After working with the pattern sequencer for a bit I came to realize a powerful method of building beats. What I've been able to do is build the beat's pattern and then swap in different samples to find the combination that sounds best together. This requires the sp-404sx's ability to copy pads very quickly and with little trouble.

I find four or five empty pads and fill them with basic beat building blocks like kick, snare, hats, crash, clap. I go into pattern mode and record the beat in my head using those pads. After I finish the beat I choose the sample that I like the least in the whole of the beat and delete that pad (probably have it on another pad for safety). Now I use the copy function and find the new sample I want and copy it to the empty pad.

When you play the pattern again the sample will be replaced just as you'd expect and on the same beats. I find that this works better and faster for me than holding delete during a pattern and mimicking the beat again on another pad. It also lets you test out an effect on a pad during pattern playback, then resample the pad with that effect, exchange/copy the effected sample back in place to have it in the pattern playback.

This also works great if you have a bank free for beat building and then whole banks filled with samples to swap in and out.
Also helpful is another device to bounce the final beat back onto a pad to copy off of the SD Card (I use a sp-303 to bounce).

Any critiques, improvements, questions, or suggestions are very welcome.

red

Pretty sweet idea. I don't use the sequencer, but I might have to now just to take advantage of this.

Thats how I use my pattern sequencer on 555. I am pretty sure that the 555 and the sx have the exact same sound engine and operating system???? Same way of copying, swapping out pads, same efx engine ( no og 404 compression). Main thing I wanted to note was to keep backups of your pads. Even for RESAMPLE beats. That way if you get to far down the rabbit hole, u can always go back. I have a bad habit of deleting as I am building. There have been times I switch a sound in pattern sequencer and its doesnt sound like it did when previewing while on another pad. Prolly due to efx being used in preview or whatever. Sorry for the Newcastle rant, basically when switching out pads and resampling always be sure to keep your last couple of steps around in case you need to go back. I have fucked myself to many times with this, still do

Yummy newcastle beer....

I do this as well! Great minds think alike! This is my favorite part of producing beat. Finding which kick, snare, high-hat sounds best! Being new at this I tend to become a little indecisive at times.

https://soundcloud.com/johnsondontsurf