I am lost with the basics of the SP-303

[catapultnt]

I made a post a while back about getting samples from my pc to the SP. Since then I have figured that out for the most part, but I'm having serious trouble finding a way to hook up the SP that works consistently. Something has to just be majorly going over my head at this point. I have other hardware (MPC 2000xl and keyboards), and that hasn't been an issue for me.

I would really appreciate some guidance with how you guys have the SP hooked up, what do you have going in, going out, etc.?

I would really love to learn this machine and get to know it the same way I have the other hardware but I cannot for the life of me find a setup that works consistently and I really don't know what to do.

I have a little 3.5mm to RCA I have used for input and I've gotten it to work a couple of times, but I don't know what I do wrong whenever it doesn't work.

Thank you tremendously.

[THEGREAT]

you might need to take the unit apart if the rca isnt working all the time .. or sample using the front mic input ( is it 1/4 or 1/8 inch jack ? i dont know myself)

[THEGREAT]

.. nd

what ever you can plug into .. use it . for example .. record player . phone .. record some random ish on your phone when out and about .. be creative

[HAWTKARL]

Theres this fantastic document created specifically for the 303 and its full of really basic, yet helpful, information.
Everything from hooking it up to and from different sources, recording in many modes, using effects and even sequencing!
I find it hard to believe you have an mpc and you are finding it a challenge to learn the basics of 303.

I mean well when I say;
Go read the manual put your 303 on your lap and SP fapp away!

If that doesnt work.. maybe your machine is fcked up.

If thats not the case... Respectfully...sell it and stop wasting your time.
Best of luck!

[zindan]

I made a post a while back about getting samples from my pc to the SP.... but I'm having serious trouble finding a way to hook up the SP that works consistently.
I would really appreciate some guidance with how you guys have the SP hooked up, what do you have going in, going out, etc.?

the point of an SP is to sample real shit. not computers. hardware sampler for sampling hardware things. CD players, tape players, record players, videogame consoles, synthesizers, drum machines, etc.

what is the point of sampling your computer with an sp303??? why wouldn't you just use a DAW and a midi drum pad controller????

[forest]

Maybe you elaborated the question in a misleading way. It's kinda hard to really understand what problem you are on.

SP lines are very straight foward. The inputs behind the units are the inputs the sounds will use to get into the circuitry. If you hooked the cables on that and it worked and then does not worked anymore there are two majors and a half. Your cable is fucked up, the inputs of your SP is fucked up, both things are fucked up. Test the cables somewhere else and found out if they are falty, bend them a little bit and see if the sound is crackling, that's a sing of shitty cables. If they are working perfectly, your input jacks are the problem.

The other thing that passed on my mind is that maybe your treshold to record is really high (and you bought it from someone that maybe set this and you don't know how to reset it yet) and it just capturing really loud sounds. I never owned an 303 and don't really know if it has it, but worth a check on google.

[General_Giraffe]

I made a post a while back about getting samples from my pc to the SP.... but I'm having serious trouble finding a way to hook up the SP that works consistently.
I would really appreciate some guidance with how you guys have the SP hooked up, what do you have going in, going out, etc.?

the point of an SP is to sample real shit. not computers. hardware sampler for sampling hardware things. CD players, tape players, record players, videogame consoles, synthesizers, drum machines, etc.

what is the point of sampling your computer with an sp303??? why wouldn't you just use a DAW and a midi drum pad controller????

That's pretty off topic, g. Kind of unhelpful and disrespectful. What's it to you what other people sample from?
'the point of an sp' like you're some kind guru.gtfoh

[HAWTKARL]

an sp303??? why wouldn't you just use a DAW and a midi drum pad controller????[/quote]

That's pretty off topic, g. Kind of unhelpful and disrespectful. What's it to you what other people sample from?
'the point of an sp' like you're some kind guru.gtfoh
[/quote]

Not off topic and I agree with zendan.
Pretty sure your green comment is disrespectful and honestly a waste of space. How did you contribute at all?. DM zendan next time! -------neat a Karate guy!

No one is going to hold this guys hand and show him how the basics of sampling work. There's a reason MANUALS are created. This question is the most basic shit I've ever read on sp forums.

If you aren't capable of sampling analog gear... Go ask your dad! Or get into the culture and not the trend of this "genre"
There's many resources available to Learn how to sample! Search!. The last thing we need is another utube sampling digital lo-fi anime beat maker.

Fck I hope this trend dies soon..

READ THE MANUAL, EXPERIMENT OR DIE !!!

[catapultnt]

Thanks to everybody for the replies.

I have read the manual over a number of times, and I don't mean to ask for all of you more experienced folks to hold my hand thru the process. I just thought that maybe it would be beneficial to hear how you guys use it so that I could get the most out of the machine.

Don't get me wrong, I love sampling from records and all that, it's just that it gets expensive when you make a lot of beats and also I live in a place that has 1 (one) record store with little to nothing in it that hasn't been sampled. The point is the music. I love the SP for its sound and its character, and I enjoy using something tangible to make music, that's all.

If you don't see my question as something worth your time, don't answer it. Don't just reply by patronizing me. I already know it's basic shit dude, it's in the title.

Thank you to those who actually contributed something... I did have some success using different sources for sound.

[General_Giraffe]

I don't think it's that basic a question to ask how people use their sps. Isn't that why we're here?

The only advice I'd really give is you don't have to have a static signal flow - it's ok to plug/unplug from sources, then sample it back into something else. Also Id rarely bother with any kind of file transfer just sampling back and forth saves so much time. I don't use a 303 tho, I know they're a bit lower quality audio, so you might lose some quality.

Hawtkarl you agree that SPs should only be used to sample certain things? Vintage records and vintage video games consoles? I think you might be a waste of space. That's pure elitist scenester bullshit, sample whatever you want mang.

[catapultnt]

I don't think it's that basic a question to ask how people use their sps. Isn't that why we're here?

The only advice I'd really give is you don't have to have a static signal flow - it's ok to plug/unplug from sources, then sample it back into something else. Also Id rarely bother with any kind of file transfer just sampling back and forth saves so much time. I don't use a 303 tho, I know they're a bit lower quality audio, so you might lose some quality.

Hawtkarl you agree that SPs should only be used to sample certain things? Vintage records and vintage video games consoles? I think you might be a waste of space. That's pure elitist scenester bullshit, sample whatever you want mang.

That's the impression I was under too.

Appreciate the advice, I did end up doing that the other night, good to hear that's a regular thing people do!

And yeah, why limit yourself, what fun is that?

[13th of 36]

i just have my instrument or anything else that generates sound hooked into the audio in's both via RCA and mic jack.

my outs either go directly into my audio interface, another samper or machine, or just my monitors.

what's cool about the 303 imo is being able to record audio in at the same time you're resampling other pads.

when i was using the 303 only, i'd have my DAW audio out hooked into my sp303 and i'd use my computer like an instrument. when i was done making my jam on the 303 i'd re-route the cables back into the DAW for mixing/mastering.

hope that clears some things up with you if you didn't know already.

also check out the sp303 resampling videos on youtube. pretty good overview of resampling method while recording audio in.
https://youtu.be/RruekP1RcAU

[zindan]

Hawtkarl you agree that SPs should only be used to sample certain things? Vintage records and vintage video games consoles? I think you might be a waste of space. That's pure elitist scenester bullshit, sample whatever you want mang.

no one said anything about vintage. you're making assumptions and hating for no reason. are CDs vintage in your opinion??? synthesizers aren't being sold at electronics stores every day??? new records for current artists aren't being pressed and sold every day??? they don't produce and sell new record players anymore??? no one cares about your hate dude.

why would the sp303 have RCA in and not 3.5mm auxiliary? or some kind of card reader for transferring files from a computer???
these facts alone shit on you.

also the sp303 came out in 2000, when people still used cassettes, etc.

the sampler itself is vintage

anyway, every answer is in the manual. when i learned how to use my sp404sx i just kept the manual beside me and i never had any issues. i never had to go on a forum and ask how to record shit.... just reinforcing what others already said.

[zindan]

I love the SP for its sound and its character, and I enjoy using something tangible to make music, that's all.

midi controllers are tangible

there are plenty of plug-ins for DAW you can use to emulate the sound of sp303 FX

also just exporting your files in a low bit depth can emulate the sp303's low bit depth sampling modes. same for sample rate.

the thing that makes sp303 still useful is the fact that the electronics are built specifically for the conversion of analog sound to digital sound and storing it. this is where you get unique and quality sound character with the machine. if you're just sampling low quality digital files through your computers sound card out of the auxiliary into the sp303's mic in, it's going to sound like trash. pointless.

anyway, i'm going to discredit myself and say this is solely my opinion, and i have nothing against anyone that wants to use their sampler in a different way!!! it's music man, there aren't any rules. i have nothing against anyone that makes music in a different way than i do

oh and a tip, if you must sample from your computer, download high quality .wav files for your sample material, and buy an audio interface to avoid your computer's shitty sound card affecting the quality.

[General_Giraffe]

Lol whatever g