Anyone played the the SP404 yet?

I haven't paired with mpc yet. Just been playing with the 404 by itself. But it would work well with mpc. They have some new instruction videos at the roland site that might give you a better idea about the machine. Its built solid...the faceplate is metal. The efx are really good...everything is realtime so fast to work with. Also...samples stream from the CF card. So you can have long samples in there...I got 192 minutes of sampling time with a 256MB card. I've used it as a 2 track recorder and it works pretty good.

The sequencer is ok for laying down tracks. Nothing like an mpc...but its ok if you are on the move. Battery power is super convenient. I just unplug it, take it over and sit on my bed with my vestax handytrax and some vinyl and start sampling. Built-in mike is good as well. The simplicity and ease of use make it something you feel like using all the time. Foe example...I wanna record a song idea with guitar....switch on, add some reverb, switch on mike, press record....its super fast for things like that.

Ok, the bad. Sample editing is a pain in the ass. Not so precise and takes a few goes to get something working ok. Especially if you are working with drum loops. So if you resample a drum loop with efx. It might take a few goes until you get it to loop properly again. Even then it will drift slowly out of time with bpm. Bpm is a round number...so you can't change the bpm in small values e.g. 81.2, 81.3. I understand why they made the sample editing like it is though...its kinda geared towards DJ's and fast resampling stuff. I wish you could resample your patterns in the 404. Also, if you could sample while listening to another sample playing. Then you could use it as a multi track recorder.

But overall its great, i don't regret buying it at all. And I find myself reaching for it all the time. You can definitely make whole tracks with this.

You can find the videos here:

http://www.rolandus.com/products/detail ... ageMode=15

Yo thanks alot, I def can't wait to get my hand on ones and pair it with my MPC1000.

it would actually be cheaper to buy a mpc4000 or a mpc2500 instead of buying to **** samplers and a "computer to chop with" haha you´re so wack, who the **** do really need a computer to chop samples.. lazy MF..

how many tracks do the 404 sequencer have?

Just viewed the SP-404-videos!!!
It looks SO good! Gotta have it, if I can put down all my ideas on the go!

Any new users who'd like to share their experience with this monster in addition to the MPC1000?

i'm gonna buy one for sure in the next week or two. mostly for the effects, not at all for the sequencer. i will be midi triggering it from my mpc1000.

My friend has the 404.

Its really solid built, a lot of improvements over the 303, doesnt quite stand up to the mpc1k - but for a portable sampler, its the shit.

Okay, Cool!

Hope I have the money for it in january... It's on sale here in Denmark

LISTEN!

if you want to know, its practicly the same as the 303, minor but major improvments. Like 4 extra pads and a sub pad to get accents on your songs in. Also their is a pretty good drum like machine on it which is good if you wanna sample on the road and make quick beats without risking taking your MPC. its a good by wether you want it for sound effects alone or just to take it on the road with minimal equipment.

thepillage wrote:404 is 400 bucks cheaper than the mpc1k and comes with twice the features, lol

lol.....ummm...[cough] NO!

the 404 does not have twice the number in features than the 1000. eh LOL! In Your Face!

I've got one too....really like it.....not as good as the mpc as it's only got a midi in, no midi out. Really useful for those long train journeys - I can use my mp3 player for the samples...so not much space required. I found it really easy to use...you'd pick it up in a day....or even quicker if you had a previous model. Compact flash card reader is also very nice.

so for people who already have it please tell me if i plan to use it in a way that would be a good accompaniment. i think it is, but i need to make sure. got a good lead on a used one that i want to secure.

ok--i would sequence in my mpc samples from my sp404 and basically never use the sp404's sequencer (when in studio - when on trains/bus that's a different story). it would basically be used for a resampling tool/effects box...for live tweakable effects and further flexibility.

it would patch into my mackie in the 4th input. the ins of the 404 would be hooked up to the tape outputs of my mackie. this way anything i play on my turntables, mpc, microphone, or computer are all immediately sampleable into my sp404 - as they would be with my mpc when 2.0 drops.

this would allow me to resample back and forth between mpc and sp404 and computer seamlessly.

this would also get rid of the sp404's problem that it can't resample sequences - when they're sequenced on the mpc, it COULD resample sequences. see what i'm saying?

so basically, it's for flexibility with effects that i can live tweak OUTSIDE OF REASON. i've been using midi controllers for reason's effects for long enough that i really know how great it would be if i could implement it onto my mpc and sampler stuff....

so anyone have a response? am i missing anything? good/bad? could i do more/less than what i have spoken about?

peace
nym

If I end up having to travel far for my next job...Im going to buy one.

I have one, too. But I don't have an MPC (I would if I didn't get ripped off). Basically the 404 owns.

"Also, if you could sample while listening to another sample playing. Then you could use it as a multi track recorder."

Well, if you go Resample then Rec, press the pad you want to record to, then you can play as much samples as you want (to an extent, I suppose). And you can resample that, and keep building on. I haven't found a way to save the drum patterns that you build with the quantize, but you can hit resample and play drums or whatever.