MR-808 Interactive

The MR-808 is a drum robot installation centered around an oversized robotic drum machine. What makes it special is that the robot is programmed live by the audience. In a collaborative process, visitors compose the music in real time and can immediately observe how the mechanical sound generation takes place.

The installation allows visitors to experience the transition from passive listener to active co-creator. It visualizes the connection between digital interfaces and physical action. Technically speaking, the MR-808 is a mechanical replica of the legendary TR-808 from the 1980s—the drum machine that had a decisive influence on the sound of electronic music.

In the installation, eleven sounds from the original are replaced by mechanical actuators and physical sound generators. Where circuits once clicked, robotic arms now strike real instruments. The MR-808 was developed in 2013 by the Sonic Robots collective under the direction of Moritz Simon Geist and expanded to include interactive elements in 2015. Since then, the installation has been featured at a wide variety of events worldwide, from techno clubs to media art and hacker conferences. It bridges the gap between robotics, classical engineering, and modern club culture.