I was just wondering if the SP-404 can be used by itself without any other equipment like keyboards and whatnot to sample from..... i was thinking of only getting the sp404 and record drum hits or other sounds using a mic.... would that be sufficient enough to make a beat to lay my vocals over ?... otherwise i was thinking about getting either the akai mpd32 or the akai xr20.... oh and would i need software like protools / FL studio etc etc etc... to run this ?

sorry for all the questions all at once .. im new to all of this and im just trying to get started without having to spend too much on equipment.

The 404 is a great instrument for making music. Go to the arena section and all those beats are done using only an sp. It is a very influential tool for beat creation. If you bought an mpd32 or xr20, niether of those are samplers, but mere drum machines. The sp 404 is what you make of it. The only thing you will need other than the 404 are records and a record player (or an ipod).....Loads of music and rca cables. This site is a great resource for audio samples, getting to know your machine, any help along the way, to show off your talent, or to just post what you are thinking. You will need a program for recording vocals. I use pro tools to record my main vocals, but sometimes use the sp to put in a little more life (sample myself beatboxing really low).
But you can download AUDACITY on the web. It is a free program that lets you record mix and edit audio. It is not the best program out there, but for a free one, it is pretty damn good. If music is a passion in your life, you will love the 404. If music is just you trying to be someone else or make money, or score lots of pussy, the 404 is probably not your type of machine (although this can be accomplished :)...) Go to a music store and check one out. Hope this post helps and hope you get the addiction.
Let me know if you have any other questions, I will be glad to answer.
Good luck


Music is Love

it would work just fine. keep in mind you'll need to find your own sounds (which isn't all that hard actually). there are many differences between the drum machines you mentioned and the 404.
possibly the biggest are the 404 does not have a song mode (only pattern mode, which is implemented quite well imho) or velocity sensing pads or internal sounds. those other twins you mentioned are merely drum machines; no sampling at all. they might fit the bill better early on but once you get tired of those sounds you're stuck.

a lot cats on here work with one of the sp-series and a turntable exclusively. But you can sample from anything really. the 404 even has a mic!

yeah... thats what i was trying to get at ..... where would i find sounds to record .... ? .... my friend has a band so i think i can get some drum hits / piano / guitar going on to sample from....

and yeah ive been using audacity for quite a while ... as it is the best free audio tool around...

the only reason i was considering the drum machines was because i didn't want to deal with rights over using samples .... as i would be creating my own sounds instead of taking a bit from someone else...

oh and i guess i also have the KORG DS-10 Synthesizer which is a pretty nifty little program on the ds... ive played around with it and you can create simple beats with it... how would i hook up my ds/ipod to a sp 404 ?

thanks for the help guys ... much appreciated .. i think im about 90% convinced on getting a SP-404 ... i just need to make sure i learn how to use it properly....

To find sounds, you look anywhere and everywhere. There is a post on these forums where someone took a vocal and make drum hits out of them.. In the library section of this forum, There are tons of people who post samples or sites with samples, which I believe are royalty free.

My biggest downer of the 404 is there is no midi out. That is my only complaint. in order to work with the ds-10, you would need to find the tempo of the track and record a loop to the 404. The same sounds on that drum machine will get old very quick.



Music is Love

before you go buy $300 + bucks on equipment, you need to test the waters. see if this is really what you want to do....so i say go to walmart and get Music Generator 3 for Xbox. that way you can get a basic knowledge on how beats are made. because if you get a sp, don't think there is some Madlib Magic that happens. this ain't for everyone, its real popular but if you go on ebay these sp's are selling all the time. and i think that is because people just like the idea of having a beat machine, but then they don't put in the time to learn them and then sell them. so if you have a Xbox, get that game. that was my first thing i used, you can sample with it (only from CD's). you can time stretch with it. i have even tracked out beats to a computer with it. and to be honest, if they ever do some real up grades with it like

midi -like a mpd 16 into the Xbox
being able to record into the Xbox/PS
just with some basic upgrades to it, i would probably use that most of the time.
sit in bed or lay on the couch making beats....nice!

Music Generator 3 i think its only $30 but the price may have went down. i heard about it in "computer Music Magazine", dizzie rascal and some other UK cats were using it at the time. even for live shows. i did well over a hundred beats with it all sample based beats. and every time i put one up on myspace people always ask about "how you making beats with a Xbox?".
i tell'em.....skillz!

He already made some music... he can only get better if he's going for the SP-404 in my opinion.

It's making of music by ear, chopping, setting the markers right, getting a feeling for how quantize and rhythm works, that will provide the actual learning curve.

I think you're wasting 30$ if you buy the Xbox program though... he already has the DS program which is basically similar.

ahhh, i only read the first post. and it did not sound like he has already been making music. opps. but for new comers i still think the MG3 is a good way to start. just to get the basic principles of making a full beat. even if its only for a month or so.

mmmm yeah ive been messing around with the korg ds-10 but its nothing much really..... i can't understand what most of the things mean... lol...

beanz mentioned something about hooking up the ipod to the sp 404 ... how would i go about doing that ? :O.... then i wouldn't have to convert samples of mp3's .....

and it sounds like with the right setup you can use the sp 404 like a drum machine....

yeah i checked out the library section and there were some posts of "royalty free" samples ... so i guess thats a good starting point ^^....

on a sort of off topic question... do you know how to get the lame mp3 thing working for audacity ? because i find .wav files are way too big and as long as i can edit them again in audacity its better if its smaller..

oh and i don't own a xbox ... well... i see what you mean by testing the waters but yeah... i mainly write rhymes .... and just need a beat to lay it over with .. or else i wouldn't be progressing at all

Making beats is the same thing as writing rhymes, but instead of words, you use sounds, drums, instruments, you get the idea. in order to hook up an ipod or other form of media to the sp, all you need is a 1/8th in jack - 2 rca's (red and white). Then select the pad you wish to record on and record you sample. Technically speaking, you don't even need to convert any samples to put on your cf card, all you need to do is sample from that Y cable i mentioned. it is easier to dump a lot of samples on a card though. For the LAME question, just google LAME and download the file that is required for audacity. I believe thats it. And the sp is whatever you can make of it. If you want it to be a simple drum machine, it can do that, if you want it to be a specific instrument, it can do that, if you want it to be just a effects processor for a dj or other setup, yup you guessed it, it can do that, or if you want to create ridiculous sounding beats and make the sp basically your whole studio, well you can do that to. Go to the arena section of the forum and check out the beats people are making with just there sp, and those battles really help you learn your drum machine. Also the your music section is a very inspiring place to listen to others beats/tracks and realize what can be do with this machine and some imagination. this machine is what you make of it....AND IT WILL TAKE WORK. You will not completely learn everything in one day. The 404 is a very easy machine to operate for simple purposes, but when your feeling froggy and want to get deep into it, there are limitations. To the limitations there are workarounds, and that's what the rest of us are here for. Good Luck


Music is Love


Beanz

Thanks guys !! you have been a great help....i think im getting a sp 404 in the near future... ill post more when i get one

hi... guys !!! again... i just wanted to say im getting my 404 in a few days .... and im already starting to get my hands on some of the stuff for it from the library and it's been awesome so far !!! ^^....

i'll be back with a load of questions after i get my hands on the sampler !

Nice to know you gave in. We are here for you when you receive it. Remember to practice with it and don't get to frustrated. It takes a lil time to get used to, but overall is an easy process. Good Luck man.

Sounds good, if have questions just ask and someone will have the answer.

Alright im finally ready to get to work with my new 404 ... i got it about a week ago but i haven't got all the gear (Full phones , CF card) until today.... but yeah i've been playing around with the effects from the original banks and it was fun ^^... heres a quick question to start off with :O

If i had a microphone connected could I add the lets say Voice Changer effect to it "live" ? or does it only work with recorded material ?