should I get an SP-303?

[ellaguru]

sometimes it happens that i recut things to return back to hardwares (samplers) with samples from the pc reworked before in various softwares...

Thats what I do with my MPC1000 and my 303...jut back and forth back and forth. haha

yes this is crazy
i "discover" this way not so long ago, normally i liked to work like hardware>software...but now every way is possible

[* warrika *]

OK I'm getting two impressions from this...

1. you need it just for tone purposes...

2. you want to use the effects with say...a guitar or keyboard.

I would suggest buying one. No matter how you look at it...you will discover that there are a lot of uses for the 303. If you are recording to an external sequencer you might want to use an external MIDI device such as an MPD pad or something for smoother drums. Most people dont really talk about how drumming on the 303 sounds really chopped up, just a suggestion. And of course, you would be getting that SP tone since its coming from the 303 thru the MPD and then through to the sequencer and record. running it through more equipment might change the tone some...but you probably already expect that.

actually I just want to use it for techno and stuff, 16 drum samples can go a long way, and I can, say leave the bass drum dry and put effects on the other samples. Then I can get something like an Akai S20 and put voice samples and run it though the reverb or delay from the sp (if the sp had a disquette drive it would be a different story). Tone purposes, perhaps, because I didn't like the 404SX's sound.

I was programming the 404SX I had with an Electribe EMX-1 and it worked just fine, and I'm sure an RM1X would work just as well.

By the way, what are the delays on the 303 like? I found the ones on the 404SX kind of weak for dub.

[ellaguru]

By the way, what are the delays on the 303 like? I found the ones on the 404SX kind of weak for dub.

delay is cool on the 303, some friends of mine make dub with it...

[boombapp28]

I'll give you a simple answer. Yes!

[Headphones]

I discovered one cool thing about the delay on the sp303. It can self oscilate if you keep the delays short, but before you know it, the sample gets louder and louder. Made me so happy to be able to go crazy with any sample. I'm too poor for that 2nd sp303 I had my eye on, but there's always a chance nobody will buy it and I can get it later. If not, I was almost thinking of getting a sp404 but I'd love a sp606 if I manage to locate one.

I still need a memory card that works for it though.

[genn bo]

By the way, what are the delays on the 303 like? I found the ones on the 404SX kind of weak for dub.

delay is cool on the 303, some friends of mine make dub with it...

are there any of his tunes that can be heard online?

[admbmb]

Man...after having a SP-404 and then an SP-555, deleting and saving are instantaneous. Waiting for the SP-303 now raises my blood pressure when before I didnt know what I was missing. SP-303 has the best lo-fi mode, imo.

[Sinapse]

Yo. The short answer is YES

I been using a 303 for the last 2 years in combo with mpc making wild amount of beats. I also grabbed a 404 when my first 303's outputs died...the 303 is EXTREMELY annoying with the loading times. I can't stand using it to chop on, I use the 404 for that just...but as far as sound...the 303 has it's own, and to me the best sound of all the SP's I have used (also use the 606)...it's a dusty dirty grittyness that you will hate if you like clean music, but for me it's like sonic crack...vinyl sim compressor on the 303 absolutely shits on all the other models hands down. To me it's ideal to use as a sound module on the outputs of something else you sequence and play on b/c the downside is the functionality of the box for making tracks and how slow the processing is...but you can just utilize the efx/sound and capitalize on the upside!

[ellaguru]

I also grabbed a 404 when my first 303's outputs died...!

damn, i got this trouble too.
now i output the sound from the headphone output.

[EWPW]

yes

[EarlGrey]

"To me it's ideal to use as a sound module on the outputs of something else you sequence and play on b/c the downside is the functionality of the box for making tracks and how slow the processing is...but you can just utilize the efx/sound and capitalize on the upside!"

I normally work with software (FL) when making beats. I got my vestax mixer, my sl1200's hooked up for sampling/scratching. Now I got the 303 on the side. And as you mentioned the chopping and loading times get pretty annoying indeed. I already seen it collecting dust. Still I want to master it and maybe incorporate it with my DAW when sampling or afterwards.

Could you explain in more detail how you 'use' it as a sound module on the outpus. And how you utilize the efx/sound and capitalize on that?

[Sinapse]

I normally work with software (FL) when making beats. I got my vestax mixer, my sl1200's hooked up for sampling/scratching. Now I got the 303 on the side. And as you mentioned the chopping and loading times get pretty annoying indeed. I already seen it collecting dust. Still I want to master it and maybe incorporate it with my DAW when sampling or afterwards.

Could you explain in more detail how you 'use' it as a sound module on the outpus. And how you utilize the efx/sound and capitalize on that?

No problem. This is exactly what I use it for. I don't use DAW but the 303 serves the purpose of effecting my samples before the beat and the final track once it's all done....

As for sampling. Basically you only wanna be running the sound thru the 303 so you can apply the efx to it (also just get that nice 303 warmth without even applying an effect), and avoid recording samples into the 303 and then dealing with the slowness trying to chop. so you will putting your 303 somewhere in between the vinyl and your computer in a chain, with the 303 set to external source and with desired effect on.

the flow might look like: turntable --> mixer (boost the signal) ---> sp303 ---> interface ---> DAW

One thing I am not sure of is how you interface your gear with your DAW...I am assuming you have some kind of interface that you can run RCA cables into.

------

As far as after you make the beat you can reverse the process if you want to apply 303 efx to the final beat.

DAW beat ---> interface ---> 303 ==> record the beat to a pad (can use one effect during recording).

then...reverse it send back to computer (you can then apply another effect to the beat recorded on a pad)

303 ---> interface ---> computer/DAW

This is just some examples but there are lots of ways you can do it, depending on the other gear you use and how you like to set up your chain...but just try to think of the 303 as a box you run the sound thru rather than something you actually make beats on. get it in between other pieces in your set up and set that thing on ext source with desired effect on

OH YEAH make sure it's set to stereo, unlike the 404 my 303's default on ext source is mono

[EarlGrey]

awesome reply. Thank I will be setting up shop soon.

[thx]

someone mentioned that a 303 SX would be awesome, i totally agree with that.

I think the only stuff a 303 is missing is:
- Battery power

for the battery power feature check the thread about it, it's really not complicated to build it...

i can't find the thread
can you post a link, please?
thanks

[Gundola]

I normally work with software (FL) when making beats. I got my vestax mixer, my sl1200's hooked up for sampling/scratching. Now I got the 303 on the side. And as you mentioned the chopping and loading times get pretty annoying indeed. I already seen it collecting dust. Still I want to master it and maybe incorporate it with my DAW when sampling or afterwards.

Could you explain in more detail how you 'use' it as a sound module on the outpus. And how you utilize the efx/sound and capitalize on that?

No problem. This is exactly what I use it for. I don't use DAW but the 303 serves the purpose of effecting my samples before the beat and the final track once it's all done....

As for sampling. Basically you only wanna be running the sound thru the 303 so you can apply the efx to it (also just get that nice 303 warmth without even applying an effect), and avoid recording samples into the 303 and then dealing with the slowness trying to chop. so you will putting your 303 somewhere in between the vinyl and your computer in a chain, with the 303 set to external source and with desired effect on.

the flow might look like: turntable --> mixer (boost the signal) ---> sp303 ---> interface ---> DAW

One thing I am not sure of is how you interface your gear with your DAW...I am assuming you have some kind of interface that you can run RCA cables into.

------

As far as after you make the beat you can reverse the process if you want to apply 303 efx to the final beat.

DAW beat ---> interface ---> 303 ==> record the beat to a pad (can use one effect during recording).

then...reverse it send back to computer (you can then apply another effect to the beat recorded on a pad)

303 ---> interface ---> computer/DAW

This is just some examples but there are lots of ways you can do it, depending on the other gear you use and how you like to set up your chain...but just try to think of the 303 as a box you run the sound thru rather than something you actually make beats on. get it in between other pieces in your set up and set that thing on ext source with desired effect on

OH YEAH make sure it's set to stereo, unlike the 404 my 303's default on ext source is mono

Sorry for bumpin an old thread...but....doesn't a lot of the magic of the 303 come from sampling in LONG mode and how it reduces the sample rate?

You can't do this in real time I imagine...so u would have to sample into the 303's memory to do this, no?