Item Reviews for: Roland TR8S Drum Machine  -  ROL TR8S LIST
Roland TR8S Drum Machine
review title:

My new favorite piece of gear.

By: Brad      Submitted: 1/4/2024

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Product Rating Product Review This is the first review I've written, just because I've had so much fun making music on this from day one. I found the controls very intuitive, and the preloaded sounds are great. The build quality is also very nice; it doesn't feel cheap. I've only had the TR8-S for a few weeks now, but I'm really excited about its capabilities.
review title:

Practice makes perfect

By: Alexander A Jackson      Submitted: 10/29/2023

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Great piece of equipment looking forward to purchasing the roland groovebox to accompany it.
review title:

Not for amateur or inexperienced users

By: T      Submitted: 7/28/2023

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Product Review This is a great product, I just had no idea from the description that it would be so complex to use. There is no way I have time to learn how to simply make background beats that I can write on sheet music and learning how to use this was so much I had to return it. For anyone who is familiar with using this model or other Roland models I would recommend it because it is amazing what possibilities there are. It is just definitely an extremely professional product that I would need to take hours of learning courses to use it.
review title:

Amazing drum machine sequencer

By: Ulysses Rivera      Submitted: 4/6/2023

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review This is what I consider a great investment. Amazing gear. I have just begun to test its capabilities and I already can tell this is going to elevate my production. I strongly recommend this drum machine to anyone who wants to push their creativity to the next level. I'm not the mist technical person out here but I know quality when I see it. This is a game changer.
review title:

Pretty much the last drum machine you'll ever need.

By: SevenSugars      Submitted: 3/8/2023

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2 people found this review helpful.

Product Review Pretty much the last drum machine you'll ever need. Aside from fact that there's no 'back' button for menu diving...or at least not one I've found. Amazing device.
review title:

So Much Fun!

By: Pete W      Submitted: 2/24/2023

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Straight out of the box, this is a blast to play with and create. From modern kits, to Roland’s early/classic machines. It has it all.
review title:

Great for note sequences. Tricky with Insta play

By: fierce loops      Submitted: 2/6/2023

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Product Review As a looping enthusiast I have loads of fun experimenting with the many beats it comes with while being in time along other instruments.
review title:

gorgeous and fairly easy to learn

By: noCue      Submitted: 1/5/2023

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review love it. so much fun and great addition to any studio
review title:

love the faders!

By: bzrkr      Submitted: 1/4/2023

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review this thing is amazing totally has its own character and lots of wiggy wacha
review title:

Super Clunky Workflow

By: Zae      Submitted: 10/18/2022

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3 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Had higher hopes for this but it is a very clunky machine to work on. Everything useful requires menu diving on a tiny screen. I come from an MPC and Elektron workflow and this thing is in the stone ages to get anything done on. The child-like rainbow colors don't help its cause either. Compared to the Behringer RD-8 and RD-9 the 909 and 808 sounds on this are not close. I thought Roland, having been around forever, would of made the workflow on this enjoyable but it is like pulling teeth. constantly being zapped out my creative flow to menu dive just to do what should be something fast and simple. Sending this back as I prefer my music machines to be enjoyable to work on, not frustrating
review title:

This machine is perfect.

By: Joshua Coonradt      Submitted: 11/7/2021

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review It's my first drum machine and it has done everything I could ask for... from Psytrance to Techno it is covered. No glitches, always smooth and sounds great!!
review title:

Open your music thought state of mind!!!!!

By: tonyparsley136@gmail.com      Submitted: 9/12/2021

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4 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Roland what more can I say!!!!!!the best equipment and the best build .I love Roland and boss products!
review title:

Great sampler

By: Alvaro      Submitted: 9/6/2021

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3 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Man ever since I got this bad boy I can’t stop using it
review title:

Easy to Program

By: Greg      Submitted: 3/26/2021

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Much easier to program in new beats than the small boutique TR-08, not because of the size but the interface is much more intuitive.
review title:

Fun & versatile

By: spostol      Submitted: 3/18/2021

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4 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review I love how I can just dive right into this machine and start creating. It's user-friendly, and is a central part to my hardware setup these days.
review title:

User Friendly

By: Carlisle M      Submitted: 11/10/2020

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review The last drum machine I purchased was the Alesis SR-16 so it was time for a new one. I've been a fan of Roland Products ever since I Purchased my SH-101 and Juno 106 back in the 80s, so I decided to buy the TR-8S. The TR-8S not only have great sounds but like all of my Roland gear it is user friendly. The TR-8S dose everything that I need it to do plus some. When I ordered it I had no idea that it could also be used as a DAW Controller so that turned out to be a plus. The TR-8S has already been used on my new album and I look forward to using it on future projects. Thank you Roland for creating yet another great piece of gear. Sincerely, Michael Carlisle
review title:

Roland TR8s

By: Amir      Submitted: 10/5/2020

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8 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Very good drum machine I’ve been using it for a while it sounds really good every time when I turn it on Another great product from Roland.
review title:

the best of the best.

By: D.Palmer      Submitted: 6/9/2020

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review the lights on the pads really stand out and the knobs could be better. like metal instead of plastic.I Have had the tr8 now for a little over one month.and i love everything about it.realy excedit my expectations. im old school 50 something.back in the day i had a 909-808 just to name a few.now this baby has all them and moore. built rite in.
review title:

The roland tr8s basically does it all

By: Luis      Submitted: 4/29/2020

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Product Review Very good piece to have. Looks and feels great.
review title:

Just... wow.

By: Funkadelic Bob      Submitted: 4/9/2020

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review I bought this hoping to be able to make some decent beats with minimal headache. This thing has far and away exceeded my expectations. The lows are mind bending and it’s relatively simple to learn for a machine as capable as this is. I’ve barely scratched the surface on its capabilities and it has already surpassed all of my expectations.
review title:

Easy to use

By: Victor Nicasio      Submitted: 4/9/2020

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4 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Looks good as a addition to home studio or dj set. Work excellent with serato pro
review title:

Great to use with AIRA gear

By: dragonmonkey88      Submitted: 3/30/2020

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4 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Great to use with Roland/AIRA gear, adds a nice touch to your midi setup with lots of options to play with to many to mention here.
review title:

To infinity and beyond

By: Bryan      Submitted: 3/30/2020

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Product Review I'm still learning this beast and I am thoroughly impressed. The sounds are great. They do lean heavily towards EDM, but anyone not expecting that hasn't done their homework. There is a learning curve, but intelligently designed. I found the manual to be a little underwhelming, but it gives you ample information to get you moving. From there it is plug and play.
review title:

Easy as can be

By: Tony Mistretta      Submitted: 1/26/2020

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4 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review I don’t play drums at all but I wanted to make my own backing tracks. After a 1/2 of day this machine was cranking out anything I could come up with .
review title:

Roland doesn't disappoint

By: Heather      Submitted: 1/26/2020

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review Has a bit of a learning curve, but really pleased with this product. It's a powerful tool with quality sounds. I haven't used it to perform yet but I'm looking forward to it!
review title:

Capabilities Galore!

By: Musical Mystic      Submitted: 1/22/2020

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2 people found this review helpful.

Product Review I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of this amazing machine. I’ve been learning it slowly and have realized that there is still a vast amount of learning to do. Can’t wait to learn more!
review title:

This is provably one of the best machines on the market!

By: Michael Kurilla      Submitted: 1/7/2020

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4 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review This is provably one of the best machines on the market!
review title:

Exactly what i was looking for

By: Mohammad      Submitted: 1/6/2020

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review I bought this after selling my push 2 because i needed a dedicated drum machine, and mind you while i absolutely love the push 2, after using it for almost one year, i wanted to improve my workflow by getting something geared a little towards live music, and this is exactly what it offers. I would lose myself just jamming to this. This is a big improvement from the original tr8, and that was bomb too. All in all, if you want to create beats quickly and inspire yourself by just jamming, this would be for you.
review title:

Great sounding machine

By: Doug F      Submitted: 12/27/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Been wanting this drum machine for awhile. AMS helped me get it with their payment plan. love the sounds and the ease of programming. Should definitely help me take my music to another level. Totally enjoying experimenting with this new toy!
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Roland TR8S!!!This Is The Ultimate Groove&Drum Machine on the Market!!!

By: Kenny Baughman      Submitted: 12/27/2019

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3 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review I am thrilled with this top notch pro unit.Fabulous!
review title:

Thanks AMS

By: Leonardo Serres      Submitted: 12/11/2019

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3 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review So awesome that there is a company that provides present and future artist the resources that change the artists lives. AMS has made it so convenient for myself and others to do things we love with a financial advantage. I can’t thank you guys enough for everything, from shopping to delivery. You guys are a big reason I have great jam sessions at night after a long productive day. The TR8s has provided me with those quality jam sessions. Thanks to AMS for providing me with such great service!
review title:

nice sounds

By: Kc      Submitted: 12/7/2019

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review still learning to use atm, great sound lots of kits etc Ty AMS
review title:

Best drum machine out.

By: Tomba      Submitted: 11/28/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Best drum machine out. Worth every bit of canned soup
review title:

Fun drum machine

By: Chris      Submitted: 10/6/2019

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2 people found this review helpful.

Product Review Amazing sound/kits/synth capability. Addicting fun
review title:

Amazing piece of gear

By: NekRawTek      Submitted: 9/6/2019

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2 people found this review helpful.

Product Review I'm a huge fan of the old 808. This gives me that machine plus a ton of new sounds and features. As a dark wave and industrial musician, this is the perfect instrument for me. Great sounds, a ton of flexibility and a killer sequencer makes this a must buy. The only thing I'll criticize is that the sampler is great for short stabs, hits and chords, but it is not a great machine for using sample loops. I would highly recommend the TR 8S to anyone in the market for a drum machine.
review title:

Awesome

By: Jim      Submitted: 9/6/2019

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3 people found this review helpful.

Product Review This is one of my favorite pieces of gear in my dawless set up. I give it 5 stars for ease of use.
review title:

A drum machine for the curious

By: Dario Parada      Submitted: 7/5/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.

Product Review The TR8S has been a great machine to dip my toes in to the world of drum machines. Although versatility isn’t its main lane, it gets you on the track. If you’re looking for a drum machine with a big name attached, this is the machine for you. Not enough room for external samples but don’t let that take away from the samples you can get out of it to drag and drop if you want to draw more complex patterns on your daw. Very user friendly and a great companion for your existing hardware. I no longer feel the need to buy sample packs when I can create my own basic samples on this machine.
review title:

all things drums

By: Gerald Baer      Submitted: 4/28/2019

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review if you need a beat you will create it with Roland TR8S. take time to read the owners manuel , this machine has alot to it, takes time to learn and use. I love it.
review title:

This is a great product!

By: Jeffrey Stackhouse      Submitted: 4/28/2019

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4 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review This product has an amazing sound, easy to incorporate into your production and has the latest and greatest sounds and samples!
review title:

The main workstation of my studio

By: Blender      Submitted: 3/25/2019

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Product Review I had the TR-8 and was reluctant to even consider the TR-8S. It is a completely different unit. The sound quality has improved so much, each channel has teh same parameters. There are more effects available, to include the auto fill. This is the center of my studio set up, triggering my outboard gear, and is recorded directly into my DAW via USB. Roland really got this update right. If you've not had a chance, definitely check it out!
review title:

Lacking in Features made for More Live Hands On Hipster Music

By: Cameron Brand      Submitted: 3/22/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Maybe I am just old skool when it comes to Drum Machines and Groove Boxes, but I gotta say it has some great drum kits on it and I love the fact it has the option to input samples "IE" not a sampler. I think this is a great idea Roland has but honestly, they could have added more features as far as the sequencer/ I get the chaining A-H patterns that's great and all but when dealing with it in a SONG writing situation with other instruments it's very weak. If you are that kind of musician that likes techno and experimenting this is perfect for crafting some great beats. The effects are pretty good but seem when you switch it will lose that effect and switch to the new one. The knobs feel good "I dislike the step buttons they feel plasticy and cheap". There is a lot of drum power under the hood of this but to me, it doesn't compare to the 90s 505 Groove Box minus the sounds. Ehh if you like making "Trap" "Hip Hop" "House" etc this is a great live machine to randomly make a trippy set.
review title:

Better than expected

By: R.S      Submitted: 3/8/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Very good craftmanship and design. Better DAW integration would make it almost flawless. Excellent to use intuitively without a computer, yet very extensive features for advanced users.
review title:

Packs a punch! TrAwesome!

By: James Brew      Submitted: 2/22/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.

Product Review This is my first Tr8 and I love it just about more than food. Deep sounds and sampling capabilities! l
review title:

Best Drum Machine I’ve Ever Had

By: Justin      Submitted: 2/4/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Super easy to use, looks awesome, sounds even more awesome. Definitely an instrument geared towards live usage. I know I’ll have this thing for years to come
review title:

Nothing but the best from Roland

By: Shocktom      Submitted: 2/4/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Absolutely love this thing!! Thanks to these payment plans I'm looking forward to future business with you!!!!
review title:

Well worth the cashish

By: Unmutual buyer      Submitted: 1/5/2019

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Product Review Still trying to get all i can out of this peice of kit. Sounds are pretty sweet. Needs a little reading but overall its pretty easy to use. Love the 808 and other kits. Its just another timeless drum machine thats a must own. Especially if you grew up in the 80z. I recommend this to anyone who needs a drum machine.
review title:

I love the sound quality

By: Calvin Simmons      Submitted: 12/27/2018

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Excellent sound quality
review title:

Great addition to the TR Family

By: Jack G      Submitted: 10/23/2018

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Great update to the TR family. Fills in spaces for allowing the tr-8 to expand as music continues to evolve but still gives you the classics you want and need. Really impressive for seeing further expand.
review title:

I love it!

By: Douglas      Submitted: 9/26/2018

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review FUN,FUN,FUN!
review title:

I love IT

By: Vincent Larry      Submitted: 7/23/2018

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review I have been wanting these old sounds since I were a child and always wanted to make early sounding "House Music". This TR8S gives me exactly what I've been wanting. Highly satisfied.