does the sp555 let you import 24 bit wav samples? if not...

does the wav converter let you batch dither 24 bit samples to 16 bit?

im thinking about picking up an sp555 (i already have an sp404) i love a lot of the new features especially in a live setting but i hate having to load up samples in reason to dither them down to 16 bit for the sp404. thanks.

Im not sure because i never import stuff...nor do I ever use 24. But Id say its pretty safe to assume that you cant import 24 bit files.

Page 46 of the manual states:
8bit and 16bit only.
44.1KHz: any other sample rates and the sample will play off-pitch.

I also came across this...

http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Mult ... erter.html
Audio Converter Converts between all audio formats easily from one to another with most possible settings. convert (to and from) WAV , MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis files and record audio.


http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Mult ... erter.html
Switch is a audio file converter for Windows. It can convert mp3, wav or wma format and more to the format of your choice.


http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Mult ... Sound.html
MeowMultiSound is a free sound converter that supports mp3, wav and ogg sound files. It allows to convert files in both direction. Features drag and drop support and an option to generate Id3v1 tags common to several files.

And robust apps like Adobe Audition can batch convert also..

Welcome to the forum Mr. Avid! Did you get yourself a 555? Nice to have another thinker on the board

Yes and No. The magazine I work for is doing a special on drums and a groovebox/sampler is one of the options so I have an evalauation unit to work with for a few weeks.

I found this site looking for additional research resources.
I have a million functionality questions and I'm hoping the answer isn't "No, doesn't do that."

I'd hate to have to tell the Maggies I picked the wrong one to feature.
So...

1. Can I change how long a sample on a pad plays for?

2. Use one pad as a choke for another?

3. Is using the internal FX the only way to pitch out a sample. How about one sample covering all 16 pads at different pitches? etc...

The manual is pretty light. I was hoping others had similar questions and I could gleen some knowledge before I really dig in.

I have a feeling youre approaching the SP from the wrong angle. It's not a bad product, but you have to work with it in a different way to your average sampler, due to quirks.

1. yes - start and end points can be edited, or setting the pad to 'gate' and holding it down until you want it to stop.
2. no - but if you use gate mode and let go of the pad when you hit the other one, it will work the same way.
3. you can only change the pitch with the pitch effect. this is the single biggest (and strangest) hole in the Roland SP series (besides the 505). It makes absolutely no sense to not include such a function, considering it uses exactly the same processing as the pitch effect.

Having said that, people still manage without it.

__________________________________________________

Strange animals these toys/tools. I'm also working with the Korg Koassilator and it has no save function...no pattern memory and you're limited to 2 bar phrases. No USB interface for additional storage or transfer, but they loaded it with some stellar patches and ARP generators (scales). The touchscreen is super responsive and smooth BUT there's no grid to even come close to being able to play a deliberate melody.

That said- it's a total blast.

I'm hoping the same thing for the SP-555.
We'll give you 37 (solid quality) Effects! But only ONE at a time!

Little things...the screen holds at ERASE while you're deleting a pads' pattern BUT how cool if it blinked back and forth between the bar count and the erase led?

hahah. tell me there's some kind of mute...

No effects in real time- meaning AS IT'S RUNNING, I'm drowning parts of the pattern in delay? Can I?

I know when they start to add functionality the price point ahs to follow, but man, it's like every company is giving you one thing and taking away another...

Oh well.

I'm going to dig some more and begin looking for more workarounds...
I do not want to multisample keys...

160 samples is not enough for that..unless I start to carry around multiple cards or maybe EXACT combinations of sounds to create a song bank.

1. Piano is 49 samples...or maybe chords from a particular scale.
2. Bass 12 samples = 1 octave and a few sharps/flats
3. Strings/Pads 32 samples= 2 octaves
----------
96 Samples and the rest drums...
Maybe a few synth drops as well.

Lay that out and have a library of cards.
++++++

Or leave it as drum sounds only and leave a bank or two free or an external module. Something small like the Koassilator for pitched elements. What's the smallest Roland Synth with keys?

The equivalent of a microKorg...

MicroKorg that's another one...
No sequencer...no drum sounds...
Wonderful engine and even does external processing...

there's a workaround for this, but basically. . theres no actual mute button.
look in the 404 forums as its the same workaround.



I'm not sure what youre asking here?

I don't mean to sound annoying or attack you and it's not that I do not agree with you, but perhaps you've got some unrealistic ideas about these products. There áre definitely some features that should have been on the SP-555, even if it would mean that it would cost a few bucks more in my opinion, but nevertheless the SP-555 is cool for what it does and instead of complaining about lacking features, most people find pretty creative ways around them.

I'm probably a bit biased, because I've messed around with the SP-555 and SP-606 for a while now (and I like the SP-606 quite a bit better because of it's screen and so on), but all I'm saying is that you really don't need an Akai MPC or Roland equivilent with dozens of features and options to get things done.



I think you'd be surprised. If you resample with effects you can use many more at the same time. Resample with one effect and repeat with another effect on top to get the desired effects simultaneously. It's a work-around obviously, but a pretty good one.

Thanks for the heads up. No, it's not an attack or taken as one. Philosophically speaking, when I first started making music, It was real keen to speed samples up for more sampling time...use enhancement techniques to improve a sound (layering, unision, detune, ghost samples/hits and such), but I find with all the possibilities available to us today, small oversights and workarounds are more annoying. I'd rather be creative about my music and not my studio tools.

Some people do search for reasons NOT to buy stuff. Maybe it's to make them feel better about not getting in on something new and in. Some will defend a bit of kit only becasue they like it and can't see any of its limitations because it has a coolness factor or it just does what they need it to. It works.

The SP-555. I'm looking for a portable beat machine I can load up with my own sounds (USB expandable) and make music away from the main studio. I want what I make to find its way back into my studio and become a real track. I need the ability to sample also so additional modules can be captured...

It's got to be small and light enough to be carry on.

Along with some omissions there are some super features that most take for granted.
A) No need for a complicated file system. Songs are automatically saved. It's wonderful to cycle power and all my work is still there.

B) Simple import feature. The Juno-G was tedious getting set up with internal samples.

C) Triggered sample blinks so it's easy to find what sample is on what pad.

D) Very forgiving when it comes to wrong button presses.

E) Matrix grid FX menu actually makes sense

I'm sure I'll discover some more simple pleasures further along...

I even like the getting started quick poster...might hang it up in the studio....

Very good point, but it's just to counter that more is possible than you would think at first sight. Obviously this is true for most machines. Take for example the MicroKorg, if you hook it up to a PC you could use it as MIDI controller and stíll be able to play drum sounds... It's all about getting the most out of the products in my opinion, but I see how certain work-arounds are rather annoying instead of nice being possible and all.



It's definitely suited for that! DJ Vivi Pedraglio could probably tell you all about her experiences with that, because I think that's what she uses her SP-555 for when on the road, apart from using it to perform live. She's on this forum too and might spot this thread, but you can also get in contact through youtube.

I saw your movies on youtube too by the way, nice stuff!

Thanks I'm having a blast. I'm actually writing my cheat sheet for exact buttonpress sequences to create an internal pattern and overdub additional phrasing from external input.

MicroKorg. Well he is perfect size for travel. No lap top or PC just the Micro in a gig bag. So imagine if it had that engine and 7 Banks (one for each genre) of solid Drum sounds and a sequencer. Even if it was 16 steps using the A & B bank buttons to get steps 9-16.

I'm talking a PERFECT unit.

avid....wellcome to sp-forums!
im use a portable studio out to my studio....

1 - sp-404 (battery powered)
sampling and as add fx to sp-555

2 - sp-555
make a beat
3 - boss micro-br (battery powered)
4 track recording or field recording

4 - shure sm-58

5 - numark pt-01 (battery powered)
play and sampling in sps

6 - laptop (battery powered) sometimes dont use it...
only 4 sampling via usb into sp-555 or backup

in live a use my sps togethers
both with all pads full...playing betwen sps
i use a microkorg is portable and sound great! i sold it because i need a v-synth xt in my studio...and play sometimes in live with it.

you say " So imagine if it had that engine and 7 Banks (one for each genre) of solid Drum sounds and a sequencer. Even if it was 16 steps using the A & B bank buttons to get steps 9-16."


i got a mc-808 also i make a beat is 16 track sequencer, drum machine, sampler (512mb internal)...i use in and out of my studio....but is not (battery powered)
look in www.rolandus.com

anyway....you can research info here and make your setup, im happy with all my machines in my studio, working on the road and in live also, each machines give me some solutions and tools...

sorry 4 my bad english
kiss, vivi.

Thanks.

Wow, I was actually considering what would happen if I combined the SP606 and 555 together and thought over-kill.


i sold it because i need a v-synth xt in my studio...and play sometimes in live with it.

That’s a serious piece, right there.

i got a mc-808

Roland did suggest looking into the 808 as a portable studio. I’m looking at the MV 8800, but that would really be a beast and a little too large to just grab-and-carry.
Right now, it’s a Korg Kaossilator as the main sound source with all drum kits and a few musical phrases stored on the SP-555. I’m using a foot pedal to trigger the loop capture so I can keep my focus on the Koassilator. Works great.

The KKoassilator uses phrasings to build sequences so capturing them in something else is the only solution since it has no internal storage of any kind. I’ll make the skeleton of a tune and dump the whole 2 bar phrase into the SP using the Auto-Start then dump to a pad and add on from there.

yes....i have a mv-8000 in my studio as a MASTER...all my gear into it...audio and midi, when i stay in my studio i chop with my mv-8000 and then transfer to my sps....when im go out to my studio i use the mark option in my sps...is ok to me too...

all my gear is:
mv-8000
sh-201
v-synth xt
mc-808
sp-555
sp-404
fa-66
micro-br
pt-01
HP laptop (with sp-555 as usb-audio interface)
HP desktop (with edirol fa-66....i use for recording in 24bits)

i like the kaossilator.....is great...in the road (with batteries) sampling into sp-555...
other thing....im try a behringer b-2 with phamtom into sp-555 and sound great!!!!!

sp-606 and sp-555....wow i like you can chop into 606 (606man is a expert here) and then use this samples into both machines....

big kiss,vivi.