808 beat maker: how to make an 808 beat with AI
An 808 beat is a hip-hop or trap beat whose low end comes from an 808: a deep, tuned bass sound with a long tail that plays the bassline under fast hi-hats and a snare or clap. To make one with AI, open DeckBe's Beat Lab, pick a rap genre and vibe, add the 808 Bass element, set the BPM and key, and you get a 30-second instrumental beat, usually in 30-60 seconds, without writing a prompt.
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What is an 808 beat?
The name comes from a classic early-1980s drum machine whose bass drum had a deep boom with a long, adjustable decay. Producers sampled that sound and played it at different pitches, so one sound covered both kick and bassline, and it became a cornerstone of hip-hop and the core of trap and drill. Today "808" means any deep, pitched bass of that kind.
A typical 808 beat stacks the 808, often sliding between notes, with fast hi-hat rolls and triplets, a snare or clap on the backbeat and a melody such as dark piano, bells or a choir. Because the 808 is pitched, set the key before you generate.
How do you make an 808 beat with AI?
- Choose a rap genre. Open Beat Lab and pick Trap, Drill, UK Drill, Phonk, Rage or another of more than 20 rap and R&B styles.
- Pick a vibe. Every genre has four. Trap offers Hard, Melodic, Hyper and Plugg, each with its own BPM range and default key.
- Add the 808. Choose the 808 Bass element and its character: Sliding, Boomy, Pitched, Short, Long, Distorted, Melodic or Glide. You can pick up to four elements.
- Set the tempo, key and mode. BPM stays inside the vibe's range, the key uses the Camelot wheel (7A, 8A and so on), and the mode is FULL, LOOP or ONE-SHOT.
- Generate. Each try uses 7 usage credits, and the 808 beat is usually ready in 30-60 seconds.
When you pick elements, Beat Lab steers the beat toward only the sound groups you picked (drums, bass, melody, atmosphere), so pair 808 Bass with a drum element such as Kick, Hi-Hat or Snare/Clap. With no elements, the vibe's default sound is used.
Which 808, drum and melody options can you choose?
| Element | Options in Beat Lab (rap genres) |
|---|---|
| 808 Bass | Sliding, Boomy, Pitched, Short, Long, Distorted, Melodic, Glide |
| Kick | 808 Kick, Trap, Hard Trap, Boom Bap, Phonk, Drill, Lo-Fi Dusty, Tight Punch |
| Hi-Hat | Triplet Roll, Fast Roll, Skippy, Stuttered, Open, Shaker, Loose Swing, Boom Bap Closed |
| Snare/Clap | Trap Snare, Clap, Rimshot, Boom Bap Snare, Layered, Vintage, Dusty and more |
| Melody | Dark Piano, Bright Piano, Bell, Flute, Strings, Kalimba, Spanish Guitar, Trap Choir |
| Other elements | Pad, FX, Guitar Loop, Rhodes Keys, Bell Motif, Cowbell |
What BPM and key work for an 808 beat?
Most trap and drill vibes default to a minor key on the Camelot wheel (the A side, such as 7A or 8A), which suits a dark, sliding 808.
| Genre | BPM range in Beat Lab |
|---|---|
| Trap | 125-165 |
| Melodic Trap | 128-150 |
| Drill | 135-150 |
| UK Drill | 135-148 |
| Phonk | 128-150 |
| Rage | 142-170 |
| Boom Bap | 82-100 |
At trap and drill tempos the snare usually lands in half time, so a 140 BPM 808 beat grooves like 70.
Can you use Beat Lab as an online rhythm maker?
Yes. It runs in the browser and the DeckBe iOS and Android apps and builds the full rhythm from your choices. The mode sets what you get:
- FULL: the whole 30-second beat, to share or write lyrics to.
- LOOP: cut to 16, 8, 4, 2 or 1 whole bars at your BPM with a seamless loop point, ready to drop into a DAW.
- ONE-SHOT: one sound you pick, such as just the 808, as a 1-2 bar sample repeating on the grid.
How much does an AI 808 beat cost?
Each beat uses 7 usage credits. New accounts start free with 15 usage credits, no card, plus 1 for every day you log in; the Free plan plays beats in the app but cannot download them. Paid plans add monthly usage credits and unlimited downloads; on a computer or Android device Beat Lab beats download as WAV (on iPhone, beats play in the app). Pro is $9.99 a month for 250 usage credits, Elite $19.99 for 600 and Ultimate $39.99 for 1,500, and unused usage credits roll over. See all plans.
Can you use an AI 808 beat in your own song?
Beat Lab generates the beat from your choices; you do not upload anyone else's audio. DeckBe's Terms of Service say content you create is yours and may be used commercially, subject to the conditions in the Terms. If you later add recordings, upload only audio you own or have permission to use; using other people's copyrighted material without permission is not allowed. Terms of Service.
What else can you make after your 808 beat?
- Make Full Track: Beat DNA develops the beat into a full track (15 usage credits); see the AI song remixer.
- Add Vocals to This Beat: puts a vocal over your 808 beat and leaves the beat as it is (15 usage credits).
- Make a Separate Vocal: an a cappella in Voice Lab; see the AI singing voice generator.
What else do people ask about 808 beats?
- What is an 808 in a beat?
- An 808 is a deep, tuned bass sound with a long tail, named after a classic early-1980s drum machine. In hip-hop, trap and drill it plays the bassline and often doubles as the kick.
- Is the 808 beat maker free?
- Yes, to start: new accounts get 15 usage credits with no card, enough for two 808 beats to make and play in the app. To download, you need a paid plan (Pro starts at $9.99 a month) and a computer or Android device.
- What file format do I get?
- On paid plans, Beat Lab beats download as WAV on a computer or Android device, named with the genre, vibe, BPM and key, for example DeckBe_Trap_Hard_145BPM_7A.wav. On iPhone, beats play in the app.
- Is Beat Lab a rhythm maker?
- Yes, in the sense that it generates the whole rhythm, kick, 808, hi-hats and snare or clap, from the genre, vibe, elements, BPM and key you choose. It is not a step sequencer, so you do not program hits on a grid.
Two beats are on us when you sign up: new accounts get 15 usage credits and a beat uses 7. Downloads come with a paid plan.
Open Beat Lab