If you produce any bass heavy genres like hip-hop, trap, dubstep or riddim then chances are you will want to get your hands on some heavy hitting, dirty 808 samples. And lucky for you, we’ve compiled a list of 9 of the best 808 sub bass sample packs we could find on the internet. All available for free download today!
For more info on 808’s and how to make them make sure to read to the end of this post. For now lets move on to the list you came here for!
Here are the Top 9 Best 808 sub bass sample packs with free download links:
- Surge Sounds 808 Bass Samples – 100 Key Labelled One Shots
- Trisamples 808 trapstep pack vol 1 – 103 Drums, 808s, FX and More
- Echo Sound Works Free 808 Collection – 15 808 bass samples
- Abletunes Free 808 Samples – 50 Key Labelled 808 sub bass samples
- Angelic Vibes Free 808 Samples – 15 custom made 808s, key labelled, EQ’d and Compressed
- Your Local Musician “Warm 808 Bass Samples” – Includes 500 free 808 bass samples
- The Sample Sub Bass Free Sample Pack – 24 thick sub bass samples
- 808 Mob Free Hip Hop Sample Pack – 17 powerful 808 samples + a bunch of other FX and drums
- BVKER Wheezy Inspired Drum Kit – 102 royalty-free drum one-shots and a bonus FLP.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an 808?
The 808 originally comes from Roland’s TR-808 drum machine. The kick drum in particular has a very distinct sound, and when you distort it with an overdrive or some sort of saturation plugin begins to sound like the modern gritty, thick sub bass hits you hear in modern hip-hop and trap records.
Who invented 808 bass?
The Roland TR-808 was invented by Ikutaro Kakehashi between 1980 and 1983. The TR-808 would go on to become one of the most iconic drum machines in the industry and was made popular by artists like Afrika Bambaataa and Marvin Gaye. However, the heavy, distorted 808 sound we hear today was most famously heard in Kanye West’s hit song “Love Lockdown”.
How do you make an 808 sub bass?
808 samples are relatively easy to make, in fact you don’t even need a TR-808 to make the highly desired sound everyone in the industry wants. For the most part you can create an 808 simply by loading up your favorite synth with a sine or triangle wave, creating a pitch sweep using an envelope and running it through whatever distortion plugin you favor (I like Ableton’s overdrive for this). If you want to know more about making your own sounds, you can check out this video tutorial I made for Black Octopus Sound on creating 808 sub bass in Serum.
What key should my 808 be in?
You should match the key that the rest of your song is written in. However, If you’re starting the track with an 808 pattern you will usually find the keys E, F, and G to have the most power. Keys like C and D are usually a bit low and the sub starts losing power.
All of this is completely experimental though, the best thing is to write out a pattern that you like and then when it’s done, transpose it up and down until it sounds nice and solid.
How do I make my subs more punchy?
The punch in subs comes from four things.
- You can lengthen or shorten the pitch decay envelope to give the sub more of an initial punch.
- Try bringing down the sustain on the amp envelope while lengthening or shortening the decay.
- Try boosting the sub frequency or fundamental, often they get reduced if subs are being limited or distorted.
- Transpose the MIDI up and down until you find the key that feels most present and punchy.
The above parameters should be adjusted and tweaked while you listen carefully and pay attention to the changes and how they sound. Remember, it takes years of practice to develop and ear for music production and sound design so don’t get frustrated if your sounds aren’t as impressive as you expect them to be. Just keep practicing and you will improve.
