Members toomanyKORGs Posted October 5, 2008 Members Share Posted October 5, 2008 hey all, im thinking about buying a SP-404 instead of a second KP3, but I was wondering if you can run a synth through the 404 like you can the KP3 and have direct fx and sampling using the ins/outs on the 404? I use my current KP3 to sample my microkorg, and plan on getting a micron to have going through another KP3, or possibly a 404 if you think it will work. .. Thanks for looking.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xmlguy Posted October 5, 2008 Members Share Posted October 5, 2008 Sure, the SP-404 can use any of its effects on an input source. The 404 is great for long samples and loops, because it can record and play directly from a 1GB Compact Flash, which gives a huge amount of sample time. If you can find a used 606, it's quite a bit easier to use and is more powerful, although it maxes out at 512MB CF. The 606 has an LCD screen that let's you see the sample visually so that you can edit the start/stop points for clean loops. The 606 also has velocity pads and the D-beam. The 404 is smaller and runs on 6 - AA batteries, but doesn't have velocity pads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members toomanyKORGs Posted October 5, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 5, 2008 unfortunately i only have an 8-inch space in my music box, so the 606 will be out of the question.. but as long as the 404 can do what youve mentioned its all ill need. im excited to have more variety instead of just two kp3's.. thanks for the reply! ps - ive been searching through youtube videos.. are you sure you can have audio playing through the sampler from a synth? it looks like everyones stuff is preloaded... i can find it in the specifications either.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xmlguy Posted October 5, 2008 Members Share Posted October 5, 2008 Yes, I'm sure. I own a 404. I use the effects on external sources. I also had a 555, before I dumped it to get the 404 and 606. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members plaid_emu Posted October 5, 2008 Members Share Posted October 5, 2008 The 404 looks like a decent piece. I had an SP-202 back in the day and it was a fun little sampler. The Lo-Fi sample rate mode was the best thing about it. I regretted selling it for the purchase of a CDX-1. Then I discovered MPCs. The 404 is great for long samples and loops, because it can record and play directly from a 1GB Compact Flash, which gives a huge amount of sample time. If only my MPC-500 would do this. Then AKAI couldn't charge $150 for the 128MB upgrade to the people who don't know they can buy the same RAM for 1/10 the price. As if they couldn't just throw it in there to begin with at an infinitismal cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Audacity Works Posted October 5, 2008 Members Share Posted October 5, 2008 If only my MPC-500 would do this.Throughput from CF card is very limited. Uncompressed stereo 16-bit/44.1kHz audio would only give you around 3 to 4 notes of polyphony. The SP-404 is six stereo notes, but that's after data compression. RAM is way faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KingVidiot Posted October 6, 2008 Members Share Posted October 6, 2008 For what it costs and what it does, the 404 rules. I even had a lot of fun with it at Halloween as a portable spook box, hiding behind stuff and scaring folks with some small speakers I "velcroed" to the box. Add an arduino controller with sensors and watch out - instant haunted house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Audacity Works Posted October 6, 2008 Members Share Posted October 6, 2008 I even had a lot of fun with it at Halloween as a portable spook box, hiding behind stuff and scaring folks with some small speakers I "velcroed" to the box. Add an arduino controller with sensors and watch out - instant haunted house.Snag one of those cheap contact mics and tape it to your doorbell chime. Run the other end into some sort of trigger-to-MIDI converter, and suddenly your doorbell plays screaming or wolf howls or creepy laughter. Very effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AfroRouge Posted October 6, 2008 Members Share Posted October 6, 2008 Heheh fun ideas. I keep looking at the 404 as a way to UW-ify my "classic" MD, but my attraction to the MPC 1000 makes me wonder if I'm better off waiting a while and putting the extra dough into the MPC, which I expect will cover the territory of the SP-404 and a lot more. Ah the GAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KingVidiot Posted October 6, 2008 Members Share Posted October 6, 2008 Doorbell is cool, but the beauty if the arduino with the right code is it can receive data from up to 13 sensors - door bell, floor mat, IR beams here and there, etc.All this in a little package. Now that's spooky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KingVidiot Posted October 6, 2008 Members Share Posted October 6, 2008 Heheh fun ideas. I keep looking at the 404 as a way to UW-ify my "classic" MD, but my attraction to the MPC 1000 makes me wonder if I'm better off waiting a while and putting the extra dough into the MPC, which I expect will cover the territory of the SP-404 and a lot more. Ah the GAS. The MPC500 is tough for loops since the pads don't light-up. How will you keep track of all of the latched FX loops? The screen is too small to be effective for that. But as a pure rhythm machine it's very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xmlguy Posted October 7, 2008 Members Share Posted October 7, 2008 Even though there is some overlap between the 404 and the MPC1000, they are quite different in emphasis and features. It got my 404 for $200 and the MPC1000 for about $500. I recently posted a price for a used 404 of $150. The 404 is unmatched for a sampler at that price, and the effects are very good live music. No way I'm going to part with my 404 even though I have an MPC. For Halloween, you can use the pitch modulation effect on the 404 to do some very creepy voices live, not just samples or loops. The 404 can also run for a very long time on AA NiMH batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members donald_petersen Posted October 7, 2008 Members Share Posted October 7, 2008 as far as the new batch of those SPs that are out...the 404? and 606 or 660? and the what is it 555?...which do people think has the best mix of performance and features for the money? i would ask to compare them to i guess the ESX-1 but i don't like the layout of that electribe more than the roland/boss ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xmlguy Posted October 7, 2008 Members Share Posted October 7, 2008 The 606 is my favorite for features, while the 404 is my favorite for portability. The 606 is limited to 512MB Compact Flash, the 404 to 1GB CF, and the 555 to 2GB CF. 512MB is still 4 times more memory than the ESX-1 can handle with its ancient 128MB SmartMedia. The 606 is the only one with a display that shows you the sample for editing. The 555 has a looper that's virtually useless for live performance because the music stops when saving. The 606 also has a step sequencer, but not the 404 or 555. The 404 doesn't have velocity pads, the 606 and 555 do. For step sequencing, I think the ESX/EMX is much easier to learn and use. That's why I own a 404, 606, and EMX-1, to get the best of breed of all of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mcpepe Posted October 8, 2008 Members Share Posted October 8, 2008 The 555 has a looper that's virtually useless for live performance because the music stops when saving. Can the MPCs or Electribe do this? What machine/s can do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Diametro Posted October 8, 2008 Members Share Posted October 8, 2008 Despite its many good points, the 404 unfortunately features several weird button combinations to perform various functions that usually send me to the manual ... I use it more as a live performance tool than something for the studio so it gets used less frequently ... Also, this is a crazy question for 404 owners ... But how do you get individual samples to stop playing ... For some reason, pressing CANCEL once doesn't stop playback ... I have to hit CANCEL three times and it stops all the loops ... Am I missing something? Is that what's GATE is for ... Everything else seems fine about my 404 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xmlguy Posted October 8, 2008 Members Share Posted October 8, 2008 Despite its many good points, the 404 unfortunately features several weird button combinations to perform various functions that usually send me to the manual ... I use it more as a live performance tool than something for the studio so it gets used less frequently ... Also, this is a crazy question for 404 owners ... But how do you get individual samples to stop playing ... For some reason, pressing CANCEL once doesn't stop playback ... I have to hit CANCEL three times and it stops all the loops ... Am I missing something? Is that what's GATE is for ... Everything else seems fine about my 404 ... Hit the pad of the sample. Press loop. Now you can start or stop the sample by hitting the pad. If the sample is a short one shot, you can extend the sample with silence so that you have time to stop it before it loops. To do that, hit resample, rec, an empty pad (blinking), then get ready to hit the blinking REC and the original one shot at the same time, wait to hit the REC until you have enough silence. To stop all loops, hit resample-cancel or Del-cancel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xmlguy Posted October 8, 2008 Members Share Posted October 8, 2008 Can the MPCs or Electribe do this?What machine/s can do it? The KP3 can sample 4 loops while keeping the music going. The Electro-Harmonix 2880 looper can also do 4 track looping, but with longer loops because it uses Compact Flash for direct sampling. I haven't tried the looping yet of my MPC1000, but I'll post something after I have a chance to play with it for loops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members toomanyKORGs Posted October 9, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 9, 2008 i have the kp3, im definitely going to get the 404 for an eventual micron ill get... live looping FTW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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