Behringer RD-8 MK II has a new analogue chip for authentic drum sounds
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29.06.2021

Behringer RD-8 MK II has a new analogue chip for authentic drum sounds

Words by Sam McNiece

The Roland 808 clone has circuitry now closer to the original.

Behringer, powerhouses in recreating old music gear have doubled down on their 808 clone. After dropped their 909 clone recently, they have just announced the RD-8 MKII, an almost identical looking unit but it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

What you need to know

  • Behringer has updated their RD-8 drum machine with a new sound chip from Coolaudio.
  • Mk II has been re-designed from the ground up to better match the original 808.
  • Behringer says it has improved phase and noise responses.

Read all the latest product news here.

Recreating the original BA662 OTA chips from Roland’s 808, this version of the RD-8 sounds more like the original than their previous iteration.

Boasting an improved phase and noise response, Behringer have said this version exactly matches the original circuitry which is manufactured by Coolaudio, Music Tribe’s audio chip arm. The video showcasing the new edition sounds pretty darn close, if not exactly like it.

In addition to these authentic under the hood upgrades, they’ve added step repeat, note repeat, real-time triggering and live step-overdubbing to the mark two. These features further enhance the live aspect of this drum machine which was already a widely used choice for live use.

Add to this the Wave Designer function and analog filters per channel, it’s actually wild they can fit this much in at the price point.

Watch this video below to check out the RD-8 MKII in action.

Head to Behringer’s website to read more on the RD-8 MK II.