Help!!! :O Just bought my sp-404!

[Rafael Langoni]

Hello from Brazil!

I bought my sp-404 some weeks ago and I've been having fun making beats with the microphone and the preloaded samples, but my joy was not complete until my CF card finally arrived yesterday. During the time it took for me to pick some samples, yank them on the card and try to upload them, I was still happy. But then it didn't work. I've already double-checked all the specs for the upload. Now I'm pissed!

Buaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I'm using a Dane-Elec 1gb card which was supposed to be compatible. I read it was somewhere and I didn't want to buy a more standard card since it'd be more expensive and I'd get a bigger chance of getting a fake one. Actually, the SP-404 did format it and I could record into it with the microphone.

The problem is lying on the sample communication part: it says EMP everytime I try to Import. Yesterday I could get to a point where it seemed like the SP-404 was actually seeing the files but I pointed it to pad and it said FUL.

I also couldn't get the Roland samples out with the Export function (it did export, but I couldn't find the Wav files).

I'm using correct filenames, formats and sample rates. There must be something ridiculous I'm forgetting to do.

I should also mention that there are huge "file" files on the root of the memory stick that don't take up space and create themselves with mysterious filenames. Does this happen normally?

Please, someone, help me. You'd cry lasers if you saw my current disappointment.

[jbl]

don't know what cry lasers means but this is what u should do;
reformat on the 404
take out the card after the 404 is OFF
use a cf card reader, connect to pc, import files onto the ROOT folder(this means DO NOT put them in the folder that reads ROLAND but beside/under whatever
put it back into the 404 and import.

keep in mind, if you exceed the limit of the card it will FUL, so do not try to import more than 500 mb on a 1g card( a little more might work, i don't know the exact #s). anyway try that and then let me know if you had any success.

don't even bother looking inside the folder that says ROLAND, it will just confuse you.

[Rafael Langoni]

Ok. Here's what happened.

First time I did it: EMP (usual). I was losing hope in humankind when I decided to give it another chance. I just cancel-remain rec-ed it again and this time it DID import (!?!). It's got some pops and noise towards the beginning of the audio however.

I swear to you, I did the same now as I did maybe thirty times yesterday. I think this Dane-Elec card mustn't be very orthodox.

I'll continue experimenting since I have a strong cue now. I'll post it if anything unusual happens again.

Thank you very much!!!!!

Cheers!

(first thing I heard on the SP-404 besides its samples: "How can you possible describe the first photograph taken by human beings of another planet?!" Ahaha

I got it from the link here!!)

Thanks again. Your help and quick reply is muuuch appreciated!!!!!!!

[elhuana]

Check my PM, maybe it will help to make things clear.

[Rafael Langoni]

Sadness. I got some more samples on the computer and passed them over to the CF. Not only it doesn't want to import, it also lost the first sample I had recorded (I didn't even delete it from root).

This card must suck, that must be it. The weird part is that it can be correctly recognized and formatted. Does this make sense?

[Rafael Langoni]

Elhau sent me a copy of the directories and files on his memory stick so that I could test mine. Here's what happened.

First I deleted everything from the card and pasted his files. The SP-404 said it wanted to format it. OK. Then I got the card back on he PC and repasted all the files.

When I turned the SP-404 on, most or all the banks were filled, but I just got output out of the 2 pad (an attack of horns), around half a second even if I disabled the Gate function. The others had varied amounts of silence.

Then I tried to import the file on the root.

THE SP-404 SHUT ITSELF OFF, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD.

When it restarted, all the CF banks were empty and I got the usual EMP message when I tried to import again.

What on earth!!!!

[elhuana]

So I'm out of ideas now :/

[Rafael Langoni]

I'm already losing hope on this card, but if anyone wants to give an idea before I liquify this PIECE OF &%#* with bananas I'd appreciate it...

[ColeRockLee]

Are you 100% sure the files your trying to import are 16 bit 44 khz .wav?

[earwolf]

are you sure it is an sp-404 you have bought and not a toaster oven?

[wax inspektor]

Sounds like you're dealing with a bad ass card. Just try another... I'm pretty sure that's the problem. Peace 2 brazil...

[Dr Van Nostrand]

yeah i think its some cards too, i don't load wav samples on to convert, but i did get a card once that was different from my normal brand i use and at first it seemed like it was saving samples fine, then when i turned it on later, it started doin some weird stuff.....

i would hit some of the pads, and they would play little parts all choppy and delayed from the hit time, then it froze, turned it off, I unplugged and plugged it back in, turned it back on, played a pad for a second then it stopped, and was just not playin right, it was all skippy, and then it started turnin itself on and off, just kept scrollin SP 404 across the screen and then would turn off and back on and do it again, so i took the card out, put in my other one, and it worked great, got a new one of the same brand i always use, formatted it, and it works great

and i don't know if people have these all over (at least in US) but if you have some sort of Sams Club or BJ's or any other wholesale membership place near you and have access to someone who can shop there, you should check that out for cf cards, i get mine for 15 a piece and can take it home that night and use it, haven't found anywhere else good really

[bishojo_command]

forget importing for the moment -

reformat card - again.. then

can you sample - thru the rca ins - and store anything on the card banks (C and above?)

Do they sound fine when you play them back?


then try moving their position - place them from the card banks to the inbuilt (A-B) - and back again.

Then... turn the 404 off - remove the card -

re-insert it (trust me ) - and turn the 404 on again - is it recognizing the card AND all the samples you previously sampled?


If this is working fine I'd be tempted to say it's not the card.

[Rafael Langoni]

Hello all you people!!

I guess it's not a toaster oven, really. And I made sure about the specs of the wave file (I also tried Aiff).

I'll do Bishojo's experiment but I really would like the problem to be the card's. It will be a pain on the ass to effectivate the warranty of this since I bought it in Rio.

Thank you all for your comments and ideas!

[Euclid Ov Oåklånd]

It's most likely the card, 404's seem to be weird about which cards they take.