Ever since the sp202/808, to the sp 404SX/555 we've all come to love every make and model from the series. But sometimes times change and Roland has been known to close shop on a successful product and move on. Does anybody get the feeling that we're not going to see any new sp models with new effects, sequencers, memory, or something that updates the series in general. This post isn't so much about what we'd want to see in a new sampler, but if Roland is even going to bother? Have they got any new tricks up their sleeve that would warrant them making a new sampler to sell to the market? Or has the Machine/MPC Ren sort of pernamently changed things to the point where a computer would be required, because the new unit would be software based??

If you think Roland is going to end the SP series, and why, feel free to post. If you think there's enough features out there that you'd want to see to make it worthwhile to release a new sp, you can post as well. But, if you think it's time for Roland to get hip to the new way of sampling, and there will be no new sp's that run without computers/software, feel free to chime in why.

Didn't we just see them release a keyboard workstation with SP404 guts built into the face?

I think that's basically their view of the series...its' time to move on, not much more they'll do without making a full blown workstation keyboard like they did already, I think.

But I'm not really knowledgeable about how they introduce and retire specific product lines in general.

roland doesn't even care about the beat game

maybe this is true, but in my opinion is a general discussion to do. if i were roland , in 2014, with world economical crisis and with heavy powered pc+soft and tablets+apps, the all thing you can do to not risk to fail is to make things that people keeps in memoy: so that's explained the aira serie (as korg volkas and all the analog trend for the synths etc)...maybe with a better global economical status, things shouldn't be like this...2€ opinion (2€ for those dark times is too much, ok 2cents opinion )

You know when I was looking up midi controllers via DJ Tech Tools they put up an article on new gear and called the new Akai MPX 16 "the SP killer".

scroll down: http://www.akaipro.com/tradeshows/messe2014

Skeptical and curious I looked it up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BafAMQUbz0U

Now with me, I like akai. I might swap out my APC40 for their new version or an MPD 26 which would fit in my bag and suit me better for finger drumming. I also have an Akai XR-20 that goes great with the SP-404 SX. Also own an LPD8.

I use a computer for a lot of things, including music. But when it comes to performing I'd prefer to turn to screen off and not deal with carrying or the extra maintenance of a laptop whenever possible. I can play on my SP live but the lack of a choke function I feel kind of sets me back even though I'm still practicing and have gotten used to the gate trigger. The MPX doesn't have a sequencer but it does have USB midi if you want the option of using it as a controller, it's also supposed to come with it's own software and ableton lite or something. For $200 that's pretty awesome.

I really want to play with one hands on to get a feel for it to be sure. But either way I kind of feel like the SP can go this route and put their own spin on it. It seems like everyone who appeals to the ableton live performance crowd is in the spot light right now. I heard it was possible to use an SP on ableton but I don't have any midi cables or the right soundcard to test this out.

I feel you, but with the state of things lately, it would seem Akai will only make a new mpc that competes with Machine, since they've got to admit that Native Instruments has stolen some of their thunder of their once exsclusive market. (Not to mention the failure of the MPC5k) Is Roland going to decide to follow this route as well? Or even bother to keep the SP line rolling out with a new unit or 2? Was there anything really left for them to sell to the public as far as new features or effects that weren't already covered by all the previous models?

Roland has walked away from synth models that at one time did well, probably because of the competition, or just to decide that it was time to move on and make a totally new product. I'm sure the 404/555 have sold well, but was it below their expectations? Not really sure what they've felt about it. If they decided they weren't going to make any new samplers anymore, but want to put out some crappy midi accordian nobody would be caught dead playing, then they probably will.

Like it or not, certain products kind of push the public along and then everybody just gets used to the new ways of doing things, so perhaps Machine/MPC Ren are digging the grave of the SP?

+1...no one on the net talks about that...the used price of this machine is going down years by year; now,here in france, you can have it for almost the same price of a mcp2000xl or a 1000(!!!!)

anyway, some "errors" i didnt understand from roland were the fact that they were pioneers with sp555/606 (sampler+seq+soundcard+controller for pc), then NI Maschine stolen that market...akai has done something on that field with Reinassance (a crap in my opnion, i think it doesn't sample)...and roland?...ZZZzzZZzzzZzz...slept...

I feel Roland wants us to starve enough so they can make a rehash of the SP-505 but with 16 polyphony bigger memory and more MFX. And perhaps a CD burner inside.

What it boils down to support! Roland doesn't support its machines. You could never find a driver beyond windows xp for most of their products. Native instruments is a great company, you can even feel it thriving with all the Kontakt plugins and Maschine and Massive updates. Akai is just living off of their Classics so they have a wide audience. I remember someone in the Guitar Center complaining about (not the renaissance) but the smaller one. He bought it and took it home and couldnt get it to work with windows 7. This was like a few months ago and windows 8 was already out. So thats a big issue with these companies. Do you support your shit so more people want to buy it. Thats why the MPC 5000 died QUICK! Shit didnt work and Akai didnt fix it. Your better off sticking with their products up to the 4000 (which was released before the 5k and was Akai's last product before they got bought out by shitty ass Numark, I think) I'm still rocking the 555 cause its dope, not for the audio interface but because its a 404 on roids. And those machines dont need much support anyway, they are all inclusive but Roland is done and have been done. And whatever they make from now on will be plastic, like the Roland Gaia and that other plastic synth.

i don't think support and computer software is an issue, there is a few legacy software but none of this is really needed on the sp. I dont think they are done with sp's, but they better hurry up. the downfall of sp is homogonized style, now they need a new sp that does not rely on computers. they can combine all their previous knowledge. the 404 was nearly an all in one workstation. coming from 606 back to 404 , the 404 is so much easier to take control of anything quick, where the 606 is daunting, therefor crippling your workflow after 1 pattern. using them together is a little better workflow, for example, I can sample the 606 synths and subsonic faster into the 404. both 404 and 606 are still very primative computer logic, making it maybe irritating to do somethings. well maybe i am just used to 404 pattern sequencer workflow, but i think the 606 is almost the biggest sp FAIL. maybe they rushed it, or had to work around budget components, while in the right direction with chop, and wave editor.
and things that could have been left out to focus and more important things. dbeam and velocity sensitivity.

so the next one has to match a mpc 1000 in workflow and features.
cost less than $500 bucks, and be indestructable like the 404, and make a few more sp series , then the samplers will tell a story of how the sp logic evolved and how it's almost as smart as a mc 909