SP-404 MK2?

[SP-USER]

If I had a CNC machine, I'll be making guitars all day. That was one of the things I didn't like about the guitar community, luthiers were like "without a CNC you are nothing" as well as "use exotic woods or its garbage" meanwhile Fender been using high quality plywood for years, but those are some of the myths passed around. They make you think you need big money to make guitars. Thats why I left, because I knew I could use my home tools but needed the right guidance.

I actually own a CNC, bought it for prototyping a new type of cassette transport.
Whether I'll actually see my CNC again is another matter entirely!

And totally hear you on the other stuff, like I said, it's like those people are a totally different mentality. Unfortunately, craftsmanship and being good at what you do seems to have taken a back seat in modern society.

[boorch]

I wonder how many MK2s Roland sent out?

1st batch is REAL limited. One shop says their 1st batch consists of only 10 MK2s while 2nd batch preorders have stopped and slated for Jan. 2022 release. 3rd batch by March.

If a not so small shop has only 10 SPs, bigger stores like Sweetwater might only have 50 to 60 to fulfill 1st batch preorders.

A rep from Roland says the MK2s will come in "drips" and not "floods" as he says.

I was one of the lucky ones to get a unit off the first batch from musicmatter(uk). the lady on the phone said they received only 5 units!

[Ill Green]

I wonder how many MK2s Roland sent out?

1st batch is REAL limited. One shop says their 1st batch consists of only 10 MK2s while 2nd batch preorders have stopped and slated for Jan. 2022 release. 3rd batch by March.

If a not so small shop has only 10 SPs, bigger stores like Sweetwater might only have 50 to 60 to fulfill 1st batch preorders.

A rep from Roland says the MK2s will come in "drips" and not "floods" as he says.

I was one of the lucky ones to get a unit off the first batch from musicmatter(uk). the lady on the phone said they received only 5 units!

Finally, someone here gets one.

Thats what I figure too. Seems like even though the big retailers are getting MK2s, there are like max of 5 units. UK's Guitar Guitar had only 2 units come in this week. US? 0, zilch, nada!!

I have 3 theories to the hold-up in the US.

#1-Biden fucking up

#2-SP-Vidz pointed out some bugs. Knowing Roland, they'll delay a release if there are potential bugs. Of course, they'll still be sent out, but they'll remain in the retailer's warehouse until Roland sends them an update.

#3-As noted, few SPs! Roland makes their own circuits and chips. The big drought could affect production if materials are hard to source.

[LORD BEATJITZU]

I wonder how many MK2s Roland sent out?

1st batch is REAL limited. One shop says their 1st batch consists of only 10 MK2s while 2nd batch preorders have stopped and slated for Jan. 2022 release. 3rd batch by March.

If a not so small shop has only 10 SPs, bigger stores like Sweetwater might only have 50 to 60 to fulfill 1st batch preorders.

A rep from Roland says the MK2s will come in "drips" and not "floods" as he says.

I was one of the lucky ones to get a unit off the first batch from musicmatter(uk). the lady on the phone said they received only 5 units!

Finally, someone here gets one.

Thats what I figure too. Seems like even though the big retailers are getting MK2s, there are like max of 5 units. UK's Guitar Guitar had only 2 units come in this week. US? 0, zilch, nada!!

I have 3 theories to the hold-up in the US.

#1-Biden fucking up

#2-SP-Vidz pointed out some bugs. Knowing Roland, they'll delay a release if there are potential bugs. Of course, they'll still be sent out, but they'll remain in the retailer's warehouse until Roland sends them an update.

#3-As noted, few SPs! Roland makes their own circuits and chips. The big drought could affect production if materials are hard to source.

I concur all three scenarios. They hype had me amped ,now I'm like whatever....thanks Roland!!

[TGN]

i recognize the mute groups... but does anybody know if there is a simple mute/solo function, too?

[Mr X_J]

It's been a long time....Well, i thought i'd share the infos i got this morning from Sonovente supplier France.
It's a big one, kinda like Thomann but for us, baguettes.

The container for Europe stock has been delayed, neither them or Roland can provide an estimate date of shipping.
"We should get 30 units as for the 1st batch of pre-orders, but it could end up as receiving only 6 units, we really don't know how many we will get"
"We never exeprienced such a FOMO of pre-orders before, regarding the kind of product. It's a never seen before amount of pre-orders AND even if the products might be delayed people don't cancel their pre-order."

So i asked :
"So you can't tell me if i'll get mine in november or February / March?"
"No"
"Come on man"
"But I can tell you roughly where your rank stand"
"Pretty please"
(typing keyboard)
"You are in the 1st batch for sure"
"*INTERIOR AIRHORN*"
"Glad to hear that, the MKII will be my OG 404 new partner, both together is like a dream comes true"
"Oh? You're not selling your old unit?"

This is where i asked myself Should i hang on him?

WHY WOULD I SELL MY BEAUTY OG SPACE PROGRAM??

Anyway here's the news from the Sonovente guy, and i thought i'd share for my fellow europeans.
Basically if you ordered from a big supplier within the 1st 2/3 days, you should get yours...Call your supplier and share with us the infos you get.
But i have to confess when the guy said "it should be 30 units but it can be 6, i was like Whuuut?"

I just can't wait until March.



Been a long time, i might stick around again.

Peace y'all

[Ill Green]

i recognize the mute groups... but does anybody know if there is a simple mute/solo function, too?

I don't know but the 606 had it. Looking at my Styleflip skin, I do see a Mute Bus button. I have no idea what it does, that web manual by Roland is the biggest fuccup in history. Not even a hiccup, its a downright fuccup!

I concur all three scenarios. They hype had me amped ,now I'm like whatever....thanks Roland!!

I feel you bro. I was expecting at least by Oct. 30th for these to come out. 1st batches are always limited but not like this. I don't know why Roland didn't have a fleet of these by now.

One beta tester said she had their MK2 since July, so they been pretty much in production since.

It's been a long time....Well, i thought i'd share the infos i got this morning from Sonovente supplier France.
It's a big one, kinda like Thomann but for us, baguettes.

The container for Europe stock has been delayed, neither them or Roland can provide an estimate date of shipping.
"We should get 30 units as for the 1st batch of pre-orders, but it could end up as receiving only 6 units, we really don't know how many we will get"
"We never exeprienced such a FOMO of pre-orders before, regarding the kind of product. It's a never seen before amount of pre-orders AND even if the products might be delayed people don't cancel their pre-order."

So i asked :
"So you can't tell me if i'll get mine in november or February / March?"
"No"
"Come on man"
"But I can tell you roughly where your rank stand"
"Pretty please"
(typing keyboard)
"You are in the 1st batch for sure"
"*INTERIOR AIRHORN*"
"Glad to hear that, the MKII will be my OG 404 new partner, both together is like a dream comes true"
"Oh? You're not selling your old unit?"

This is where i asked myself Should i hang on him?

WHY WOULD I SELL MY BEAUTY OG SPACE PROGRAM??

Anyway here's the news from the Sonovente guy, and i thought i'd share for my fellow europeans.
Basically if you ordered from a big supplier within the 1st 2/3 days, you should get yours...Call your supplier and share with us the infos you get.
But i have to confess when the guy said "it should be 30 units but it can be 6, i was like Whuuut?"

I just can't wait until March.



Been a long time, i might stick around again.

Peace y'all

I get the same here but it changed twice for me. One seller said by end of Oct. and now its by Nov. 21st. And the second seller still cries Nov. 29th. Recently I placed a few email notifications out just to see who gets them first but that maybe a long line too.

[SP-USER]

New video from SPVIDZ talking about his dislikes. The good news is that all of his dislikes (apart from the lack of a built-in mic) can be fixed in a firmware update. The bad news for me is that my main frustration with it are all physical and cannot be fixed (not by Roland anyway but I wish they would).

SPVIDS SP-404MKII Dislikes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMvzYMUuOis

The decision to put the names of preset effects on the freely assignable selection buttons was bad beyond belief. Instead of having preset names written on them, they should have named the six buttons (FX1, FX2, FX3, FX4, FX5, FX SELECT). This not only makes more sense, it would even match the menu that comes up. Not sure why they made such a bad design decision, unless perhaps it was miscommunication between the software and hardware departments, just makes no sense at all to me.

And MIDI being on mini-jacks, there was plenty of space had they left out the barrel jack and the USB-C, and replaced both those design decisions with the same USB/Power solution used on the MC-101. It has cost them more to do it wrong than to do it right.

Other than those things, I cannot wait to get my hands on one, and there's even a chance the stupid presets written on the FX buttons can be fixed if that company who makes the replacement pads decides to do it right and sell replacement buttons labelled:

FX1
FX2
FX3
FX4
FX5
FX SELECT

If they do, I'll be buying those correctly labelled buttons to retain my sanity, and I'll be installing them as soon as the warranty expires!

[Ill Green]

You mean like the ones at mpcstuff.com? They might make a custom for you. I haven't bought from them since I sold my MPC500 in 2015, but they used to be on the experimental tip with the pads. If enough demanded it, they would make it. Their 404 pads are pretty dope and fat. Only thing, getting down to the pads on a 404 is a daunting task, you have to unscrew and unclip 3 circuit boards and a panel. Best to video yourself taking it apart to remember what goes where.

[Headphones]

Is it just the pads that need thickening up? Or does every other button get a bigger thicker one too? Not sure if the whole rubber pad/push buttons are all connected together from one mold, or it’s all separated?

[Ill Green]

Is it just the pads that need thickening up? Or does every other button get a bigger thicker one too? Not sure if the whole rubber pad/push buttons are all connected together from one mold, or it’s all separated?

Well on the 404A, those pads suck, the pads click from what feels like an air bubble underneath. All 12 pads are one mold, I think they added the function buttons together with the pads now. The screen buttons are a different mold but just as thick.

If you look for Blezzbeat's 404 on youtube, he has it all fat padded. They stick out 2x than the Roland pads. Looks cool to me, but others may not like it.

[SP-USER]

You mean like the ones at mpcstuff.com? They might make a custom for you. I haven't bought from them since I sold my MPC500 in 2015, but they used to be on the experimental tip with the pads. If enough demanded it, they would make it. Their 404 pads are pretty dope and fat. Only thing, getting down to the pads on a 404 is a daunting task, you have to unscrew and unclip 3 circuit boards and a panel. Best to video yourself taking it apart to remember what goes where.

Yeah, that looks like the place althought I've found another solution too:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203551989970

Providing the text on the buttons is done in such a way that the clear text is flush with the black button itself, then you could simply remove the buttons and spray them with the stuff at the link and the buttons would be completely black rubber, not preset text on them. It would give it that cool blacked-out look, and you could even use it to coat the other black parts such as the plastic parts of the body, and even the bezel around the buttons and screen.

That stuff gives a perfectly professional finish, so it should look like it was done at the factory, and the cool thing is you can even peel it off again if you wanted to. Check the images at the link to see what I mean. It's not as if having FX1 written on the button would be any easier than remembering what you had under that first (or any) FX button anyway, so on a design like that, the text is irrelevant clutter and like I said, I reckon it would look a hell of a lot cooler blacked-out like that anyway.

You could even spray the knobs and knobs bezel with it to match.

[Ill Green]

Never thought of that. And I like cheap diy solutions I reckon the pads got a rough but smooth glossy tops. I prefer pads that grip, not smooth shiny surfaces. I use that stuff myself but to seal speaker cabs. I saw the commercials of making a boat with it, but I aint that crazy to try.

WINTER WARNING FOR ANYONE WONDERING TO PREORDER: By this Winter season, Roland will raise the price to $549.99 USD. I think this drip shit was just a front to raise the price anyway, but thats what it is. If you interested, preorder while you got the chance or wait later by May for a 2nd hand.

Also, already getting reports that US stores will be popping up with some next week. These are new contacts, so lets give them a chance, if not, they get beheaded too like Frank and Louie.

[Jaytreaze]

waiting for second hand or a laaate drop just means getting more payday's in until you cop, most likely gunna play it that way

[DimensionsTomorrow]

What’s up Ill Green? Not sure if you remember me from the Elektron board, but I sold my Digitakt a while back and have a preorder in for the mkii. They don’t drop in Japan until Nov 19 and I was originally told I was going to miss out on the November shipment, but would be in for the second shipment which they expected in December. Global supply is all messed up so no idea when that will actually be.

Anyway, I’m psyched for this thing. I’m also looking forward to sampling instruments into it, like bass and guitar, as well as regular old sampling. I started on an MPC then moved to the Digitakt, but I’m totally new to SP. The mkii looks like a dream for me and the way I work now though.