This should be Roland’s official slogan, on t-shirts and stuff.
14 Likes
Like any Elektron, isn’t it?
You have to press Play+Rec to start live recording.
Step sequencer is available without pressing any buttons unless you switched default mode to patter/mixer/etc.
What is really annoying about UI is shift-knob and shift-slider hotkeys for specific machines which aren’t labeled on the panel.
The workflow on Elektrons isn’t even comparable to Rolands. Play+Rec is how it worked on any cassette tape recorder and it doesn’t involve Shift.
2 Likes
Roland SH-4d is one of the best things Roland has done for a long time, IMO. Been very successful sales wise and bodes well for future devices in terms of more hands on control. SH-4d OS will see improvements too - it’s still a very early version.
Plenty of choice in the market if you fancy something else instead.
G
3 Likes
It’s still two-button hotkey which is not obvious from the panel of the box. Why should I care about cassette recorders workflow?
Agree.
I own all DT, DN, ST, OT and A4mk2. And MC101, SH-4D, TR-6s and SP404mk2.
Workflows aren’t comparable. They’re different in a good way.
SH-4D is much more immediate than any Elektron box I’ve used. Apart from sequencer of course.
SP404mk2 gives you much faster resampling workflow than OT and DT.
MC101… We shouldn’t use word “workflow” when we talk about this machine.
Speaking of elektron, jumping between pages is very annoying. I’d love to see A4’s performance mode on all boxes but alas.
How many years Digitone didn’t have a mixer page? It was complete workflow killer when you wanted to fade in or fade out multiple tracks at the same time.
OT workflow is a legend. How many people erased their flex machines? How many people completely lost in parts?
Old big boxes and Digis are very different in sounds management workflow. Kits and parts vs sounds embedded into patterns. I like the second approach more and don’t like A4 and OT sounds management at all, it’s painful to use after Digis. But that’s me.
However, Elektrons provide one of the best sequencing workflow ever. It’s still weaker than specialized sequencing boxes like Squarp Pyramid, but not too much, and deep link between sound engine and sequencer gives us that Elektron workflow.
Rolands, in the other hand, are very different.
MC101 and TR-6s are usable, but I wouldn’t call this convenient in any way.
SH-4D is another story. Knob per function is always a half of workflow for me. Roland did a good job here.
And SP404 is completely different. After Elektrons it was pain to use it. But later I understand this box requires a little different mindset. Instead of precise editing of parameters and locks you should wildly resample everything. I’d say it’s refreshing experience.
So yes, you’re right. They’re not even comparable. They’re apples and oranges. Both have strengths, weakness and their own workflows.
I’d choose elektrons for thoughtful building of complex sequences and deep sound design.
And I’d choose something else for fast sketching or performance. Ok, A4 and OT are still good for performance, but anyway.
5 Likes
To me, it’s just an instrument like any other, you need to spend a little time learning and practicing.
If you changed the name of the shift button to record, it would be the exact same process as Elektron boxes.
(That’s not to say there aren’t weird ui things, just that they need to be approached in the same that for example, the ui on the differently tuned strings on a guitar need to just be dealt with)
3 Likes
My point was that pressing Rec and play are at least intuitive, anything shift is more of a cerebral activity. I wouldn’t say that shift+record is a strong reason for criticizing the workflow of the SH-4d though. The real problem is the fact that they chose pots instead of encoders for controls that are shared across several parts. Same problem on the MC-101 where each knob is always at the wrong place. And then let’s not even talk about how sounds and patterns are saved.
I agree that it’s all subjective though and depends on your mindset. Clearly many people like Roland products so there isn’t an objective truth around its workflow flaws. More like a consistent pattern.
2 Likes
this also annoyed me when i had a digitakt and digitone lol
Hitting rec+play for live recording has been so standard in all types of gear for so long (decades) that it is totally intuitive to me.
I’m surprised that so many people have an issue with this.
5 Likes
It’s also not like it’s a hidden secret, it says ‘rec’ right there in the white shift text. I’m not sure how you would differentiate between realtime recoring and just running the sequencer and playing stuff if it most things didn’t take a dual button press.
There’s (currently?) no pre roll so I tend to put in the first note/chord of my sequence in step mode then while it’s playing hit shift+rec to enter realtime recoring mode.
Just ordered this 
Hoping it will get class compliant usb audio so i can record it to my iPad directly.
(Will have it combined with the mc-101. So 9 tracks sequencer. If i need unquantized i record it on the mc-101 with use of scatter effects. And i will get around the polyphony limitations this way. And a way to use sampling from the mc-101
Then i use the mix in port on the sh4d for the mc-101
The mc-101 has soft thru midi also so these can chain with midi. So good without using midi splitters etc. And both run on batteries for ultimate portability)
3 Likes
I dream of a software editor especially in order to arrange Rhythm Kits with more ease and USB Audio
6 Likes
It’s just worth mentioning because it caused me some head scratching a while ago. The audio in on the SH4D is literally just wired straight to the audio output, it doesn’t go through the synth which means it also doesn’t go out to USB.
I mean it’s totally fine and it works but I was trying to record an external synth that was input to it over the USB and I couldn’t work out why I couldn’t find the audio input channel in reaper. Same with the mix in on the S-1 also.
4 Likes
Just the SH4D usb’d straight into reaper and out again.
11 Likes
if this refer to my post actually got my unit a week ago as found 2 online retailers and manage to grab one 
3 Likes
Happy playing
1 Like
Maybe I did not set the DAW correctly in the Audio dep ( but there is asio only ) but apart from the incredibly annoying ground loop noise the incoming audio from the channels are very low… drivers seems installed ok from the device manager in Win 10… disappointing
In system settings menu there is an option to change the level that is sent out over USB, give that a check maybe?
I’ve luckily not suffered any ground noise yet, are you using a hub or just going straight into a port?
Checked this setting thanks…still not great luck in outputting when in ASIO were I can pass through separate channels but no sound from the SH4D main output, Noise wise makes no differences were Hub or USB port, is a sad too common problem with Roland devices, I can get rid of the noise If I use the PC output disconnecting the SH4D main jacks but this way I have no separate channels…
Works fine for me. No issues.
G