Buying your first SP unit - Which one is best?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- In this video I talk about some of the key SP devices and outline which one is the best to buy if it is your first unit. I have been asked this question a lot in the last few weeks so thought I'd put out a video to highlight some of the pros and cons of each unit.
I hope this content is useful and if you have any questions, like always just leave a comment below and I'll be glad to get back to you! I do tend to miss the odd bit of info here and there so feel free to add anything extra that you feel could help people out.
-------------------------------------------------------------
BUY MY LOFI DRUM PACKS (INSTANT DOWNLOAD)
bit.ly/2OIJ0zf
-------------------------------------------------------------
Buy absolutely ANYTHING on Amazon to help fund the channel:
US: amzn.to/2CZLAKL
UK: amzn.to/2uP5Biv
-------------------------------------------------------------
You can also find me on the following websites:
spvidz.com - lofi beat packs and merch
/ spvidz
/ spvidz_
/ user-100688196
My beats on Spotify (Gone12) - bit.ly/gone_12
#sp404sx #sp3303 #sp202 #lofi 
Видеоклипы
For a long time, my whole setup was the SP-202 and FL Studio. That's what it's really great for - complementing your already established workflow with its classic sound. With an MPC 2000XL or an SP-1200, you have to change what you do to justify the massive price tag amd functionality, but the SP-202 just lets you sound old while still working new.
Very true. Can't remember what I said in this video exactly but the 202 is more of a processing machine rather than a full beat making workflow!
Have you ever come across any pitch plugin/algorithm that you like as much or more than the pitch effect on the 202? I'm also a long time FL user
Great video! With the 202, if you hit source then hold you can use the filters and the ring mod effect on external sounds. I love using that filter on my final mixes!
Did not know that! Thanks for the info man, much appreciated!
I don't know if you mentioned it. The SP-303 can resample while having an external source in. That feature is unique to the 303.
I didn't mention that no - definitely something to do a video around. Thanks man!
Yeah, that's such an awesome feature. You can add scratches, play chords on keyboard / synth, basically add anything. On top of that you get to play any pads on the 303 itself with all this going on, then you can add an effect from the 303 itself to the pads or the external source with all this happening... and it resamples it all to 1 pad. Such a dope function.
Especially if you're a musician that's mega helpful for me in my opinion. I'd want to do that for sure
I like the way that the samples sound on the 202 and 303 better than the 404
Great vid! I’m getting my sp404 fixed right now, so these videos are making me want to get it back as soon as possible!
Awesome man, what happened to it?
The volume pot was super loose, which made one output louder than the other.
Just bought me a new SP 404 SX on June 16th ive learned how to put the sounds on the pad & play around with the effects i wish it had that vinyl effect you're speaking about on the other sampler you spoke on can't wait till i learn how to chop the samples sequence them & start making beats thanks for this video makes me feel like i made a good choice
Nice one man, you will not be disappointed once you get to grips with the sx! Keep resampling those samples to get grit and compression! Good luck with making beats!
Out of all of the SPs that YOU have, I would agree that the 404sx is one the best SP for beginners....with the close second being the 555. I have/had the "graphical/waveform display" members of the family: the 505, 606, aand one of the 808 sisters....I think the EX and they are both great as well, esp the underrated 505 and 606. It really all goes back what YOU the beginner wants to use them for. The 202 WAS my my first SP and sampler overall....and the cons that he listed are very true. It was the best one for me starting out.
FWIW there's an excellent VST plugin that emulates (and adds some features to) the 303 Vinyl Sim called Vulf Compressor.
Thanks for the info man. I have looked into getting it before yeah but thought it was a little on the expensive side.
Appreciate the information mate, looking into buying an SP at long last.
It’s a great machine 🙌
Just curious, can you plug any of them into a DAW?
EDIT: I understand they're DAW'less, so you'd make r sample your own samples and load them onto the SD right? The SP-404 seems up my alley. After Christmas I think as I have my eye on either Maschine MKIII,+ or the Ableton push. Cant decide but might end up sticking with NI as I have the S61 MKII which was game changing for me
505 is my favorite but the pitch is best on 202
Hey man, only recently found you due to rekindling my want for an SP404 (still holding off on pulling the trigger though!)
Love your videos, and I just bought your sample packs - when I saw it was only £7.50 for both I was amazed! Saw your links and assumed they'd be like £20+ each! Great value.
Keep up the great work!
Thanks a lot man. Appreciate the support. Yeah I’m trying to keep them as low cost as I can as I know not everyone wants to spend that amount in a pack. I’m glad you feel it’s good value for money. Hope you make some sick beats with them 👌
@@spvidz I'll definitely try! Love the kicks so far!
So fair man. Love it! All the power to ya brother 🙌🏽
Please keep posting....i dig your channel.
I will man don't worry, hopefully a lot more too in the near future :)
This is spot on. My 303 is my first and only sampler. As I learned the work flow and understood SP’s more in depth, I really began to see the appeal of the 404. I think the 303 is just barely a stand alone unit, for todays standards it might not be. With the SD card, the 404 technically doesn’t require an audio interface like the 303 does. But like you mentioned, the 303 was still a good start for my situation considering I traded an old PS3 I didn’t use anymore for it.
Btw, I checked the manual and it says compatible memory cards for the 303 are SmartMedia 3.3V 8MB - 64MB 👍
Agree completely man - the 202 and 303 or awesome boxes when paired up with the sx using that as a kind of 'master' unit - thats the workflows that I'm really enjoying at the moment
What are you talking about vegetable_lard ? The SP-404 doesn't have a build-in audio interface of sorts either, so you're still depending on whichever SD card reader you own. Only the brand new SP-404 MK2 has USB connectivity. Last but not least, to circumvent any problems with using SD readers that aren't supported by Windows anymore, it's not a bad idea to record through an additional audio interface anyway (or indeed into another sampler).
I started on the 505 and straight up, that thing from the screen and wave editing features and chop etc. Taught me everything I needed to know to move on to DAWS and Back in and out of the DAW and DAWLESS Outboard synth set ups, I ended Up giving my SP away to a Very good friend/ fan at the time The rcas didnt work anymore so I could Only get sound out of the headphobes, ( i used it that way for like six years lol).
Crazy I have a Full Midi Studio set up with like an 49SLMK3, minilogue, Modular three tier rack i built. Pro one, The Crave, The Cat, TD303, RD606, TR8 Aria,. and goodness it HIT me how powerful an sp505, ( and my sl1200 with mixer in my perfect ideal set up), but it blew my mind,. I am seriously searching one out to fill the gap, I have a Squid Salmpler, and I know one is euro rack i get it, However, It should be said that the Squid salmpler is an AMAzing unit, it sounds and Functions VERY much like the sp 505 as far as having a wave editing window, can change hi fi rates etc,. and it can do a Slew of things that No sampler could dream of- but thats getting into its ''VCO'' territory. Miss my 505
They seem like the last SP device where the prices haven't gone wild over the past couple of years
Hi man. It could be really cool if you did a video on structuring a beat. Intro, verse ,chorus and linking it all together. Just a thought. thanks for doing all these tutorials!!
Got that on the list man yeah will be doing a lot more content soon. Thanks for the suggestion!
Waiting for more vids man! especially the mpc and 555!
Doing as many as I can man haha, trying to do at least one drop a week. Will be doing MPC and 555 next week I think :)
The 303 operates a lot faster if you use an 8MB Card. The 303 is my favorite Sp, then I like the 202 right up there with the 303, but I always end up with a 404. I just get the most results with a 404, so it's hard to argue with that. With each Sp you have to sacrifice something. You can never get it all in one box, the closest might actually be the OG 404 cause you still have the Vinyl Sim Comp, but the speed, functions, and SD card are so nice on the SX. the 303 & 202 have a great special sound. It all matters what you're trying to do. I do agree though, the 404 is the by far the most complete.
That’s interesting about the card in the 303 man I didn’t know about that but yeah i always find myself gravitating to the 404 just because it has the least limitations I guess. I think pairing them is so much fun though I’ve been loving using the sx as the ‘master’ box and using the others for drums or samples
Solid video. From what I've gathered the OG 404 has a different algorithm for it's compressor, aparently made by the Ableton guys, but apart from that and using compact flash instead of SD not many significant differences and runs slightly slower.
Yeah man did a bit of reading around it after making this - one of the biggest downsides is that you cant copy and paste patterns!
@@spvidz Yeah it probably explains why the OG 404's are so cheap in comparison to the SX. It doesn't seem like there's any practical benefit to getting one.
Thanks for your vids really great info!!
So will give you what i know since i have all 3 from the video.
- Sp202 5v 2/4mb smartmedia card supported. Best lofi sound from all 3 of them lofi1/lofi2 and the picth function are worth buying this. No pattern sequencer and no resample. Battery powered. 1996 sampler.
- Sp303 3.3v up to 64mb, i have to say this is the best one if you play an instrument (Guitar,synth etc) since you can record via external when you are resample a sound/song in other words it can work as a Looper. Be aware its quite slow compared to sp404sx like 3x time slower but it works for me since i can have time to think what i am gonna do Next. Not battery powered. Pattern sequencer available. Its getting quite expensive to get one.
-Sp404sx it has newer technology, SD card support and you have a pc program where you can assign your samples to each pad. It has more effects and is battery powered. Swing function available in pattern sequencer mode. 12 pads. The only downside for me is not being able to Record while ressample and this option got me to the other 2 lol well done Boss/Roland ahaha
Awesome info man, thanks a lot for sharing this!
@@spvidz no, thank you! You can copy or pin this if you want, when i bought the sp404 i wish i knew these resample and external Record combo didnt exist, only in sp303 since i wanted to use it as a live looper with my instruments!
I’m going to do a video about that soon as I’ve only recently found out myself 👍
I forgot to mention also I have a 404 on its way too. I ordered it by sheer accident. I would like to get away from having to use a computer, basically, but also make sure I have proper equipment to make different genres of sounds/music.
202 hands down. Its the most fun and can really get you to be the most creative.
Wouldn't recommend it as a first SP for someone starting out really but yeah the 202 is a lot of fun, i love it!
@@spvidz but... but.... It was my first SP and my first actual hardware sampler.
Very Informative, Bruv
Hope it was useful man, thanks for watching!
spvidz Very much so, Bruv
I just brought my first one yesterday waiting for it to come now I chose to buy the 303 first but I'm going to get the 202 and 404a later
Fair man, they are all still a lot of fun to use. 303 is slightly slower and less storage than the 404s but like you say they sound nice and the pattern sequencer seems a bit smoother too! Sure you’ll have a lot of fun with it 👍
I have the SP202’s brother unit basically... it’s the DR202, the Dr. Groove Drum machine. I think those two were probably meant to work together
They look like fun little machines - think I actually have all the drum sounds from them somewhere
Exactly. They were meant to work together. Since the 202 has no Sequencer, you trigger its samples with the DR.
is the pitch shift on the 303 comparable to the 202? looking to run one of them in tandem with my 404sx (which I find the pitch shift to be lacking)
The 303 is like the 404sx...basically useless!
I love the vinyl sim compressor on the 303. It sounds so god damn good. But the lack of copy paste on the 404og and older makes them so slow to work on for me. They're just slow units and i think they're kind of a waste of effort and money at this point.
Yeah I'm going to do another video about older gear very soon - I'm in the same boat at the moment. Really struggle with my mpc because putting beats together is so much slower than the SX or DAW. Feels extremely time consuming!
by any chance can you do a revised version with the 555?
I can add the details here man - I would say the 555 is a solid unit but they are difficult to get hold of in good condition these days. I you can find one its a close call between that and the 404, but I would still say the 404 just because of the SD card - its the most up to date storage and it makes it that much faster to use!
Heard a lot about the pitch shift function which is not that smooth in the 404. What do you think? :) Thanks
yeah its awesome on the 202. I've got a video about it here...Much better than the 404, its a shame it changed after the 202. ruclips.net/video/hhI_R7pcy90/видео.html
Thank you so much. Yeah I use a card with my sp202 and just record into fl studio or another daw as a step sequencer. Its not that bad but definitely not as good as the 404sx or a
Nice man. How much sample time do you get with a card?
@@spvidz I use mostly lofi 1-2 and have never maxed it out XD. I can try to max it and get back to you if you want. What I do is once I have finished my recording I delete the pad for that and move the new ones in (or record new ones)
You can also use a digitakt
It’s all good man I’ll be able to get the info somewhere but thanks. Am tempted as putting full tracks through those filters would be so nice!
It is great I could make a video on it if you want
Sp-202 at first, definitely. Just because of the epic lo-fi and pitch effect. Then the Sp-303 for sequencing.
They are awesome yes but as a sampler for someone just getting into the game I think the SX and A are better options. The 202 is dope for the FX though yeah and I recommend anyone adding it to their setup if they can!
@@spvidz i use the SP just for sampling small portions of sounds in conjunction with the DR-202 drum computer or Yamaha QY70. This is a lovely sound workflow.
@@rorz999 i don't think so. i am not a beginner and i love the SP202 BECAUSE its that limited (because it is enough, really) and due to its unique and unparalleled pitch / stretch mode. Plus, with its brothers in arms, the DR-202, it is quite easy to co-operate in MIDI mode and seqence that thing.
hey @spvidz I'm new to this all and seem to be gravitating more towards units such as the SP-404, 404x, etc. I have a variety of equipment, but really want to make my own using samples from vinyl (if that even makes sense). For instance I have a Maschine MK2 also. I also don't want to just make beats.....I would like to incorporate more instrumentals also. What are your thoughts?
The SP isnt for a specific genre really, its just a sampler so I'm sure you will be able to incorporate it into whatever workflow you use to make the music you want to make! equipment is there to help get whats inside of you out, so I'm sure you will get the results you want. The best thing about the SP is all the built in FX in my opinion. I'm sure you will have a lot of fun using those on a variety of songs :)
@@spvidz Awesome. That was my thought pattern, but just wanted to be sure I knew what my options were. I know most people refer to it as making beats, but I've witnessed so much more. Thank you for your time and response!
Thanks for the info. On the 404, Can I load wav files from the SD card? For instance, I place a sample pack on a SD card from my computer , can I load it up from the card to 404? And the reverse... can I transfer my final tracks from 404 to SD to my daw?
You can put wav files on your sp yes. I have recent videos about doing it using import which is super easy. As for full tracks - you can’t export patterns but you can take all the individual elements and put them together in a DAW
@@spvidz just what I wanted to hear. I’ll check those videos. Thanks
Heres the vid man - sorry was on my phone last time :) ruclips.net/video/C_RkYHhbAww/видео.html
I use an MPC and want hardware that has the 303 compressor, anything other than the 303 itself (it's $700???)
They've gone super expensive man yeah, I would maybe look at getting a stand-alone compressor. I'm sure you could get something pretty decent for a lot less money than that.
On point’facts
In terms of buying a SP, which SP do you reckon beginners would get used to using pretty quickly or is easy to get used to. I've been thinking about maybe getting a 404 or a 202, because I see so many beatmakers use those and the 202 looks pretty easy to use as well, but do you recommend that I should get a 404 or a 202.
I don’t recommend the 202 unless you’ve got other means of making beats. The 202 is best for just processing samples and adding grit not for making full beats! The sx or a is the fastest and has the most fx and most storage. It’s the best starting place imo.
@@spvidz Why would you recommend the sx or a, and do you have any good videos which can help get me started with getting used to both those SPs.
I just said why in the comment above? If you go to my channel there is a playlist for 404sx tricks and tips that will get you on your way. They all apply to the A as well obviously as they are basically the same 👍
@@spvidz Cool I'll check them out. Looking forward to learning more about how to use the 404
could you link me a 303 card reader to buy online (uk), have no idea what type im looking for lol
Think this is what you need man - amzn.to/3gJIhbH I dont actually own one, I just record everything in and out of my 303
@@spvidz so i brought the card reader you told me to get and it arrived today, it doesnt support 303 cards lol
I think the SP-555 is not as rare as you think even when it wasn't nearly as popular as say an SP-404 ever was. And while it has a few more features overall, it's pretty comparable to an SP-404. Learning curve is slightly bigger than the SP-404 I would say. Anyway, your point about rare SPs is true for SP-202 and SP-303 though where I live. You're like going to spend $500 on an SP-202 or SP-303, when they probably aren't really worth it. In terms of the 'best SP' out there though, I'm going to say the SP-606 actually. I still regret having sold my SP-606. It's the closest to a more legit all-in-one in the SP series. I'm sure the SP-808ex could be that as well, however it is seriously limited in hardware specs in comparison. I also used to own the SP-555. Liked it, but never got into it as much as my SP-404. In fact, I've sold all my SPs over the years. Probably would want to get an SP-404 MK2 as some point though, as I kind of miss them. But it's kind of expensive.
Which is good to start if you’re already experienced on an MPC
Depends what you want to be able to do. For full beat making minimum 303. For crunch and grit and repitching the 202 (more like an fx unit) and if you want a full blown beat maker but more modern and usable get the 404sx.
@@spvidz well I use my mpc live 2 mostly for beat making so don’t think I need a sp necessarily for that was looking into one for some vintage sounding fx to touch up my workflow
303, 404 or 404sx would be good. The 202 is pretty specific really. They have become a little overpriced recently due to the SP/lofi boom
@@spvidz so you wouldn’t say the fx on the 202 are that different from the 404sx
And thanks for the response and helping pick out the right sp for me
Sp 505
I préfère sp 404, not the sx, because vinyl simulator is more powerfull on
Nice man yeah some of the effects are better on other devices but for someone looking to get their first SP I think the SX or A is the one to go for just because of storage, media type ease of use etc. Would love to try the 404OG!
@@spvidz i agree, my first sp was the sx !!! But now I'm on the OG
Just got a 404 og, I wish I got it before the sx
All 3 .
valid!
What about the sp505?
I understand if you cant review it bc you dont have it, but what are your thoughts
Hey bud yeah I’ve never touched a 505 but I still thing the 404sx/a is the best for a beginner. The 505 will be an older storage format (smart media) that will be slower to delete samples and not compatible with a computer without buying some kind of adapter!
Ok thank you!
ya tengo mi sp404sx
excelente! :)
yeee
Thanks for watching man!
I have a SX model and I’m thinking of getting a mk2 but I rly don’t know where to get one rn I don’t trust eBay but if anyone sees this comment I need da help
Unfortunately they are very hard to get hold of at the moment due to supply chain issues. I would hang tight for a while or look at other options like the MPC one, or MPC Live 2
@@spvidz the mpc live was going to be my first option a while back so I’ll deffinetly look into them now that you said something again👍
best af
I have a 202 perfect condition if anybody wants to trade for a sp303 lmk
Id buy
@@ajcloribel9975 text me on IG @ Corleone_ent_1999 or text my number (201) 834-4779 let’s talk prices $
@@slim5481 why ??? What happened
@@slim5481 why ??? What happened
If you do not use your 303, please sell it to me 😂😂
haha, its going to have to stay here for now man, but maybe one day 😉
@@spvidz I had one, but the Japanese seller screwed me. It's hard buying these now because they are all over seas and cost a fortune to import.
Lukas_Jay did you order from eBay? What was wrong with it? I’m thinking about getting one too but sketch about the sellers
OG 404 Gang
would be keen to have a go of an OG, ive heard good things!
Here's the answer spvids. About 260 seconds with card
Appreciate it man. Has a little look before but the cards are about £90...will keep using workarounds for now!
Sounds good glad to help
Someone sell me a 555
Wow....I love Samsung particle boards....
I'm selling my 404 A, anyone interested? Great condition 6 months old boxed.
Me me me me me!! how much were you looking for?
300 mate are you in UK?
@@Elliott.Revell Yeah man but just realised its an A not SP, super sorrryy
kira you mean sx? Its the same box tho so why not? 300 is a good deal!
@@TheOutliersOfficial it is lol. SP404 A. As mentioned in this video, the same as the SX.