Well the sounds are great! Classic electronic drum sounds that hint back to the famous CR-78 and TR-808 drum machines. But none of these sounds are editable and there is only one mono audio output making this machine less of a studio-piece of gear and more of a collector's item. Aside from these limitations it, like other CompuRhythms, has a series of preset patterns in many different styles as well as programmable patterns with 8 storage patches.

While the CR-8000 is usually sampled for today's applications, the thing about the CR-8000 that cannot be captured by sampling the sounds is the swing/groove feel which has its own control knob. The intervals between beats are variable, but also the timbre changes... very nice, especially the hats! It has been used by Fluke, BT, Jimmy Edgar, and Blondie.