Just bought a 404SX - have a couple questions...

[policenauts]

Hey all,

I'm new to the forum - I just bought an SP-404SX and have been playing around with it for a little while today, and I have a couple questions...

1) When recording a sample, is it possible to have another pad / sample playing at the same time so that I can hear it as I'm recording this other sample? The use case is that if I record something with guitar into one pad, and then want to overdub onto another pad in time.

2) Is it possible to sample / create patterns based in 3/4 time? Everything seems to be in some form of 4/4... and with that being said, is it possible to create drum pattern sequences that are off-time / "mathy," e.g. 3/4 for a few measures and then suddenly 4/4 for a couple?

Thanks!!

[Rhua]

Hi, welcome to the forum!

1. That question is probably among the most asked around here *g* Unfortunately you can't have a sample or loop playing while recording. Try to get something like a metronome or have your computer play a beat in the desired bpm while you record your guitar.

2. It truly is all 4/4 but you can work around that a bit. If you want some 3/4 patterns you could record 12 bars which equals 3 times 4/4 or 4 times 3/4. You'd just have to count differently than the internal speaker sound suggests you. I hope I expressed this right If you want to switch up the measures in between you could simply record two patterns, one in 4/4 and one in 3/4 and then switch between em by pushing the pads. If you don't want to wait until the pattern is played to the end (ie you only want one bar of your 3/4 pattern before the 4/4 begins) you can push both pads simultaneously (that is the actual running pattern slightly earlier to shut it off)

I hope that can help ya, good luck

[Euclid Ov Oåklånd]

Yeah, I just record into my computer then play that while I jam on the SP.
As for the different time signatures on the SP sequencer I've always been stumped on that myself, but you can get odd patterns by just bangin on the pads you have your drums assigned to while you resample, then just loop that up. That also removes the step of recording your drums into something then back onto the SP.

[policenauts]

Guys, thanks for the quick replies - I suspected those to be the answers (and was guessing those were the suggested work-arounds as well).

Excited to play with this thing... thanks again!