So….I sold my 404sx years ago. Picked up a Mimi and well-repurchased an sx. It’s just so straightforward. Mk ii felt like working on a mini computer. The only thing I miss is that skipback feature and of course the chromatic mode. But really, the sx is so fast and fun. Over and out……..

Modern samplers are blurring the lines a lot. Especially the MPC line. The adc's are clean as a whistle (if they're even used, since you can transfer 'audio' in these days) and audio is stored and treated exactly the same as it would be in a computer, which is why they don't have a sound of their own. It's all emulation. Electronics and firmware have been replaced by software.

Give me sound and immediacy over features all day.

I’m with you on immediacy. Sound wise as well. I remember moving from the og 404 to the sx and thinking “man this thing seems brittle and harsh”! I feel the same way about the mkii vs sx. It’s probably placebo but the mkii sounds and plays- like you said-as if just an emulation of something previous. To each his own…..

WELCOME BACK HOMIE!

I AGREE WITH BOTH YOUR ACCOUNTS. I HAVE BEGRUDLINGLY LEARNED TO LOVE THE UTILITY IN THE MKII, BUT I STILL KINDA HATE THE WAY IT SOUNDS. I PRETTY MUCH DO NOT USE ANY EFFECTS, AND DONT LIKE THE GAINSTAGING.

HONESTLY REBUYING THE 404 OG WAS THE BEST MOVE I MADE IN A LONG TIME AND IN MANY WAYS GAVE ME APPRECIATION FOR THE MKII FOR MY USE CASE.

IM A WEIRDO AND LIKE USING A VOLTRON APPROACH

@MICC 100 PERCENT, SAME WITH THE MPC ONE I HAD FOR ABIT. SOMETIMES I THINK IM CHASING THE WIND LIKE SOME AUDIOFILES THAT CAME BEFORE US BUT LUCKILY HERE WITH MY PEEPS I FEEL UNDERSTOOD.

@ADAPTER PILOT GOING TO CHECKOUT THOSE NEW BANDCAMP TUNES!! YOU SHOULD GET DOWN IN THE ARENA FOR ALL TIME'S SAKE!

THINGS I LIKE A LOT ABOUT MKII. PANNING,MUTE GROUP, PAD MUTE DURING DRUM SEQUENCE. SKIPBACK. METRONOME FOR RESAMPLE. I LIKE HAVE THE OPTIONS TO CHOP WITH MY EYES, BUT MAINLY CHOOSE TO CHOP WITH MARK BUTTON. BUT IF I HAD TO CHOOSE ONE IT WOULD BE A DEATHMATCH BETWEEN MY 303 AND 404 OG AT THIS POINT.