SP404 or Maschine

[LesPasta]

"He's right guys. Get an SP-404."


I agree,

I make beats with sp404,202,505 and software. I've had maschine, was not feeling it. I was using it for over a year but I sold the license before the major upgrade, I think it was like 1.6 or something weird liek that.

I loved having the controller for Reason though, if that helps you at all.

[Nosmo King]

well discounting something because you didnt personally like it or because you think you never heard a good beat that had maschine involved rather than evaluating what i can actually do is rather silly

especially when somebody who doesnt know as much as you is looking for guidance

ahhh well... own opinions and that

[hseiken]

I don't think price has been mentioned, but price is a huge factor in my purchases. I'd pick the 404 strictly on price alone. And also, the fact that it can't check mail or even get on the internet. This is a huge plus for the 404 imo.

[Jutzu-Lo-Killer]

sp-404sx

[Nosmo King]

I don't think price has been mentioned, but price is a huge factor in my purchases. I'd pick the 404 strictly on price alone. And also, the fact that it can't check mail or even get on the internet. This is a huge plus for the 404 imo.

you can buy an MK1 (which is the same as the second just not as flashy) for absoloutely nothing these days. you could easily get a second hand one for cheaper than a 404

and now youre just being silly

[Euclid Ov Oåklånd]

How could good beat based music not be made on a Maschine? It would be intuitive enough for a novice to make sample arrangements as well as explore with some synth sounds. Needless to say, if you have experience programming other traditional sampling or synth machines you should have no issue dialing in a workflow to express your creativity. If people think your music isn't for them that's their right, if you're not satisfied with your music then there is no sampler set-up that will alleviate that. Be free, help people, make music...............killl hate

[hadizzle]

Damn thanks for all the advice yall I ended up going with the SP404 tho Somehow it just has more appeal to me than the maschine, I dig the fact that it puts a limit on what you can do and forces you to be creative. I feel like the maschine would have wayyy too many options and I wouldn't even know what to do with it, besides I have a pad kontrol that I can use with ableton anyways. Messing around with software on the comp is hella tedious so im lookin forward to hopping on some hardware and seeing where that takes me.

Any words of wisdom for a new sp owner?

[Auqs]

i make beats with 404 and ableton, sometimes make beats only using software and sometimes i make stuff only with my sampler...but in recent times i use the two things together most of the time, 404&ableton is a really nice combo imo, but it all depends on how you approach the production and and what you want to do ...
maschine is not so attractive at my eyes, but i see a lot of producers have/uses it including many sp users or assumed to be so.
definitely if you have patience and willingness to learn/ experiment with buy the sp..

Ps:I saw too late that you had already decided, nice decision however.

[treezy z]

for someone who has never made beats before i would get a maschine, i think more people would be able to do well with it. the sps are love it or hate it, some people can't click with them at all and some (like many on this board) do incredibly dope shit with them.

[hseiken]

I don't think price has been mentioned, but price is a huge factor in my purchases. I'd pick the 404 strictly on price alone. And also, the fact that it can't check mail or even get on the internet. This is a huge plus for the 404 imo.

you can buy an MK1 (which is the same as the second just not as flashy) for absoloutely nothing these days. you could easily get a second hand one for cheaper than a 404

and now youre just being silly

Wait what? MKI plus computer to run it less than new 404?

I don't think that's possible. Not without having broken ass computer slow as shit. I hear Maschine software is pretty CPU hungry.

[Nosmo King]

oh you dont have a computer?

hmmmm

nah maschine software is the only program ive ever used that has never crashed or given me any issue

[hseiken]

I've never had crashes with ReNoise or Reaper, either. I heard Abelton used to be crash-free...

But back to the price thing, bundled with my response was the lack of interference from other things a computer can do. For instance, skype chat notifications, spyware stopper notifications, etc. etc. This stuff is distracting for me. I'd go with pure hardware simply on this principal if I had a choice. Even with hardware, I can still do these things on my laptop with 404 next to it, but if I really want to concentrate and just get stuff done, I leave my compy in another room so I don't get distracted by chat or whatever.

But yeah, if you already have a computer that can run Maschine's software component to your liking, then I suppose it's cheaper. Personally, I doubt my computer could run it. I'm rocking a computer that was low end when I bought it 3 or 4 years ago. :\ The internet itself is getting to point where I"m going to have to buy a new computer just to watch streaming video.

[Nosmo King]

ahhh bad times

i never used to care about the internet when making music but i spend a lot more time on crappy websites in between making a track... its probably because its not as exciting as it used to be i dunno

even when im purely on the 404 the laptop is on right in front of me. ive got the line out from my sound card going straight into it so i can sample anything i can find and then ill be sending it back and forth into the computer once ive worked something out

maschine and the sp are perfect partners actually imo. it is so unbelievably quick and enjoyable to use (the maschine) and you wouldnt get that at all if it was hardware

[bokkenrijder]

I'm not gonna lie, I find it quite difficult to make something that sounds hot in a short amount of time on my SP. At the same time, it's this DIY approach to the 404 that's just so.. satisfying. Sample a bit, mark a bit, dick around a bit. No not good, need something different (shuffles through records & puts one on)... Oh yes! Lay it down, sample a bit, mark a bit, dick around a bit, you get the picture.

Even if the output sounds horrible (including mine, but I try not to care), the whole 404 process is just diabolical fun. Ever since I owned my SP, my subconscious keeps implying I'm some mad scientist in his lab plotting global destruction, mashing buttons mwhuahaha... *thunder crack*

I'm pretty familiar with Live (not Maschine though), and yes, sometimes I still go "fuck it, I'm doing this in Live quick & easy" - but often I can't, for the reasons mentioned.

[Astromass]

Hey
Yeah, hot topic.
I've been using ableton live since version one...I owned a 404sx years ago and never really payed much attention to it...I never "got it". Recently I began to HATE making music with computers. I got to thinking about going with hardware (again) and looked around on this form...pow....bought another 404sx and it has changed my life....
The beauty of the SP's is the tactile workflow...the limitations...the fucking flashing disco lights on it...the incredible effects...the looseness of the resampling process and it's effect on the overall quality of my music...the portability...the 100000000 options of what to sample....the strategies needed to make a track work with the SP's workaround....plus, the damn 404sx actually feels like a FRIEND....
I looked into maschine and it just seemed like a trap....sitting in front of a screen...letting my eyes make music decisions instead of my ears and my guts...
Everyone makes music differently.
I'm totally in love with my new found passion for doing music.

I was showing a mate my 404 and he said "it's like a mixture of a scientific calculator and a paintbrush....for music!".

Rad.