Roland SP-404 Mk2 (Part 1)

The Lounge Other Gear
8939

Anyone know if roll works on linked pads ?

8940

Same way I used the OT as well while I had one(maybe two).

On the SP, Hop in TR-Rec and hold down sub pad to select the desired pad/sample then add to the sequencer! Super simple and fast!

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8941

Will check it out, thanks!

8942

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8943

I saw your video, nice. However, it seems to me that your panning solution is to be used by both ext gear and internal sounds. And invoves a mixer, which I”m trying to avoid :smiley:

It thought you could just connect 2 synths in the line in inputs and select from the menu to have them as mono inputs, like on the digitakt.

8944

Has the bpm recognition evolved? Last time I used my 404 it was far off.

8945

I might be wrong, but I feel like you’re somewhat mixing up Project and Backup based on what you’re saying. There is no Project 50, 100, etc… similarly, there is no Backup 100 (it stops at 99… I just confirmed)

You are correct that the Sp404 mk2 has 16 projects. Only one can be active at a time, and a project contains up to 160 samples and patterns, with 16 samples/patterns assigned to one of 10 banks at a time. Although it probably isn’t a (or at least this) directory structure, it probably looks something like:
sp404mk2/project[1-16]/bank[a-j]/sample[1-16]
sp404mk2/project[1-16]/bank[a-j]/pattern[1-16]

With the SD Card, we can see the directory structure, and it looks something like:
SDCard/BKUP/BKUP[1-99]
SDCard/EXPORT/SAMPLE/[(Bank)1-10]-[(Pad)01-16] New Sample.WAV
SDCard/EXPORT/PROJECT/PROJECT_[01-16]
SDCard/EXPORT/PROJECT/PROJECT_[01-16]/PADCONF.BIN (pad configurations for the project)
SDCard/EXPORT/PROJECT/PROJECT_[01-16]/PICTURE (screen saver and startup)
SDCard/EXPORT/PROJECT/PROJECT_[01-16]/PTN (patterns for the project in .BIN format)
SDCard/EXPORT/PROJECT/PROJECT_[01-16]/SMPL (samples for the project in .SMP format)

The SP404 mk2 can have 01-99 backups, and as I mentioned before, and it is a single archive, that it splits (I believe) on 1gb file size boundaries. When you backup, it replaces all of the stuff above labelled as SP404mk2/ with the contents of the backup. This makes it complicated to work with backups/restores because it will erase all of the projects currently loaded into your SP404 mk2 and replace it with the contents of the backup.

Any projects exported to SDCard/EXPORT/PROJECT/PROJECT_[01-16] can be renamed to something more appropriate such as “My Epic Song”. The nice thing about importing Projects is that as long as you keep the rest of the directory structure the same, and leave the project in the PROJECT directory, you can still import it. So you can rename projects to whatever makes sense to you. When you IMPORT the project back in, you just select the directory you want to import, and the project (1-16) that you want to replace with the project, and away it goes.

Beyond that information, I’m not sure I can give you a really good workflow. I personally don’t work like this much, but you did help me poke at a few edges with the question. I didn’t realize you could rename projects in the folder and still load them. Definitely something to update the guide about.

Hope at least some of the information helps!

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8946

Saw the below shared on sp404 discord and just wrapped my head around it and it’s awesome, and allows for pseudo midi triggered sample record with auto ext bpm sample assignment.
and with END SNAP; tight loops from your gear.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SP404/comments/1860oey/using_roland_sp404mkii_as_a_multitrack_recorder/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

So for recording external machines that are master clock this is the basic setup:

  • x blank pads assigned to step 1 of an x length pattern in TR-REC (ensure HOLD STEP > LAST is on, and velocity is 127 or to PAD etc)
    Process is in TR-REC sequence page press SUB PAD, select pattern assigned blank sample pad, adjust trig params, enter on step 1, repeat for as many loops you want to capture.
  • Exit TR-REC
  • EXT SOURCE to EXT IN (or MIX to use FX busses, but remember to mute any captured loops so you don’t double up, unless you want to!)
  • EXT SOURCE ENABLED
  • COUNT IN WAIT (you can’t start the pattern resampling with midi transport sadly , but you can auto trig start recording with the audio, and that’s as good as it can get at the moment) (ASFAIK!)

The recording process:

  • Enter pattern select.
  • RESAMPLE, press desired blank sample pad.
  • Press the pattern pad to enable COUNT IN WAIT.
  • Press PLAY on external device. Recording starts when auto trig level is hit.
  • END SNAP on, and stop recording at the end of the pattern length for a neat loop without need for trimming, bpm detection/manual entry and all that frustrating stuff.

Sample is recorded to pad, with EXT bpm and correct length (as far as know this isn’t possible in standard sampling mode)
Repeat last steps to layer or (mute the recorded pads and) capture new loops.

THIS HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR ME!
mk2 is perfectly capable of recording BPM accurate loops from my gear.
it’s a great way to multitrack external gear as looped clips, but remember if there’s no sound it won’t trigger on the 1st step. workaround possible.
YES!

EDIT : so after some further testing with this method Roland rounds up the EXT clock amount after recording to whole numbers (ext 157.7bpm = SP 158.00bpm) on the sample, which isn’t ideal.
It kinda sounds ok/usable, but not as precise as we’d wish. and on playing again with 157.7bpm ext clock the sample will subtly repitch i assume.
I’m not clear with two decimal places of precision for samples/patterns why this happens.

Using the sp as master will most likely resolve all this, but from what i read for most of us the mk2 is at the end of the chain rather than start.

EDIT EDIT : you can record just like this in bank mode! but mk2 loads with ext sync disabled on boot. when external clock is being received shift + 11 enables EXT SYNC in bank mode. (this is not mentioned in version of manual i currently have)
you can then use same audio trigger method to record with normal sampling mode and end snap. loop bpm and length are set seem pretty usable, if whole numbers.

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8947

wish we could sticky a post in a thread, thanks for sharing that is huge!

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8948

Thanks again NearTao,
this is sort of what I was looking for.
If my first 16 projects are full I will at first make a full backup but I will also export the projects 1-16, rename them.
Then on SP I will delete project1, start a new project there, which I will export and give a new name.
So as I understand it right I can import a project that I renamed to spot project 1 and for the SP that will be named project 1.

BTW with project 50 I meant the 50th project.
I don’t think people will use the SP up till 16 projects only.

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8949

Bookmark it!

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8950

ay good looks i didnt know about that feature

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8951

Wow!

I wonder if this would work with guitar/whatever if you set the correct BPM first? I don’t see why not! You could probably have an actual pattern playing on the sequencer to since mix is set to ext in.

I know what I’m up to tonight!!

Thanks @waftlord

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8952

yeah the original fantastic post/idea from reddit is for a multitrack loop capture at whatever pattern bpm you have, with metro on just play in after a count in.
it just inspired me to try with midi, the fact midi transport isn’t used maybe is a blessing, as the sampling starts as soon as it hits, without need for trimming a few ms silence (but may miss a couple of ms of the first transient, need to check this and adjust auto trig setting in utilities). (also issues might arise if want to layer in sounds that don’t sound on the first beat of the bar… but i’m sure could be worked around)

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8953

Perfect Digitone loops incoming!

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8954

That’s what I was thinking!

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8955

i’m very happy to remove the computer from the equation for creating usable loops.
previous method was; export recording, trim and guarantee bpm in a DAW, export and re import. assign all settings to sample.

this new way it’s (almost) instant and a massive time saver.

and the biggest win imo is having all those loops on a pitch algo so they can be used in loads of different contexts, synced at any bpm. mk2 becomes close to ableton in that regard (it already was but always actually involved ableton to get there, at least for me).
and now they are DJ mode insta prepped if you wanted to go that way.

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8956

Agreed!

A few days ago I was thinking I would take a DN jam I recorded on the MKII to the laptop and tidy it up. Then I realized I could crop the start with the awesome sample edit screen and use an envelope to fade out the abrupt end.

It’s quite amazing how much you can accomplish with the MKII!!

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8957

I have not had a Mk2 for a long time but when you do this resampling loop thing, how do all the pads that you have already recorded to play automatically when you start recording into another empty pad. Are they all set up somehow to play when you hit record?

Sorry, been a long time.

8958

i was thinking of a blank pattern in this regard, but no reason why you couldn’t do it within an existing pattern.
set the EXT SOURCE to EXT IN and it will only capture the incoming audio and none of the main mix (existing pattern).

so they will play if the pattern has sequence data, but won;t be recorded.

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