SP-FORUMS

I have had mine for about two years, and have been using it with no problems. Recently however I bought a nice set reference monitors to start producing cleaner/more professional sounding tracks. I use the SP555 quite a bit because it is sampling made easy (mostly from itunes or wav files). I started realizing the SP555 samples were sounding different than the wav files.

SO I did a direct comparison of sound quality for A.) The sounds I sampled off of a laptop (wav files), and B.) the sounds coming right from itunes (using the monitors via firewire connection with my audio interface).

The Result was obvious, the sample of the wav file on the SP555 had much less dynamic and sounded a bit lo-fi. I am sure I am also realizing this now with a nice set of monitors.

I just cannot determine whether the sample inside the SP555 is weaker than the wav file, or if the connection I am using to output sound from the SP555 is causing it to sound worse. For this I am using a stereo RCA cable running from the rca out on my sampler, and the other end of the same cable has stereo 1/4 inch jacks which I input into the audio interface. The audio interface is brand new and quality so it cannot be that.

Basically I want the sample off the SP555 to sound the SAME as the wav file using the monitors.

Sorry for the loaded question, but any comments or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Cliff

pretty sure this isn't going to happen. Roland use a propriety compression alogorithm. That will be what you are hearing. I think even if you import pristine wav's from your compact flash card, they are still compressed on import.

All you can do is resample with eq to compensate. Or maybe sample from a mixer and increase the hi's and mid's going into the sp-555

Remember though that each time you resample adds another layer of roland's compression.

It isn't an audiophile's sampler.

Best,
Mike

yeah, the samples are slightly compressed/reduced quality.. It's not until the 404SX that they started using full wav quality

Thank You(s)!

This sort of thing is why the original SP (The Emu of course) is so sweated- think of it as character added.