I’ve never used a 909 in real life so I can’t comment so much on the magic of them but I will say the 909 tape pack (Also the 808 pack) from goldbaby is no joke!Very high quality samples and what I use when I need some 909 hits.Very interested in this machinedrum template btw!Sounds cool!
or perhaps anyone who has owned and used said machines… also a dying breed. clearly they are the only ones that care enough to notice the many sonic and operational differences.
not to critisise the musicians that use either machines but if you cant hear the difference between a tr-909 and an x-base 09 you shouldn’t be making electronic music.[/quote]
There is more to electronic music than the difference between a 909 and an x-base.
The “authenticity” of a “real 909” is nothing but an appeal to antiquity. [/quote]
they don’t make 'em like they used to. that’s why antiques are coveted. lost arts. there to be appreciated, unlike ikea!
or perhaps anyone who has owned and used said machines… also a dying breed. clearly they are the only ones that care enough to notice the many sonic and operational differences.
not to critisise the musicians that use either machines but if you cant hear the difference between a tr-909 and an x-base 09 you shouldn’t be making electronic music.[/quote]
There is more to electronic music than the difference between a 909 and an x-base.
The “authenticity” of a “real 909” is nothing but an appeal to antiquity. [/quote]
I kinda like the old “rinse and repeat” styles of “electronic music” most of the time which is why I am very interested in the 909. Take French House for example. Not only does it very much rely on sampling old records, it also rely on that signature 909 grove/shuffle to get your head nodding and the dance floor moving. Not much to it really but it’s undeniably groovy.
I get what you are saying though (I think)… hell, I even have two different music setups. I have one at home where I have my crate of records close by, followed by a very simple bucket brigade chain of gear. But I also have a space that I rent outside of my home with a bunch of synths and electric pianos and cool FX boxes and blah blah blah where completely different music is produced. I like both ways.
That is very true.
I have some old gear too. Built like to survive cold war fallout or something.
or perhaps anyone who has owned and used said machines… also a dying breed. clearly they are the only ones that care enough to notice the many sonic and operational differences.
not to critisise the musicians that use either machines but if you cant hear the difference between a tr-909 and an x-base 09 you shouldn’t be making electronic music.[/quote]
There is more to electronic music than the difference between a 909 and an x-base.
The “authenticity” of a “real 909” is nothing but an appeal to antiquity. [/quote]
I kinda like the old “rinse and repeat” styles of “electronic music” most of the time which is why I am very interested in the 909. Take French House for example. Not only does it very much rely on sampling old records, it also rely on that signature 909 grove/shuffle to get your head nodding and the dance floor moving. Not much to it really but it’s undeniably groovy.
I get what you are saying though (I think)… hell, I even have two different music setups. I have one at home where I have my crate of records close by, followed by a very simple bucket brigade chain of gear. But I also have a space that I rent outside of my home with a bunch of synths and electric pianos and cool FX boxes and blah blah blah where completely different music is produced. I like both ways.[/quote]
If a 909 was absolutely the thing you needed, then why not.
DAW, plugins, etc = Massive convenience and efficiency.
Actual Gear = Romantic entanglement.
I second the Goldbaby 909 pack. I really like it and the different sets w different levels of saturation, so you can mix and match to taste. Also I never solely use just 909 kit sounds as I don’t really like all of them. Love the rims, toms, open hat, sometimes the kick but it’s being so overused right now with this Jersey Deep revival that I’m staying well away from that. Same with the 60+ swing element being way overused IMO.
It’s about time somebody came up with a contemporary drum machine, analog/digi hybrid that made people totally forget a piece of gear that was made 30 years ago. (hint hint, anybody listening?) 
EDIT: The MD is really close, but it’s major drawback is that sounds when they are initially loaded are generally pretty terrible, need a lot of tweaking and dare I say it, a bit dated at this point; sounding like 10 years ago.
Of douse with editing all is right with the world, but it lacks the immediacy, main reason why people I know have dumped it.
or perhaps anyone who has owned and used said machines… also a dying breed. clearly they are the only ones that care enough to notice the many sonic and operational differences.
not to critisise the musicians that use either machines but if you cant hear the difference between a tr-909 and an x-base 09 you shouldn’t be making electronic music.[/quote]
There is more to electronic music than the difference between a 909 and an x-base.
The “authenticity” of a “real 909” is nothing but an appeal to antiquity. [/quote]
I kinda like the old “rinse and repeat” styles of “electronic music” most of the time which is why I am very interested in the 909. Take French House for example. Not only does it very much rely on sampling old records, it also rely on that signature 909 grove/shuffle to get your head nodding and the dance floor moving. Not much to it really but it’s undeniably groovy.
I get what you are saying though (I think)… hell, I even have two different music setups. I have one at home where I have my crate of records close by, followed by a very simple bucket brigade chain of gear. But I also have a space that I rent outside of my home with a bunch of synths and electric pianos and cool FX boxes and blah blah blah where completely different music is produced. I like both ways.[/quote]
If a 909 was absolutely the thing you needed, then why not.
DAW, plugins, etc = Massive convenience and efficiency.
Actual Gear = Romantic entanglement.
[/quote]
Yeah. You are absolutely correct. I can not argue with anything you just stated. Funny thing is though, that small, and cheap, home setup is loads of fun. I’ve probably made more interesting music with it than anything else. Mostly due to sampling those old records though…
Sound quality has been less than professional by today’s standards though…
Just give it another 30 years, it will come back… 
[quote=““nightshift””]
Just give it another 30 years, it will come back… ;)[/quote]
My retirement fund!
Bottom line with this eternal argument- if you want an 808/909 or vintage ANYTHING- you will most likely always want it. The reasons could have nothing to do with the sound. The argument that “it’s a waste because x, y, z sounds almost exactly the same (usually followed with poorly hidden rage that someone could still want said item in the face of the alternatives!)” is missing the point.
None of us need any of the stuff we have. We could make music banging on plastic buckets while humming . We could be satisfied with DAWs. We could own one sampler and make music. We could limit ourselves to one Multi timbral poly synth instead of 4 mono synths.
Why don’t we? Because the good machines themselves have value above the what they add to your music sonically- the best instruments are inspirational. They inspire more focus and more effort on your part because they demand it. ( or perhaps because they were so expensive…)
If I had thousands fall into my lap tomorrow and someone offered me an 808 for a not outrageous price- I would buy it in a heartbeat. Because it’s a fucking 808 and it’s a living legend in a box . But no one dropped thousands in my lap and i just drove 400 miles round trip to buy a cheap ( relatively) Prophet VS.
Why ? Because I’ve always wanted one and it’s an incredible piece of gear that I could possibly use on tracks, could just look at and smile- but no matter what that 400 mile drive just made me around $1,000. I might never sell it, but if I ever needed to, it isn’t going to go down in value. Same with the 808/909. You can always sell it pretty easily
No-one has suggested the Novation DrumStation as a really cheap alternative. Picked one up a few weeks ago for £150 and it s 909 sounds are real sweet. I sequence it from the OT. I also use the Goldbaby Tape 909. Totally recommend those.
You can get that groove with pretty much any drum machine, I don’t think he even had any swing on it or anything. Anything that sounded remotely funky was coming from the MPC.
[quote=““natrixgli””]
You can get that groove with pretty much any drum machine, I don’t think he even had any swing on it or anything. Anything that sounded remotely funky was coming from the MPC. [/quote]
The 808 has a certain swing to it because of the fact each unit is a little different and the timing is a bit warped- yet somehow always musical enough to drive a chain.
The 909 has much tighter timing than the 808, yet most agree it lacks a certain “magic” the 808 has.
But you are right that the MPC60/3000 are THE “groove”. Peroid.
A lot of artists used the 909 as a sound module once the MPC’s became common. The MPC would sequence the 909 owing to it’s funkier feel.
So a MPC with good samples would probably get you that “groove”. Or if you want hardware rather than samples, the Novation Drumstation suggested earlier would work quite well with a 909.
I personally use a Tempest and find it plenty funky for my needs. It can do some TR-x0x ish sounds, but I like it for it’s variety. I hope to add an OT soon. For immediacy and x0x style sequencing you can’t go wrong with the Machinedrum.
I have a MPC 2000xl… LOVE the swing, dislike the workflow. I sampled my Drumtraks into it many different ways, put in the “driven drum machines 909” samples into it… it swings GREAT!! But I freaking hate the workflow of an MPC. I just wish the tracks/sequences worked differently and more intuitively with the 2Kxl. I am a DAW or step sequencer person. Other than that, the swing is SUBLIME for dance with that MPC; I gotta give it that no doubt!!! Guess I’ll part it out o eBay/craigslist since it had the EB16 FX card and all….
FFS - Anyone who has not used a 909 or 808 and just dismisses them off hand as some kind of romantic nostalgic collectable fetish really should borrow or hire one for a day, then take back what they said, it is my guess that they won’t be so keen to take the 808/909 back though.
Again, it is as much about the user experience as the sound, otherwise sample packs would have affected prices.
Every track I produce always features a certain combination of my actual 909, 808, 707, 727 and 606.
If every modern day alternative were so good at emulating every facet of these machines then we wouldn’t be having this conversation and the value of these vintage machines would be nominal.
The Jomox, MPC, MD etc go along way at expending the sound and workflow of the original boxes and rightly so, but they aren’t developed to simply reflect the exact attributes of the original. This wouldn’t make sense for a number of reasons.
I use to scratch my head in wonder many years ago when people sold these machines in favour of the Novation Drumracks, Rebirth, etc. These were generally also the same people who began ditching their analog desks in favour of the great and holy digital saviour… ahhhh the 1990s.
Please hold me I’m so lonely.
I think the problem is that some owners of “sonic clones” of old Roland kit develop instant amnesia as to what made the product attractive to them in the first place- and begin measuring the value of the clone as equal to the 808 because satisfaction+money “saved” is an attractive formula for healthy delusions.
But once the clone vs. real thing argument settles down, inevitably the internet is treated to a discussion of this newfangled invention called “samples” (that no one knew a thing about in the late 80s or early 90s when TRX machines exploded onto the music scene…). When the “samples are just as good as the real thing” crowd pops in, that’s when the conversation usually devolves into thinly veiled contempt for those that would dare to suggest they prefer a machine to their sample pack.
The fact is, the reason the vintage gear sample pack and the vintage clone industry exists is because the original machines were amazing and inspirational and have yet to be replaced by any other product.
People may get what they need out of a clone or a pack. And that’s 100% totally f’in fine. No need to feel like your taste or hearing is being mocked every time someone suggests they feel like a 909/808 is irreplaceable.
Nobody needs a 909 or an 808 these days. Let’s be real, software and samples can get you at least 90% of the way there. Nobody needs a Machinedrum or an Octatrack or a MNM either, really. If I put the time into it, I have no doubt I could get much of the same end results as what I get out of hardware, maybe even better.
But interface and user experience are important to creativity and fun, and that is no doubt why so many of the people here are drawn to Elektron gear to begin with. The quirkiness and character of gear is the 10% you just don’t get in emulation. Even older gear that decently replicates desired sounds is becoming more expensive as people try to get some of the mojo at a respectable price.
So it is valid to want the real thing, but at this current moment in history there are more alternatives than ever to obtain reasonable facsimiles of certain sounds dating back 30 years. The world is in utter economic turmoil, and even some of the well-to-do are feeling the pinch. When you are talking about a drum machine that is selling for $3,500 that has a limited feature set, I think it is worth considering how important that particular machine will really be for you unless you are a working professional in the music industry-and even then, I would suspect that many sample their vintage gear to use in their modern equipment for the sake of workflow and keeping deadlines. I’m sure I’m not the only person who watches those “in the studio” tours with known artists and cringes as they pull out a dusty piece of gear you would love to have, and they say they just sampled a couple sounds and never touch it, like a source of pride.
That sadly represents the fate of a lot of vintage gear of importance in my eyes: trust fund hipsters or other status seekers with wealth who will keep buying them at high prices and putting them in the corner to rot. Somewhat ironically, the reason those instruments became so prized was because creative people found them for cheap and started making interesting electronic music. So now people are paying 10x more to obtain a sound and interface made desirable only after it was made so cheap you could barely give it away, and from 30 years ago, and yet you cannot throw a rock without hitting 5 different, nearly-identical clones for a fraction of the price of the real thing, with far better integration in a modern studio.
TLDR; if I could afford a 909 I would buy it, but I can’t see the need for the full girlfriend experience.