whaddup Fam.
I decided to sell my 404.
I love this machine. It's really perfect for quick beat making.
But now, I really need something which is also good for "complex" beat making, and I don't have enough cash to buy another machine...
So I decided to sell my 404...
Now Im gonna keep my eye on 555 ( "a bargain one " ) on our local eBay ( I've recently studied the manual of 555... Fuck I didn kno that it has so many improvements over 404! ).
If such bargain turns up I instantly get it. But I'll also keep my eye on 1k. I know that some of you would call me a traitor when I talk about exchanging sp for an akai, but I must give it a try. Ive never had one, never seen one live, but Ive seen a lot of videos presenting its possibilities plus a lot of ppl here also use it. So it must be worth trying. I hope you won't be mad at me. I hope you gonna understand my decision.
Temporary lack of SP doesnt mean that you won't see me out here guys.
No. no, no, you wont get rid of me that easy
So, that's my story. I'll let you know what's the ending of it gonna be.
Much love
LHU

its all gravy fam, do what u must to keep your creative juices flowin. if the haters hate so be it

Keep in mind that you won't be able to participate in the Arena wothout a SP in your studio Good decision to go with the 1000 and not the cheapier 500, at least I guess so. Have fun with your new toy as soon as you get it!

you are dead to me now. =P

get a bEaT thAnG






kidding

dude, get the 1k and put jj on it. i'd take the 404 over a 500 anyday.

It's all good. I'm in the same boat. I've sold a 404 and and traded a 303. The 555 and the 606 (kinda) are the only SP's that interest me anymore. I'm looking at the MPC-500 but I still ain't certain. The MV's and MPC 1k look likt the shit but I dunno. The MV looks to me like you may as well be using a computer with a pad controller. I want something I can put in my backpack but still has decent polyphony and a fairly powerful sequencer. I've read the MPC500 manual it seems to cover all the basses and is only 100 more than a new 404. I just hate taking chances when there's paycheck's worth of cash involved.

y'know, i was gonna post something about all the pros and cons of each machine i've owned, cuz they've all got good things and bad, but what i think is REALLY important is that you just find the box that fits you best.

elhau - i hear you on wanting to rock a box that is built for more complex beat making. i crossed that same bridge. i have settled on the sp505, even tho i have other machines (including a 1000) cuz for me, its the right blend of functionality and simplicity. its limited, but i can work w/ the limitations.

for me, when i sit down to make beats, i wanna just be in that zone. i don't wanna click thru a thousand screens or as hema- says ^^ play something that feelz like a computer w/ pads. other dudes really want that...they wanna know they can do ANY thing, so long as they scroll thru enough screens.

finding that balance is really trial and error. i hope you can find some buddies that have boxes and can give you tutorials or whatevs.

(and if you want me to write my pros and cons list, i can, but i don't fink it will help )

Fauna, I'd like to see that list. I've only owned a 404 and 303. More insight from someone who's really used the boxes is definitely welcomed.

Yo I need to raise my voice on this...

I went the same way elhau. After a half year on the 404, I sold it to get a 1k. It was wrong. I took me damn long to get sth. outta this that satisfied me... After some weeks with that 1k only, I bought another 404 cause the FX are just awesome, really no comparision to the akai fx.. (beside the reverb...) Dude you said you wanted to do more complex stuff, I just drop the names count and iiiii and you should know how complex you can get with sp's. Don't get me wrong elhau, I like that mp1000k. I still got one but you know it's like the dudes above said, you need this certain feeling on a machine to master it. You know the technical aspect of the akai ist just awesome... 32 Voices, Mute Groups and other really useful stuff. I always thought I need a mpc to step up with rjd2-style tracks but I was wrong. Surely bangin out drums is way more fun on a mpc but in the end it's the result that counts and speaking for myself sp's are more 'creative'. So my decision is the other way round. I'm gonna sell my mpc in a week or two and stay with that baby I know best... My fucking lovely SP404. If you're seriously interested in a 1k hook me up with a pm.

The only advice I'm trying to give you is keep that 404. Just wait a month to save another 200€ and get a mpc later. If you're really hungry for one nobody can stop you, I know.... but god damn it... keep that fuckin04. 1k's can read 32/64MB 404 Cards.. Ya heard me???!!!
Seeing the possibilities?

Just sell your TF (2 me?) and save a lil extra money... seriously.

Best wishes...

Guys, really thanks for your replies. It means a lot to me.

404 is really awesome gear. Like all of you, I love its simplicity. Almost all the actions require only pushing one or two buttons and puff... done! No menus, no scrolling. 555 - exactly the same.

MPC on the other hand got those menus which Im aware of and simultaneously afraid of. However I think It just requires some time spent with this and it wont be a problem anymore. I definitely want to check this machine out someday.



Yeah I feel the same about it.

yo Wax, I know what you mean.
Like i wrote, im gonna be looking for 555/1k.
I am leaning toward 1k cuz Im already familiar with the SP production style, and you know, I want to try out as many ways of beatmaking as I can afford.
The superb thing in 555 is this direct copy method. No flylo trick. TO be honest with you, the most irritating thing in 404 is for me this workaround.
Yeah, it's good that someone found a way to do this but gosh... It takes ages Plus the loop capture in 555 and the way to resample the patterns. Plus the midi out ( easy external sequencing ). Plus the better price...
Damn, guys Im getting 555!

ps. Wax, sorry man I promised my friend that he'll be the one who get my tf after Im done with this

Once again, maaaad thanks for your answers!!

Plus, I decided to finish most of my unfinished beats before the auction of my 404 ends ( 9 days? ), so be ready for some straight 404 raw shit soon!

PEACE! Im glad that soon I'll be back in the arena section

ehhh, I would go 1000 over the 555 all day..I played with one in GC and got super annoyed. The 1K with JJOS is a beast, I almost want one just to see if it could get me away from my 3K...sike! the 3K/404 combo is unfuckwittable...


I thought your 404 stuff was great though, complex enough for me

awright! check this shit out:


Sampler breakdown.

Lemme say first that there are cats on this forum who could rock any box, and I'm pretty sure they could blast out some bangers with sticks and stones.

Also, I wanna say that how I go about making beats may not be the same as other dudes, and that i KNOW there are classic beats / tapes made with each boxes below.

All that to say, it aint the box, its the cat using it. But I liken it to getting from MTL to California: I could walk - I mean, its possible, and I'd eventually get there, you know - but isn't it easier to drive? Or take a train? Or even fly? To me, this is how the tech can help bring out yr creativity... one of these boxes is a car, another is a train, another is a plane, and I'm sure one is a fuggin time machine.

You'll see "notable users" below...these are just dudes that I relate to, not the be-all-end-all list of users...but these are dudes that inspire me....

So, in my quest to find a box that really had the functionality I wanted, inside an interface I could relate to, here's my chart of samplers I've owned:

sp202:
Good: great fx, very simple design, good pads, cheap, portable, battery op, ext. source thru, black-and-orange!, bad-ass community support
Bad: no sequencer, very limited poly, outdated cards, no swing, no velo sensitivity, LED screen, limited banks/storage, rca outs, no real pitch func,
Notable Users: cLOUDDEAD, Oddnosdam, Dosh, Alias (as fx unit)

sp404:
Good: good fx, solid box, a sequencer, tons of storage, compact flash cards, great pads, portable, battery op, skinnable faceplate, the unbeatable mfx #23, tons of community info, lots of tricks,
Bad: one-track sequencer, no swing, no velo sensitivity, LED screen, rca ins / outs, no pitch function, will not remember bpm or fx settings, no pan func,
Notable Users: Joe Beats, DOOM, Beck,

Electribe ES-1:
Good: really intuitive interface, interesting fx, great pitch function, "accent" function to get around lack of velo-sens, scroll wheel, 20hz output, portable, limited but usable sequencer, swing (i think), crazy motion capture func, remembers bpm AND fx settings, great pan func
Bad: only 90 seconds (not scalable) of storage, no real community support, plastic box, outdated cards, LED screen, rca ins / outs, somewhat quiet recording in.
Notable Users: Alias, mouse on mars, Sixtoo

mpc1000 (with JJOS free and 128 ram upgrade):
Good: totally robust sequencer, velo sens, okay fx, wav-view screen, scroll wheel, good tuning, chromatic assignment of notes, compact flash cards, remembers bpm, sample-layering on pads, 1/4 jack Ins/OUTs, mute-group playback (awesome!), great pan func, portable (but heavy!), industry standard tool.
Bad: surprisingly shitty build (RAM pins, CF card pins), well-known and unresolved issues on some models, expensive 'upgrades', unnecessarily complex save / overwrite debacles, far too many sub-menus to scroll thru for basic functions, fairly bitchy community support, expensive,
Notable Users: Uh, everyone who fancies themselves a producer? For me, Thes-One, Alias, Jel, fbc-fabric and reindeer.

sp505:
Good: fast / intuitive workflow via interface, 4-track sequencer, scroll wheel, "accent" function to get around lack of velo-sens, limited but usable pan func, ok pitch func, great pads, wav-edit screen, portable, remembers bpm, tons of storage, great fx, great community support, ext-source thru, 'long'/lo-fi settings,
Bad: plastic box, limited (8 note) poly, slooooow processing times, outdated SM cards, rca ins / outs, does not remember fx settings, only partially usuable chromatic pitching,
Notable Users: kev brown, pete rock (apparently) and notable members of the sp-fam!

there's my very wordy response. I guess we could make this into a post in the "other gear" section, so peeps can cross ref the tools o' the trade, or whatever.

lemme know what you all think.

peace.

Thanks man. Pretty nice breakdown on each of em. If only the 505 wasn't so damned slow. If only the 404 has real pitching. If only the MPC wasn't so menu intensive. If only Korg used better memory cards. Decisions decisions.

Fauna thanks for such breakdown.
I think it wouldnt be bad idea to create a new section called " ~Which SP should I choose? "on sp-forums.
Nothing revolutionary, Ive seen similar on many forums. What do ya think about it?

And back to the topic,
Damn, Detail, after your post Im hesitating once more
Anyway, I dont want to act like a little boy who doesnt know what to do, when he hears a lot of different voices from every side.

I've still some time to make a decision, and still I have a lot of ppls out here who could help me out. I know the capabilities of both machines and I just need some time to think it over once again.

peace!