Hi guys, i just entered the forum.
After reading many topics i still can't decide wether or not the sp 555 is the tool for me... so here i am, begging for your help!

Let me first tell you my background: i make electonic music, not a big fan of hiphop or such - mostly dnb jungle stuff like that.
I've had a ride on the sp 555 in a local shop yesterday, and thought that would really help me sorting out this. Must say, the 555 really seems a powerful gear - but i was somehow let down by the poor sequencer.

For example, i'm not sure about the total NO-SCREEN flair when it comes to sequence beats. Can anybody tell me if this is somehow just a matter of getting used to it or if it can be a major issue after a while? I want to be able to make full tracks on this because i'm trying to get away from the pc environment. But on the same time i also want a live-oriented performance gear - so that's why i'm not even considering akai mpc's... I totally respect the akai stuff, but i think the sp 555 is way more loaded with fx and live capabilities (loop recorder, dbeam, etc)...

So to make it short: can someone please give me a thorough description of the sp555 sequencing skills? For example, is there anybody who's done a full track on it? (perhaps not hiphop?) And is there alse anybody who's done a full liveset with just the 555? (not used as a dj-fx thing, rather like a loop sequencer)

As a final question: how does the sp 555 compare to the Korg Kaoss Pad 3 for example? I've seen a youtube video by Beardyman and hell he knows how to rock it...

Sorry for overloading, but i'm so damn puzzled!
Thanks for your attention!

you know whats wierd? these i days look for stuff without flashy screens. as for the kp3 it looks cool. i want one. however they are different machines. if you're just using it as an in out aux type mainly to stack a sparse 4-track then the kp3 might be more what you want. but the sp one track sequencer is quite good actually it just requires a more zen like insight, shit i mighta said too much

I (still) have the Kaoss Pad 3 and had the SP-555. Both are great, but the 4 pads on the Kaoss Pad 3 don't make it suitable to really make complete songs.. it's more useful for it's effects, pitching and so on. Awesome gadget, but I'm still having difficulties getting it set-up properly in my mini-studio.

The SP-555 is very cool, it's loop capture feature is very powerful, it has a lot of sick effects as well. Personally I missed having a screen and bought a SP-606 second hand a few weeks later, but I have no doubts whatsoever that I could have learned the SP-555 much better by just using it more.

I'm not saying the learning curve is steep or anything, bear with me I only had the SP-555 for about 4 weeks or so when I sold it. I did make music on it though and it did do everything I wanted it to do basically.

Now I'm rocking the SP-606 and I feel that this is a much more complete machine, especially the better sequencer, 4 tracks and so on make it my preferred weapon right now. A few things I miss a lot from my SP-555 is the MIC input with phantom power, the loop capture function and some of the SP-555 effects I don't have on the SP-606.

I think something that also mattered a lot was that the SP-555 basically was my first sampler.. so the learning curve would have been there anyways.

I think either the 555 or the 606 is the machine for you. The sequencing on it is functional. You can do a complete track on it easily even if its not as in depth as many others. I have created DnB sequences on it...but I was honestly just fooling around with it. I think the biggest problem your going to run into with the sequencer is that at high BPMs it skips a few number values. It will from like 172 to 176 or something like that. The 606 wont do that. The screen is no big deal at all. The way the sampler is engineered it doesnt need nething more than what it has.

hey cheers for the great answers, you really helped. In the end i think i might go for the 606... it really seems a bit more complete, plus the autochop feature is a BIG plus.
But i'm kinda scared that it's already an "old" product, 512mb cf, no phantom mic, only 6 samples simultaneously...
i wonder why roland isn't releasing an upgraded product to the line... but hey what can you do.
cheers!

theres definitely something on the horizon. It should be something like an updated 606 with some of the 555 features.

So long as you can get one 512 CF card, you'll be right. Camera chops are the best bet. You can use a card-reader and 4-gig SD cards then... just drag and drop the file set you want to use currently. You have access to over 500 samples at once, so one card at a time is definitely all you need.

Use mono samples and you can get 8 playing at once, which with the effects is more than enough. The 606 has a number of special effects for making mono sources sound stereo (such as Space-D). Everything I sequence in the 606 is mono, but if you listen to my battle beats they don't really sound like mono recordings due to the FX trickery.

I love the 606, and I want a 555. The two would go well. If Roland make a machine that has all the features of both machines It'll be killer

yeah, if only roland would read these forums... !
i was truly hoping something would pop out @ summer namm 2008! that sucks..

@606Man : where can i listen to some of your 606 tracks? i'm really curios to check it out

Roland has to read these forums, if they dont there stupid, they have there target market right here. Also they should be looking at employing the experts on there machines to help with design and marketing the things.

check the 'Your Music' section for techno/trance and the 'Arena' for more hip-hop(kind of - I'm not that good at hip hop).

that's a tight song name;
"target market right here"

damn... i'm so undecided!
what about the korg electribe sx-1 then? anybody ever tried it?

i have used a electribe es-1. Its not as good as the sx-1 but the same sort style. Its a totally different style of sampling. and sequencing, i prefer the sequencer on the electribe cause its really really easy with a timeline but, i play alot of long samples and from what i have seen they are not that great for that. and its really hard to get cards for them.

ok so today is my shopping day... in the end i will go for a sp-555 ... i will definitely report my opinions as soon as i get my hands on it. hope this will help somebody else too!

let me know how the SP555 pans out cause im looking at getting one.