I've noticed a few artists using the SP-404's for live performances. Mr. Dibia$e, Samiyam, JonWayne, Ohbliv and others. Can a SP-303 be used in the same way?

I assume they are playing their own beats for the most part, are they also remixing music live? By remixing music live, I mean is there a source of audio (for instance, music from a laptop or TT) that is running through the SP and then they are adding different effects to change the sound of the music in real time? Is that possible?

Also, it seems like these people have enough music for full shows that they play all from their SP's. Does the SP have that much space, or am I missing something?

This is sort of what I'm talking about -
30 minute Dibia$e beat set:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR4VS9nF9Bo

How is he able to play music from his SP for 30 minutes straight?

If I want to do things like this, is the SP-404sx a better choice or can achieve the same things with the SP-303s?

Personally i feel that they're either hella good freestyling live on the sp connected to some audio player(turntable/iPod/laptop) or they record their work onto an sd card with hella gb's for performance preparation. If I'm wrong then they really know how to chop all their samples while conserving a lot bank slots. I'm assuming they play with the machine for so long that they have their own way of organizing pads/files/banks as well as switching from bank to bank(real time), etc. Time will tell bro! Iono if that answered your question, but I have the 404sx & have been messin with it for a couple months now. I've learned hella stuff with it in such a short amount of time(Imagine in the long run). Matter fact, I just made my first 404sx track & its an xmas beat for you holiday ears. Check me out whenever you can. Later!

www.soundcloud.com/thepilot

Cool man, thanks for the feedback. I don't even have an SP yet but I'm really into the things those guys are doing and I would like to do similar type stuff. I think I'm going to try and get the 303 though. Don't have enough money for the 404sx right now.

The beats are dope by the way, nice laid back feel.

Thx! Bro, there's nothing wrong with that either. 303 it is then. We work with what we have! Thx for the add on soundcloud! Looking forward to hearing your work one day. Late!

i think you're going to have waaaay more memory with the 404. most of the time those guys are just putting a beat on a pad and adding effects with the sp, that's it. i know that's what jonwayne does. you should be able to find a 404 og (not sx) used for cheap

Yeah, I'd go straight for the 404sx. More pads, more options, more fun. It is a little more expensive, but in the long run, you will be glad you got the 404. Just save up and wait a liiiiiittle longer. I got one exactly a year ago and am so madly in love with it... getting better at it every day.

OT.
I wonder if any of the new people actually search "SP 404 og".....

Ahaha dude i cant find any 404og in stock.anywereee

to the op, i really don't think you're going to be able to do what you're trying to do with a 303. i just saw a reg 404 on ebay at $198 w/ one day left.

Thanks for the input from everybody.

After long deliberation and endless research, I decided to go with the 404sx instead of the 303. I'm usually into the "vintage" machines for the lo-fi sound (that's why I originally got the MPC 60), but I decided that the battery power option and using an SD card rather than SmartMedia made more sense to me. Plus, I know it possible to emulate lo-fi sound on the 404, just not as precise as the 303 does.

Anyways, it will arrive in a few days so I'm pretty excited!

My first SP!