I can't seem to match up loops with the sequencer or normal sampling mode on my 404. It's a great instrument, I use it a lot, but I've run into a situation where I need a few samples running at the same time all together, without inevitably and slowly mis-matching.

When I use the sequencer, I hit record, the count off beings, and I tap the pad of the sample I want to start playing. It keeps going, then I hit the other pad I want, and it stays in time for a while, but eventually gets off from the other. I try using the quantize function, but it doesn't seem to do anything. I may just be using it incorrectly.

I'd still like to be able to just have an endless (unlike with the sequencer, only up to 99 bars) loop with a few pads all in time with each other.

Help!!

you can always set the bpm of the pad to the pattern if the loop isn't perfect. select the pad you want, hit 'time/bpm' button and move knob 1 till it says 'ptn'. might give you timestretching effect tho... but it sounds better if it stretches faster than slower. just make sure your loop is close to perfect and the timing will be right. or, you could just resample yourself doing both parts perfectly and try and match the new longer sample with the sequencer again.

actually i'd just resample the layers together, get a good loop of it, leave it on loop and say screw the sequencer

So if two pads are the same BPMs, and they're hit at the same time, they'll stay matched up forever?

I've tried the sequencer a bit, and I'm starting to figure it out. It seems to work alright.

this seems to be like the most common problem/question asked
make your 'loop' samples as close to 1,2 or 4 bars as you can at your chosen bpm
make sure gate and loop are off
set quantize to 4
record your pad on the 1 of every beat it needs to be on to loop
sometimes it helps to leave some space in the beginning of the sample so you can adjust the exact position of the phrase after its sequenced

It's just that I always see musicians with samplers, and they seem to just hit a couple pads, and they stay in sync for ever, but I just can't do it. Does it have something to do with the quality of the sample, like it has to be perfectly at a single bar or something? I've never really understood it, but I'd like to know how.

it depends on what machine they're using. if someone's using an MPC, and you see them hit two pads that forever stay in sync, they could just be un-muting sequenced tracks in the 'mute groups' setting.

either way, that doesn't matter!

on the 404, you can get two loops pretty much exact, hit them at the same time, but that does not guarantee they'll stay in sync forever as they play. they may drift. the only way to lock them in, is as described above (dman5000, etc) using the sequencer. and the quantize (esp. 4 & help.

HOWEVER - believe me mans, for the most part this is just practice. when i first got the 404, i could hardly get any loops-over-loops to sound right. after using it for awhile, i got far better at it. use the 'mark' button and 'start/end point' adjust to get them closer. but YES it is possible.

and sometimes having things shift works out great, too!

good luck.

Is there a way to use the sequencer so that you can just have two samples playing together, but the whole thing looping forever, but staying in time with the quantize function?

Is the loop record thing on the Sp 555 like this? You can just have samples looping together forever, but still with the quantize function on?

think of the sequencer as one long loop. say, 8 bars. add your samples in on the first beat of bar one, and the second on the first beat of bar two (or whatever).

then you have two samples, looping endlessly inside the sequenced phrase.

figure out how many bars your loop is, start a sequence and make it that many bars, turn quantize so its on 4 for quarter notes, and then on 1.1 (first beat of first bar) place all the loops and they will be triggered at the same time everytime through, and the pattern will just stay loopin unless you turn it off or switch to a different pattern......i'm assuming your loops should be about the same bpm and length and your not just tryin to match some random loops up that don't match at all, but say you got a drum break thats only 1 bar long and a instro loop thats like 4 bars and you were tryin to sync them by lettin em loop, you can do it in the sequencer too, just place that drum loop on the 1 of each bar (1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1) and the instro loop just on 1.1.............shit works great (debatable in a more complex sequencing setting), just turn loop off for all your samples and think about where you gotta place them in the sequence, you'll get the hang of it

But when I play a, say, 2 bar sequence, it just goes 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 with the samples, then there's 2 more bars of just empty space, then 2 bars of samples, empty space, etc. etc. I can't get it to just loop the two samples going together infinitely.

take gate and/or loop off if you have them on

just kiddin with the aggression, its somewhere we've all been, i definitely remember having that same problem as do many on this board, i think you'll see the learning curve start to steepen real soon

Make sure you are setting your "length" to 2 bars. However many bars your loop is Set the length to that amount, and whatever the bpm of your loop is (giving that you know it), set the time/bpm to that set amount. Instant gratification!!


Music is Love