Just outta curiosity’s sake, who owns every SP? From the 202 to the 808?? What model is your favorite? Which do you use the least, yet have an effect or feature that Roland did right, and you refuse to sell it?

Not entirely sure I want them all. I didn’t get on well with the 606, but I did like it’s dual fx which was nice. Might want a 555 next or perhaps a 2nd 404(SX or A).

I own/owned the 202, 303, 404sx, and 555.

My fav hands down is my 303. I’ve made so much music on that thing. The 202 was used for sound processing and stored away with my mpc1000 Incase my studio burns down.

The 404sx is a work horse and used for live sets.

I wanted to love the 555 but I couldn’t get into it. I got it for the looper and it’s ability to sample from the looper but it was just too limiting for what I wanted to do with it which was more complex live looping. It’s def a beast of a machine tho and it also has an easy mode effect that basically makes anything knock hard LOL (more so than the 303 vinyl sim). But it was redundant for me since I had the 404 and an mpc. It also almost twice the size and couldn’t fulfill my looping needs the way I envisioned it doing.

If you want more of a workstation, the 555 is def more flexible than the 404 and you can also use it to rock live sets if needed. Also it uses compact flash cards if that matters to you.

^That's an interesting take Lu. My 555 was my first SP and I loved it. I've got a 404 OG, 505, 555 (used to have one), and 808.

Just speaking on the 555... I was expecting more of a work station when I got it, but with the same sequencer as the 404, reality set in pretty quick. I loved mine though. 16 pads vs 12 was significant to me... I loved the looper... and the effects are great. Super filter is the shit for isolating sounds. I loved my 555, but I guess it all depends on what a person's expectations and aspirations are. The looper allows for some pretty cool track building options. It's kindof like the resample method on steroids, since you can actually sample your patterns... then save those patterns back to the pads as loops. You can do that on the 808 as well, but it's significantly different.

@ghost bazz:

yeah i feel you.

I think if I could only have one piece and had limited recording options, the SP-555 would def be my pick. it can even be used as an audio interface and has a built in synth.

But fortunately i have plenty of other stuff that i'd rather use over the sp-555 that can get the results i want more easily.

Tho if i were to start again and went for hardware only on a budget, it would be the SP-303 and SP-555 combo as the center of my studio.

In all the years I’ve been on/off the site, I wonder if anyone can honestly say they owned every model?? (I won’t count 3 different 404’s & 2 different 808s. If someone just owned every one but not necessarily EVERY variation that would suffice).

I currently own the 202, 404og, & 505 (which needs repair, but I can still use the Mic as my input and Headphones out to monitor what it does. I’ve considered just getting another 505 for that reason, but in a strange way, I just can’t part with it).

Used to have a 303, 606 & 808 aaaages ago, but I hit hard times in different intervals of my life, so when I had to lose those, I just moved on. 606 I didn’t gel with like I had wanted to, or maybe it wasn’t it’s fault, but the stress I had at the time. Wouldn’t mind another 303, even though I wouldn’t really need it. (But the collector in me wouldn’t mind).

The 555 was one I had never gotten around to. That would be the ideal one to score, but I’m flexible. If I spotted a good deal, I’d likely try to get it. But if it was the 303/555/606/808, why not?

I think the one I use the least is my ST224, but I’ll just have to sit down with it. Anyway, anyone else can chime in.

I never had the 808 in my hands, though I tried my best to obtain one as an upgrade from the MS-1 but they were expensive.

Currently, I have the SP-303, SP-404A and the SP-606 at the moment as well as the MS-1. I did owned the 202 and the 505 for a few years.

The 202, is more like the MS-1 but has mfx, and although has pitch tuning, its not as wide as the MS-1. 202 has no sequencer. I don't remember well, but I think the 202 and MS-1 had distinct sounding converters, the MS was more raw.

The 303, 404, 505, and 606 can be categorized the same operation-wise. They do have their differences. 404 being the fastest but does not sample Ext Source and a pad at the sametime like the 303, 505 and 606 can. 505 is a poor man's MPC but the 16 levels, which is called Pitch on the 505, is chromatic. 606 lacks that feature. 505 can auto chop and you can manually shift the start and end points for better precision. 606 has auto chop too but you cannot adjust the points. 505 can edit patterns such as timing, steps and bars, even after recording. The 606 also lacks that feature, so you are stuck with what you made. Other than that, 606 is the professional SP of the bunch. You can sample straight off the USB, sampling digital quality youtube vids or any audio sounding website without using your laptop's headphone jack. Or resample that dope pattern you just recorded in GarageBand or any DAW. All without the P606 software. Its an interface too. 606 also is very quiet and has a distinct sound different of all SPs. Its like a clean grime but grimey clean.

404, well everyone has one by now. Its fast, cleaner sound but lacks pitch tuning (nothing new).

I forgot to mention that the SP-505 and the SP-303 were made to buddy together. 303 was for live and the 505 for the studio. The beat you made on the 505 can be easily transported to the 303 just by hot swapping the Smartmedia chip. Need precise chops on the 303? Mark system too tedious? Do it in the 505, hot swap to a 303, problem solved.

That’s one thing I never really understood about Roland. They gave you some features when they started out on SPs, but over the years took away some as they gave ya new ones. Sounds like everything the 505 COULD do, the 606 could barely offer. The 808 I think has the most FX. 202 has the best pitch shift that none of the others could get right. But if anyone were to own every model, guess they don’t have to worry what is missing. Just use this SP with that one, depending on what needs to be done.

Doesn’t mean I’m going to try to buy them all. It’s getting kinda crowded in my room. Thinking of getting a storage locker just to make some extra space. But even then, I don’t think I have extra room for them all. I am however still getting a MS-1, but to me it’s the size of a paperback while a 202/303/404 is the size of a brick. I guess when Roland released the MS-1, they hadn’t really figured out the sampler market to musicians/producers when it dropped. But telling someone you didn’t need some rackmount unit to sample at the time, probably made them whip out their wallets. When the 202 dropped, my roommate at the time picked one up. I liked it, but when I heard the 808 was coming, I bought it immediately. (And with the additional card). But I was busy chasing skirts and not really making music, and I hit hard times and sold it to a guy I used to go to school with. Later, he had made a track with it, and I felt super dumb. I didn’t have the cash to get another, but I did have enough to get a SP202/DR202. But that was my car insurance money, and those got me in trouble later....Sorry I’m rambling, but yeah, anything can happen in life. I’ve bought & sold mad gear over the years. Bought stuff I couldn’t figure out but thought it would make me some super producer if I got it. It’s easy to make certain mistakes in gear buying. However I’m going to be trying to take it more seriously. I have no plans Sunday, so I’m thinking of just do nothing else but practice on my 404.

If they own every model it would probably be called an MPC.

I currently have a few 404's, 404sx, 202, some 505's, 606, and played with the 808. Never touched a 555, and as I no longer own one. I have to say the 303 is the best. There is just something about it that is fun (at least for me). Besides for the 303 I like the 404's both the original and sx/a, the rest can go to the wayside in my opinion as the functions that they offer don't even come close to a mpc500.

Just my opinion on the boxes. So take it with a grain of salt as I'm more of a groovebox fanboy.

What’s the file naming structure on the 500... same as the 1000? Naming every sample and browsing through folders to save and load?

The simplicity of the SP operating system(s) is both a gift and a curse. The uninterrupted creative flow that results from not having to deal w the complexities of the various MPC operating systems is pretty fantastic.

yep same tedious save and load function as the 1000. You can always save them to the default name "sample1, sample2..." and just rename them on the computer. Technically it's just doing the same thing as an sp which is naming them c00000001, c00000002, you just can't see them on the machine.

I agree the sp's have great ease of use and I do love how fast they are, but to me they are limited. Hence the joke above, you need to buy every machine to get the different features IllGreen pointed out and they still won't do what an mpc can offer. And yes I understand half the fun is having a few of them to bounce back and forth between.

As I said, I am a huge groovebox fan so I think being able to have all the different tracks and the sequencer, mute groups etc is why the mpc feels more complete to me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the sp's lack for for all as people can do incredible shit with them. I would never guess that some of your productions came solely from and 808 and there is a dude on youtube that has awesome videos on the 555.

Something about the 303 really gets the creative juices flowing and is fun for me. Everything that comes out of it just sounds good. I regret not keeping one. The other units to me feel like tools to help me get to where I'm going.

Shit now I feel like I need to go buy another 303.

That’s dope man. I’ve never messed w a 303, but they have a really loyal bunch of users. I’m amazed at what some cats can do with em. AND the same vinyl sim as the 505 right? (Best vinyl sim in the game.)

I agree w everything u said above. I love grooveboxes too. Having a bunch of tracks to arrange on is the best. Such a different vibe than the SP’s.

That mini brut looks pretty sick actually.

i had them all... there's even a picture of my couch with every SP on it...

i just kept the 202 (2x), 303 (3x), 404 OG (2x) and 404SX

my absolute favourite of the all was and will forever be the SP-303. Runner-up is 404OG.

found the thread where i posted the picture but in the meantime the picture is deleted...

ps: edited it with picture, sorry for the huge pic! there's even a roland ms-1 and Boss DR-202 on it (they were both sold)

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!! Scopebeats has owned them all and can even prove it!! Bonus points on the MS-1 & DR202!!