When I went hands-on with Rolands SP-404 MKII back in October I stated it was “ending up being” my favorite sampler. Roland is pushing out a 2.0 firmware update that only further cements the 404s location at the top of my list.
Roland has actually greatly improved the time stretching algorithm. Now if this was all Roland included, it would be a pretty huge offer. In brief, Roland took what was already a quite fantastic piece of music equipment and made it even more alluring.
When I went hands-on with Rolands SP-404 MKII back in October I stated it was “ending up being” my favorite sampler. Quick forward a few months and it is securely entrenched because spot. Of course, no piece of gear is best, and theres constantly room for enhancement. So Roland is pushing out a 2.0 firmware update that just more cements the 404s location at the top of my list.
Possibly the most significant addition is a brand-new TR-style (as in TR-808) action sequencer. While the SP series has always appealed more to those that want the loose feel of live instrumentation, being able to type a fundamental four-on-the-floor kick thats right on the cash is constantly great. Thats especially real if your sense of rhythm is just so-so, but it also makes the 404 better for genres that are all about being right on the beat like home and techno. And in some ways, its in fact more versatile than your typical TR-style sequencer since patterns can be as much as 64 bars (or 1,024 steps) in length..
In addition to having the ability to program beats by manually punching in individual steps, you can likewise now record to patterns in chromatic mode: load up a sample of a single note and simply play a melody into a pattern. Formerly this needed to be done via resampling, i.e. creating a totally new sample of the tune you played.
Terrence OBrien/ Engadget.
Wait, theres more! Now chromatic sample playback has three different modes– plain old monophonic, legato (excellent for sliding bass lines) and polyphonic– so you can turn a single piano note into a chord. And, I cant believe Im saying this, however it gets better still. Roland has vastly improved the time extending algorithm. Honestly, it was borderline ineffective before. Now, in addition to the default “vinyl” mode of pitch moving (just playing things back faster or slower), there are two Variphrase modes (these modification pitch without altering playback length): Backing, for things with distinct attacks like drums and guitar; and Ensemble for continual seem like strings and synth pads. Backing is still a little rough sounding, though it deals with drums decently enough. Ensemble is lightyears beyond what the 404 formerly had, and is essential to making that new polyphonic sample playback mode useable.
Now if this was all Roland included, it would be a pretty huge deal. Plus theres now a Harmonizer on the input FX menu and a second version of reverse playback obtained form the SP-303 for those that actually desire to lean into the lo-fi heritage of the range.
Simply put, Roland took what was currently a quite great piece of music gear and made it much more alluring. Now if just they werent completely out of stock everywhere. All items advised by Engadget are picked by our editorial group, independent of our parent company. A few of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may make an affiliate commission.