Roland SP-404 User manual

1
THE BEAT-
MAKING BOMB
SP-404
Micro Manual

Contents
SP-404 structure!3
Importing samples!4
Adjusting the pad level!5
Swapping sounds between two pads!6
Creating a pattern!7
2

SP-404 structure
3
To understand how the SP-404 works and how it’s parts interoperate,
please have a look at this block diagram below.
Sampler
Sequencer
E"ects
Pads
MIDI
Internal
RAM
CF card
Line in Mic
Line out

Importing samples
4
1Copy the files
onto the root
folder of the
Compact Flash
card
2Hold down
CANCEL
and press
RESAMPLE
3Press the pad
bank and the
starting pad
for the import
4Press the
blinking REC
button
SP-404 allows you to import samples in WAV and AIFF formats. To do
so, you need to have a USB Compact Flash card reader or use the USB
function of your other gear which uses Compact Flash cards. The size
of the samples is only limited by the space available on the Compact
Flash card. After importing the samples, you can erase the originals o!
the card, as they will be converted to SP-404 format and placed in the
ROLAND folder.

Adjusting the pad level
5
1Press the pad
you want to
adjust the
level for
2Press START/
END/LEVEL
3Adjust the
level with the
CTRL 3 knob
SP-404 allows you to set the volume (audio level) of each of the
sounds assigned to the pads. A great feature is that you can adjust the
level while a pattern is playing - you just need to switch to pads mode
by pressing the lit PATTERN SELECT button.

Swapping sounds between two pads
6
1Press the pad
you want to
change the
sample for
To rearrange your sounds, you can use the “swap” function on the SP-
404. It allows you to exchange sample assignments between any two
pads, so that you can get them laid out the way you want.
2Hold down
CANCEL
and press
REC
3Press the
pad you
want to ex-
change the
sample with

Creating a pattern
7
2Select the pat-
tern bank and
pattern you
want to record
into
SP-404 allows you to easily create a pattern and quantize it on the fly.
You can use 16th note quantize grid for usual beats and 16.3 (16th
with triplets) for swinging beats. While the recording goes on, you can
press the REC button so it blinks - this will enter a “rehearsal” mode
which allows you to switch pad banks and check out the sounds in the
context of the pattern you’re creating. Once you found the sound you
want to add, press REC again and play what you want in.
1Press PAT-
TERN SE-
LECT and
then REC
6Play the
pads and
press CAN-
CEL when
done
3Press
QUANTIZE
4Use the CTRL
3 knob to set
the quantize
rate
5Press REC
to start