808 · sub · trap · drill
808 plug-ins.
Low end that carries the beat.
In trap and drill the 808 is the bass, the kick and part of the melody at once. A good 808 plug-in gives you a heavy sub, a hit at the start and slides — and it still shows up on a phone.
What an 808 plug-in does
An 808 generator builds the sound from scratch: a sine with a pitch envelope (punch), a click, a long decay and legato slides. A low-end processor works on a sampled 808 — it splits off the sub, adds harmonics and keeps it mono. A clipper and saturation shave peaks and thicken the tone so the 808 cuts through without extra level.
Trap vs drill
Trap 808s are mostly long notes on the root and chord degrees with short 40–80 ms slides. Drill slides are longer and more frequent — up a fifth or an octave and back to the root at the end of the bar. Either way the 808 has to be tuned to the key, with the root usually between 40 and 60 Hz.
Watch out for
Phone speakers don't play below about 200 Hz, so a pure sine disappears — add harmonics. Don't boost 40–50 Hz by several dB, keep the 808 mono and dry, and sidechain it from the kick by 2–4 dB. More in How to make an 808 you can hear on a phone.
DarkPlugins 808 plug-ins
All plug-ins
808 Crusher129 zł808 generator: Punch, Click, legato slides and five distortion types at 8× oversampling.Instruments
SubDoctor69 złFor sampled 808s: harmonics you hear on a phone, Mono Sub and overload protection.EQ & dynamics
Clip79 złShaves 2–3 dB off 808 peaks — louder without a compressor, clean thanks to oversampling.EQ & dynamics
Shots149 złReady-made 808 basses and other one-shots played chromatically, with legato glide.Instruments
BassGravity149 złBass synth with Reese, sub oscillator and a 24 dB filter — for when you want a bassline instead of an 808.Instruments
Grit99 złSaturation: tape, tube, transistor and fuzz, with a low cut before the drive — the sub stays clean.Colour & lo-fi
Instruments808 Crusher
129 zł808 generator: Punch, Click, legato slides and five distortion types at 8× oversampling.
EQ & dynamicsSubDoctor
69 złFor sampled 808s: harmonics you hear on a phone, Mono Sub and overload protection.
EQ & dynamicsClip
79 złShaves 2–3 dB off 808 peaks — louder without a compressor, clean thanks to oversampling.
InstrumentsShots
149 złReady-made 808 basses and other one-shots played chromatically, with legato glide.
InstrumentsBassGravity
149 złBass synth with Reese, sub oscillator and a 24 dB filter — for when you want a bassline instead of an 808.
Colour & lo-fiGrit
99 złSaturation: tape, tube, transistor and fuzz, with a low cut before the drive — the sub stays clean.
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Questions
How do I tune an 808 to the beat?
Find the key and tune the 808 root to the tonic — in F minor the main note is F. Check with a tuner or analyser and make sure slides end on scale notes.
Why can't I hear my 808 on a phone?
Phones don't play below about 200 Hz, and an 808 fundamental is 40–60 Hz. You only hear the harmonics — add saturation or harmonics from a low-end processor plus a short click.
808 sample or generator?
A sample is faster; a generator gives full control over length, punch, distortion and slides without the tone changing across notes. Many producers use both.
Should an 808 be in stereo?
No. Keep everything below about 120 Hz in mono — stereo low end collapses in mono, and many Bluetooth speakers and club systems play mono.
Related guides
All guides- 808 & bassHow to make an 808 you can hear on a phonePhone speakers stop around 200 Hz. Tuning, punch, saturation and harmonics make an 808 cut through without a subwoofer.2 min read
- MixingMixing a trap beat from scratchFrom gain staging to the master bus: kick and 808, snare, hi-hats, melody and space in a trap beat — with frequencies, levels and common mistakes.2 min read
- TheoryHow to match the key of a sample and a melodyChecking a sample's key, when not to trust the detector, how far you can transpose and how to keep the 808 and the melody in key.2 min read