Supreme x Roland TR-08 Rhythm Composer
Supreme vs. Original
Supreme version
About the original
The Roland TR-08 is a compact recreation of the TR-808 Rhythm Composer in Roland's Boutique format, using Analog Circuit Behavior modeling to replicate the original's bass drum, cowbell, and rimshot voices. It carries a 16-step sequencer with sub-steps, individual trigger output, audio output, and USB-MIDI in a palm-sized chassis. The original TR-808 was produced by Roland in Hamamatsu, Japan from 1980 to 1983 in fewer than 12,000 units and is widely credited as the defining drum machine of hip-hop, electro, and house music. Roland introduced the TR-08 in 2017 for the 808's 30th anniversary. The SS24 Supreme version prints the box logo on the face panel and retailed at $568; the circuitry matches the standard TR-08.
About Roland
Roland Corporation is a Japanese electronic musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1972 by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka. The company produced the TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines, the TB-303 bass synthesizer, and the Jupiter-8 and JUNO-60 polyphonic synthesizers, instruments heard across hip-hop, house, techno, and pop production. Roland also developed the MIDI protocol in 1983 alongside Sequential Circuits. The current product range covers synthesizers, V-Drums electronic kits, digital pianos, and guitar processors. Supreme released a co-branded Roland TR-08 drum machine as part of its FW20 accessories lineup.
