Whats up fellow sp users! Quick question...

How can I switch from 1 pattern sequence to another and have the BPM value automatically switch to the correct value. I have 2 pattern sequences I need to transistion but the problem is 1 pattern sequence is 86 BPM and the other is 116. How can I record a beat as a pattern and simultaneously transistion to another pattern with a greater BPM value and have the BPM counter automatically switch to the current pattern.

Any help would be greatly apprieciated, thank you.

using the pattern sqncr - there is no way to do it. if you set yr bpm to 86, the next seq follows that bpm.

possible workarounds:
--get qwick on the knobs, spin the bpm to the new speed just as the pattern changes (nearly impossible)
--make yr second pattern by using resample, so that the whole pattern is on one pad. play yr 86bpm seq, then hit yr pad-pattern as you shut off the 86bpm seq. re-trigger yr 86bpm seq after yr pad-pattern finishes.

thanks for the tips Fauna, big ups!

The pattern I want to make is 1 loop on pad 1.....and 1 transistion loop on pad 2, how should I make a 4 minute sequence so it plays as 1 beat(where the BPM values are different).

Is this possible on the MPC sequencer, do perform this task of switching patterns and having the BPM value change automatically?

on the 404, hit pad 1, when it finishes, hit pad 2, and repeat for 4 minutes.

on the mpc, i guess yr best bet would be to use the 'next sequence' function, have each seq set to their respective bpms, switch between next seq and previous seq.

but you can do it on the 404, for sure.

You'll have to use the same kind of solution on a MPC as well, when you want it to have a smooth transition. The MPC has no 'tempo track'. The MV8000/8800 does have that though. You can simply specify the tempo of the sequencer with a special track.

No such thing exists in the SP-404 though, so you'll have to use sample stabs for transitions or make sure your pattern will sound okey at a higher BPM and you'll slowly slow it down to the speed it should have. Possibly throw in some MFX juggling with the DJ FX looper and such. Some MFX also can make the SP-404 go silent. That could give you time to simply adjust the BPM and then go from there (for example the Voice transformer MFX can do this).

I think the SP-404 can really be used for a live gig, but it requires thinking outside of the box because of certain limitations.

can't you just hold down "Sub Pad" and hit the patterns when ever you feel like it. pretty sure (positive) that is all you have to do.

You mean for instant switching of patterns instead of waiting for one to finish?

yeah...for instant switching. that is what i do.

yeah but that doesn't do anything for successfully and seemlessly playing two patterns with two different BPMs, unless your working with cuts for everything (drums included) that are long enough so that they won't be effected by changing the tempo (i'd say with some trained BPM finding skill a half a measure chop at around 90 BPM would be sufficient time to change it, just wouldn't work if you had the drums sequenced as one hits) and then change it out of that one with the subpad once the BPM is correct, if you wanted to do this good at the end of a pattern you could make a dummy pattern for each part that has 2 extra bars than the other ones, sequence exactly the same thing in them as the other two patterns, then use those for transitioning when you speed up or slow down the BPM you won't have to worry about the beginning of that said loop being triggered before you make the switch

just record the patterns out then sample each pattern to a pad. keep them on loop and just turn them on/off as you please. or if i change bpms with patterns ill throw in a beatless pattern that acts as a transitional period where ill play a bunch of fx and delay and whatever while im changing the bpm, then have the next pattern lined up when its all set to go.

^ yep - those last two posts nailed it

i've rocked multiple songs out of the SP live using those techniques

There's not any method to save the BPM on the SP-404 though, right?

It's somewhat annoying all my patterns start at 100 bpm. Perhaps I need that SP-404sx after all.

sx remembers the last bpm you had going when you turned it off but you cannot save/assign bpm's to multiple patterns beyond that

Oh, okey. Hmm. Seems the only real incentive for me to buy an SX would be the shuffle quantize then.

How about setting strength for the quantize. Does that only work for the new shuffle? Unless I'm mistaken, the original SP404 only has a fixed strength for quantization.

i don't understand this strength of quantization you speak off, how would that work, a quarter note is a quarter note no matter what, if the strength was weaker what would that mean, that if you played it a little off it would stay a little off?? what if you were like an 8th note off, would it just snap back to a certain distance away from the quarter note that is restricted by the limit of this strength?? or will it offset it away from the quarter note by runnin through an algorithm that places shit a certain percentage away from the quarter note based on how far away from the note you hit it??? please explain if its possible to explain