Getting that 303 sound.

[nowaysj]

Jello peoples.

Was just reading this thread: http://sp-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5682

and am loving the lofi sound from the 303 (duh!) but I'm set to purchase a 404sx. I think I'm way to spoiled by my current pc workflow to work with a 303. The sx might just be the bridge I'm looking for for couch production sessions.

But that 303 SOUND! Does anyone have advice (other then buying it ) for achieving the 303's lofi sound either with software fx or on the sx itself.

I have several distortion and bit reducering vsts but I've never gotten a really truly quality lofi feel out of them.

Buddhas of the lofi, please bestow your wisdom upon me.

[lodger]

for starters, experiment with the lofi samplerate and the lofi effect. there are tricks for reducing the sample rate manually, but these require another sampler or an audio program. One common trick is to speed the sample up about an octave, saving that as a file and then pitching it back down an octave...this will add artifacts to your sounds

[nowaysj]

there are tricks for reducing the sample rate manually, but these require another sampler or an audio program.

Tell me (or direct me to )more!

[lodger]

what other resources do you have access to? the main ones are those I've already listed. another option which may be cheap depending would be to pick up an sp-202 to sample your audio into. the difference between the sp's is that the 303 will slightly cut off higher frequencies and may add a slight drive to your sounds. analog tape saturation from recording audio into cassette tape and sampling back may be another way to get that sort of muffled drive to your sounds.

[nowaysj]

Right now I'm entirely in the box.

I've gone through two vcr's and neither has worked properly to where I could record audio to tape... maybe time to find a third

I've got an old asrx pro that needs some help.

I've also got a Roland CDX-1 which has some lofi fx. I received this recently in a trade, am not that interested in it, but maybe I could take a look at running audio through it.

I'm thinking that most of what I'm doing will be bouncing back and forth between my pc and the sx. I'm really stuck though, cause I love that 303 sound, and I haven't been able to achieve it through vsts on the computer, but I just don't think I can deal with the 303's workflow limitations.

[lodger]

something else to remember is that a lot of the sound you hear is the result of eq'ing, compressing, resampling multiple times to get the end result.

the tracks you hear sound like that as a result of a process, not fairy dust between the a/d converters

[KOMSAT]

something else to remember is that a lot of the sound you hear is the result of eq'ing, compressing, resampling multiple times to get the end result.

the tracks you hear sound like that as a result of a process, not fairy dust between the a/d converters

This.

But also LoneStar's comments in the aforementioned thread are on point: filter and drive should get you 2/3's of the way there. The rest is resampling, compression, eq and seasoning to taste.

Does the SX have the 404's "Lo-Fi" recording mode?

[nowaysj]

I'm doing a bit of prereading of the sx manual, and the sx does have a lofi recording mode, don't know if it is THE 404's recording mode. I bet that it is.

The sx just doesn't sound like the 303, so it is a bit of ye old faire dust. I would like to be able to sprinkle a little of that dust if possible, either through itb manipulation or (seriously) budget outboard gear.

[Nothingless1987]

If your only after that "303" sound, jus go and cop a 303 for your sx, or even a 202. perhaps an old s9/50 is what your after, they sound nice.

if your jus after that "lo-fi" sound, then jus fck with your audio until it's to your taste or style. jus experiment man! it's all doable inside that box. go and buy a 4 track tape recorder or walkman, tape hissssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nowaysj]

I've been really unhappy with itb grit. I came to music back in the days of actual electricity humming and buzzing through transformers, tubes, and capacitors. You could taste good quality gain. I'm not gonna lie, hiss drove me crazy back then (I've always had a low budget ) and I LEAPED into the digital to avoid it.

But I've NEVER been able to get that slightly driven mushy but edgy sound itb. Could be my personal ignorance... which is why I start threads like this on production boards all over the interwebs. To no avail, almost exclusively.

I've tried all sorts of itb tools, vintagewarmer 1 and 2, ohmicide, saturators, tape emulators. Blah blah blah. I would really like to be able to record to tape. Thinking of a reel to reel, but that is just a fantastic notion given my budget and space constraints right now. Like I've said I've tried 2 vcr's and have been thwarted. I did recently pick up an old walk man, but I've never known one of those with a record head. I've been sampling some stuff off of old tapes that are just falling apart, but I'd sure like to record to tape.

Maybe if I just bounce back and forth between my asr-x and sx a few hundred times, I'll get the sound I'm looking for.

[lodger]

i'd suggest keeping your eyes on thrift stores and pawn shops...recordable tape decks for dubbing show up there all the time. This is probably the easist and most cost effective way to get the sort of saturation you want. that and play with the lofi fx on your sampler.

[nowaysj]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Can't wait to get to work on this box.

Does anybody know the sampler that is inside the cdx-1. I know a random as hell question... but I'm constantly surprised by the depth and breadth of internet peepz wizdom.

[formal]

DUDE.... umm uhhhh, you have one of the most epic samplers already! ASR to the fuckin X. 18bit action with analog filters!! Rock the shit outta that sampler it's got one of the dopest sounds around. ASRX eats up SP303 any day of the week.

Do you got the black asrx or the red asrx pro?

Black asrx has sequencer issues if you push it too hard. If it has the latest firmware chip you are good to go. The red asrx firmware can be updated with the floppy drive. The black one you need to buy an actual firmware chip.

I would not be so concerned with trying to achieve a certain sound. Just work on makin good solid beats that people enjoy, then you can work on fine tuning the little parts.

[nowaysj]

No doubt about the asrx-pro!

Back in the day (90's ) I owned the black one new (saved every penny I had, f'ing insane purchase for me at the time). It's seq was alright. Several years ago I missed the old asrx (which I sold to purchase some bit of studio kit I can't even remember... wait, maybe an alesis Q8... if so pretty stupid) so picked up a used pro.

It's seq is totally bizonkers, like it chokes with very slight strain. It's seq is not useful to me in anyway. Maybe for like the kick snare of a boom bap. Maybe it's my unit. I def remember the black one having tighter timing. My pro needs tlc.

It's volume knob got a little busted in the latest move. I've never been able to get it's internal zip drive to work properly, so major workflow problems there. Some of it's buttons are sticky, and the worst part, the pads are like totally blown out. I mean they are still playable, but they're pretty much rock hard. I think the springs could be switched out in there too, they seem pretty maxed out. I DO love the sound of the asrx pro though, no doubt. In honesty though, the asrx is pretty clean sounding. It is thick as fuck, but it's not dirty enough for my tastes. But I can def see wiring up the sx to the asrx and bouncing back and forth.

===

But finally got my sx in the mail today. I'm sick as a dog and still grinning ear to ear. I'm sitting on my living room floor, my daughter sleeping on the couch behind me, and I'm just bouncing stuff back and forth between my laptop and sx, AND AM LOVING IT. It's definitely got it's own sound. It's pretty hypie, pretty brittle in the high end. I'd relate it to the mpc 2500, but defiintely a cheaper even thinner sound. I'm not hating. Everything's got it's own sound, and the sx seems to have it's own.

But I am just loving slamming fx down, resampling, and bouncing back and forth from lappy to sx. I can already see that this little box is going to blow open up new avenues in my artistic explorations.

RE the 303, I just love that sound though, it's got it's own sound and I really REALLY enjoy it. Having an sx and a 303 wired up together would be a seriously ninja combo. Maybe there is a 303 in my distant future...

[fauna]

i have an asrx-pro, don't really like using it as anything other than a sound source. but for that, i totally dig it.

i also have the OG 404 and know that you can get the 'warmer' lower-fi sound of the 303 / 505 thru downsampling / resampling and using the lo-fi mfx.

the key (imo) is to resample and resample until stuff has artifacts and overtones like crazy (think of everyfing by odd nosdam). you can also use the drive / reso and the EQ to roll off the high end.