How to perfect the art of 808s..

Stevethaboss

Stevethaboss

New member
What's up my friends ? After a few months of music making, I have realized what my main problem is with all of my instrumentals. 808s... My songs have that heavy brass intro then a synth drop effect to build up hype and then that initial kick and 808 sound just about perfect. The problem occurs after this though... I just can't seem to get them right. I have the same kick-clap pattern throughout the song. Are 808s supposed to go everytime a kick does ? Or should it be a-whole-nother pattern?... :cry:
It confuses me haha. Also, should each 808 be on a different ? ..And each time I use an 808 there is a period of silence in between the next one... HELP! lol thanks guys :berzerk:
 
Music doesn't have rules. Have fun and pick what sounds like it expresses you the most.

But if you are trying to achieve a certain style , maybe we can get to the bottom of your curiosity.
 
808 samples generally have a kick at the beginning, which can be good because layering an 808 with a kick sounds nice. They should hit at the exact same time. Sometimes it's hard to match 808s to a melody, but it's totally about feel. My latest beat's 808s aren't even exact semitones (notes) they're just pitched to the cents that made sense by listening. The beat is in my sig, and the bass notes are actually anywhere between notes.
 
Learn about tuning your 808s and you can play them like a bassline. You could have them hit every time with the kick or not, depends on the track. I prefer to have them come in every so often because it gives the track a bit more room.
 
johnebolden said:
808 samples generally have a kick at the beginning, which can be good because layering an 808 with a kick sounds nice. They should hit at the exact same time. Sometimes it's hard to match 808s to a melody, but it's totally about feel. My latest beat's 808s aren't even exact semitones (notes) they're just pitched to the cents that made sense by listening. The beat is in my sig, and the bass notes are actually anywhere between notes.
Click to expand...
you sold a beat to 2 Chainz?! nice!
 
Stevethaboss said:
What's up my friends ? After a few months of music making, I have realized what my main problem is with all of my instrumentals. 808s... My songs have that heavy brass intro then a synth drop effect to build up hype and then that initial kick and 808 sound just about perfect. The problem occurs after this though... I just can't seem to get them right. I have the same kick-clap pattern throughout the song. Are 808s supposed to go everytime a kick does ? Or should it be a-whole-nother pattern?... :cry:
It confuses me haha. Also, should each 808 be on a different ? ..And each time I use an 808 there is a period of silence in between the next one... HELP! lol thanks guys :berzerk:
Click to expand...

I always had the same problem. I always wondered why my tracks sounded so plain, and it was because of the fact I had no 808's in the background. Depending on the track, you either want a low background 808 or a heavy up front 808. This can be changed by turning up volumes obviously. With FL, use the lowest velocity on the 808's notes as possible and turn the 808 up in the mix. It has a more subby sound that way.

And yes, they are supposed to hit with the kicks. Take your kick pattern, copy it into the bass and then move the notes around until you find the way you like it. 808's should hit on kicks, but kicks don't have to hit on 808's. What I mean is, make sure every 808 note has a kick hitting with it but you can add more kicks in between to speed up your track if it needs it.

808's can be annoying as hell, EQ them, effect them. (Fruity Bass Boost works good enough) Cut off mids and boost the lows. A good idea would be to play around with basses and percussion patterns to get it right. The thing is with 808 is that other low end sounds get in the way if your using cheap speakers, requiring you to EQ them ahead of time to be able to really hear them.
 
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