The 202 is fine, but most people are going to pick it up for "that sound", whatever that means. Still got one, and I do enjoy working with it, but it's quite expensive to get these days, more so if you want to get the storage upgrade for it. Check out this blog post I did a while back on the 202
https://neartao.wordpress.com/2021/09/07/you-just-bought-a-boss-sp-202-what-next/. It's a fine box, but it only has so many tricks.
If you’ve already got other software, instruments, or effects… well… take stock of what the mk2 is really going to do for you. The mk2 has some good things and bad things going for it… and depending on your usage patterns and desired workflows is going to determine how much you get down with it, and how much you fight with it.
What the mk2 has going for it (as of firmware 2.0.1):
Quite portable, and a lot of options to power it is really nice
* Integrates well with other devices over usb-c/line in/mic/guitar jack
* Very quick sampling and resampling
* A well curated (but not terribly broad or deep) set of effects
* Graphic display for better editing/parameter setting
* Decent (though not complete) amount of settings to configure it to your uses
* Skip Back for capturing happy accidents without needing “always record” gear
16x projects!
* Good enough PC/Mac Software
Nice to Haves:
* In general I’d say it strikes the right balance between brief interfaces and what controls do
* Chromatic Mode is pretty good, not great, but I’ll take it for what it is…
* Pattern Mode, it’s head and shoulders above previous SPs, even if it still falls a bit short
* TR REC Mode was a surprise, and great, addition to the SP
* Chopping Modes are really handy, and another feature to put it above the other SPs
* DJ mode is interesting, though missing some key features… it’s there and can do fun things
* Midi implementations are getting to be decent, though not quite perfect…
Not My Jam:
* TR REC Pitch setting doesn’t respect your pad’s pitch… this above all irritates me the most
* Current Implementation of Envelopes
* Missing Post Pattern Record Quantize
* Max 16 pad chops… it works… but even up to 64 chops would open up a lot more (for me)
* TR REC has a good start, but something like parameters locks could help make it feel more dynamic
* Editing TR REC events is a straight up pain and Roland should take some notes from Elektron/TE
* I still feel strongly that you should be able to play multiple patterns at the same time, as it would open up a lot more performance styles
* FX automation is a huge missing feature, and could open up a lot of amazing performance characteristics for the mk2
* A live looper that could dump straight to a pad and keep playing in loop mode would… chef’s kiss
* Chromatic Mode needs more +/- octave options
* Envelopes need a few different behaviors… because it is tied to sample size… so looping short samples is weird that it doesn’t follow release, and the envelope just ends on gate off… meh
* Would have appreciated a built in microphone… sometimes it’s just the little things
So yeah… those are my opinions on the SP404 mk2. I like it a lot, but I’m not in love with it (though I guess the what, 300’ish video count might suggest otherwise). For what it does, I really appreciate it, solid sampler, solid effects, and makes for a pretty good “Swiss Army” style does a bit of everything, even if it isn’t the best tool… leading to the “what’s the best camera?”… “the one you have with you”… The mk2 probably isn’t going to change anybody’s world per se, but if you’re heading out and don’t want to bring a laptop, or just want something fairly well self contained that doesn’t have a crazy amount of menu diving… well the mk2 could be the box for you. And as a first piece of hardware to get back into, it’s not a bad choice, especially if you just want something that is pretty self contained and more or less well streamlined. In the same price category for sampler/sequencer space I’d probably suggest also looking at what Elektron has to offer, and seriously the Akai MPC One is, in my mind an incredible value.
Back to the mk2 though, I’d say, like a fine wine, the mk2 is best when paired with something else. If I was forced to keep the mk2 and could only have one other device, I’d probably go with the iPad just given how much different sequencing, synth, effect, and other options it brings to the table, but other serious contenders would be an MPC Live (also portable, nice synths, plenty of effects) and setup the mk2 as a loopback effect/sampler, or go for an instrument like the Access Virus or Waldorf Iridium to sample off of (though the lack of a good sequencer would kill me), or maybe an OP-Z because the sequencer pairs quite nicely with the mk2 and the OP-Z brings some interesting effects to the table. I’d almost consider an OP-1 or an Organelle, but both feel like they probably hedge too much into the same weak areas of the mk2… and I’m not sure I’d want to do that to myself.