Roland SP-404SX Portable Power-Sampler w/FX (SP404SX)

I love this unit, and have no regrets about purchasing it. I’ve owned it for a year, and have gotten a lot of use out of it. The effects modules are off-the-hook, and the ability to tweak the sound in real-time with filters is fantastic. I also love that this unit has a lot of options for inputs, and that the record time on the samples is only limited by the size of the SD card installed. I have literally recorded samples that were 30 minutes in length or longer. If you can get your hands on one of these, you will love it! The price point is pretty good, and great value for the money, although Roland does not manufacturer these models anymore, and is made of very sturdy metal construction. You can’t go wrong with this. The only ding I would put on this is the fact that samples are not easy to edit, and you are better off using a card-reader and downloading the software to edit samples and import them on a PC or laptop, then re-importing them back to the SD card in that sample slot. A round-about way of doing things, but easier than using the unit itself to try to edit samples. However this has not infringed in the least out of my enjoyment in using the SP-404 SK. It’s been an invaluable assett to my home studio! I would buy this again, but expect not to need to since this will probably last me a life time.

Alright I feel like I'm not good at reviews but I really love this machine (for hip-hop production). The workflow on this thing is amazing - it's so easy to get my sample chopped up, trimmed correctly, in a couple of minutes, and without having to click it all out on a screen. There are plenty of good tutorials on youtube to learn how to work this thing (the manual comes in Japanese) and you should be making progress after a couple videos. I'm giving this sampler 5 stars because it does everything that it says it will do and it does it well. The pads and knobs both have a really good feel and the sampler seems solid overall. RCA jacks make it really easy to run audio into the SP from my turntable or my phone with an RCA to AUX cable. I didn't get the SP to perform live but I can see why so many people use it just for that purpose, I always end up getting lost playing with effects while making beats.There are a few downsides I've run into just because there are some things I'm used to having while making music. I don't think the SP should get knocked for that because I'd easily pay more to add these functions- which are probably on the MPC and I'm sure add to the price point-No sound envelope settings for samples (a/d/s/r)-No manual step entry (everything has to be played live, no 'programming' a kick into step 1 for example)-Step Sequencer is pretty much useless (to me) because a sequence cannot be "Resampled" into a pad. I strictly put together loops/beats on the SP using the "Resample" function

the single most game-changing piece of gear ever created. I don't like anything else from this company but this makes up for that. this won't operate or really be anything like an MPC or electribe, which i think are about the same cost.If you want to just press and light up whatever buttons/steps in a step sequencer and make cool demo-button music don't get this. Use your computer or your phone to do that, maybe like a 50 dollar MIDI controller, too.This is a superb sampler in general but maybe the only one I've had that is possible to use in a band-ensemble situation.Just know going into this that it isn't that ''experimental'' to use a device the way it was intended to be used. Such as turning knobs really fast on a ring modulator to make a sound effect for a sci-fi movie or adjusting the cutoff frequency of a filter in time with music and whatnot. or doing the ''radiohead thing'' by effing with the feedback and delay time on an echo pedal ... buying this doesn't mean you now make experimental music. It might mean you make experimental hip-hop. If you buy this and then sell it because you can't figure it out, remember to erase the memory card before you sell it. I have a few of these and there have been some embarrassingly god-awful samples on the cards that came with these. One was just a guy's voice badly singing the words : ''Beautiful melodies!'' but like dry and really badly done albeit clearly not without tremendous efforts on the artists' part.Basically, maybe you should just use the money to explore new drug opportunities. Safer for your self esteem than investing this much just to find out if you're a hack or not.Personally, I find this sampler perfect in every way..

If you are looking for something to help you with live performances, sampling, producing, effect processing or just an all around studio Swiss army knife then get this thing. The sp404 is one of the greatest instruments of all time. It can be a sampler, synthesizer or even guitar pedal. You can make full songs on it with resampling and sequencing. You can also just use it like an extremely customizable drum machine. The 404 could be your entire live setup. It's easy and fun to import stems and mangle them together. I love taking mine outside, tossing in some batteries and making songs in an environment. Because its all sample based there is a real connectives I feel with the things I make. All the sounds came from different things in my world and they're put together inside the 404.

I've been producing underground for a year now using nothing but a microphone and a mini keyboard. It is amazing to use such an amazing tool that saves me so much time! I've done various DJ jobs and using the sp404 with its drive filters make it so much quicker to do effects than Ableton. Messing around and making sampled beats with this machine is an absolute blast! everything to do with it is simple, fun, and has an astounding loft aesthetic to it! If you're looking for a fun machine that does great sound manipulation in various weird ways, this is a fantastic machine to use!