Roland T-8 ULTIMATE shootout!

How does the little T-8 stack up to this quartet of OGs?
0:00 Introduction
2:00 TB-303 saw wave
2:34 TB-303 square wave
3:09 TR-606 snare
3:42 TR-606 toms
4:13 TR-606 hi-hats
4:41 TR-808 hand clap
4:59 TR-808 low tom
5:32 TR-909 bass drum
6:04 Conclusion

[@teebeedahbow]

Funny that the 808 clap is the one sound that seemingly really can't be replicated.

[@gwEmbassy]

The 808 is very special though

[@bungalowjams]

Love this, Gwem. And I did enjoy the way you casually pull out about £10k of vintage gear whilst keeping the focus on the £150 T8. As underplayed as ever :). Keep up the great content mate

[@gwEmbassy]

Hahaha!!! All just tools :) Thanks for tuning in!

[@JamesVytas]

Great comparison! Even your patterns perfectly spaced to demonstrate the quality of the sound.

[@gwEmbassy]

Thanks James 🙏

[@acaposotta]

Great video ad usual! Thanks 😊

[@gwEmbassy]

You’re welcome!

[@evadum4149]

Hej GWEM i am a bit late to the T-8 party but now i must say. I luv it thanks for your video mate. Greetings 😊

[@gwEmbassy]

thanks mate!!!

[@mattgwiltmusic]

Brilliant video 👌

[@gwEmbassy]

Cheers Matt!!

[@alexwestconsulting]

Great video as always. Your A/B tests are the best on the interwebs. I've got the J-6 as it was the only one that excited me as the other 2 are more like an amalgamation of SOME stuffs from their other modern units, many of which I already own, but the T-8 is starting to look more tempting after videos like this. I also want to point out that the internal sidechain feature on the T-8 is a big selling point, a rather unique feature on a unit this price (TR-6s doesn't have anything like it), that yields a more "produced" sound than without it, I just wish it had mix in sidechain like the TR-8(s) and Circuit Tracks (or maybe it does and I don't know about it).

[@gwEmbassy]

That’s true Alex, the sidechain feature is very good. I have been thinking about the J-6, but I will leave it for now I think.

[@monotrious]

I Think It's Really Cool , It's Got Some Great Sounds And Definitely Worth Picking Up Considering How Cheap It Is . Excellent Video As Always , Very Enjoyable . Thank You gwEm .

[@gwEmbassy]

Glad you like it!

[@GullySyde28]

great video man. Its a great little machine Salute gwEm’s gwEmbassy

[@gwEmbassy]

thanks mate!!

[@steveanderson5226]

Thank you so much for this awesome work! Really helping me make a few GAS decisions :)

[@gwEmbassy]

Happy to help! Thanks for tuning in :)

[@evadum4149]

Very interesting thx

[@gwEmbassy]

You’re welcome, I enjoyed doing this one

[@mikey303]

The T-8 has continued to surprise me with how fun its 303 emulation is. I think it would be an incredible all-in-one acid groovebox had they thought a little harder about the form factor. Imagine a TR-8S + 303 voice and an additional row of dedicated knobs to control it.

[@gwEmbassy]

100% agree with that Mikey

[@jaimeross7507]

@@gwEmbassy check out Nitilit Dax channel with the T-8.

[@gwEmbassy]

I checked it, he’s making nice stuff!

[@FairchlldMusic1]

Thanks for the vid Gw3m! It’s tea time

[@gwEmbassy]

Enjoy your brew :)

[@bigkik]

Thanks a lot for the sound comparison ! I love my little T-8 for what it is : good sounds in a small form factor. I am sure Roland will release other units than the first 3 of this line, the question being which ones ?

[@gwEmbassy]

I hope they will surprise us with something out of the ordinary

[@dabears6952]

You can actually adjust the decay time of hi hats on 606. You should sync it with the other device via dinsync as a slave and after that with the tempo knob you can control the decay time of hi hats.

[@gwEmbassy]

Deep knowledge there!! Thanks for sharing :)

[@guiom77]

Thanks

[@gwEmbassy]

You’re welcome!

[@nexuzeb79]

Excellent and thorough review, you made me want one, have been considering one but have the mc 707 and 5 acid boxes.. Still though 😂

[@gwEmbassy]

A new acid box is always fun. I mean, if you have an MC-707 you don’t need it. But it is cool and enjoyable :)

[@sodiumlights]

damn, bloody close.

[@gwEmbassy]

Yes, very much so!

[@andrewverran3498]

Great video , i love my t8.which release/version is your 909? and do you think you could get the drums closer with a decent par eq/mixing desk??.cant wait for someone to release a 727/707 device...i will be frothing at the jocks!

[@gwEmbassy]

My 909 is a later one. A 707 device would be so amazing :)

[@adub303]

Definitely agree on the big differences in the 606 hats- the T-8 are more pure noise-based where the 606 have the almost FM or ring-mod sounding hats that the 808 had. The 303 was pretty bang-on, though, down to those nice- almost sub-sonic- grumbly bits that the 303 does. It's got a certain mid-range bite to it that really captures the 303 in a way that even the TB-3 or MC-09 didn't do. Like you said, not exactly the same, but definitely close enough for my ears and tastes. I think for the ~£150, it's got all the old-school acid sounds my 13-year-old self ever would have wanted 😆 And if one really listens to those true old-school acid tracks from the likes of Adonis, Tyree, Phuture, etc. they got a fair bit of mileage out of exactly the sounds represented in the T-8 (maybe a 707/727-inspired Aira Compact is next up? 🤷‍♂). Thanks again for the review and comparison (and, let's be honest, the x0x gear pr0n 🤣)! Cheers! 🍻

[@gwEmbassy]

The 303 in the T-8 is really good I think, and the sequencer for that sound is well designed too. I do agree the TB-3 doesn’t sound very close to the original. But I like the other sounds in the TB-3. I’ve never tried the TB-03. And yeah, I always like getting the 808 out having a good gloat over it :-D

[@adub303]

@@gwEmbassy 😀 Gloat on, mon ami! 🙂 And also agreed on the TB-3- I think it shines when thought of more as a TB-303 mkII (or TB-323 😉)- especially with those nice distorted or detuned bits- rather than thinking of it as a straight one-to-one TB-303 clone. I dare say I'm remarkably impressed by what the T-8 *does* deliver, but also agree that the marketing team rather did an injustice by likening it (photographically) to the full complement of x0x gear, such that they did. (But again, x0x pr0n... 😆)

[@leewightman8619]

I got one thinking it had lots of different drum kits...I was wrong but still a pretty cool wee tool

[@gwEmbassy]

I feel exactly the same about it :) The 303 in it is way better than I expected, I am impressed with it still.

[@dpalaoro]

I think the fact that both the 303 sound and the drums are both coming from the T-8, there is the mix factor to think about: That making a track on the T-8 has a different sound space then an actual 303 and and tr808 being mixed with an external mixer. In other words putting aside the differences in sound when comparing what the T-8 is emulating, there is the actual space of the mix that is important as well.

[@gwEmbassy]

This is a great point David!

[@dpalaoro]

@@gwEmbassy Thanks. I was trying so hard to put that into words. 😂

[@JamesVytas]

Through KZbin, the Analog and ACB sound different but equally good. Does it sound equally good in the room? If you heard the t8 on its own would you think it was an emulation?

[@gwEmbassy]

It’s sounds very good in the room. It’s the best digital 303 Roland made so far in my opinion.

[@Drumsdude123]

Thanks for the review! What would you recommend as a more handy in composing clone of the tb 303?

[@gwEmbassy]

I would recommend this, the T-8. The 303 is the best digital clone I’ve heard.

[@lundsweden]

Roland should've called it the RB-338!

[@gwEmbassy]

haha!!!

[@KingzofSwing]

It’s ticking all the boxes

[@gwEmbassy]

🤣🤣🤣 big up audiopilz

[@rexcellencemagee6729]

Comparing products and unboxings is something I never cared about. I thank you for the trouble though! I am going to get it and the J-6 just because I have a completion problem. I have S-1 and the E-4, with all of them and a seqtrack, should be enough new toys for a while! Peace!

[@gwEmbassy]

the S-1 is amazing :)

[@user-rk2xj8gr3h]

Question do you know how to connect E 4, J 6, T 8 and S 1 together so that you can control at least the tempo on T 8?

[@gwEmbassy]

you can sync them using mini-patch cables

[@VintageGearFreak]

The T-8 303 sounds a bit like the TB-03, except the accent is much better on T-8. I wonder if they are using the 98kHz AIRA engine

[@gwEmbassy]

It would be interesting to know the steps they have made on the 303 emulation side from the TB-3 to the TB-03 to the T-8

[@nitilitdax]

Use the toms with distorsion and let you suprise your self. 😁.

[@gwEmbassy]

Always worth a try I guess!

[@Engineeer]

I am surprised how different the drums sound, as I assume that they used ACB technology for everything. Sure, the T-8 is a good deal, but it comes down to personal taste and use case if it's worth the purchase. The small form factor is very appealing to those, who like to travel with gear.

[@gwEmbassy]

I wonder how much component ageing has affected my old drum machines. I’d like to look into this more.

[@TeslaDanser]

I dunno how these things haven't pushed the behringer td3 off the budget 303 slot

[@gwEmbassy]

I guess maybe they are digital and a bit more expensive. But I agree!

[@fruduroc]

I wonder why none of their digital bass drums and bass toms in every electronic reconstitutions they did can't sound as fat and full in the bass than the orignals 808 and 909 (and I've listened to a lot of comparaisons with the headphones) ... Maybe it would be better to keep the bass drums/toms analogic like Korg did with the Volca Beats if they can't do this fatter than that.

[@gwEmbassy]

maybe they took out some of the low end to fit better in a mix?

[@gianfry1980]

The sound are completely different from original machines,this T8 is a Toy. Thanks for this video your are very precious man .Thanks again.I will like if you will do a comparation with Donner B1 (clone 303) .Thanks again

[@gwEmbassy]

I think the Donner B1 would be a interesting one to try. I’ll look out for one ;)

[@JohnLunney]

Drum-wise, it's the TR-06 in a much smaller box.

[@gwEmbassy]

The T-8 doesn't have the TR-606 bass drum or cymbal sound though (or the "secret" hi-hat sound)

[@JamesVytas]

I like the Frankenstein approach to sound choice. They should have gone with the tr909 colour scheme though. Or even the 606 silver plastic. The size is good.

[@gwEmbassy]

The sounds do work well together for sure. I would have liked more 808, but at the end it’s a good box.

[@JamesVytas]

@@gwEmbassy yeah, that’s what I was expecting. Like a reduced modern version of boutique 808. Roland should be inventing new sounds and products anyway. Wish I worked for their product development team. 🙃

[@JamesVytas]

@@gwEmbassy I think I’ll pick one up for sure. I was waiting for behringer to bring out a modded rd6 but don’t think that’s gonna happen soon. This thing looks good 👍.

[@DiamondWoodStudios]

Do you think they might add some sounds in an future update?

[@gwEmbassy]

Wouldn’t that be great?

[@alianshampoprisioners7056]

It's too small to sound good I mean they missed a good opportunity to create a hybrid between 808 and tb303 With some contribution of warmth of valves... It can still be rescued by parallel processing... I am not very convinced.

[@gwEmbassy]

They should definitely have done more 808 sounds.

[@Decoy303]

My T8 does not like my volcas as master but plays well as master. Disappointing though. Not sure of the sync in function if it can't play nice. And yes I changed my stps settings to work correctly but it still doesn't play in sync only if it's master.

[@gwEmbassy]

That’s too bad. I guess the voltages are a little different.

[@PeranMe]

I'm not specifically an acid lover, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt, but I honestly prefer the T-8's 303. There's something in the upper lows that speak to me. Please forgive me. Oh, and also, great video, thanks!

[@gwEmbassy]

Well, if you like the T-8 it will certainly be cheaper :) It has a good sequencer for the 303 part.

[@rickygee9094]

Can it make hip beats and record?

[@gwEmbassy]

yes, but it wouldn’t be my first choice. it’s more for jamming.

[@synthetic24]

Good comparison video but the problem is that people compare old instruments from 30-40 years old that probably not in the original tune anymore because they are never been serviced and or properly calibrated like they used to sound. I'm pretty sure that Roland do this calibration at first on their old instruments before they recreate the tones etc... in their new technology. I'm also pretty sure that all 909s, 808s, 303s, 101s, etc... exactely sounding the same when they where new back than. Same circuitry, same components, same calibration,...

[@gwEmbassy]

I agree! I have done a video about this exact topic : kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnXZiouFfdODaqs

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

Do you like it mate? I find it a another modern roland toy

[@gwEmbassy]

I kinda like it yes. I wish they would have consulted some musicians on the design though.

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

@@gwEmbassy i would like to try the S model to load your own samples, but I only like lo res 12 bit samplers or old roland S550-S 770.

[@bryanmcshane1512]

Where has the accent control gone?

[@gwEmbassy]

You need to menu dive for it.

[@robosardine303]

Ah - thank you - no tuning knob either I notice🙁

[@gwEmbassy]

Actually, there is a tuning knob for the 303 section

[@leewightman8619]

Iv never been the biggest fan of the 606 hihats i think the 909 hats would have suited the t8 better

[@gwEmbassy]

that’s an interesting take. I like the 606 hihats, but I agree that the kit they chose is a little bizarre and doesn’t quite fit.

[@teebeedahbow]

Most of the individual sounds sound like they are in a different spaces, and the originals do seem to have more body generally and are less crips and harsh at the hi mids, but in itself I think the T8 sounds really pretty good in its own right. PS I prefer the T8 kick!

[@gwEmbassy]

the T8 is definitely good :)

[@jutubjestzlem]

I can't say I understand the T-8 as a product. When you think about the actual features, it's obvious why the have discounted it...

[@gwEmbassy]

It is fun, but some of the feature set is odd. They missed an opportunity to make a classic here. However, it is still pretty good.

[@jutubjestzlem]

@@gwEmbassy It sounds great, but the problem I have is that in current form it is an one-genre machine. Maybe they decided to limit the drum machine part not to create a competiton for TR-6S.

[@gwEmbassy]

I think that might be the reason too

[@bottomtext7700]

Your tr-606 and my tr-606 don't even sound the same. Lol

[@gwEmbassy]

I expect thats true. I might do a video about variation in analogue gear

[@bottomtext7700]

@@gwEmbassy Agreed. That would be a good video topic.

[@VincentsVideoVisions]

Ive had several 606 units and one sounded awesome... the rest were meh. I've also had several x0xb0xes and they all sounded quite different.

[@AriestheLegendRVA]

T8 is a fail imo

[@gwEmbassy]

Its definitely an opportunity missed

[@adub303]

Agree and disagree. If you look at like the marketing literature want you to, it's a total miss- not delivering on nearly any of the implied lineage. But if you look at instead as going up against the likes of the Volcas and Behringers, it definitely brings a lot to the table for the price point. The chief problem, imho, is the implication that it is essentially a mashup of the TB-03 and TR-06/TR-6S or some such- which it clearly is not. Still not a bad little bit of kit for the buck-forty-nine (ish), as long as one's expectations are properly managed 😉