# Free 808 and bass samples

> Free 808s, sub basses and bass one-shots and loops for trap, hip hop, drill and house, with key, length and a licence verdict on every sample.

An 808 is a tuned, long-decaying kick that doubles as the bassline in trap, drill and modern hip hop; a sub bass or a bass loop does the same job in house and drum and bass. These collections group free bass sounds by style and show the root key where the source or our analysis knows it, so you can drop a sample in tune without guessing.

Updated 2026-10-23.

## Collections

- [Free 808 samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-808-samples.md): 13 samples from 3 sources. Free 808 bass samples for trap, drill and hip hop, from clean sub booms to distorted glides, with key, length and a commercial-use verdict for each.
- [Free Reese bass samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-reese-bass-samples.md): 13 samples from 1 sources. Free Reese bass samples: detuned, phasing saw basses for drum and bass, jungle, dubstep and techno, as one-shots and loops with a licence verdict on each.
- [Free sub bass samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-sub-bass-samples.md): 28 samples from 2 sources. Free sub bass one-shots and loops: clean sine subs, rumbling drops and deep bass tones for dubstep, drum and bass, grime and house, with key and licence shown.
- [Free synth bass samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-synth-bass-samples.md): 13 samples from 1 sources. Free synth bass one-shots and loops, from acid squelches to analogue plucks and house bass stabs, with root notes where known and a licence verdict.

## 808, sub or bass synth

An 808 is a decaying, tuned bass drum that plays the bassline in trap, drill and modern hip hop. A sub bass is a steadier, purer low tone, close to a sine wave, that sits under dubstep, grime and house. A synth bass, from acid squelches to Reese growls, has more harmonics and character in the midrange. Many tracks combine two: a characterful bass for the ear and a clean sub for the body.

## Tuning is everything

Bass is where an out-of-tune sample shows most. Find the root note of each sample, which the cards show when the source or an analysis knows it, and map it in a sampler so the keyboard plays in tune. Keep the bass in the key of your track, check it on headphones, and keep everything below about 120 Hz in mono.

## Making room for the kick

Kick and bass share the same frequencies. Choose a kick and an 808 tuned to the same note or a fifth apart, shorten the kick's tail, and sidechain the bass so it ducks slightly when the kick hits. On small speakers, a little saturation on the bass adds harmonics that are audible where the fundamental isn't.

## Questions

**Can I use the same 808 for a whole track?**

Yes. One well-tuned 808 played across different notes is the norm in trap. Change the decay or add glide between notes for variation.

**Why do bass samples list a key or root note?**

Because a bass sample only fits a track when it is played in tune. The root note tells your sampler which key on the keyboard plays the sample unchanged.

**Are free 808 packs safe to release with?**

Many are, if the person who made them licensed them for commercial use. The verdict on each sample shows whether it is cleared, and whether a credit is required.

## Guides

- [What is an 808? The drum machine and the bass](https://sound.shep.bot/guides/what-is-an-808.md): An 808 is Roland's TR-808 drum machine (1980), and in trap and hip hop its long, tuned bass drum used as a bassline. History, tuning and free 808 samples.
- [How to find samples by BPM and key](https://sound.shep.bot/guides/find-samples-by-bpm-and-key.md): Search loops, 808s and melodic samples by tempo and key, why half-time and relative keys match, and how to check a sample's real BPM and root note.
- [How to build a drum kit from free samples](https://sound.shep.bot/guides/build-a-drum-kit-from-free-samples.md): Pick a kick, snare, clap, hats and 808 that suit each other, check every licence, then play the kit in Strudel or any sampler via an SFZ or General MIDI map.

## Other kinds

- [Free drum samples: kicks, snares, hats and breaks](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/drums.md)
- [Free loops by genre and tempo](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/loops.md)
- [Free vocal samples: chops, a cappellas and shouts](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/vocals.md)
- [Free sound effects for music: risers, impacts, sweeps](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/fx.md)
- [Free foley sounds and ambience recordings](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/foley-ambience.md)
- [Free instrument samples: piano, guitar, synth, strings](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/instruments.md)

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Source: https://sound.shep.bot/samples/bass-808s