Make free acid beats in your browser with Roland’s 808303.studio
A Guy Called Gerald shows you the ropes so you can jam for hours.
Hopefully, you don’t have much in the diary today, because you’ll probably end up spending a lot of time on Roland‘s new 808303.studio. Developed by the brand alongside Yuri Suzuki, the online music-making platform faithfully recreates the sounds of a TR-808 and a TB-303, which you can jam on for free.
A Guy Called Gerald has even made a quick tutorial so you can easily get to grips with the platform.
Each of the two instruments features an easy-to-use sequencer that will have you clicking and head-bopping in no time. The TB-303 gives you control over filter cutoff, resonance, envelope modulation, decay and accent. There’s also switch to change the oscillator from either a saw or square wave. A handy randomizer button gives you a new pattern every time, all while keeping in sync with the TR-808.
The 808 is pretty straightforward, too, with all the drum sounds you’d expect and a simple sequencer. Less sound-shaping options are available here, but you can set the master tempo and add shuffle to the drumbeat with the two knobs. A Fill button is onboard to drop in a drum fill in between your beat. The AI Variation button just below can toggle automatic step variation.
Once you’ve created some magic with the dynamic duo, you can hit the big red record button in the top right to capture your track.
Roland’s 808303.studio is part of The Design Museum’s online learning resource. The London-based museum is currently home to the Electronic: From Kraftwerk to the Chemical Brothers’ exhibition, focusing on innovation in music technology and the electronic music scene.
Start making your next acid beat at 808303.studio
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