Hello everybody!

I just purchased an sp 404 a couple days ago. I'm really exciting to work with samples, loops, etc. I'm a guitarrist and this is a totally new field for me, but I can't wait to jump into it!!!
So my question is:
I read through the manual pretty quick, everythings looks ok (I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna have questions later on), but I just can't figure it out the tempo.
1, I made a quick pattern with the loads of samples in 120 tempo. When I turn it off and back again the tempo changed. Why?
2, The manual said you can use the same tempo on every each pattern. What?
I only can make the same tempo songs? That's can't be right. :S

the 404 will always start at 102, i think its a secret message cause it swings fat at 102. i dunno i just remember the tempo before i turn it off.

peace

Really??? So if I have like 25 songs for example on the 404, I have to know the bpm otherwise I fxxxx up?

Yeah, that's the way it is with the 404. The only real way round it is to keep a note of what tempo each pattern is.

You never know though, occasionally I've started up the 404, played a pattern at the default tempo, and found that my pattern sounding better, because the tempo switchup had affected the way the pattern sounds.

That is really weird.
I don't think is a big problem for the manufacturers to solve this.
Well, at least I'm not trying to find out. (we might also need a JJ OS update )
Actually, I also find interesting loops, when I played in different bpm what it's supposed to be (it cuts the loops for making the actual looping time)

don't hold your breath

As a musician, you should be in charge of your tempo not the machine. You just tell the machine what tempo you want and the machine gives it back. If you are using looped samples as part of the pattern then it is critical that the tempo be set nuts on for pattern playback. The tempo information for a sample is displayed when the sample bank is pressed. A sample that is 2 seconds long will display a tempo of 120bpm (tempo_bpm = 240 / sample_length).

I know what your saying, but I still think the sp404 should remember the pattern bpm. I think it doesn't really matter what bpm are the individual samplers, because you never really get the same bpm tempo on a pach where you using those samples. Uh....maybe I was too complicated.
For example, if I'm recording couple samples (guitar track, from CD, etc..) for one pattern, all those samples are gonna be in different bpm (how the sp is gonna calculate) but I still gonna use in the same bpm, same pattern.
Like one is 88 bpm the second is 95 (it depends where do you stopped the samples, not the rhytm) and my paches is gonna be 98 bpm.
And if I turn it off, and turn back a week later it's gonna go on 112 bpm, messing up the pattern.
It's not a big deal, like someone said, keep notes on those pattern, thats all. Or, what is cool, if I do with midi with a groovebox for example (that's what I do), the groovebox pattern saved, so my sp is gonna follow flawlessly.

dont expect roland to do the logical thing..

logic would tell you that all SPs have amp envelopes and chromatic sample playing...like pretty much every sampler from their time period does have... but no.

What is chromatic sample playing?