The TR-808 was never designed for stardom or even to appear on professional recordings. In 1980, Roland introduced the machine as a behind-the-scenes tool to rock artists who needed to make inexpensive demos when they didn’t have access to a live drummer. Users could program their custom sequenced drum loops or tap-tap-tap on the machine’s trigger pads to make a beat. The 808 beat was simple to operate, but the percussive noises that came out of it were unnatural and strange. The swoosh on the high-hat was synthetic. The kicking drum was a harsh thump that didn’t even come close to sounding like a real drum.