One of the reasons I got the sp-555 was to be able to chop up loops and be able to drum out the parts with pads. Since then I've been totally neglecting the machine. I've developed a work around for splitting up samples and loops and playing them. I use the FL slicer and can either export the slices as individual samples and then use that darn roland software to put my slices in the sp for performance in dj sets or whatever.

Ok, here's the question. And I'm just wondering if anybody uses the sp like this. The question whether you can map a sound over the keyboard has been something users have brought up a bit around here. Is anybody using the sp as a midi controller similar to the mpd controllers? Do the pads 1-16 transmit midi signals as notes in sequence effectively?

All of the recording/sequencing would be on the pc (or Line IN on sp - loop capture, etc) if so, it would save maaad time in terms of preparing stuff for shows, and I could spend more time on the sp and less time tapping out beats and stuff on my midi controller. Not to mention the ability to layer up sounds by having TWO outputs.

So, basically, set up some samples over a keyboard and then use the sp pads to play the sounds? anybody doin this?

thnx

Ya, this works fine. The pads on the SP are set up in chromatic order. And remember that banks a-f are on channel one and banks g-j are on channel two. I use the pads on my 555 to control my EPS since the keys went out on it.

yo fran, wadup?! i can always count on you!

i've got some other related questions, feel free to chime in with your midi-hookin-up expertise, u guys....

Okay, let's say i've got my controller hooked up to the pc and i'm using that to do most of the inputing of data (notes, knobs, automations, etc)... how can I hook up the sp-5 AND the controller to where they both work ,(particularly, the sp-5 pads making the midi controller's keys work)? here's the good question: is there a way to quickly turn off the midi OUT so that i can then use the sp and not mess with the controllers signals going to the computer?

should I hook up the midi OUT on the sp5 into the midi IN on the controller, and then IN to the PC? when you say channel 1/2 .... what's that about? any settings that are important here

i realize i'm going to have to really get hands-on to actually implement all of this correctly. I'm just trying to get it to make sense in my head. precciate it.

allright, allright
many hours spent last night messin with this. here's where i got.

i hooked up the sp-5 midi out to my soundcard's midi in (m-audio delta 1010lt)... WORKED!! i wish the pads were assigned with middle C landing on a pad1. that would make things more practical in terms of mapping the loop out in increments of 4 (1/4, 1/2, etc). but. i just had to change the root key of the slicer. and make it G. then pad 1 was C. things are good. still have to get used to flipping through the banks to get different octaves.

i could NOT get the sp to work through the midi contrller (m-audio axiom 49). The controller was sending its own signal to my pc via the midi cable (i'm not using the usb), but, i could never get the sp signals to controll the keyboard notes. talk about frustrating? so if anyone has tips on how to make my controller recognize my sp-5 signals, please shine light over here.

so..... i'm in love all over again. the sp-555 is a whole new beast for me now. yay! now if only i could get it to work alongside my midi controller

next on the list ---> 1. route the sound out of the pc, into the sp-5. use the effects and record (either going back to the pc or on the sp-5) .... while... 2. syncing up the sp-5 to my pc's master clock. 3. try not to go bald figuring all this out.

Glad I could help

Ya, I was gonna say depends on what brand of controller you have. Most M-audio joints wont let u use it as a midi through (which is what u need) But.. I think theres a way to set the 555s midi out as a midi through. So, basically u can hook your keyboard up to the 555s midi in and the midi out of the 555(set as a midi through...check the manual for this)into your PC. That should get the job done.

good lookin out and gettin me rollin on this, foreal.

some advancements over here. figure i'd share since most of the peoples and info on this site have been really helpful to me. sharing is good, right?

i've been developing a crazy technique, kind of tough to describe, but i'll do my best. for you computer users this could come in handy.

here's the concept... have one audio file that has tons of sounds and those sounds are automatically and virtually loaded onto your sp-5. what i mean by virtual is that the sounds aren't really on your sp, but they might as well be since you hit the pads and they sound. (refer to the posts above, i guess)

here's how... (i'm using the FL slicer, but i'm sure a comparable midi sequencer would work just as well) pick all of your sounds that you want to use. keep in mind where on the pads you want them. for example if you want pads 1-4 to be bd,oh,ch,sd respectively, sequence them in that order in your playlist with a little bit of space in between. tempo does not matter as you will be using slices. if you want to have a bank just full of congas, for example, just program 16 conga sounds in the playlist of your DAW. here's the trick. render the playlist so you have one file that has all your sounds in sequence in the manner i described (kind of like a battle record scratch sentence). then, take that file you just rendered and drop it into a slicing application. **tip**you may want to line up your first sound with a pad 1, that way all the rest of the samples line up. it can be as planned as you want it to be. really, the possiblities are endless with arrangements and ways to approach this.

the way i get the most out of this technique is to have one FL file open and in that file i have as many slicer channels open as i want. each slicer channel has one of the "sequenced wavs" as i described ^^. when i want to load up the sounds on the sp, or rather control them from the sp, i just select the slicer channel and there they are ready to rock! flip thru the banks and all that...ninja-style virtual sp-555 cards!

ok, i'm out on this topic, but if you guys have any tricks, ideas or workarounds, holla.

Good stuff. I actually do something similar to this but minus the software.