:00 sounds really nice

[haineux]

@DHTSciFiArtist I do not think it's possible to be MORE cheesy than the 808 cowbell. (Almost nobody, hearing the sound, will recognize it as a cowbell.) Yet paradoxically, that gives the sound its unique power. NOTHING sounds like it. Not even a real cowbell. And that makes it great, in its own cheesy way.

[casiotone1331]

@snolan1990 I remember at my local guitar shop there the owner used to talk to me a bit about analog synths and the like, he used to laugh about how much he tried to talk people out of the Linn because it sounded (as he described) like "someone banging a cereal box and some pots and pans". The Linn was a good idea which was horribly executed (horrendously expensive). I don't know about the Linn's popularity, but the TR series had plenty of airtime from 82' and up.

[snolan1990]

Well they were trying to make there synths and drum machines sound as much like a strings section and real drums as posible but they were just awful replications of the real thing.

back in the early 80's most musicians much prefered the Linn to an 808 or 909 because it sounded more realistic but now the analog boxes are saught after for the unique sound they offer.

[casiotone1331]

I think at the point when the 808 was being designed, the idea of exact audio replication was not the intent of Roland or any other electronic musicians. The 808 cowbell like many synthesized sounds, does not sound like a cowbell, nor does a ARP Solina sound like a string ensemble. I'd take an 808 cowbell over a real one any day.

[mercuryprogram]

mind blown