i loved the KO2 for a bit. great workflow, features and sound. But the storage is miserly and killed it for me. i’ve rented various 404s like five times. they are cool but i’ve never connected quite enough to buy one.
If a modern MPC was on the table that would be my first choice. But then I’d add an SPmk2 a year later for the FX, Skipback, looper etc.
To me the SP is $500 sampling effects pedal audio interface looper Skipback DJ portable gameboy music box.
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The 404 can be used for so many things. It’s a tank. The KO is not a tank, it’s a calculator. I would take the 404 for sampling and effects for sure.
Have had both, still have the 404. Yes the UI took some time, but really for basic sampling it is easy to use. I have grown to actually like the UI, but it was not instant. The 404 is also a great audio interface for guitar. I often use mine to play through with headphones when I need to be quiet.
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Really great audio interface in general. I use it to record other SPs, synths, etc. It’s a breeze to record stuff back and forth to Logic with it. My UAD Arrow interface is basically just for my monitors these days. I record almost everything through the MKII.
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I never really work on more then one real project on it at a time… but I never really have had a problem with the sampling time on the ko2… maybe I’m using it wrong? It seems like it had more then enough for me though… I’m not recording really long samples though bit I do resample bars sometimes and have the factory stuff still on it mostly… I guess I don’t really need more then a minute or so though. It is not my main sampler though but I love it… fun and had personality that others lack.
What do you want to do with it?
I’d go for 404mk2 also. You can do so much with it. Apart from making beats on it I use mine to bring in guitar, vocals (well, shouting) and Ableton/anything a laptop can play into my MPC, adding fx on the way.
The online manual is really good, I spent a few days working through that and the mk2 in front of me, and got a good basic understanding. The @NearTao guide and videos are great as mentioned above.
I didn’t find the learning curve too bad but then I reference everything to Octatrack 
The SP404 mk2 is everything everyone ever wanted out of the SP samplers, for me that means a very confusing UI jam packed with features.
The KO2 is more focused but has less power and features.
so in a sense they are quiet opposite of eachother.
if sample size is an issue then maybe have a look at the SP-404SX. simpler then the mk2, but still with lots of space for sampling longer loops.
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I second you looking at the Move. Cheap, good, fun.
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I have ordered an SP404MKII 
I think I’d really enjoy a KOII but it’s probably not the right tool for the job. Same with the Ableton Move , very intriguing too - purchases for another day maybe 
I may be able to get rid of my header amp too!
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Don’t worry about the ‘steep learning curve’ around the SP, it’s like anything: spend enough time with it and it becomes second nature.
You mentioned being an Ableton user (me too), and I find the SP to be the best/most fun ‘step away from Ableton to something else’ device I have… I’d say that over the MPC Live 2 too… and I like how the SP integrates with Ableton.
People have already mentioned the SP vst plugin, but it’s also great running it as the audio interface for Ableton, so you can access the SP’s FX on Ableton’s outputs, and sample into it, etc.
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I think for your specific use case. You’ve made the right choice. Have fun and let us know how you get on with it.
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Havent used the SP much with Ableton. Only used the plugin and dragging samples.
This sounds interesting. Is it easy to sample into the SP from Ableton and then record that material back into Ableton without feedback? Is it straight forward or do I have to setup aggregate device and all that jazz?
Dead simple on Logic. You change the setting In Utilities to Mix-In and make sure you have the track you are recording on in Logic muted to avoid feedback. I don’t have Ableton, but should be similar I’d imagine.
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If you have a spare pair of ins and outs on your interface, you can plug the ins and out into the ins and outs of the 404, and then when you want to send audio from Ableton to the 404 you stick the External Audio Effect device onto the track or group, and set the outputs to be the outs on your interface going into the 404. This automatically mutes monitoring for that track in Live, and then you grab a new audio track in Live and set the inputs to be the inputs coming from the 404.
I have mine pretty much permanently set up that way for grabbing samples or doing live processing.
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You will love it I’m sure. It does so much, without fuss.
Then, you can stick batteries in it and sit in the park making beats
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Or the toilet. A friend told me.
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Ah yes, the place I go for peace and quiet!
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I’m considering either the Roland P-6 or the Novation Circuit Rhythm with regards to adding a sampler to my setup. Both apparently do everything OK compared to those other two samplers (Teenage Engineering devices tend to be form over function, the SP404 MkII is a sampler first and mobile music production station at a far second from what I hear), although the mono channel limitation on the Circuit will be a dealbreaker. I’m not yet sure about the P-6 workflow, but owing to how it’s incredibly tiny, it might be a nightmare for those with bigger hands to work with.