I really miss having it.

you mean changing playback rate?

If you mean pitch tuning like a turntable, then the sp 202 does that. It also has a cool sound then using lower sample rates. Worth buying one just for the pitch alone though, their really cheap too. Ive been using the 202 ad a front end to my 404sx, i have them hooked up so i can throw sounds back and forth, i dont even need a memory card for it, im waiting on an akai s20 in the mail which may take over for the 202 though if i click with it.

any one that says vari-pitch has a pretty good pitch function. The 808 is pretty good. I hear the 303 is good as well.

Ya, playback rate. I am always wanting to tune things and the pitch shifters on the 404sx leave a lot to be desired. At home I could prob start using ES-1 or ESX-1 but can't take all that kit with me in my backpack to the coffee shop!

Thx LCW for the 202 info.

Is the 404SX still in production? Is there any hope of ever seeing a new model? Seems crazy in these computer dominated days.

C

The Akai S20 definately can pitch shift up/down. It's fun to sample the things that you hear that were already pitched high already, and then slow them down so you can actually make out what the sample is, or what they're saying in the sample. I tried that with a old rave track where they sampled a hip hop track into a chipmunk effect, but once the S20 sllllloooowwwweeeedddd it down in pitch, I could hear what the real rap was at least. (But I didn't recognize the song though)

Ya my RS7000 does it as well as my ES-1 and ESX-1 which both have dedicated knobs for it (great boxes, those). I once had a recording of just walking down a busy street and I sped it up and it sounded like the Tron light cycles!

I use it for crickets or other sounds- I am always looking to use found sounds for production- it makes me happy.

404SX and 555 are still in production. Doubt will see a new model anytime soon.

thx man, good to know at least they are still being made- that's =something=
C

on the asrx stock sounds there is a fast forwerdy tape stop effect
sample, if you slow it down a bunch you can kinda hear eazy E rapping.

Man, one would think that roland would do another SP...one with pitch features and sample-panning...oh, and one that would allow the delay effect trails to trail off when the delay is switched off...
Roland really HAS gone to shit..

Roland's new move, probably smart given the situation but dum to us hardware users, would be a roland maschine, or some computer tethered hardware. Akai did it, Native instruments did it, Akai did it again and again. Korg is rocking the synth market. Akai dominated most markets except for synths, (the mininak was a fucking joke). So roland has the samplers down packed but i guess they probably dont realize how massive the market is for them cause those execs dont go to live shows and most folks grabbing their sp's off ebay. Maybe after they made the MV, they said fuck it! Its all business and they probably dont want to eat a dick with a new sampler.

i use the Akai S20 for my drums...bought it on Ebay a couple years back for 80 bucks....and man i love using it...i dont know how to pitch on the SP...but i can on other samplers...or a CDJ

Cool. Looks like there is some cool bending that can be done as well.
http://www.circuitbenders.co.uk/synthmod/S20.html

I still may try to pick up a 202. I saw a mint one go for relatively cheap on Ebay recently.

L.C.W let us know how you get on w the Akai S20

Ive had my akai s20 for about a week now, its a really cool sampler i love that you can plug a midi keyboard into it and instantly play the selected sample on the keys at different pitches, its pitch range is crazy too. It has a really nice sound to it aswell, you can also play chords with the samples too. It makes a good companion to the 404. I could upload a beat i made with it the other day if anyone wanted to hear the these features used on a beat. Sorry to derail lol