Hey Guys and Girls,

I just got my SP 404 on this past Saturday on a whim. I have always been interested in the creating, sampling etc. side of music. Now, I don't have a musically bone in my body, but i think that i am a little creative. Any recommendations on what type of gear I need in order to create some good sounds? I only have a turntable (numark TTUSB), the SP 404, a desktop with Ableton live 6 and Audacity.
I just need to know how to hook up it all up and get it going. Any tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks in Advance, NICCI

Well, you have everything you need....though an audio interface might help. If not, you still have everything. You can either go right from the turntable / mixer to the SP-404 to get samples... or record samples off the TTUSB direct to computer...then get a USB card reader so you can load the samples to CF card and then insert the CF Card into the SP-404. Then, once you figure out what to do with the samples in the SP-404, you can hook up the audio out of the SP-404 to the audio in of your computer and record directly into Live or Audacity.

Thanks for the reply, well I all ready have the card reader and compact flash...I guess I am on my way indeed...now all I have to do figure out how to combine and manipulate the samples/beats. I have to develop some patience first...

Start simple. Load a bass drum, snare drum, and a cymbal. Set the BPMs to a slower tempo...around 90 or so...set it to one bar length... and just try to make a very simple drum beat... boom - tat - boom -tat (loop)...then lay the cymbal on top. Set the quantizing to 4 or 8 (which will place things in there correct places regardless of bad timing) until you get used to it....then change the quantising to 16 or 32. Once you get a drum beat, add some random samples until it sounds good. After a while, alot don't even bother with quantizing. I still do...even though I can make stuff without quantizing.

EXCELLENT...You funking rock.. thanks for all the advice. Everyone needs a little help.

when trying to make beat patterns - if yu create a pattern - and it's bpm - you can then slow down the bpm to make it easier to record the pattern - and then reset the bpm to the intitial creation bpm(??? - does this work?)

--for the rhythmically challenged of course... (hand in air)

yes.

Did you try it?

Not yet, but I will..I printed this post so I'll have your advice on hand...I'll try tonight