Ot -> sp midi <3

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

May be old news, but having some fun with the SP over MIDI for beats. Feels like I can free up some tracks on the OT and get some use out of this neglected machine.

Bank A - Kicks, B - Snares, C-HiHats, D-Perc etc.
Notes : B2 - A#3 Pads A1-12, B3 gives you Pad B1 etc.

MIDI tracks with different lengths, time signatures == fun.

Note count in the Microtiming menu (Function + Up) gives you some retrig options.

Parameter Lock or play the ARP for some interesting variations.

Also, LFO to Note, Note2, Arp, Velocity…

SP responds to Note Velocity, which is awesome (as the pads do not).

Bonus Level: Set the sample to Gate, and now you can mess with MIDI Len in more expressive ways too.

Note: SP uses 2 MIDI channels, 1 for Banks A-E, and +1 for F-J (you set the 1st channel).
(Note B1 on the 2nd channel gives you access to bank G)

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Octababy and Sp404?
#2

My SP’s have slowly become purely fx boxes (Wish SP’s FX took midi CC!) :confused:
Need to fill em up with some fresh samples and bring them out of semi-retirement :wink: Mojo galore in those boxes.

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#3

Oh man, if the FX were available over CC …

Still, the ARP is so expressive. Just so many ways to play with the retriggering and sample selection using that alone. I’m loving it!

Filling them up with samples - the Analog Heat actually made me do this - just took a load of old vinyl sourced hits, ran em through that … BOOM

Vinyl Sim on too :slight_smile:

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#4

What SP are y’all referring to?

I got a 303 recently and haven’t really gotten down with it apart from the FX. I’d been eyeing the MIDI as a connect to the OT. I just don’t know yet a lot of things…but 3 week vaca coming up with both boxes in tow where I hope to get some focus.

If you might indulge me for a second, I wondered if I might copy/paste something I posted to the FB SP303 page, and maybe get some feedback from lovely 'nauts (I got nothing but silence on FB)

I’m a little overwhelmed however with the sampler side of it. I come from DAW and Octatrack and I am used to easy peasy, large sums of memory. The “limited” amount of memory is quite perplexing. I have a 128mb card but even it is a bit limited in application (again, relative to a computer/OT).

Sampling, too, is something I’m just begining to dabble with. I’d always been in awe of how “colorful” sampler-based tracks could be considering all the different recording chains and mixing and mastering equipment producers could get access to from sampling all sorts of different records.

So I’m putting it to the community: what are your workflows? Do you sample and make a track from a single record or do you put a track together from multiple records? If the latter, are those records things you picked up at the same time or do you just know your records so well that you’ll hear a bit you want to sample and then go grab the record? Do you record straight into the 303 or computer first? Do you f-with / process samples before they go to the 303? If yes, how do you get them to there?

I’m not looking for spoon-fed answers because I will inevitably end up with my own workflow. I’m just checking your thoughts for ideas that might work for me.

Thanks y’all. Looking forward to seeing contributions to this thread!

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#5

Good point. SP404-SX here. Will see what the 303 specs say.

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#6

Yeah ok. You were talking “Bank …E, F-J” and I’m like “uuummmmmmmmm” :slight_smile:

I imagine it’s a similar application just much more bare-bones. What I have yet to figure out is that if Banks C and D are card only, can I have patterns/play MIDI that incorporate both RAM Banks AnB and Card banks CnD.

I’m still really struggling with how to approach sampling considering the size. I’m trying to mentalize it but I think it’ll just require me to get my hands dirty.

But with FX and the EXT AUDIO button on a Cue Out from the OT back into a Thru machine and Recorder Tracks…worth the price of admission alone.

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#7

  1. Turn off the SP-303.

  2. While holding [PAD 1], turn on the power.

  3. To trigger samples on Bank A, send notes C2-G2 on MIDI channel 1. C2 will trigger Pad 1, C#2 will trigger Pad 2, D2 will trigger Pad 3, and so on.

To trigger samples on Bank B, send notes G#2-D#3 on MIDI channel 1.

To trigger samples on Bank C, send notes E3-B3 on MIDI channel 1.

To trigger samples on Bank D, send notes C4-G4 on MIDI channel 1.

I think to start with, just sample one shots, drum hits. Have one OT track per bank, and mess with the ARP. Make sure you set the Note Length sufficiently long. Then try changing the individual track lengths and so on. Enjoy!

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#8

Ok yeah nice one. Thanks!

Now I wish I had picked up multiple small cards as opposed to one large one :frowning:

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#9

Sp404sx was not obvious indeed. :slight_smile:
I just had a SP555 for my 4 years old son, I’m not sure I will be in love with it.
What do you think about it?
Quite similar to Sp404sx?
It’s possible to use CC for Fx CTL 1,2,3.
I exchanged it with a Nanopad2 (30€ on Ebay) with a nice guy. :content:

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#10

Looks great !

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/141820/Roland-Sp-555.html?page=71#manual

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#11

Whaaaaaaaat? For real? For some reason I assumed 555 had same midi functionality as 404! I need to check this out :slight_smile:

I have a 555 and 404. Very similar overall. You’re son’s a lucky kid :slight_smile: And that’s a crazy price you paid for a 555 :slight_smile:

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#12

Sp555 midi implementation chart :
Only CCs for CTL1,2,3 apparently.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/141820/Roland-Sp-555.html?page=74#manual

Oops. Apparently they’re transmitted, not recognized, sorry!
I read that somewhere, but it seems false.

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#13

Ah, I thought you were saying it received CC for fx params on knobs 1,2,3… Which would be sweet. But looks like it only sends out from those knobs, doesn’t receive for fx params, same as on 404 :frowning:

Haha, just saw your post edit, yeah it’s a bummer…

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#14

Yeah I thought it too first, I didn’t see the cross for recognized. :disappointed_relieved:

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#15

First Day with my son’s Sp555 I just uploaded : :smile:
Sounds from scratch.

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#16

Ah damn

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#17

Haha so cool :slight_smile: I have to hide this video from my daughters, not ready to let them have mine yet :wink:

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#18

He could walk on it, I wouldn’t care that much.
Not the case of the Holy Octatrack !

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#19

Haha :slight_smile: I originally got in to sampling after hearing Panda Bear’s Person Pitch lp so Roland’s (404 and 555) were the first samplers I grabbed, I’ll always have a soft spot for them :slight_smile: Have you tried resampling stuff with the onboard fx a bunch of times? Very quick and lots of mojo :slight_smile: Also the 555 has 16 fx memory scenes (404 doesn’t have this). Setting these up and hitting different fx combos while resampling can be pretty fun/interesting. I maybe wouldn’t be so quick to let your son stomp on it :wink:

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#20

I actually need a foot controller. :smile:
Of course I wouldn’t but it was a way to express I’ve no stress with it.

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