Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer

SEP 05 2009

The TR-808, launched in 1980 at 1,195 dollars and out of production by 1983 after around twelve thousand units. Roland stopped making it because it could no longer buy the faulty transistors that gave the machine its hiss, and by 1983 secondhand units went for under a hundred dollars. It has since been used on more hit records than any other drum machine.