Mixing down in the SP

[EarlGrey]

long mode & vinyl sim compressor

I'm curious about what sort of FX or recording modes are advisable when running a track through the SP back into my DAW for recording.

I assume the vinyl sim and the long mode are very handy. Too make it all sound more crisp and punchy.

As far as running the master track out and through the 303 or track the drums and samples out separately. Not sure which way. The first is quicker but less room for fine tuning the overall sound. Splitting the tracks gives more room for shaping the sounds.

On a side note I'm curious if 303 compression when mixing down is advisable?

[monstermanchild]

Matter of taste.... But yes, it's incredible

[Mushroom Buttons]

Just out of curiosity, if I just run a full mixdown through the 303 without any MFX on, what exactly does the machine do to the sound? It seems to magically make the sound glue together much more, to me at least. But would love to hear some more technical answers on how 303 colours or compress the full track.

[LesPasta]

i've gotten some nice results running a parallel mix of the original pad and a pad run through the vinyl sim on the 404

[Mushroom Buttons]

I should point out that I primarily make tunes with a laptop, with some samples run through 303 for compression etc. Now I have a mixdown done in my DAW and would like to know how the 303 can alter the sound of the final mixdown, without using any MFX. Just running the whole track through 303 and record it back to the laptop.

I find that after running it through the 303, the track does sound warmer. But I'm just curious whether this technique takes away anything from the mixdown?

[EarlGrey]

Same here. I get the same idea. Like it gives it this magical gritty gleam and tightens it all up a bit.

[formal]

The SP303 and SP505 both have 20bit a/d converters. This is where the nice sound comes from.

For reference the sp202 is 16bit
SP404og is 24bit
Zoom sampletrak is 18bit
MPC 1000 is 16bit
SP1200 and MPC60 are 12bit
Casio sk1/sk5 are 8bit

The A/D converters play a big role in "coloring" the over all sound.

[ellaguru]

The SP303 and SP505 both have 20bit a/d converters. This is where the nice sound comes from.

For reference the sp202 is 16bit
SP404og is 24bit
Zoom sampletrak is 18bit
MPC 1000 is 16bit
SP1200 and MPC60 are 12bit
Casio sk1/sk5 are 8bit

The A/D converters play a big role in "coloring" the over all sound.

formal, man, that's a cool classification!
by the way, even if i know the 303 and the 505 share,on paper, the same converters i feel different their sound with or without compression...i mean, the 303 results ever more punchy than the 505 to my ears...it coulors samples more than the 505 do and, depending on cases, this could a good or a bad...

[Doomrustler]

I am an 808 user but due to zip disks being the single worst investment money can buy im thinking of switching to the 303... i have a little working system witch i use my 16 track dps to track individual tracks down thus being able to utilise further effects and eq ect... now i notice the sp303 only has midi in, will i be able to sync the 303 as a slave and solo the pads to record onto my 16 track machine?

any detailed info on the sp303 regarding this would be awesome

thanks

[Doomrustler]

also does the machine varipitch? im doubting it does as the 808 had a 4 track on it... i use the varipitch instead of the pitch function as its really clean...

[ellaguru]

... now i notice the sp303 only has midi in, will i be able to sync the 303 as a slave and solo the pads to record onto my 16 track machine?

if your machine trasmits via midi out the midi sync and the midi notes i say yes. I also think that you have to look what exact midi notes your machine transmits, because the 303 has fixed midi notes, you cannot change them, and they are limited, dipending from the way it receives midi, from note 35 to 67 (off mode) and from 95 to 127 (as sound module)...

also does the machine varipitch? im doubting it does as the 808 had a 4 track on it... i use the varipitch instead of the pitch function as its really clean...

yes, varipitch is peraphs the last true brilliant invention roland did (i have a v-synth), unfortunately the sp505 is the only SP wich goes in that direction, it has a sort of alghorhythmical pitch function, nothing accurated as the varipitch (like day and night) but sometimes -dipending on the sample- it could helps ; it has also 4tracks and a decent sequencer+cool microedit, and maybe is best SP to advice to you than the sp303 if you come from sp808...
...other thing to say, speaking of midi notes (trasmitted/received) for the sp505 is a bit disaster...

[monstermanchild]

I used to have the sp 808 and it worked wonderfully sending midi to the 303 for triggering. You do need to download the manual to see what the midi notes are for the pads. They're a little crazy but it will for sure work. Also different midi functions on the 808 are a little wacky as well. I remember to connect a controller to the synth engine the device had to be on midi channel 11 or something. So you may have to check on the 808 too. Speaking for the 303 as well, setting up a mpd (I just used the 16) to it does wonders. It makes it velocity sensitive. Just thought I'd throw that one in there.

[nap]

I find that when i record a whole beat from a daw into the 303, it loses a little something. Then when record back into ableton with vinyl sim on, it degrades the quality a good amount...mostly takes the punchy-ness out of the drums...kinda winds up having me upset with my finished product from time to time--any suggestions would b appreciated!