why is it so cheap though?, I'm tempted but it could be ebecause its just junk.

I imagine that the 505 is cheap because it is slower to work on than the 303/404. I think what people love about sps is how fast ideas can come together, but on the 505, there's no mark button, and no realtime loop/gate/reverse sample flipping. it does have good pitch, and chop functions, more editing options, great pads, some decent on board sounds, and the same effects and sound of the 303.

You can make great stuff on it, but it just doesn't feel like the 202/303/404, which is sort of the bread and butter of the series.

Cool. Thanks for the correction guys. I did have an og 404 but just couldn't remember that effect. Probs didn't use it back then!

I think the 505 Is cheap as its not ripped by Madlib or Samiyam or Mf Doom. Just buy it. If you don't like it, just sell. You'll probs get a similar price for it anyway. That's the good thing with secondhand audio equipment, they generally keep they're secondhand value well

505 is dope.

the 505 is an awesome machine, i've been using mine for years, i don't think it gets any easier for all day resampling and quick beat making. it's clipboard copy function is crazy easy and the microscope edit function helps me fine tune shit. honestly not sure why you can find them so cheap, but they're a secret weapon imho, and as far as outdated, i still love using it a lot more than any mpc i've owned. the 606 uses the same exact sequencer, and has basically the same fx, except for i think a synth generator which is pretty cool, also, the velocity pads are nice as well. the knobs and buttons on the 606 feel pretty solid, and the ability to hook it directly to a computer and use the cakewalk software is pretty tight. if someone was to give me either the 606 or the 505, i'd choose the 606, but both are great machines.

thanks but doing a trade with someone else, can I ask is chopping and slicing slow on this?

The only sampler I use is the 1000 and 2000xl ,slower or same?

i would say it's about the same.

606 aye

so 505 chopping and slicing is the same as a mpc1000 for speed

last thing I need is chopping and it feels really really slow

anyone please?

Depends how you chop on the 1k. The 1k can autochop into equal sections. SP505 can not. SP505 autochops on transients.

I use the clipboard method on the 505. So..... Copy same sound 4 times and chop using graphic wav editor. Pretty easy.

Or I just sample the parts I want without needing to chop using the screen. So like if I want a 1 bar into 4 pads, I just listen and sample separetly 4 times (kinda like using mark button on the 404).

If I need to make like "16" chops, ill use a program like recycle or my ipad with beatmaker to autochop then I sample those chops into the sp505.

The sp505 is my workhorse.

Maybe i should invest into a 505 hmmm...
I have an OG404 and am currently looking for a way to pitch up/down my samples before routing them to the 404.
Was lookin at the 202 but not sure if the pitch range is enough.

Coming from an ableton/software background, pitching samples is a huge part of my work flow and Its kind of annoying that the 404 doesnt have this.

Any ideas?

im looking for that true pitch ya know lol...pitch up sample speeds up. pitch down and vice versa

Well for instance, i have roughly 100 loops and 100 one-shots saved on my 128MB card.
Its not some 16GB hard drive, but i can easily turn on the machine and make beats with nothing else.
And I still have about 20MB leftover.



Oh how i wish it had 8 tracks, and 2 bus fx. They almost got this one perfect imo

thanks but decided not to get one, instead nab a 404sx or 606.

To each their own. I went looking for a SP404, but when I saw the sp505 sitting in the display case at my pawn shop for $160, I decided that was just too good to walk away from. Yes, I knew it was a bit dated, and "slower" than the sp404, but since I couldn't find a sp404, I just decided that if I walked away, and didn't try to score the 505, I'd never discover if this is the right SP for me or not. (I've never really sat down with one until yesterday) But I liked how I could apply effects to either one pad, or all of them, and it seemed to have the same effects as the 303. I liked how the power supply wasn't a big wal-wart, (because the huge Akai S20 power supply is as big as a brick!) and the memory cards aren't too expensive, so for me, this was a no brainer decision. I don't think there's too much to really complain about when it comes to any SP you get, as long as you've got the imagination for sampling, and have the right memory card ready to go, then you should be able to sample/chop, make beats and sequence what it is you use it for. But as individuals, there are certain features that some sp's are better at than others, or some might want the old school sound of the 202 compares to the rest of the series, but at the end of the day, if we love what it is we do, the sp is the tool that gets us there.