Thougts on Roland CDX-1

[CnlTaf]

Hi dear SP-Forums people

I wonder if anyone here has some experience on using the Roland CDX-1 released around 2001?

It is is built around the SP-808EX concept but also has a 8 track harddisc recorder but not really recording on HD medium,..but instead it uses a CD-RW drive to record on, instead of HD, or Zip drive.

If anyone has good or bad experience on this maschine please tell me/us about it..

Love ya´people here
Peace

[mr.thraz]

i wanted to buy one myself, the cd-rw kept me from doing it.

if i know it would work with any other type of drive i would buy it.

i mean, look at the damn thing! it's an sp!

as far as I'm concerned its an 808 with 8 voices, 8 pads, no synth and a load of different effects.

[mr.thraz]

if you do buy one it does need RAM and you should max it out.

[mr.thraz]

now if you think of it as an sp, than only it, the SP-808, SP-808ex and the SP-555 can record it's own patterns.

its got every thing you could love in an sp. but that damn optical media makes it slooowww.

i think about buying it just to see if an HardDrive or card reader could replace the damn thing.

it came out at $1,500 now you can buy one for less than $300, which makes it cheap for any sp.

[CnlTaf]

@ mr.thraz

Thank you very much for your wiew on buying a Roland CDX-1, Ive heard a lot bad things on the CDX-1....and no one could say what´s bad,..they just say it is crap.... ive heard the same blablablah...on the SP-808´s too,....I own two SP-808´s The first and the EX version.....and i would never sell them..they vill die with me..or before me i hope

I think the most of the bad experience people have is the fact that the Discdrive is somewhat is a bit slow in it´s action....but then the Zipdrive is too ...

The Roland CDX-1 works fine i think, ive seen many hiphopproducers that used it for years, some of them since it came out and they bought it new, and the only complaints has been that some of them had to replace a weared out the CD-RW drive that they could pick up for 20 bucks on Ebay...

The beauty with this older technology it is that at least for me triggin my creativity a lot and the Boss designed FX is sounding soooo good that it is worth the price of the unit it self...

Somehow i think the samlers that are around today is killing some of the creativity...with all computer integrated VST´s and oled screens and so..I just think about the old good SP-1200 wich from the day of its release in 1984/85 never showed a sign of go out of style..and today still there is a demand or wish that Dave Rossum at Emu to release a MK-3 of the SP-1200...old things was good too..

that old Roland´s The SP-303, SP-606, and SP-555,....they where great too, ive owned the two later, and also The MV´s

Ok anyways

Thankz mr.thraz and keep doin it.... Peace <3

Cheers n <3
CnlTAF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4hPOles1cs

[CnlTaf]

Hi again Now it´s done, The CDX-1 is on it´s way to my crib

I am exited to test it out, i am not expecting anything, i gota see for myself how it performs,...i have looked at it for years.....I vill check the OS and Ram when it comes and upgrade if needed...Then see if CD drivers vill need an update too, i could not find the rite CD drivers online but i found the latest OS anyhow.... Until it arrives i am rockin´the SP-808,s wich is my babies

Cheers Peace N <3
CnlTAF

[mr.thraz]

cool let us know when you get it.

[CnlTaf]

Hi dear mr.thraz

Yes i vill get back with thoughts and experiences,...it vill be exiting to see what results it can be....

Thankz mr.thraz

Cheers <3
CnlTAF..

[CnlTaf]

Hi folks

Now i can give a quick update on Roland CDX-1,...I really feel that the critics against the CDX-1 is quite unfair i think.., i am glad i followed my innervoice to purchase it...and i know there is other beatmakers that have used it professionally for over 15 years First things first....i understand that MPC:ers, SP-1200:ers NI Maschine users think it is crap but for us that is familiar with the SP-808 series vill feel at home directly ...

The CDX-1 one functionality is exactly as the SP-808 and SP-808EX...It is limited by only 4 voices of polyphony,...but it is no problem with a bit of creativity,...The CDX-1 is a SP-808 on steroids and even tighter

It have improved editfunctions with the OS 1.53 wich i now have installed , it has 2 send EFX plus Insert EFX...and Internal Ram memory wich means faster processing,...and better latency performance...and a lot of other functions...

I am very happy and glad for my CDX-1...It was mint, as it had been stuck in display since it was new as a Demo ina Musicstore i Spain "Creds to MUSICOM.ES"....,..it came full memory expanded with 128 Mb of Ram It will be nice and creative times now,...It is a very underrated mashine..with the FX "1985 Sampler" on it sounds like an old Emu or such...i luuv it

Peace n Cheers
CnlTAF
Peace

[mr.thraz]

sooo cool.


ok, just to let you know.

the cdx has 8 voices in the tracks. 4 if stereo.

the pads will steal 4 voices from the tracks (stereo or mono) so it's best to bounce down to tracks as you go.

the cd's will give you about 12 min of audio memory. this means you can't make tracks over 12 min long.

do you have pictures??

[CnlTaf]

Hello

Yes with all humbleness, ive am well aware with the specs of the CDX-1
But as a SP-808 user since 1998 and later also SP-808EX with OP-1..i always think of these maschines as 4 voice polyphonic..though they are 8 voice,..The sequencer on the SP-808´s aswell the CDX-1 is 4 Track (A-B-C-D) with slightly difference..,

Today i dicovered that CDX-1 only can play 4 voices max,.."though it is sampled in mono"...when using external midi from Reaper,..and tested it with Studio One too...same sh*t,...it is strange..and that´s why i see it as 4 voice rather than 8 voice....some rewiewer ina magazine called Roland a lier.. ...there are greyzones that´s for shure..LOL .... I vill try to dig deeper into the manual, and see what the ruels are..

it is only practical in the most cases when using single kiks n hihats n snares to use one track for each..but there are many ways to get around this Ursually i print the pads live into Reaper or Studio one,...But recently i am leaning more to use my MTR´s e.g Roland VS-1880 or VS-840..depending on recording situation.

The CDX-1 has some more options i think, that i yet not has explored..I just keep it simple,..and i agree with many of the old known beatmakers..that all the possibillities with the MPC Ren, MPC-X, Maschine, and so on is killin some of the creativity beatmakers had with limited gear,. Alchemist says that "though his old ASR-10 has it slowness and querks...it is great and he had not even explored all in it yet"..yes my friend you know what i mean...

Ive also owned new SP-505, SP-606, and SP-555...and a bunch of classics in da past,..everything from Ensoniq Mirage´s , Akai 900 n 950´s to MPC-2500 Ltd ed, to MV-8000 and 8800...but this is not a "Dick messure contest" i am just mention my experience that with my years in the studio game "this year it is 31 years" soon turning 50 yrs but still bangin beats..ride Bmx still too and vill until i transform into another frequency in universe LOL

I vill upload videos to Youtube when i get time later ..vill put links here on the CDX-1... So far i am stoked n thrilled on the CDX-1..

I kind dig ya´ Mr.Thraz,..ive been on soundcloud and listend and following you there,..you are skilled man,..hear soon

Peace N 1 <3
CnlTAF Aka Known As TAF

[wastebeaker]

Hey.

I was recently given a CDX-1 so I've been playing around with it a bit. There's one thing I can't figure out so I thought I might register here and ask (isn't easy to find info on this machine).

I want to use the CDX-1 with my AKAI s1100 and since there is a MIDI out on the CDX I figured I could use the pads to trigger drums on the akai. In the manual, around page 151, there are instructions on how to use an external midi device to trigger the sample banks (setting the channel by setting the Rx parameter under utilities>midi). Now there is also a Tx-parameter, where you can adjust which midi channel you send the signals from the pads through. But when I set matching channels on Tx and the akai, my akai receives no MIDI. There isn't really much information on using the pads on the CDX to control external MIDI gear, so I'm not sure how to figure this out.

I also tried removing the CD-RW drive and pop in an SD card adapter. The machine started just fine, but couldn't find any media. I'm very interested in finding a way to substitute the CD-RW drive, but I don't know much about it. It might be that the SD card must be formatted in a certain way or something.

Hoping for some help here.
Best regards

[Headphones]

It seems cool, but a bit overpriced it almost feels. $599-750 on eBay? Pfff. I’d get a MV8800 that could smoke it.

[mr.thraz]

It seems cool, but a bit overpriced it almost feels. $599-750 on eBay? Pfff. I’d get a MV8800 that could smoke it.

when i was looking for one it was between $200-$300.

that one you saw on ebay was just one guy dreaming.

[Crane]

These are sucker machines at this point. If you buy one you are a sucker.
The concept is great it is a sp202 mixed with a Roland vs880 and all the effects of the sp808.

The problem is the media. The rw cd's these use have a shelf life which has already expired and there is no way to change out the format of the drive. You can't use the multitrack mixer without a writable cd and you can't save your samples either.
So unless you buy a unit with working cd's you are screwed.

Edit: Yeah the going price should be around $60