808
The Roland TR-808 drum machine defined the sound of several music genres.
- Even
- Composite
Where 808 fits
Why 808 is special
It sold poorly and was discontinued after three years because its drums sounded artificial. That artificiality became the point: hip-hop, techno and electro were built on it, and its booming bass drum is among the most recognisable sounds in recorded music.
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (8)
- 1, 2, 4, 8, 101, 202, 404, 808
- Prime factorisation
- 2^3 × 101
- Digit sum
- 16
- Digital root
- 7
Representations
- Decimal
- 808
- Scientific notation
- 8.080 × 10^2
Roman numerals
D C C C V I I I
Binary
1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 1 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 808
Octal
1 4 5 0
1 × 512 + 4 × 64 + 5 × 8 + 0 × 1 = 808
Hexadecimal
3 2 8
3 × 256 + 2 × 16 + 8 × 1 = 808
Read as powers of two: 512 + 256 + 32 + 8 = 808.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
8 coils of rope, 8 strokes
8 × 100 + 8 × 1 = 808. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
1 corner wedge + 3 vertical wedges (sixties place), 2 corner wedges + 8 vertical wedges (units place)
13 × 60 + 28 = 808. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Greek (Ionic)
omega, then eta, marked as a numeral
omega-eta + keraia
omega + eta written in descending order and added — the letters carry their values wherever they stand, so this is addition, not place value.
Hebrew numerals
tav, then tav, then het
tav-tav-het
tav (400) + tav (400) + het (8) = 808, written in descending order.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Palindromic number
- Deficient number
Related numbers & connections
Drum machine patterns are programmed in steps against a time signature, which is what the sixteen-step grid of these machines encodes.
The two Roland drum machines are the pair most often named together in electronic music, and both failed commercially before being adopted.
View 909 →Numbers Around Us
- appears inMusical time signatures
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Other connections
- is associated with909
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Media & popular culture
The TR-808 was withdrawn in 1983 as unconvincing and cheap second-hand units then reached musicians who wanted exactly that sound. Entire genres rest on an instrument its maker considered unsuccessful.
DocumentedMedia & popular culturePeriod: 1980–1983
Common questions
Is 808 a prime number?
No, 808 is not prime.
What are the factors of 808?
The factors of 808 are 1, 2, 4, 8, 101, 202, 404, 808.
What is 808 in Roman numerals?
808 in Roman numerals is DCCCVIII.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 1 reviewer-confirmed record, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026