Ok check it out. I have an ensoniq ASR-X Pro, super badass sampler in it's own right. I plan on selling it off on ebay soon, it's too big ad I want something portable. The 404 seems to hover around the $300 mark on ebay these days. For that same $300 I could get a 303, at least one card for it, and an akai mpd16 to add some real pads (found all 3 used). I know the 404 has the compact flash card with obscenely large amounts of sample time but this really isn't a big issue with me. The 32mb smartmedia card would hold plenty and battery power isn't an issue. Other than these features what would I be missing out on if I took the cheaper route and got the 303 setup instead of the 404?


On a side note I prefer the 8 pads on the 303 as opposed to the 12 on the 404. The mpd16 has 2 banks of 16 pads which would easily translate to 2 303 banks per mpd16 bank. I think this would be much easier to keep up with in a live performance and in general really.

bpm looper, djfx looper, being able to queue up a pattern to play after the current one gets finished, battery power, 4 pads, a neat strobing blue led...

Thank you very much sir.

i think this byitself is good enough reason to buy the 404 over the 303, this makes all our patern changes very smooth. your start pattern 1, then you press pad 2. now on the 303 you will have to press the pad 2 in perfect time to make your pattern change in time.. but on the 404 it will play the pattern 1 finish and then the pattern 2 will start in perfect time..

i agree. as much as i love my 404 one of my bigest beefs is that the pads aren't quite sensative enough for dead on timing every time. this is really an issue in any kind of performance situation where getting it right every third time just isn't going to cut it.

Yes, this is really an issue for me to. I play in a electronica/rock band. we got one on bass, one on drums and me on sp-404, microkorg and guitar. Sometimes a play guitar while there is some synth samples coming out of my 404. Then a would have to play f.ex a guitarchord the first measure of the bar. with a 303 i would have had to have three hands if i schould cange pattern and play guitar at the same time.. with the 404 it is enough with 2 =)

I see, never really considered that. I think I may just wait it out and go for the 404.

good call.

if $ is the issue, and you live in the u.s., you can get it split into three payments and get it now if you have a debit card. check americanmusical.com. that's what i did.

HOLY SHIT! 3 monthly payments. I'm definitely getting one now. Thanks a ton for passing on that info man.

i know man it's fcking rad. anything over 200 and less than a grand, no credit check or anything. i found them, then lost the page, then spend a good 4 hours on google trying to find them again. 3 pymnts of 133 is a lot easier to justify to the girl... =)

Yes sir, I can see them getting alot of business from me in the future.

yeah no doubt, they own me...