SP-404 - tricks 'n tips thread

Boss' Dr.Sample boxes are still quite underestimated by lots of cats but few found the power in these little boxes and now how to work these little machines.
Because the manual lacks lots of information on how to really use the machine to it's full potential i would like to ask all SP-404 (and other dr. sample) users to share some knowhow on this piece.
So please tell everybody the steps you take to make a beat on this machine or what tricks you do to make something happen that isn't told in the manual.


Flying Lotus told me a nice trick which i still dont fully understand yet, but it is a MUST in my opinion.... how you can copy patterns.
This is what he told me:

First save the pattern to your memory card and then load it back in to the internal bank.
( if anybody can do this please explain more clearly... but im convinced it should work in one way or another )

Isn't there a 404 forum somewhere for this?

I was looking for an SP-404 forum but never found any... But I like this thread. Just got myself an SP not so long ago. Haven't quite figured all the tricks out yet

Chulukinat wrote:Boss' Dr.Sample boxes are still quite underestimated by lots of cats but few found the power in these little boxes and now how to work these little machines.
Because the manual lacks lots of information on how to really use the machine to it's full potential i would like to ask all SP-404 (and other dr. sample) users to share some knowhow on this piece.
So please tell everybody the steps you take to make a beat on this machine or what tricks you do to make something happen that isn't told in the manual.


Flying Lotus told me a nice trick which i still dont fully understand yet, but it is a MUST in my opinion.... how you can copy patterns.
This is what he told me:

First save the pattern to your memory card and then load it back in to the internal bank.
( if anybody can do this please explain more clearly... but im convinced it should work in one way or another )

That sounds like a whole lot of wishfull thinking. How on earth can you save a single pattern to the memory card and afterwards load that pattern to another memory location? The sp-404 has no functions (at least not explained in the manual) that can do this. As long as I have no detailed step by step explanation of this I consider this to be some unverified story.

Kayelel wrote:I was looking for an SP-404 forum but never found any... But I like this thread. Just got myself an SP not so long ago. Haven't quite figured all the tricks out yet

OK, I've never looked, so I was wondering, I'll stfu then.

I EAT MY WORDS. I did do some thinking about the Flying LoTus tip and yes it is possible indeed to copy patterns but not the way you explained it there.
Basically here is what you have to do:

1 Record a pattern on your internal memory.
2. Now make a backup of your internal memory to the storage media.
3. exchange the pattern with another pad (aka assign the patter to another pad) that is NOT located on the internal memory.
4. Reload your previously saved backup.
5. You now have 2 pads that have the same pattern assigned one pad on internal memory and one pad on the stora media.

Thank you Chulukinat for posting this great hint and thank you to Flying Lotus for sharing the wealth.
Perhaps someone should indeed make an sp-404 forum.

B4 I forget this trick works as well on the sp-303 of course.

yes thats probably it! i already figured it must had something to do with backups but i just couldnt find it out. im gonna try it when i get home...thanx !


by the way i just thought of another pretty simple tip... for every beat clear out all of your memory ( especially when you want to copy patterns using this method ) at least thats the only way for me to work effective otherwise it becomes a mess to me.

if anyone has contacts with roland/boss it wouldnt be a bad idea to make a "copy pattern" option in a next o.s.

Thats true, a copy pattern funktion is a must.
copy sound funktion would be also great!

copy sound? dont you mean resample? thats already on it... but the strange thing about resampling is that the resampled sample not always sound identical to the one you resampled with the effect on it.
i also noticed that when you resample some creative live adjustments dont react as fast as they do when you do it in play mode ( try reversing a sample WHILE resampling it ... in play mode this is possible in resample mode it will need extra time to calculate or stutter )

another feature that would be heaven would be the ability to sample its own outputs.


p.s. am i the only one experiencing odd happenings like sometimes my 404 start to trip and plays a nasty sound ( maybe multiple samples ) and afterwards just acts like nothing happend or is mine a mongolito?

Robtron wrote:Thats true, a copy pattern funktion is a must.
copy sound funktion would be also great!

That already exists, it's even explained in the manual how to do it, no ?
As for the pattern copy function, you know how to do it so there are no excuses to go make a beat.

I would rather have the possibility to save the bpm per pattern + the possibility to have one sample cut of another one

very true

no a copy sound funktion dont exists. resample is not the same. if i wont to copy a loop i always must adjust the end of the audio to loop the sound perfect.
with a copy sound funktion you dont need that.
and the copy pattern workaround is to complicated to use it everytime.
i really wonder how madlib make an entire beat with only his sp303. he must use this unit complete different than any other beatmaker.

Well you know what, if you don't like to work it the way it is but instead want to sit and wait until Roland will add these new deatures (which I doubt they will since they could have added those features in the later 303 os or in the first 404 os when they wrote it) then you just do so in the mean time I'll go and make some beats. See if I care whether you like the sample and pattern copy solutions or not. I have no hopes on Roland actually adding extra features to the 404 os but then again I knew what features it had the day I bought it.
My guess is Madlib actually uses his 303 with all the limitations it has. Wait or create, the choice is yours.

i just wanted to say that this features would make this little machine only better as it is today. i also dont think that roland ad this feature but it would be great.
i thought this tread is for tips and tricks, and i think madlib has definitely his tricks. and that he uses his 303 with all the limitations is clear, i mean he sure has no extra os for his machine, but he has tricks, i think. you can use this machine in very different wises.