First of all, this thing just looks so freaking cool and futuristic! When you hold it in your hands, it feels like some kind of Star Trek device. Way cooler looking than all other samplers!
But it's not just a sampler! It's so much more!
It is also an audio interface, a MIDI controller (that sends and receives note and CC info), a mixer, a looper, a standalone DJ system, a Serato DJ controller AND a real-time multi-FX unit with no less than FOUR FX busses!
And it's battery powered with 6 AAs.
And it only weighs 2 1/2 pounds and fits in a small shoulder bag.
It feels chunky and built solid enough you could use it as a hammer in a pinch.
So aside from being an amazing standalone sampler, this thing is very useful as a companion to a laptop or iPad or even iPhone working in a DAW application, as a performance tool to play songs on stage, as an effects unit for a harp or guitar or vocals, and as a complete tool to do a great live event with nothing else required but speakers but the ability to hook up all kinds of stuff to it.
You can set up a mic, a live instrument and a set of backing tracks to all be heard simultaneously with different effects on each. You could broadcast on Internet radio with this thing or create a full podcast with vocals, music cues and live instrumentation. It can record 16-32 minute audio files from the master output depending in whether you record in stereo or mono.
You can produce full songs or song parts mixing 160 sounds, then render them as audio to new long files and then perform a series of them.
It records and transmits MIDI automation smoothly.
The built-in 16GB memory can record and play back over 20 hours of audio at 16-bit 48khz. You could create and perform a whole multi-hour live set with this impressive device!
The best part is the "skip back" feature where you mess around with the unit and tweak it intil you get a really cool sound, then hit a button and it lets you grab a sample from the last 25-40 seconds retroactively. It's hard to explain why this is such an amazing feature. Something magical happens when you are just playing with the device and not recording and then you make a cool sound and realize you can record it AFTER you hear it. It's not only convenient, it encourages you to tweak the thing more. You really have to experience it for yourself. You end up building whole songs out of happy accidents and this is the only device I have ever experienced that with. You come up with sounds you would never come up with otherwise.
I keep a synthesizer, iPad, and loudspeakers plugged in the back and my celtic lap harp and high end headphones plugged in the front.
With that setup and big powered battery, I can provide captivating entertainment for a large group of people anywhere.
Jeff Shen
★★★★★
SP
I love this thing
L
Lucia Gutierrez
★★★★★
EQUIPO FALLADO
buenas tardes, le informo que el equipo ha venido fallado, Posible Falla en el sensor o switch del pad 4, placa del teclado (key matrix) o un defecto de fábrica
F
Fabian
★★★★★
100%recomendado
100% recomendado
S
Steven Booth
★★★★★
Deserted Island / Secluded Mountain Cabin Purchase
One of the best pieces of gear I have ever purchased. It’s an audio interface, sampler, sequencer, idea sketch pad, effects unit, DJ mixer, MIDI controller, customizable, and extremely portable. Probably some other uses I haven’t discovered yet. Get one new because I will never be selling mine.
Russell Boccia
★★★★★
Roland sp 404 mk2. For serious pro level music making or just fun.
This device has inspired me to make new music with my old gear. Enough said.
M
Mike West
★★★★★
Knob Turner
Arrived timely and in perfect condition. Currently looking up hair growth supplements to purchase now because I’ll be pulling my hair out until I figure this thing out. Send help. Brain hurts. SP = good, my brain = not good
J
J.Oshee
★★★★★
Un buen sampler
Me había comprado un p6 , pero en un rato me quedo corto. Sobre todo por la cantidad de samples que puede almacenar y su duración muy limitada. Por eso lo devolví y compré el sp404mk2 y me estoy entreteniendo bastante , tiene 160 samples por proyecto , 16 proyectos, hasta 16 min por sample y muchos efectos .. me quedo con el .
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Michael Sosnowski
★★★★★
If you're wondering what this does this is how I use it
You organize patterns of sample triggers, build loops, and compose them. It sounds simple which it is but it's easy to spends hours getting really creative with the miniscule details via resampling through fx. Going from up to 160 samples per project and put it into one sample, which is your finished song. It's a very elegant work flow and I am currently using this as my main studio piece. I started by putting all of my samples from my DAW and some others I found on the interweb on my 256GB SD. My next move is to get a synthesizer and use that for my sound design. My FAVORITE feature of this thing is the SKIP BACK feature which can be set to record everything you do for 45 seconds back so you can just be finger drumming and say oh crap I wasn't recording.. oh wait.. you actually were. Now you never miss a good take! Lastly you don't even need a interface with this thing. I have my laptop running audio I/O via USB and my 1/4 Aux I/O going to subwoofer and my subwoofer out to my monitors. I can sample movies or music from my computer by a press of a button at any moment. A seamless piece of equipment that can fit right into your life.
N
Nicholas scott
★★★★★
Addictive
If you’re currently in a relationship with somebody that feels as though you don’t spend enough time with them, then this is not a good purchase for you because it will become your new love interest..
Al
★★★★★
So much fun for making music or just messing around with beats!
I'm a guy in my 50's who used to play in bands and mess around with synths and samplers back in the early 1990's. Recently, I got the itch to make music again. So I picked up a few micro synths and stand-alone groove boxes to try out. The Microfreak was cool, but very limited. The Digitakt is amazing! But it's more about sequencing than rhythms and sampling. Then I discovered the SP-404MKII. To me, this is the sweet spot in terms of price, functionality, ease-of-use, and cool factor. It is simply amazing! The pads to tap out your own beats feel great. The ability to use stereo samples with longer runtimes and sampling external mics or importing samples from other devices, gives you tons of flexibility. And when you're sitting there with your headphones, tinkering away, it just feels good. Grooving with some beats, you can throw entire DJ sets together, if you wanted to. There's a great number of factory samples that come built in. If you don't have any of your own samples on hand, I recommend subscribing to Roland's "Ultimate" program. They give you a month free trial. During that time, you can download all the sample packs they offer for this device absolutely free, then cancel the subscription before they charge you, and you get to keep all the samples.
The other thing I'll mention, is that the SP-404 is built to be customized. You'll notice in my photo, I have a retro-looking skin on it, that I purchased from a third party, as well as some aluminum replacement knobs. The aesthetic really gives off an old-skool hip-hop vibe that I love. It sounds amazing, has a series of flexible inputs/outputs as well as midi control options. I've hooked it up to work in tandem with my Digitakt and they are the ultimate DAWless power-couple! Effects for days, smooth transitions between pre-built patterns and live performance, a DJ mode to show off for an audience, and a newly added built-in synth engine as of the most recent patch. This thing is a powerhouse if you take the time to learn how it operates. There's a great community for it, so you can find lots of tutorial videos online. Cannot recommend this unit enough for those looking to chop samples, build loops and patterns, or compose entire songs in any electronic genre.
