Roland SP 404 – General Information

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Roland Corporation was officially started in April 1974 as a Japanese company and they have since been a premier pioneer in the electronic musical instrument industry. In fact, they established many of the quality standards that we have in the industry today. BOSS, a subsidiary of Roland Corp, built and released the SP 404 in 2006 as an upgrade to their SP-303 which made waves in the industry five year earlier in 2001. The SP(sample-playback)-404 model was their continued journey into the expanding DJ market.

The SP 404 hit the market running with a new sleek, silver design that made it look more like the components in current DJ setups. It now has 12 back-lit pads as opposed to the SP-303′s 6 pads used for tapping out beats and for more sample banks. It now comes with 3 new controller knobs that modulate effects parameters. This unit can now operate on 6 AA batteries which makes it easily portable to any music environment.

The Roland SP 404 External Specs

The unit has a full compliment of input and output options. There are stereo RCA/phono inputs that are compatible with any DJ mixer’s auxiliary sends or outputs. There are stereo RCA/phono outputs that can be routed back into a DJ mixer that connects to amps and PA speakers. There’s also a stereo headphone jack for private listening.

The unit has a built-in microphone for instant recording. You can then edit that recording and store into one of the 12 pads for sample playback, making it easy for you to add and use new sounds quickly. There is a MIDI (musical instrument digital instrument) IN connection for being able to control the SP 404′s tempo and allows you to playback the samples using a compatible unit, such as a MIDI keyboard.

The Roland SP 404 Internal Specs

The SP 404 now boasts 29 DSP effects, three more than the SP-303. The parameters for these effects can be instantly changed during sequencer with the 3 new controller knobs. In fact, these controller changes can be recorded into the sequencer allowing for automated parameter changes that you’ve created. You can use the delays, the filters, the Subsonic effects to create those DJ-style build-ups and drops.

The unit now has internal storage for 24 patterns with 1-99 measures each and can hold up to 8,000 notes. The unit has a quantize recording at 96 TPQN (ticks per quarter note). This ensures that your playing falls exactly in time with the tempo.

Best Uses

The SP 404 is great for programming beats and rhythms for most styles of music today. From hip-hop, house, to pop beats the SP 404 makes it easy to integrate into most DJ sets. You can use your programmed loops and beats from your SP 404 and layer them with your mixes to keep the music flowing at any event. This unit is simple, portable, and playable.

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