I love the design. It’s intuitive to use and looks awesome to me - Unlike Rolands TR-8 and TR-8S which look like toys compared to RD-8 and are also hard to use in comparison.
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First time I hear about the TR-8S being hard to use compared to anything… it’s pretty much the same concept than a TR-808, only evolved.
I cannot put my finger on it. The way some things are aligned looks off to me. Somehow it feels like a job 95% done. Still, at that price point a very impressive instrument.
Can you elaborate on this ? Is it only visual or is it something you feel when using it ?
Yes, sure. There is one thing in particular (and I’m not the first one to point this out). There is a set of grey areas above the sequencer buttons and they are separated by a little black area. The one with the << Length and >> buttons is aligned with the gap between step 9 and step 10. Now when I put my BD steps on 1, 5, 9, 13 I consistently used 10 instead of 9. While this might be healthy for my musical development it kept pissing me off during the short time I had with the machine. I know I’m anal about these things and I’m sure for many people it’s a non issue.
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Thanks, makes more sense now. I’m probably less “anal” ( 
) about this but at least I understand now.
I tried TR-8S once at a store and couldn’t figure out how to create a beat, select sounds etc in 5 minutes… with RD-8, it was immedeately clear.
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The step buttons are color coded with different color every four buttons…
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LOL! Shhh man, you’re being much too sensible. I’m not really sure what Hans means, those grey areas are meant to group different sets of controls and they aren’t meant to have anything to do with the steps. They look nice and crisp. In addition to the color-coding, the steps have the numbers clearly written underneath them. To be consistently putting your 9 on 10, I imagine you’d have to be using the unit with your eyes closed.
Check out this video of the perfect circuit demo dude going ham on an RD.
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curious to know how you’re feeling now the honeymoon period is over? i’m in a similar boat to you, in that i own a Yocto and the Boutique variants sound crap to me and are no fun to play. the added features on the RD8 sequencer, coupled with the fact the noise circuit can be offset whilst using the clap is a genius move. it’s all down to the voicing and sync, which so far sound pretty cool to my ears, but i won’t know until i hear one in person.
That’s weird, had it unplugged for a few days and i can’t find my patterns. I’ll see if i’m just missing something seriously derpy but weird that i come back in roughly a week to an empty RD. Posting here because that’ll inevitably turn around in my embarrassment and i’ll find them easily now 
That or bad news and i can at least know if that’d be bound to happen again.
Only niggles for me are sometimes sloppy midi timing (although the analogue clock is rock solid) and some of the default levels (rim too loud, shaker to quiet etc). Another frustration is the colours and text around the back. My eyesight is shocking I know but I really struggle to read the labelling in anything but direct light.
These are tiny annoyances I’m willing to put up with for the sound. It sounds so good to my ears and when I run the individual outs to my desk and apply some compression and eq per channel it really comes alive. Sits in the mix like it’s always been there. Can’t speak for the Yocto or boutiques in terms of sound comparison as I don’t have those machines. All I can say is I love my RD 8 and would have another in a heartbeat should the need arise. Just holding out for the RD 9 now!
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I have the RD8 but I’m also waiting for the RD9 but will this one ever see the light of day?
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I really can’t imagine it wont. My guess is that there’s only so much factory capacity and they’ve released a crazy number (way more than I would have attempted or thought) of synths at once. I don’t see them getting to the point where they have almost production ready prototypes that they let the press and general public play with at various shows only to then not release it. Stranger things have happened, but I’d find it to be unlikely.
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Yeah Its been a slow burner (the RD 9). It seems like ages since the prototypes etc started popping up online. That said, the RD 8 was teased to death and dished out to youtubers (as the RD 808) long before any hit the shops so maybe they’re going down the same route? They do like to tease after all.
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It looks like some are speculating that there may be a 606 clone coming soon, due to the way the numbers are in the video. Looks like the same style at the bottom of a 606, under the steps.
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Yeah I saw that vid on their site. Still hoping for a 909 at some point… it seems to have died a death?
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Yeah, hoping to hear more about it’s development soon. I’d been really waiting for the RD-9 to be released soon, so I could get a second drum machine. I actually decided just yesterday to focus solely on my Machinedrum and purchase a Strymon Deco to process it. Should tide me over until more news comes out about the RD-9. Curious if Behringer will roll out any updates for their gear during NAMM.
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