Play the most accurate in-browser TR-808 drum machine
A realistic version of the iconic hardware surfaces
We have seen many in-browser dum machines in the past, but the new iO-808 is possibly the best yet.
Appropriately released on August 8 in celebration of 808 Day, the iO-808 offers users an authentic experience with using the venerable TR-808, one of the first programmable drum machines.
Designed by software engineer Vincent Riemer, the in-browser sequencer looks almost exactly like the original piece of hardware, with tone knobs, instrument select and pads all in its proper place.
Riemer acknowledges at Github that there are necessary improvements that need to be made, namely that the distinct sounds generated from the drum machine are synthesized using the Web Audio API. “A side effect of this is while I got the sounds fairly close to the original hardware,” describes Reimer, “there's still a lot of room for improvement.”
Have a go at the iO-808, and for even more in-browser music production check out a version of the TB-303 for acid house or the TR-909 for even more techno fun.
Harrison is Mixmag's East Coast Editor. Follow him on Twitter here