Keeping things in order?
I’m sort of a naturally messy person. On the SP sometimes this might allow for happy accidents, on the other hand I could be a lot faster and have more fun if I kept my banks in order.
I sort of get a headache just thinking about the billions of bytes that can be stored in projects. For my poor head ten banks is already a challenge to handle.
Yet as I slowly grow more accustomed, I’m starting to get an idea of how to arrange things to make it easier for me to find my samples while in pattern mode etc.
It would make sense to have a few banks of sounds ready to go. A few drumkits etc. It seems also that it would be smart to have a separate bank where all my “found sounds” - sampling/recording goes. When I chop and assign to pads those chops could go to their separate pads. That way, before I rinse and repeat the “found sounds” could be saved back to my computer if I should like to revisit them some other time.
I very much like the idea of deleting things. But it also takes time to find stuff, so if I have a sound hunting session it makes sense to save founds sounds for later use.
I’d be interested to hear about your practice and workflow when it comes to ordering your sounds. Thanks!
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Oh well, I asked Perplexity.ai to summarize
SP-404mk2 users have developed various strategies for organizing their samples, banks, and projects. Here are some common approaches and recommendations:
Bank Organization
Many users organize their banks based on sample types or functions:
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Bank A: Often used for “ALL” samples or primary drums (kicks, snares, closed hi-hats)
3
1
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Bank B: Frequently used for bass samples or tuned bass samples
3
1
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Bank C: Commonly used for chopped samples or chord samples
3
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Bank F: Secondary drums (open hi-hats, cymbals, toms)
3
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Bank G: 808s and miscellaneous samples (glitches, swells)
3
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Bank I: Additional instrument one-shots
3
Some users divide their banks into two main sections:
- Banks A-E for samples and sketches
- Banks F-J for drums and resampled patterns
3
Project Management
Users have different approaches to project management:
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Template Project: Some create a template project with their preferred bank organization, saved on pad 16, which they clone for new projects
3
. -
One Beat Per Project: Some users dedicate an entire project to a single beat, utilizing different banks within that project for various elements
3
. -
Multiple Songs Per Project: Others use one or two banks per song, allowing for 5-10 songs per project
3
. - Active Projects: Many users dedicate the first row of project pads (1-4) to currently active projects
5
.
Sample Management
Users employ various strategies for managing their samples:
- Keep and Protect:
- Original source samples
- Favorite drum kits
- Unique or hard-to-recreate resampled sounds
- Rinse and Delete:
- Temporary chops or edits
- Experimental resamples
- Redundant or easily recreatable patterns
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Resampling Workflow: Many users resample their patterns and chops to consolidate and free up space
1
3
.
Best Practices
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Consistent Naming: Use clear, consistent naming conventions for banks and samples
1
. - Regular Backups: Frequently back up projects to avoid losing valuable work.
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Bank-Pattern Matching: Some users try to match sample banks with pattern banks (e.g., Sample Bank A corresponds to Pattern Bank A) for easier navigation
3
. -
Leave Space: Keep some banks empty for on-the-fly sampling and experimentation
3
. -
Project Copies: Create copies of projects with main drum kits pre-loaded for quick starts
1
. -
Use the SP-404MK2 App: Utilize the companion app for easier project and sample management
4
.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, the key is to develop a system that works for your specific workflow and stick to it consistently. Regularly reviewing and organizing your projects can help maintain clarity and efficiency in your music-making process.