Cymbals

We present an analysis of the cymbal voice circuit from a classic analog drum machine, the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer. A digital model based on this analysis (implemented in Cycling 74’s Gen~) retains the salient features of the original. Developing physical models of the device’s many sub-circuits allows for accurate emulation of circuit-bent modifications (including component substitution, changes to the device’s architecture, and voltage starve)—complicated behavior that is impossible to capture through black-box modeling or structured sampling. This analysis will support circuit-based musicological inquiry into the history of analog drum machines and the design of further mods.