Roland DJ-808 DJ Controller

Roland has always operated at both the heart and head of creative DJ and dance music culture. From American disco in the 1970s to the house and techno music that bubbled up out of England in the 1980s, through rap and hip-hop and into the music of today’s top performing DJs, Roland equipment has always shared the stage and studio with the most exciting artists, and with the hardest working professionals.

The DJ-808 is a state-of-the-art DJ controller with a 4-channel mixer, built-in drum sequencing, vocal processing, and the deepest Serato DJ integration available. It is the ultimate contemporary tool for the professional mobile DJ playing the swankiest private events, the club DJ doing innovative mixing and production, or the touring artist who fills soccer stadiums.

The DJ-808 is perhaps better thought of as an instrument than it is a piece of hardware. Roland is uniquely positioned to provide the included “TR-S” drum machine in this mixer design, having been the developer of some of the most iconic percussion sounds in the history of electronic music making. The DJ-808 can even control the Serato Sampler within Serato DJ. Additionally, the VT Voice Transformer can pitch your voice to match the key of your Serato DJ tracks, and two AIRA Link ports let you connect compatible devices to produce a live remix with a simple USB cable.

World-Class Software and Hardware
The DJ-808 combines the power of Serato DJ software with the precise engineering of Roland hardware. This incredible tool is a reflection of combined expertise that gives today’s producers and DJs a state-of-the-art tool with innovative features that opens up a new world of creative options on stage and in the studio.

TR Sounds and Sequencing
From the toothy chomp of the TR-909's unmistakable hi-hats to the long-tail boom of the TR-808, Roland TR drum machines are the very spine of entire genres of dance music. With the DJ-808, you can customize your beats in real time and the built-in TR drum machine stays in perfect sync with Serato DJ. Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Hi-Hats and Clap from the TR-808, TR-909, TR-707, and TR-606 drum machines aren’t just an incredible added feature; they are an integrated tool set for limitless creativity. These sounds faithfully replicate music history’s most influential rhythm boxes. You get all the thump and sizzle of the classic instruments with dedicated knobs to control tuning, attack, and decay, a new tweak on legendary sounds.

Serato DJ Control
In addition to its peerless function as a mixer and rhythm composer, the Roland DJ-808 takes full advantage of everything Serato DJ has to offer as well. Built-in DVS support (with the purchase of a Serato DVS license), dedicated loop control buttons, controls for Serato Flip, HOT CUE, FX, even Key Sync are all here. Key Sync and Loop functions earn dedicated sections, a design decision you’ll definitely agree with. You can now quickly adjust the key or shift the loop for a particular deck. Smart. Likewise, the design of every pad, slider and button has performance as its chief driving precept. The workflow feels familiar, yet new and exciting.

High-Performance Platters
The large, high-quality platters feel great and have the lowest latency of any DJ controller available. Tactile conviviality has always been a driver in Roland design concepts. From their mesh electronic drum heads to their innovative touch screens, Roland has always understood that the actual touch connection a musician has with an instrument is married to its aesthetic power. A DJ is intimately involved with his or her equipment, and the build and response quality are evident the moment you put your hands on the DJ-808. You get tight control over your music with super-fast scratches and cuts. Your technique will improve. It will operate at a higher level. You will take risks. You will pull it off. You will triumph over evil. The durable and responsive platters have integrated displays that clearly show playback status so you’re always in control. You can even control two decks simultaneously from a single platter with dual deck mode. 

Connecting on Stage and in the Studio
If you are a producer, a DJ, or both, the built-in connectivity for synths, turntables, microphones and more allows the DJ-808 to take your craft to a new level. Two AIRA link USB ports let you easily connect compatible instruments and effects with a single USB cable. Trigger synchronized keyboard arpeggios or play live bass lines, leads and sound effects. One connection is all you need to infuse your productions with exciting musical elements that  sync to your Serato DJ tracks. The list of what you can do goes on and on, and much of that list hasn’t even been written (that's where you come in).

Voice Transformer 
Features, features, features. And all of them integrated into a single musical whole. Not only does the DJ-808 have a high quality mic input with an XLR combo jack, it also has a dedicated vocal processor, the VT Voice Transformer that can drastically transform your voice. Knobs for EQ, Pitch and Formant make dramatic vocal effects easy, and the ducking capability will automatically adjust the volume when speaking or singing into the mic. Become a robot. Become an alien trying to escape a trashcan. Become ten feet tall. The VT’s Auto Pitch function will even re-pitch the incoming signal to match the key of your Serato DJ tracks.

Rugged Build Quality
Roland has a long history of making rock-solid, reliable instruments with performance in mind. The DJ-808 is a continuation of that tradition and culture of manufacturing. Smooth, intuitive knobs and faders, adjustable curves, removable crossfader and touch-sensitive RGB buttons for HOT CUE, ROLL, SAMPLER, SLICER, PITCH PLAY and TR drum machine triggering. It’s classic Roland and blazing innovation at the same time. Again, it’s an instrument, not a piece of hardware.

Equipped with both 1/8” (3.5mm) and 1/4” (6.35mm) headphones jacks, combo XLR input jacks, built-in phono pre-amp, solid build quality, and audiophile sound quality—it is one of the most thoughtfully designed DJ controller ever built.