Roots Reggae & Roland TR-808 drum machine....

[stepping razor]

In 1983 the drum machine came on the mass market and was widely used in hip hop.By 1984 the raggae from ja was rub a dub and was to soft for the uk massive, so they started using drum machines. the early jah tubbys stuff 1985 and over the next few years a whole heap of digi tunes were made on beat boxes.A favorite was the roland tr-808 with its feel and control and still analogue and these tunes have stood the test of time.
You can get a tr-808 program for the computees but its not the same and far removed from the beat box with limitations.Thats when hip hop was great and people cared about making a wicked beat.
The Roland TR-808 has shaped reggae music and hip hop music just like the ipod and mp3 players have done today.
Peace

[I-Lion Tafari]

For ROOTS, I will always prefer the human drummer.

[stepping razor]

yes i agree.real drummers are best for roots.
but its how they used the drum machine in the mid 80`s onwards that started a digital roots music which isnt like today with bang bang bang music like roots has turned into drum & bass.
peace

[donstrumental]

Not all new music sounds like bang,bang,bang,there's a thread on Alberosie this week,his music has a serious early 80's sound,also Natural Black's cool nuh black was a bit surprising.

Modern music today mainly lacks in creativity and i think this is because of the distance between the elder musicians and the younger breed of Jamaican musicians who are now influenced by r'n'b and gospel etc.they don't listen to old school Roots

Ask some of the younger musicians about Johnny Clarke,Barry Brown etc next time you're at a reggae show and watch the blank stares!

oh yeah,the 80's was dominated by the Oberheim DMX.

http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/oberheim_dmx.cfm

You can hear the 808 in a lot of the Tubbys Digital or even Mad Professor but Jammys ran clear with the Oberheim.

Respect

[stepping razor]

The Oberheim DMX and The Roland TR-808 was running the music in 1983 and onwards both in reggae and hip hop. ive used both and just personal taste like the 808, but both are great inventions.
I think it was the early 90`s that the QBASE program came
out and people started using that from a computee and left the old beat boxes to rot.
Like hiphop and how its now a differant style of music with nothing to do with creativaty of musical in put and the vocals aint saying nothing except ego ego and then my ears turn off.
KOOL DJ HERC hip hop reggae dj who has been offered multi million dollors deals if he goes to hollywood and hang out with the stars. but he turned them all down, thats the street and not forget the street and he knows hes in demand and people would pay him a big wage.
Its about having 100% creative control in your music and if you want us to change were not intrested in changing for some commercial rubbish and made out to be some puppet on MTV.
Keep it real it will stand the test of time.
Follow fashion heer today gone tomorrow.
Peace to all & the muscians still left.