Disappearing Samples and Patterns

[Mestizo11]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new here; I just bought a Roland SP-404sx and have been messing around on it for about a week now. For the most part I think I understand how to use it but I am running into a problem with my samples and patterns randomly disappearing after a great session. Coming back to the project later sometimes it will still be there and other times I find it all gone. Needless to say, I find that frustrating. I wonder if anyone else has had this problem and if there is something I am doing wrong or if there is something I can do about it? I guess I assumed that all my samples would be automatically saved but do I need to backup save the project every time before shutting off the Roland SP-404sx?

[Alnitak_Kid]

nah man, you shouldn't have to backup save. that's weird...

have you tried formatting the card?
off the top of my head i think you hold [cancel] and press [del]

[Mestizo11]

Yeah, I formatted the card but it was a SanDisk Ultra Plus SDHC speed class 10 card and I just threw all the original files from the factory Roland SD card onto it so maybe that affected it somehow or maybe the speed class was too fast, I don't really know. I ended up buying the SanDisk SDHC speed class 4 and it seems to be working better (It still seems to have a few minor bugs here and there but nothing major) but then again I just decided not to mess with backup saving anymore until I have a better understanding of it. I'm used to how easy it is to save new files or projects on a computer but this seems different. If I wanted to save a new project on the sp-404sx I would backup save onto other pads, for example pads 1,2,and 3, and then deleted samples, on backups 2 and 3, hoping to make each backup a new project. This turned out to be an unreliable way of doing things because if erased a sample from backups 2 or 3 it would also erase, sometimes not always, the same sample from backup 1 and the default project; resulting in a complete loss of the sample.

After switching to the SanDisk SDHC speed class 4 card and doing some experimenting, I saved backups on pads 1 and 2 then deleted a sample on backup 2. I then shut off the sp-404sx and turned it back on. Sure enough the sample that I had previously deleted on backup 2 was back again (I found this humorously confusing)!
Anyways, until I figure it all out I'll just work around it.

Thanks for your help and for responding Alnitak_Kid.

[Alnitak_Kid]

haha man.. that is weird... i have no idea either.

i use Lexar class 10 16gig cards with no issues but i don't use backup save or load.
when i run out of free banks and pads i chuck the card into the computer and
copy the entire card's contents to a new folder with the date and make a txt file with what tracks are on it. then i format the card and start fresh.

unless you're travelling heaps without access to a computer then i personally wouldn't bother with backup save/load. just seems to use up memory and slow the sp down.

anyway, enjoy man!