Hi, just got my 555 today and i basically have 7 days before i can no longer exchange it. I've been playing around with it and the filters and effects seem really good... i was able to record into the unit from my turntable easily and so far i'm very pleased at how intuitive this is.

I already have a M-Audio Axiom, and a Motu traveler but i was having a hell of a time getting the axiom to work the way i wanted it to with the software on the computer.

Anyways, my question is -- why are people you saying you can't sequence on this puppy? It is my understanding that Dilla used the Boss SP-303 to create his donuts album while he was in the hospiltal on his bed. Also madlib swears by it.

Another question -- is there anyway to record the live effects that i'm doing and then adding it to the loop? --- like let's say i play a rhythm by toggling back and forth from a filter to the isolation tool, can i save those and add it to the loop?

I have so many questions but i cant remember them all -- i'm running on 2 or 3 hours of sleep lol...

anyways, another quick question is that i would really like to be able to mute certain elements in the track on the fly, how do i do this?

Like let's say i import a sample and then i want to add a rhythm into it by muting/unmuting ... also it needs to be HOLD=mute, Release=unmute -- not toggle because two presses is way to slow to do what i'm trying to do.

any resources or walkthroughs or tutorials for this machine just to get a feel for it would be appreciated... thanks.

i think the sequencer misconception comes from the fact that these SPs (303/404/555) only have the internal one-track sequencer

to mute a sample within a pattern use your Sub Sonic effect like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuA8RgHaMVQ

glad you're liking the SP, i wouldn't worry about exchanging it

i use a 404 so i can't answer some of your questions, i'm sure someone else will be able to

welcome aboard

Wow quick reply thanks i'll check that video out. Are there any tutorials or walkthroughs? -- i'm gonna read the manual cover to cover tommorow.

How long can each pattern be though? I mean if i can save a bunch of different patterns and then just queue them to play in a certain order i think i'll be fine... as long as i can keep editing each individual portion.

Also, can the 555 use higher than approved sized CF cards? and which model of CF card is the best for the 555?

Hmm just watched that video and it's not quite what i meant...

basically lets say i cut a portion of a song out, and i let it play but i want to add mutes into it and then save it... so when it plays back it has the mutes already in it.

with the max. 2 gig you can record well　over seven hours< that should be enough. no track mutes on the sp-555/404/303/202 but i don't like to work like that anyway. you can always build up patterns moving from one to the next, in which one sound is present or absent.

oh and a pattern is up to 99 bars of which you can add up but not subtract from(at least that's how it is on my 404).

if u want to do that make a copy of the pattern and just delete the parts u want muted.

The sequencer is basic on this. It basically just records what you do at a specific tempo and gives you basic editing and a quantize. No tracks or steps or ne thing like that. But theres so many work arounds it doesnt even really matter and u end up saving time in the long run because of how intuitive it is.

that's too bad, i guess i will require software anyways but that's okay. Yeah it's something that i'd need to be able to play freehand so i guess i'll have to set it up as a midi controller and do it in a software program and then import it back into the box.