Roland Tr-909 Vst Plugin
Over a period of three decades, the 808 has become an important sound for hip hop, trap, and other electronic music genres. Not many sounds in modern-day music have had quite an impact like the 808.
Free Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer Drum MachineVST Emulation DR-910 by MaxSynthsfor standard House and Techno beatbox soundsLink: http://www.maxsynths.com/vs. Free Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer Drum MachineVST Emulation DR-910 by MaxSynthsfor standard House and Techno beatbox soundsLink: http://www.maxsynths.com/vs.
With the birth of the internet, plugin manufacturers and sample creators have flooded the market with their products, making it difficult to find the perfect 808.
If you’ve been searching (and who hasn’t?) then look no further. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best 808 plugins available right now.
Let’s check them out.
Top 808 VST’s
1. Future Audio Workshop SubLab
We find that it’s much easier to use plugins when they have a single purpose, making it simpler for music creators to…create! That’s why we think that the SubLab from Future Audio Workshop is great. It lets you make just about any sub tone you can think of for almost any genre, but more specifically trap and hip hop.
Sublab is more or less a hybrid VST, consisting of both an analog synth and an X-sub synth layer, which can be routed to a kick drum fairly easily. The easy-to-use (and attractive) interface provides great feedback from the spectrogram and oscillator waveform. You can blend together, three different layers in the “mixing” section.
The plugin gives every musical “genius” the ability to play with multiple layers (synth and sample) to create massive sub tones without destroying the bottom end of your mix. If that isn’t enough, you can always add in some dirt with the compression and saturation modules.
Let’s be honest, no plugin is perfect, and SubLab is no exception. There are only 69 presets included, which might be limiting for some producers. On the flip side, it’s not too difficult to build new tones from scratch, making it beginner-friendly.
Pros
- Generate sub tones without sacrificing the bottom end
- The compression and saturation are very high quality
- Three layers to play around with
Cons
- sampler section has no visual feedback
- Not velocity-sensitive
2. Niche Audio Planet 808
If you ever surf the web for samples, you’ve probably seen about a million different 808 kits out there. While that’s all good for modern music producers, many of the kits lack the necessary processing for when they are used in the context of full-on productions.
Niche Audio Plant 808 combats this by providing a number of different vibe-driven 808 kits for just about any music genre. Each of these 808 kits has been sampled, edited, and processed with care. While there are additional patches for a number of soft samplers, the Niche Audio Planet 808 is best used in Ableton Live or Maschine 2.
There are thirteen standard kits and two special kits included, as well as an array of low-end subs and percussion to add a bit of flair to the kits. Every kit has starter patterns to help get some ideas down right off the bat. Each one also comes with different pitches so that you can fit the samples with your music in any key.
Overall, this 808 VST is known for its authenticity. It is meticulously sculpted for Ableton Live and Maschine to make it a viable 808 asset for any kind of modern music producer.
Pros
- Versatile pack of 808s
- Meticulously sampled, edited, and organized
- Comes set up for Ableton Live and Maschine
Cons
- You lose many ease of use features in other DAWs
3. Wave Alchemy Revolution
Wave Alchemy says that their Revolution plugin is one of the most accurate virtual drum machine plugins available right now. Included in the VST are a number of classic machines like the OB-DX, 908, 606, 78, etc. but the 808s are what stands out.
In order to capture the original tone of each analog drum machine and every little nuance, Wave Alchemy injected thousands upon thousands of samples into the sound engine of the Revolution. The end result is the subtle differences that make analog so unique.
Each sound was captured through a balanced Radial JDI and a NEVE 1073 preamp, which resulted in sounds with a full frequency range response – think warm, punchy and dynamic! Another thing to note here is that each sound was also peak matched to help in the auditioning process.
A really cool feature is that you can load the different drum sounds into the 14 drum voice modules, effectively giving you a frankenstein kit of sorts. Use an 808 kick, a 909 hat, and an OB-DX snare. Get creative!
Pros
- A lot of high quality samples to play around with
- Comes with FX like reverb and saturation
- The interface is nice to look at 😉
Cons
- Not as beginner-friendly as some of the other options
4. DopeSONIX Bass Engine 1
If you make hip hop beats and you’re looking for a HUGE all-around bass plugin, the Bas Engine 1 might be what you’ve been missing. DopeSONIX went to the trouble of studying the last 30 years of hip hop to get a good representation of every bass sound through each era. You’ll get everything from a classic 808 to a vinyl-style upright bass.
The plugin comes arranged with the sounds in order from the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. In the 90’s collection, you can expect to see samples from machines like the MPC 60 MKII and SP-1200. Those were the days when bass lines were sampled from soul, jazz, and funk records.
By the time we hit the 2000’s, producers started getting their hands on hardware bass synths for more powerful bass tones. Some of the more popular samplers included the MPC 3000 and the ASR-10. Included in the Bass Engine 1 are 100 presets to give you those deep, dirty Y2K bass sounds.
Finally, you’ll get a collection of 808 and sub-bass sounds that we’re all taylored to modern trap, hip-hop, EDM, and dubstep. This is an absolutely impressive collection of hip-hop bass sounds combined with MIDI basslines, ADSR controls, and low CPU to boot.
Pros
- Quality bass sounds organized through the decades
- Interface is intuitive and easy to use
- Very low CPU usage!
Cons
- Not as many 808s as we were hoping (only 20)
5. Synsonic Instruments Synsonic BD-808
If you hate sifting through tons of different 808 sounds to find the right one, then the Synsonic BD-808 might be right for you – simplicity at its best! The BD-808 is incredibly useful for creating dope 808 bass lines with very little effort.
Unlike other plugins on our list, the BD-808 doesn’t use any 808 samples, instead it relies on detailed analysis of the old school bass drum circuits. Furthermore, it makes use of a MIDI control, allowing you to operate the plugin like a bass synthesizer, something you can’t do with an 808 sample.
Included are a few parameters to tweak your sounds to perfection.
- Accent – emphasizes the attack
- Tone – which controls the amount of click on the tone
- Plus a few other standard controls, such as Level and Decay.
Besides those controls, there are some other sound manipulation possibilities, such as halftone tuning, fine tuning, extended decay, and MIDISync.
By our analysis, we feel like the DB-808 is one of the simplest 808 VST plugins around for anyone looking for quality 808 sounds. Also, the ultra low price means you won’t burn a hole in your wallet.
Pros
- Ultra low cost
- Simple to Operate
- Additional controls for shaping your sound
Cons
- Not as versatile as others on the list
- Some users have commented that it can be a bit buggy
6. DopeSONIX Beat Machine 2
The Beat Machine 2 by DopeSONIX is an upgrade from the DopeSONIX Beat Machine 1 on our list, though this one is more of a drum machine than a bass synthesizer. It was designed for producers who need a wide variety of hip-hop drums for different production styles from different eras.
There are 600 different kits onboard that have been EQ’ed and mixed ahead of time so that they can be used in your productions right off the bat. The days of spending hours on end looking for the right kit pieces are long gone.
The cool thing about the DopeSONIX Beat Machine 2 is that these kits were arranged by era. The first 100 presets bring you the dusty, chopped kit pieces from 90s hip-hop. The second 100 presets are from the 2000s, giving you the new Boombap sounds of producers such as Havoc and Alchemist alongside the 808 driven styles of Lil Jon, the clean-cut sounds of Timbaland, and the new wave West Coast sounds of Dr. Dre. Lastly, you get the 808 and 909 inspired sounds from hood trap producers such as DJ Mustard and Lex Luger.
There are 600 high-quality drum kits, 1200+ samples, 300 stereo kits, 300 multi-out kits, and 50 drum patterns, all wrapped up in a flexible and low CPU plugin.
Pros
- Hundreds of incredible drum kits
- Sounds arranged by era
- Low CPU usage
Cons
- The sheer number of kit pieces can be overwhelming
7. D16 Group Nepheton
D16 Group is famous for their digital emulations of well-known, classic synths and drum machines. The Nepheton is a recreation of the famous 808 drum machine. Every sound that comes out of the unit is perfectly captured enabling you to import the original 808 sounds straight into your DAW.
The Nepheton uses hybrid sequencing, which should please both modern producers as well as the serious drum machine enthusiasts. Built in is a randomize feature allowing you to quickly dial-in some unique rhythms when the original 808 patterns start to get dull.
If you’re after a pure 808 emulation, the D16 Nepheton may be the best choice on our list.
Pros
- Classic 808 emulation
- Hybrid sequencing
- Randomizer feature for interesting patterns
Cons
- Modern producers may feel limited
8. Wave Alchemy Transistor Revolution MKII
For producers using Kontakt, the Transistor Revolution MKII is a perfect match. This plugin is a digital recreation of the iconic TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines from the 1980’s. Though this plugin has been around for quite some time, it has undergone some reason updates including a full re-script. Expect intuitive workflow and a beautiful interface.
The plugin comes equipped with a 16-track step sequencer, a 10-track mixer for individual drum processing, unified 808 and 909 instruments, reverb and delay defends, tape saturation, and volume and pan controls.
Thanks to the advanced sampling technology available in Kontakt, you can expect some 22,000 samples in this plugin for thick and fat sounds!
Carefully recorded with a Radial JDI and NEVE 1073 preamp, you can expect analog warmth and dynamics – top-notch analog sound at a relatively low price.
Pros
- Premium quality analog sounds
- Intuitive UI
Cons
- CPU hog!
Get Down With the 808
If your goal is to create chest-thumping trap, hip-hop or EDM, you need to get your hands on some quality 808s.
Instead of sifting through thousands of samples trying to create a good drum kit, why not pick up one of the best 808 VST’s on our list and get back to what you love doing – making music?
VST plugins are an excellent addition to your DAW setup, easy to install and simple to use. They recreate the legendary sounds of the classic synthesizers at a fraction of the price. A VST emulator is perfect if you don’t have the budget to throw at vintage and rare synth hardware.
Many of the top synth companies have recreated their successful products into VST plugins, and there are many other specialist plugin companies who have created their own plugin versions as well.
Remember, that you may need a bridge (we recommend jBridge) to allow 32-bit plugins to work with 64-bit DAWs, this will enable you to play these older VSTs on your modern DAW software.
There are hundreds of quality VSTs to choose from, ranging from a few hundred dollars to free downloads, so we’ve put together a list of some classic and vintage synths that have been recreated as VST plugins.
If you’re not sure if one of the paid VSTs is right for you, all of the VSTs offer free trials to test them out!
Table of Contents
Roland Jupiter-8
The Jupiter-8 announced Roland as a top synth manufacturer in the 1980s, the colorful interface and textured sounds powered by the innovative ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) Modeling made it an instant hit across the globe, so the VST plugin was always going to be a popular option.
Roland Cloud Jupiter-8 (Paid)
Roland recreated a version of their legendary synth and this is the go-to option if you want as close to the real thing as possible, those smooth pads, trembling basslines, and inspiring leads are just a download away and all for a fraction of the price of the real thing.
Arturia Jup-8 V (Paid)
Arturia has also created their own offering, the Jup-8 V, including a fully-loaded step sequencer and patch effects for more sound options.
Access Virus
Recreating the Access Virus is a big ask for anyone, the legendary synth has come a long way since its release in 1997, shaping the sound of electronic music along the way with its powerful sound and flexibility, it’s safe to say that a Virus VST would be welcome by most synth players.
Adam Szabo Viper (Paid)
Adam Szabo has managed to recreate a lot of the Virus sound in his Viper VST, you’ve got multiple types of oscillators with various waveforms, modulation capabilities, plenty of effects, and a lot more. It all adds up to a worthy mention of a great VST that recreates the mighty Virus!
Adam Szabo Phazor (Free)
A bonus free VST is also available from Adam Szabo, the Phazor, recreating the famous Virus phaser effect. A great addition to your setup that has been carefully designed and optimized to keep the CPU usage as low as possible, allowing you to use it multiple times within a project.
Sequential Circuits Prophet V
The Prophet 5 sits firmly in the synthesizer hall of fame, a programmable polysynth released in the 1970s that helped Dave Smith’s Sequential Circuits company rise to the top. Famed for its good looks and dual analog/digital setup, the Prophet V was a revolution in synth design.
Arturia Prophet V (Paid)
The Prophet V has been beautifully recreated by Arturia, a VST plugin that successfully brings back those big analog sounds which made this synth so famous. As a welcome extra, Arturia has combined this with Sequential’s other big name synth, the digital Prophet VS.
EFM ScP5 (Free)
A VST plugin that combines both analog and digital synthesis giving you two world-famous synths in one package, offering up a huge sound palette to experiment with. A free 32-bit version is available at VST4free, the sound recreation is close but not quite at Arturia’s level.
Roland TR-909
The Roland TR-909 was released after the worldwide success of the TR-808, using a hybrid design of analog circuitry and digital sampling, the resulting rhythmic patterns and deep bass sound quickly inspired musical genres such as house, techno, and hip-hop.
Roland Cloud TR-909 (Paid)
Roland has recreated their famous 909 as a VST plugin and they left no stone unturned. All of the original details have been included with plenty of extras like the improved sequencer programming section. It’s an authentic plugin that emulates the character of the 909 very well.
D16 Drumazon (Paid)
The Drumazon VST plugin from the D16 company emulates all of the 909’s synthesis design, built with extra functionality that allows you to adjust the sound even further.
MaxSynths DR-910 (Free)
A free 32-bit version is also available from Max Synths from VST4Free, but the sequencer is missing from the overall design.
Roland JP-8000
The JP-8000 from Roland was released in 1997 and used innovative design to replicate the vintage analog sound with digital technology flexibility. It also included some welcome extras such as motion control, sequencing and the famous SuperSaw and Feedback oscillator types.
Adam Szabo JP6K (Paid)
You can also find some well made emulations of some of the JP-8000 features on the internet. The JP6K from Adam Szabo is a plugin has been carefully designed to recreate that highly sought after Supersaw effect that was fundamental to the foundation of Trance music.
CFA-Sound SUPER-7 (Free)
A free 32-bit version that recreates the SuperSaw oscillator of the JP-8000 is also available at vst4free, as it’s a free download you shouldn’t expect as many features as the JP6K paid plugin but it’s a great option if you just want to experiment with some of the JP-8000 sounds.
ARP Odyssey
Originally released in 1972, the Odyssey picked up a large following for its unique character and aggressive sound. The duophonic analog synth was then reissued by Korg in 2015 with the help of David Friend, the co-founder of Arp, bringing back to life the power of the Odyssey.
KORG Collection ARP Odyssey (Paid)
Korg also released the VST plugin version which recreates that Odyssey character and sound engine beautifully, putting all of that raw power straight into your DAW setup. A nice little bonus is that you can switch between the three different color designs of the past.
Elektrostudio ODsay (Free)
The free version from Elektrostudio is also worth a look at, this VST plugin emulates the original Odyssey and it does sound pure vintage! The plugin is only 32-bit so you will need jBridge or something similar to convert it into any modern, 64-bit, music production software.
ARP 2600
The ARP 2600 is considered to be one of the greatest analog synthesizers ever made, used by many artists over many different genres, the semi-modular synth went head to head with the legendary Moog throughout the 1970s, answering the call for a compact and intuitive synth.
Way Out Ware TIMEWARP 2600 (Paid)
Another ARP 2600 plugin is available from Way Out Ware, this version has extra flexibility with the aid of modern technology and has been specially endorsed by the original inventor of the 2600, so you know it’s going to be good!
Arturia ARP2600 V (Paid)
Arturia has produced an ARP 2600 VST plugin and it certainly hits the nail on the head for the sound quality, the impressive flexibility with the many features, and the modular routing options, plus, the plugin is loaded with presets to give you a running start when you first switch on.
Glen Stegner Arppe2600va (Free)
Plus, for those looking for a free version, be sure to look out for Glen Stegner’s offering which has been defined into a great sounding ARP 2600 plugin.
Roland Juno-106
The Juno-106 is a hugely popular vintage synth from Roland, EDM DJ’s and electronic-based musicians jumped onto this instrument due to the simple and intuitive interface and big analog sound. It was also one of the first synths to introduce MIDI instrument connectivity.
Roland Cloud Juno-106 (Paid)
Roland has recreated this legendary synth into a popular VST plugin, keeping to the iconic sound and its legacy of simple programming. The full specification of the synth has been kept and using this plugin is a perfect way to get your hands on this classic piece of synth hardware.
Synthescience Poly 2106 (Free)
A free 32-bit version is also available from Synthescience the Poly 2106 plugin is an excellent emulation of the classic Juno-106. It’s a must-have for any Roland fans out there!
Roland SH-101
The SH-101 from Roland is a monophonic synthesizer that was originally released in the early 1980s. The simple design structure made it stand out from the other synths, the tone from the one oscillator, filter, amp, and LFO design became famous with the Techno and D&B crowd.
Roland SH-101 (Paid)
Roland has an SH-101 VST plugin available and has managed to create a full reproduction of their classic synth product, no expense or detail spared with this one, the recreation of the sounds and circuitry behavior makes you feel as though you’re using the real thing.
D16 LUSH-101 (Paid)
Roland Fantom Vst Plugin
The D16 group also has an SH-101 VST plugin available with a powerful sound design at its core and a modular, logical interface layout.
Togu Audio Line TAL-BassLine-101 (Paid)
Togu Audio Line also managed to put out an authentic sounding SH-101 plugin. TAL also included some additional features on the appegiator/sequencer to improve the usability.
Roland TB-303
The Roland TB-303 initially failed as a bass synth, but the second-hand units came into the hands of EDM producers and gave life to the techno and acid house genres. The TB-303 squelchy bass sound soon became famous and inspired many copies of this newly loved synth!
D16 Phoscyon (Paid)
Be sure to check out the VST plugin offering from D16, they make high-quality recreations of famous synths and this is no exception. The classic 303 sound is expertly emulated and it comes with many features such as distortion, arpeggiator, and randomizer.
antto Venom VB-303 (Free)
Roland Tr-909 Vst Plugin Free
A free, 32-bit, plugin by the name of Venom VB-303 is available at vst4free. A great option for those looking to get their hands on the 303 sound in a DAW setup. The interface has proven to be a little complicated for some, but as a free option, we think it’s worth a try.