Tiptop Audio — SD808

Manual PDF

SD808 Manual PDF

Tiptop Audio SD808 Eurorack Module

(Roland TR-808 Snare Clone)

Quick Start

Patch a gate trigger into GATE IN.
Patch SD OUT to your mixer/audio interface.
Set LEVEL to halfway to begin.
Tweak TONE, SNAPPY, ACCENT for desired snare timbre and dynamics.

Panel Reference

Control	Type	Function	Voltage Range
LEVEL	Knob	Sets output gain (hot output enables overdrive/distortion).	-
TONE	Knob	Crossfades between 2 sine waves: CCW = low, CW = high, center = both mixed.	-
SNAPPY	Knob	Controls white noise amount/envelope (crack/brightness of snare).	-
ACCENT	Knob	Manual accent amount for snare hit; increases volume, noise amount, and attack.	-
ACCENT IN	Gate jack	Separate accent input. Gate/trigger here overrides default normalization (see below). Increases snare intensity when high.	5V/12V gate
GATE IN	Gate jack	Main trigger input. Fires snare sound. Auto-normalizes to ACCENT IN for single cable "maximum" snare punch.	5V/12V gate
SD OUT	Audio out	Snare drum audio output. Very hot – up to 20Vp-p (watch your input staging!).	up to 20Vp-p
Noise Trim	Trimmer	Sets internal white noise gain (side of module), for character tweaks.	-

Input/Output Summary

Inputs

GATE IN: Gate or trigger, 5V or 12V. Triggers the snare.
ACCENT IN: Gate/trigger, 5V or 12V. Boosts attack and output level. If unused, GATE IN is normalized to ACCENT IN (max punch).

Outputs

SD OUT: Snare audio output, up to 20V peak-to-peak.

Voltage Levels

Input Trigger/Gate: 5V–12V (Eurorack standard)
Output Audio: Up to 20Vp-p – much hotter than typical Eurorack line levels (be careful patching to line-level gear).

Knob & Trimmer Cheat Sheet

LEVEL: Adjusts output loudness and drive (higher = hotter, more overdriven/distorted).
TONE: CCW = Low sine; CW = High sine; between = both. Sets snare body color.
SNAPPY: Amount/envelope of white noise. Low = dry/tonal snare; high = crispy/bright/snappy snare.
ACCENT: Manual amount of hit "hardness."
Noise Trim (side panel): Tweak internal noise generator (factory calibrated, but user-adjustable).

Usage Tips

For classic soft 808 sound: LEVEL 0–50%, ACCENT low/mid, SNAPPY low-mid.
For aggressive overdriven snare: LEVEL max, ACCENT max, SNAPPY at noon.
Trigger ACCENT IN separately with rhythmic triggers for dynamic snare variation.
Internal circuit is an authentic TR-808 clone – adding modular effects (filters, VCA, waveshapers, etc.) massively expands sound.

Quick Patch Ideas

Patch multiple drum modules into a VCA or ring mod for amplitude modulation.
Run the snare through filters or wavefolders for new textures.
Use hot SD OUT signal to smash guitar pedals or tape preamps for analog distortion.

Internal Normalization

If ACCENT IN is NOT patched, GATE IN also triggers accent circuit for that signature "punch."
Patch a gate to both for independent trigger/accent control.

SD808 Manual PDF
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