How to Tune an 808 in FL Studio

Your 808 doesn't quite sit with your melody. It rumbles, clashes or seems to go its own way. Chances are the sample itself isn't tuned right. Here's how to find out which note your 808 is on and fix it in FL Studio.

Why your 808 has to be in tune

Your 808 is the bass of your beat. It plays the root notes under your chords. If the sample is off, it clashes with your melody. You hear it most on long 808s that ring out.

An 808 sample has its own pitch, but FL Studio doesn't know which one. According to Image-Line, the default root note of a sample is C5. That's the note where your sample plays at its own pitch. If your 808 is actually an F, you hear an F when you play a C. Then not a single note matches what you see in the Piano roll.

Step 1: find the key of your beat

Not sure what key your beat is in? Check it with the free Beat Lab or read how to find the key of a song. Then you know which root notes your 808 should play.

Step 2: measure the note of your 808

Put FL Studio's Tuner on your 808's mixer track. According to Image-Line, it shows the note, octave, frequency and offset of a monophonic sound. In the Dial view you see that offset in cents. A cent is a hundredth of a semitone.

Play your 808 a few times on the same note. A few settings help:

• Bass: according to Image-Line, this lets the Tuner detect an octave lower and more accurately below 40 Hz. Handy, because an 808 sits low.
• Fast: the Tuner reacts faster. Image-Line says this setting suits things like kicks, synths and samples best.

Some 808s have a click or a short pitch drop at the start. So read the note on the part where the tone is steady.

No Tuner at hand? Play your 808 together with a piano on the same note. If they sound calm together, you're good. If you hear a kind of wobble, there's a difference.

Step 3: set the root note

Open your 808's Channel settings and go to the tab with the miscellaneous settings. You'll see a small keyboard there. According to Image-Line, you change the root note by right-clicking a key. Right-click the note the Tuner showed you. Now when you play a C in the Piano roll, you actually hear a C.

The octave you pick only decides which octave you play the 808 in, in the Piano roll. The note itself is what matters.

Step 4: fine tune the last cents

Did the Tuner show your 808 is a few cents sharp or flat? According to Image-Line, you fine tune the base note in the same tab with a knob in cents. If it's 20 cents flat, turn it up 20 cents. Then check with the Tuner that it's right.

Step 5: listen in your beat

Put your 808 under your chords and play the root notes. Does it sound calm and full now? Then it's in tune. Still sounds weird on some notes? You might be playing a note outside your key. Read which chords go together.

Tip: put the note in your 808's file name, like "808 boom F.wav". Then you don't have to measure it again next time.

Common mistakes

• Reading the click. Look at the part where the tone is steady.
• Only the root note, not the cents. Even a small difference can start to clash when your 808 rings out long.
• Notes outside your key. A well tuned 808 still sounds off on a wrong note.
• Searching every time. Put the note in your sample's file name.

Looking for new 808s? NAME The Trap Oneshot Pack Vol. 1 includes 26 808s, among other sounds, royalty-free.

808 in tune? Read how to mix 808 and kick or how to sidechain in FL Studio. Want sliding 808s? Read how to make a drill beat in FL Studio. No beat yet? Start with how to make a trap beat in FL Studio. Working in Ableton Live? Read how to tune an 808 in Ableton Live.

FAQ

How do I know which note my 808 is on?

Put FL Studio's Tuner on your 808's mixer track and play it a few times. Turn on Bass mode so it measures low notes more accurately.

Why does my 808 sound off?

The sample isn't on the root note FL Studio expects, or you're playing a note outside your key. Set the root note and check your key.

What is the root note in FL Studio?

The note where your sample plays at its own pitch. According to Image-Line, it's C5 by default.

Source: Image-Line's FL Studio manual.