Roland's update policies

[korakios]

I don't know if it's possible but maybe there was a way to update the firmware of the cf card reader or (more difficult) to create partitions in the big cf cards so that the first partition could be recognized.In other words just finding(which is easy) a 2 or 4 gig cf card and making a partition so ,for example , the first 512mb(sp606 limitation) could be read...

[PHeMoX]

The partition trick won't work for gear that demands you to first format the flash card inside your SP. In other words, it doesn't seem to be possible with most Roland gear.

This would suggest the whole card limit issue is either a standard policy kind of thing or perhaps a hardware dictated thing. Formatting the card implies it needs to prepare the card for the data format used in the gear and so on, but it actually seems to be normal FAT16 or FAT32 most of the time (or else PCs and Macs wouldn't be able to read it).

Hence, why I think a firmware update might still be the solution to getting rid of the size limit.

[cartesia]

why would they purposely limit their products?

[ColeRockLee]

why would they purposely limit their products?

So they can release basically the same machine over and over again. Such as SP-202, then 303, then 505, then 606, then 404, etc. I realize they add features each time but it stays basically the same machine. Purposefully limiting the card size is anti-futureproofing. It's their way of trying to force people to upgrade when they release new shit. Corporate greed, most vile.

[cartesia]

why would they purposely limit their products?

So they can release basically the same machine over and over again. Such as SP-202, then 303, then 505, then 606, then 404, etc. I realize they add features each time but it stays basically the same machine. Purposefully limiting the card size is anti-futureproofing. It's their way of trying to force people to upgrade when they release new shit. Corporate greed, most vile.

Well then if they never plan on 'unlocking' this ability like the OP thinks they would,
why dont they just put a CF card reader in the 404 that can only read a max of whatever the sampler will be able to use (for the 404, 1gig) it'd be cheaper for them

What I'm trying to say is,
again.. the logical answer is that the hardware itself is limited, rather than the software.

[ellaguru]

why would they purposely limit their products?

So they can release basically the same machine over and over again. Such as SP-202, then 303, then 505, then 606, then 404, etc. I realize they add features each time but it stays basically the same machine. Purposefully limiting the card size is anti-futureproofing. It's their way of trying to force people to upgrade when they release new shit. Corporate greed, most vile.

this is true for the succesion of sp-202>303>404, but the 3 sound different. plus, the succession (upgrade) sp-505>606 it isn't valid. 'cos the 606 got things the 505 don't and viceversa (cf vs smartmedia, 2fx vs 1, pitctch shifter vs pitch shifter+pitch scale, chop vs chop developped etc), and they sound different too.
but , globally speaking, i agree what you think about corporate industry.

[ColeRockLee]

Well then if they never plan on 'unlocking' this ability like the OP thinks they would,
why dont they just put a CF card reader in the 404 that can only read a max of whatever the sampler will be able to use (for the 404, 1gig) it'd be cheaper for them

What I'm trying to say is,
again.. the logical answer is that the hardware itself is limited, rather than the software.

I'd be willing to bet that all the SP's that have cf reader have the same cf reader.

Roland as a company is trying to make money. Lots of money. The only time you see an os update for a sub $1000 machine is to fix a bug or something of that nature. Once you've bought the machine they don't care anymore. Unless of course it's an issue that will impact their sales negatively (i.e. a bug in the OS).

My own logic still concludes that corporate greed is to blame. There's nothing short of a member of the SP design team posting something contrary to that, that will change it.

Ella thanks for the support there. Your right on the 505 and 606, those were the "let's make it look like a groovebox" and "let's make it look like an mpc" iterations.

Don't get me wrong here guys I love my SP, I've owned the 303 and now the 404 twice. I just don't love a giant faceless corporation.

[fauna]

i agree as well, and fink that if anyone pulled a JJOS on, say the 505 (giving it more than 4 seq. tracks, etc.) roland would def see some downturn in sales.

[PHeMoX]

I'd be willing to bet that all the SP's that have cf reader have the same cf reader.

Chances are very slim they put a different one in each sampler for sure, so I def agree.

Roland as a company is trying to make money. Lots of money. The only time you see an os update for a sub $1000 machine is to fix a bug or something of that nature. Once you've bought the machine they don't care anymore. Unless of course it's an issue that will impact their sales negatively (i.e. a bug in the OS).

Mmm, I don't know. Most of the time the budget lines are supposed to sell rather large numbers for them to be profitable. I think the 404 easily can be called a success. Not so sure about say the 555, but from a commercial perspective Roland is definitely interested in the smaller pieces of gear. Just don't expect huge investments, because it's more difficult for Roland to earn it all back.

Ella thanks for the support there. Your right on the 505 and 606, those were the "let's make it look like a groovebox" and "let's make it look like an mpc" iterations.

Well,.. I agree, but not exactly. The 505 is quite different from say the MC-808 (I own one now, traded my MicroKorg for one ). I think I can agree that the SP-606 sort of was made to be an MPC like device, but to be honest it's nothing like an MPC. If Roland would be serious about it, they would clone the MPC4000... which they sort of did by designing the MV series.

[ellaguru]

Well,.. I agree, but not exactly. The 505 is quite different from say the MC-808 (I own one now, traded my MicroKorg for one ). I think I can agree that the SP-606 sort of was made to be an MPC like device, but to be honest it's nothing like an MPC. If Roland would be serious about it, they would clone the MPC4000... which they sort of did by designing the MV series.

maybe the look of the 505 can make think the contrary , but i think that is the SP that is less far from the mpc way.

[PHeMoX]

Yes, you are probably right, I am not an SP-505 expert.

Of course the MPC has many more tracks and a more complex sequencer, so ultimately the SP's aren't much like the MPCs. Do you think we really can compare them?

[ellaguru]

i only think that every sampler got its own sound, just like any other instrument. i owned an sp-606 too. the only sp i don't know are the 202, 555 and 808. but i read their manuals. i own an mpc 1000 too.
the way the 505 works is similar to the mpc way. the sp-606 is tha same of 505, but more "groove" oriented (the synth features, the d-beam, 2 fx etc), but , like the mpcs, it got good sensitive pads. the sp-505 got the pitch scale function, a Boss way to the "16 levels" function the mpcs got. the 505 got also a better performing chop function than the 606. saying that the sp-505/606 got a weaker sequencer comparing to the mpcs (16 tracks ,all mutable live!...). the mpc got also a swing that is a characteristic of this product, that make the drums "swing" good. maybe i'm a blasphemus but i almost found this swing only in the sp-303. another difference, as i said before, is the sound: i own an akai remix 16 wich has a different sound than the mpc 1000...but i can say the same for the sp-303-404-505 and 606. they sound different each other.
and the sp-303 got thhe best gritty sound in my little opinion.
but, after all, it's all depends on what we want to do (create) and what we look for in an instrument/sound.


peace!