Hi everyone I'm new to the site, but everyone that I have talk to have recommended this site to me, so I hope I can find some answers here well I have been into music all my life but recently I wanted to get into it more and make my own music, I want to do sampling to build my own tracks from but I want to start with a solid piece of gear that will help me get where I want to go. At this moment I have been doing some re search and I really like the Roland SP 404sx and the Korg microsampler they are different in there own ways and cool at the same time can you guys help me with some recommendations? I really need all the help I can get.

Any opinions and recommendations are welcome thanks guys and greetings from Puerto Rico.

what sort of stuff do you want to make? If you can give some examples that'll help us

Well I want to make electronic music mainly but other stuff too like hip hop, r&b and so on also want to do remixes, but my idea es to use some samples as a base to create new stuff using other elements, for example vst instruments, kaossilator, or other types of samples that's the main idea of what I want to do hope that explains it more thanks.

Get a 404 man. It's a loop machine, effects processor, sampler and it's fast as fuck, speedy workflow, just 1track sequencing which sux.

Thanks dude I'm really thinking about it.

Hey, whats up. I'm in PR too, good to see another beat maker from the isle.

Yeah, the 404 is a dope machine to do electronica, all those effects to manipulate samples. But if you can find one, the 505 or 606 would be most recommended for all those styles you plan to do. Can't go wrong with a 555 too.

That's awesome dude!! glad to know that I haven't check out the 505 or the 606 I'm gonna do that now thanks a lot for the recommendations I really want to work my way up to the MV 8800 and stuff that's the shit lol.

Can only recommend the SP-404SX too. I make mainly techno/electro/idm and found the FX coupled with resampling to be PERFECT for that range of styles. Yes, the 1-track sequencer isn't much more than a sketchpad, but if you keep your music minimalistic it's good for performing whole songs too, with some practice and quick fingers. Maybe check our recent SP-Battles in the Arena forum!

However there is a real striking downside if you're using the 404SX only - lack of proper pitch! The pitch effects pretty much suck for doing real chromatic pitch like the microsampler does for example. They have their uses as strange, edgy electronic sounding effects though.

Also I found the VoiceTrans/Delay FX are perfect for making those typical robot voices you find in electro music like Aux 88, Anthony Rother or DJ Dijital's stuff. Remember, it has a microphone too!

Thanks for all the info dude really appreciated but I was thinking about that too the sequencer its a little issue for me because I want to be able to create a whole song you know but Im trying to think what I can do to solve that issue question do you have any recommendations on a sequencer? no one here has mention an mpc that's strange to me hope to hear from you soon thanks again.

hey man people here do have MPCs here they just dont talk about em as much .. MPC can do most things that SP's cant, but they have a bit heavier workflow and also you lose out on all the effects (which are really very useful if you needa make music with just one box.. unless you want everything to sound like normal instruments)

Also, you can make a whole song using the SP-404 - you can do things like this:

pattern 1 = intro
pattern 2 = verse
pattern 3 = chorus
pattern 4 = buildup/roll
pattern 5 = bridge

etc, etc..

Then you just record each pattern into your computer 1 by 1 and have them played after each other or join them up on the computer.

when it says 1-track sequencer it just means that all the info for all pads is recorded on 1 track.. so you cant be like mixing and matching things like 'play kick drum sequence from song 1 with piano sequence from song 5" (unless you specifically made a pattern with kicks and pianos played like that)

Thanks a lot for the info, I might get the 404 or the 555 im also looking for a synth I saw the Roland Gaia and looks pretty awesome any of you guys use synths?? any recommendations on that? thanks.

Sounds like an excellent plan to me. Eventually you'll want one of the SP samplers for their very nice FX anyway. I use my SP-404 together with my MV8800 more and more these days. Very nice combo, even when most sequencing is done on my MV. (Also, you can do a show with just the SP-404 leaving your MV at home, by sampling what you did on your MV into the SP. Remixes and such are no problem and fun to do.)

When it comes to samplers with a neat visual representation of what you're making, I'd totally look into the SP-606. Very good sampler and not very expensive either.

If you are willing to take the time to learn the SP-404 (SX or the original is the same to me) or SP-555 that require more use of your ears when making music and a bit better natural timing (which you can of course learn as you go too), those machines are very much worth the money too.