[sdiy] 808 drums...how they work?

[Florian Anwander]

Hi Dan

I recommend the full service manual for the 808; it contains a 
theoretical circuit description.

> 1. Do these drums use resonator circuits
yes (as far as they don't use noise)

> 2, If they do, what excitation source do they use and how is IT created. ( what is an optimal excitation source,etc)
Finally it is a trigger pulse coming from the coming from CPU, which in 
detail consists from a not timing relevant signal for enabling the 
individual instrument, an hi/lo voltage presenting the accent and 
finally a master trigger which determines the length. For some 
instruments it is filtered by simple passive RC-filters.

> 3. if they are resonators, do they use feedback to allow for longer decays?  most resonators i have built have a very short decay 
> so I am interested in finding ways of making nice, long, tones.

Search for those tons of 808/606 modifications on the web.

Florian