Bad Gear - Roland SP-808ex Groove Sampler

[@danielhertzmaybe]

It's Friday, there's a new Bad Gear episode and it's my birthday, this can't get any better.

[@AudioPilz]

Happy Birthday!!!

[@Wiktorion]

hbd man!

[@blimolhm2790]

happy birthday

[@kellymerrill5294]

It's always good to know what you don't want for your birthday, thanks bad gear! 🎉

[@cheesewave]

HBD

[@katiegrey8111]

That machine makes me have the strongest urge to build a space ship entirely out of clear plastic and 90s computers. I don't know why.

[@AudioPilz]

It might work somehow, be extremely annoying to fly and borderline indestructable;)

[@jbmcb]

I'm working on one in my basement. It's either going to be a spaceship or skynet, I haven't decided which yet.

[@thelabby9998]

At first look that spaceship will seem ticking all the boxes…

[@chriseisert1349]

That's the one thing that haunts me about the late 90's early 2000's.. that damn ugly ghostly clear plastics. Cuz you know... the future. lol

[@Noise-Conductor]

@@jbmcb Make it into both & call it SpaceNet😉

[@AlexBallMusic]

I watched this on a dial up connection with a curtain hairstyle for authenticity.

[@AudioPilz]

A man of style, as usual!

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@AudioPilz I'll reply in 20 minutes, just waiting for your comment to load.

[@min-yishen9324]

My Friday with Roland is finally here!!!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank god it's Friday!!!

[@CaptainAlbatross]

This brings back memories… Used to have one, used it as a sketching pad and as a live sample player (long sounds inbetween songs with my band), dropped it, wrecked the zipdrive. Replaced it with a SP-303 which I should still have. Somewhere. Like a bunch of still new zipdiscs I still own and never threw away. By the way, hope you don’t get tired of me tickling your box every week, but man, this show is getting better and better. The editing, the memes, the use of the actual fx-unit while talking about it… Brilliant stuff. The only way to start my weekend!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! So happy to hear that (sorry about the dropped SP though...)

[@m4rs435]

I second this. you are doing a great job with this series and you deserve recognition for it, thank you for brightening up my fridays like a late 90s resonant digital filter

[@generalgrafx]

The infamous click of death from the Zip drive. Still causes nightmares.

[@CaptainAlbatross]

@@generalgrafx Well, dropping the SP808 fixed the clicking issue quite dramatically... ;)

[@TribeDownSouth]

You should dust off the 303! It's still one of the best samplers to this date😏💜

[@torrentvaccine]

I've been using the ex for over 20 years as a live sampler. I record random modular sounds and samples onto the pads and use the D-Beam to control the fx and pitch. I also keep 4 backing tracks on the mixer side just in case my laptop crashes during a performance (It does happen and sometimes it's worth having a plan B). I love this box. It has NEVER failed for me and you don't hear the zip drive when you are going through a PA. :) Great Video!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! You are REALLY channeling your inner 90s groovebox zen;)

[@gauloiseguy]

That's a clever way of using it. Probably more in the scope of what they envisioned it to do.

[@MrJoemono]

@@gauloiseguy true. It is pretty clear when you get one of these that Roland envisioned something great. This is a true "studio in a box thing", with some features that were really ahead of its time and probably still are. Too bad they didn't have a crystal ball to tell them that the ZIP drive would be a terrible idea. Other than that, it is so awesome.

[@indegruv]

I have 2 of em 🕺🌎💃

[@FloydRunner2049]

@@MrJoemonoWhat was available otherwise for storage and sample streaming??? No personal offence intended to this channel, if you made music in the 80’s and compared what was available for samplers and effects this was a huge step forward. There’s always entitled nitpicking. Get a loaded Kurzweil K2500 w/KDFX and update install the fastest compatible internal HD. I don’t make very much audio clip based music. Most people can’t tell the difference if music is made on a tablet or in a studio because most people listen to music on ear buds or 2 inch speakers

[@PuppetXeno]

I always press the 'like' button before these videos even load and start, and it never disappoints!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@MichaelBlueMusic]

I actually started getting lost in the piece right before the verdict. Very nicely done!

[@AudioPilz]

So happy to hear that, thanks!

[@LouisSerieusement]

I think we don't thank you enough for the audio quality of your videos. You are the only youtube channel I always watch with my studio monitors... ...and it's always a pleasure ! All your levels, recording and mixing are just perfect ! Thanks you so much for all the great content :D

[@AudioPilz]

So happy to hear that, thanks!❤️❤️❤️

[@merlinswaifu]

I do the same and the audio is always so nice!

[@edjwise]

I always thought of this machine as a 4 track first and a sampler second. I understand what Roland wanted to build here and I think it is fantastic. I would love to have a modern version of this. Basically a 4 track Ableton live in a box.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed! Maybe a SP-08 Boutique?;)

[@edjwise]

@@AudioPilz 4 track recorder 4 4-voice sampler engines 4 track midi sequencer 4x4 matrix mixer 16x multi effect engines 16 track mixer

[@thelabby9998]

Toraiz sp16?

[@edjwise]

@@thelabby9998 I never paid attention to it. I assumed it was an MPC clone.

[@dubbylabby6068]

@@edjwise different beast more similar to Rolands than Akais…

[@bourgeoiscaesar]

Yet another piece of my setup gets the Bad Gear treatment, but at least it definitely deserves it this time; mine just sits around as an FX unit 95% of the time. Haven't tried it myself, but I've seen a number of people have success swapping in SD drives. The firmware limitations are still there, but it gets rid of the annoying 'Drive too busy' message. Also solid plug for Roger the Midi Maniac, I would've been lost without that guy. Edit: I should probably watch to the end of the video before commenting lol

[@AudioPilz]

Roger is the man!!!

[@thelabby9998]

There’s another ide2sd project bringing support to sp808 but one more time 200$…

[@unclemick-synths]

5:30 great jam! 👍 6:48 greater jam!! 👍👍 8:00 album-worthy 👍👍👍

[@23jackleeder]

Yeah it epitomizes bad gear. The SP808ex has awesome features mixed with awful inadequacies and 90s hang-ups. But it can be turned to better gear and in the right hands its limitations force a certain creative genius. Very cool jams!

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed! Thanks!

[@el_dani]

It‘s time that Roland get‘s you on the payroll. A very talented Synthfluencer and so many Roland appearances, they must be very glad in Hamamatsu. I was already rolling on the floor with the Dude entry (no carpet here unfortunately).

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Fun fact: Roland is not amused;)

[@gameon2000]

Synfluencer. That's what Florian really is. I like that deserved title.

[@Flat8G]

The highlight of the episode is, as always, your demo! You can make any device sound good while adding some fun context around it! :)

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@stefan1024]

love how this is lowkey a show about cinema

[@AudioPilz]

You know too much😂

[@daveother]

Clever, sneaking in the Rubber clip

[@wwddwi2183]

As long as the gear operates to serve its function it’s not bad, tedious perhaps. It’s the users lack of desire for the gear. The best gear to start on is the gear with limitations. The limitations force you to find another way. It always has you reaching and learning, which helps keeps you moving forward in your creative venture. Even if it means lusting after the latest gear. When you get on the gear full of rich features, should be poised for destruction. You don’t play the instrument, the instrument plays you. You make good music on this channel with “Bad Gear.“ Btw what’s the name of the movie in the beginning?

[@AudioPilz]

There's some truth to it! "The Big Lebowski"

[@vintageMIDI]

your review makes the SP808ex a goof choice for revival, if only for processing power for efx. TIGHT!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Yeah, the FX are really nice!

[@DaraM73]

I once found an Omega Zip drive in a street bin. I’ve never found any other physical drive for any other media format in all my years going through municipal bins.

[@AudioPilz]

I understand everyone who would toss these...

[@thelabby9998]

Because any other drive will be take by someone before you arrive but never with a zip drive… lol

[@undich]

I had the non-EX version, upgraded with the EX OS and used it live with my band as well as to make tracks. There was also an alternative OS that someone (here from Switzerland) hacked together. AFAIR it made it possible to replace the Zip with a Jaz or even a HDD.. For me the concept of the all-in-one, the eierlegende Wollmilchsau, had a great appeal at the time since it was just before laptops that could handle audio multitracking became affordable. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

[@AudioPilz]

Always a pleasure! Thanks, didn't know about the alternative OS

[@TheBoyWithTheGuitar]

your best jam so far !! that lofi-funk!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!

[@Etienne.6329]

That’s a bold statement. Most of his jams are his best jam.

[@PHeMoX]

The SP-808ex is legendary in its own right. It might have been mostly just too expensive for the intended audience on launch, more so than any of its flaws being a real issue. In terms of FX, it's easily the best machine in the SP series, actually. Closely followed by the SP-606 IMHO. Yes, zip drive was a bad choice, but it was around the time where compact flash cards were still competing with older media and SD cards weren't a matured standard yet. There was no standard yet. And internal hard disks were both expensive and (too) slow, in this pre-SSD era. It's also a _very very_ good sampler all around. Modern samplers should take note when it comes to the sampling work flow tbh. I do agree the memory management might not be flawless, but this is true for all older samplers / grooveboxes. It's very rare for older samplers / grooveboxes to not feel very limited in terms of memory and it is the number one reason why software DAWs took off the way they did, with midi controllers, instead of hardware sequencer / samplers as the main studio centre piece. Speaking of which, modern artists that still use the SP-808ex will have no problem tracking their music into a DAW anyway.

[@AudioPilz]

The FX are indeed awesome!

[@this_connor_guy]

I used to have an 808 that I upgraded with the 808EX OS so I could get that synth and some extra effects. As one of the comments in the video noted - steep learning curve. I agree with that. I had a love/hate relationship with this device. Wanted to love it, but the learning curve was a bit much for my liking. Oh well. The zip drive stuff never got to me. My Mirage has the loudest floppy drive and I love that. Those drive sounds are just a bit of comforting nostalgia to me. :)

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed, floppies sound so much more musical

[@josuearesav]

Damn, this is arguably some actual "bad gear". Yet, you still manage to push it to the limits and get some very good results! Awesome music and memes! 🔥🔥🔥

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@ssalient]

Basically looks like a stand-alone Amiga MOD tracker with extra effects. Kind of cool actually. :)

[@AudioPilz]

An Amiga MOD tracker has a proper sequencer;)

[@thelabby9998]

@@AudioPilz and less noisy drive, ram and value today. XD

[@strelokknoize]

You sampled the ZIP sound!

[@AudioPilz]

The world had to know😂

[@h2o1969]

Damn dude, your genre names are no joke, but funny as hell. Called the puff puff pass basement jam! Still wanting an album of Bad Gear Jams.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you! Problem is: I would have to release several albums;) It will happen but until then full tracks are available on Patreon (shameless plug as usual;)

[@h2o1969]

@@AudioPilz get it while you can.

[@e-conrecords4665]

I like the idea of 4 tracks. It didn’t hurt us in the 80’s - 90’s. If anything it forced us to think in more creative, critical & economical ways. I think this is exactly why I love the 4 track limit of Digitone. ❤️

[@AudioPilz]

Totally fine with a synth for me

[@Dilettanteworks]

I loved mine so much, but the zip disk limitations/constant corruption made me chuck it. I wish Roland would release a full-featured recreation of this instead of the MC line. I miss the crazy shit you can do with the D-Beam and the effects...the D-Beam was a huge part of my performances for some time.

[@AudioPilz]

MC-05 Boutique maybe;)

[@thelabby9998]

Mv1?

[@vinylarchaeologist]

Many months later, and AudioPilz still hasn't _gemeldet_ that _Absturz!_

[@AudioPilz]

Months? YEARS!!!

[@djlocodoc]

Bad Gear God! Those jams were sooo good! Man is there no piece of Bad Gear that this man can make sound bad? You sir are on another Epic Level! Enjoy your weekend!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@neuronmind]

I see how things go now, you just took me for my thrills. Go ahead and keep Bad gearing, cause i got the Pilz.

[@AudioPilz]

The only cure: cowbell

[@MCBrainpower]

That Puff-Puff-Pass Broken Beat Ballad is pretty melancholic, bro !! Nice work.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@grunions9648]

Oh man you did it, I have one right here which I used for 10 years. And by 'used' I mean both as a live sample trigger and to make full songs. I love it.

[@AudioPilz]

Kudos! That's quite some Zen you're having!

[@voltijuice8576]

The four stereo pair polyphony was also optimistic if one was trying to make breakcore or other frenetic music, the zip couldn't even manage. Although it does still have a non real-time mode where you can write and bounce pretty much anything. I ended up using mine mostly as just a hard disk recorder and effects unit.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed, bouncing is very convenient on this unit

[@MegaCadr]

The best part of my Fridays.

[@AudioPilz]

Have a nice weekend!!!

[@Tomoroh_Hidari]

You could also just make an artsy noise track by sending the sound of the zip drive through a chain of effects!

[@AudioPilz]

The internal FX!!! ZIPception!!!

[@secretelitemusic]

If you play it backwards you can hear Skynet muttering under its breath.

[@thelabby9998]

Extra poliphony…

[@worldview3555]

interesting....

[@Roboprogs]

Maybe get a “zippotron” section for the “floppotron” guy.

[@SecondhandKidMusic]

I am torn! I had the sp 808 for years and loved it at the time. Yes- I agree with all of the limitations and the zip drive was the cause of death for mine (i forgave it- I worked it very hard for many hours/years) but upon 'upgrading' from my Tascam Cassette four it was greatest piece of recording gear I owned in 1999. Great vid and yes, the Zip drive clicks made me uneasy too- I forgot about that dread!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!!!

[@sethmcdonald8658]

Ok, so I've been loving this box for more than 2 decades and it's still is a main player in my rig. I have actually replaced the drive and can tell you that with the Zip drive and space capacity limitation gone this thing almost rivals any modern sampler. The sound is amazing and with a CF card in there you can use the track recorder side to... well... actually record tracks.

[@AudioPilz]

Cool! Which drive did you get?

[@AnalogFlava]

Yeah please tell us more man! Thanks

[@sethmcdonald8658]

@Analog Flava Hey man. What would you like to know? The specific drive that is an exact drop in replacement is the drive that was shipped inside the Akai MPC2000XL Blue model of MPCs. YES, the only CF drive that works in the Roland SP808 is indeed a drive that was used as the drive for that specific Akai MPC. Yes, that means that to get one you will need to shop around for it as a spare part for that particular MPC. Yes, it is an exact perfect drop in replacement for the 808's ZIP drive. Even the mounting holes line up. The bad news? The ones that came in tht model of MPC are the only ones that ever got made so to get one means that one has to be harvested from a broken MPC2000XL Blue at some point. People who pull these out of those MPCs usually know that it's a special in-demand part. Including shipping + taxes I paid just under $500 CAD for one. You will need to set an alert on ebay and wait. Once you see one for sale, if you hesitate, someone else will buy it within a day or two.

[@bux77]

Man your videos just keep getting better. My MCP 2000XL isn’t up on the chopping block soon is it, I saw you reference it at the end. By the way I did the CF card mod on it and it is super easy and makes the MPC so much better

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@anthonyrothercom]

I love the RCA connection. Bad Gear quality from Roland :-) Nothing can stop our MAN AudioPilz from making great PUFF-PUFF tracks...

[@AudioPilz]

Hey Anthony, so happy to hear that from you!!!

[@FlorianRachor1]

The lofi beat was magic. Went back and listened to it again :D

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!!! Full version on Patreon (shameless plug;)

[@DerAykac]

This thing truly deserves to be called a space ship. Holy cow.

[@AudioPilz]

Not sure if I would trust the oxygen suppy;)

[@aaronrosenthal5310]

I wholeheartedly ADORE my weekly ritualistic routine of watching bad gear(& occasionally better gear - as well as any Alex Ball crossover

[@aaronrosenthal5310]

Event! Been with you almost all the way back to the start, but even I have to draw a metaphorical line in the sand... That line on the ukule-lay-ler is uncalled for! 🤔➡️🥺➡️😭➡️🤯➡️😵➡️⚰ 🤣 😉 😂 Please keep em coming!!!

[@AudioPilz]

So happy to hear that! Thank you!!!

[@briannicholson5747]

Four note polyphony on a sampler from 2000 is hilarious when you recall that the Emu SP1200 had eight 🙃

[@AudioPilz]

I couldn't believe it at first...

[@analogkid1261]

Technically, it is 8 voice polyphony - just locked to stereo channels

[@jbmcb]

Also, around the same time, you could get an Ensoniq ASR-X for just a bit more, and it had 32 voices.

[@briannicholson5747]

@@analogkid1261 Now I wonder if samples could be grabbed mono for crunch

[@thelabby9998]

4 stereo 8 mono is the max on paper. On reality probably less… xD

[@stephane406]

Just bought two SP 808 (not the ex) for a good price, one is ok, the second with a screen problem, bought also a external zip player usable with w10, this unit is really a good one, inspiring and with fun even at the first use, I think that's the best part, you can have real fun in a few minutes, and you'll need more time to use it in a more complete way, effects seems to be really really good (delay on drums !!!), it was almost perfect, why roland doesn't make a new version with real ram and save !

[@AudioPilz]

A moder version would be much appreciated!!!

[@capesoundboy]

Would love to see more samplers!

[@AudioPilz]

Great idea, any suggestions?

[@user-zr1ij2nz6j]

@@AudioPilz Korg ES-1would be cool (really regret selling mine) or maybe the ESX.

[@TBSOAWM]

@@AudioPilz Behringer DFX69 Tweakalizer!

[@vinyljunkie07]

@@user-zr1ij2nz6j Yea but the ES-1 isn't shit.. Now the Vari Os, Cheetah SX-16, Akai S01 were hahah

[@capesoundboy]

In the vein of Bad Gear - Roland MS-1, Bastille Microgranny, E-Mu ESI series, Roland S series rack samplers (with the screen & mouse!), Cheetah SX16, Yamaha A3000

[@RadagastTheBrwn]

please please please keep using the effects of the bad gear on the narration ; its hysterically fucking funny - love your work & godspeed

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you! Will remain a part of the show!

[@arcanics1971]

Oh this. Turned out to be about as much use for productions as a purse full of minced frogs. In fact, had I bought a purse full of frog mince in the first life, I would have been much happier.

[@AudioPilz]

Funnily enough it was critically acclaimed back then;)

[@t3hjnz]

I loved this one so much I watched it twice! I continue to be amazed by your ability to make everything sound as great as it can, while accurately channeling the genres of the era. This was particularly nostalgic 🤣

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@tommytomthms5]

wow its amazing what you can do with vfx and cgi these days it's almost like he actually has it! almost, because these never existed they were only ever a picture in a magazine, a fairy tale, less real than a unicorn.

[@AudioPilz]

Welcome to Fake Gear...

[@Skootavision]

You put so much effort into this video (as ever) but it's the Ryan George 1/2 second appearance that absolutely cracked me up. It's the new 'tickles all the foxes' for me :)

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! It was barely an inconvenience;)

[@Skootavision]

@@AudioPilz Super easy...

[@Zhahlivy]

This gear is very underrated I think. So many things is possible with it. The very moment when idea went far beyond the technology of its time.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed but I am inclined to say that the whole concept is inherently flawed

[@bluetensormedia230]

@@AudioPilz The zip drive killed the machines longevity. Otherwise, for its time, it was light a CD quality 4-track tape machine with amazing built-in FX and a deep-architecture virtual synth, with MIDI. Bouncing down tracks at stereo CD quality was the shizzel. I still own mine SP808EX, use it as a teaching machine and over-glorified FX box.

[@thelabby9998]

Regular Roland edge cutting turning a good idea into a nightmare titled “It should be possible from specs but it keeps throwing errors, why? WHY?” Or almost that’s how I will titled it if I was a Demon torturing beatmakers in hell.

[@tonygall0]

Please do an episode on the Roland MC 808! It’s the final flagship of the early 2000’s MC series and ticks all the boxes: has flying faders, the D-beam, 128 voice polyphony, a compact flash drive, expandable ram, obsolete editor software (I had to keep an PowerPC Mac around to run the editor) and can import the presets to the JunoG. Oh, and if you want to load stereo samples you have to load left and right separately! But in mono I believe it’s over an hour of sampling time. You know you want to do an episode on it… 🙂

[@AudioPilz]

Great suggestion, let's see if I can find enough hate. Ppl really like these

[@SebastienLeger]

back in 1999, one of my first EP (under the Deaf'n Dumb Crew alias) was called "Drive too busy" - You get the idea why :')

[@AudioPilz]

I feel you!!! Nice to have you around, Sébastien!!!

[@quentin9287]

Love deaf and dumb crew tons! So cool to see you in this comment section

[@edoksc]

Wow the last ballad is just amazing, i really need a full lenght of it, thank u.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Just uploaded the full track to Patreon (shameless plug;)

[@theMIDImaniac]

@audiopilz: Thank you so much for the shout-out! This is my thankful reaction to you! @audiopilz kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6nElqZnhJaZrKM You made a great video of this special unit. I predict that this unit will stay/become a classic ;-)

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks, man! Very appreciated!

[@chrisknights5853]

Great episode, the movie references are killing me, I could almost hear Eastwood groaning when that clip popped up.. kudos man..

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!! Dirty Harry never disappoints!

[@Cebollaverde]

Bad Gear + Ryan George crossover: “Alright so you have a new sampler product for me?” “Yes sir I do”

[@AudioPilz]

Well, okay then

[@troubadour723]

"Oh, ticking all the boxes is TIGHT!"

[@xandimalbeach8944]

The idea of taking anything out of an MPC 2000 and putting it this monstrosity is painful. Great episode! Love your channel

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!! I deeply respect The Midi Maniac for that bold move

[@thelabby9998]

“But it’s lofi! It has fanbase! It’s how true hiphop should be made!” … insert your own cliché “here” to justify nosense and join me, please! Don’t let the madness vanish…

[@Scyber_Official]

The original SP-808 was one of the first pieces of gear I bought and the first sampler I owned - bought mine from Chris Spicuzza - the electronic guy in the metal band Chimaira - It came with a broken zip card and I vividly remember taking it to an electronics geek to see if I could salvage the card because I knew there were some killer samples on it - but sadly he just reformatted the card and wiped it clean. I ended up selling the SP-808 about a year later because it was too confusing for me to use.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, without internet it was half the fun to learn an instrument like this

[@PodmornicaFTW]

These are getting better and better. Well done.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@bjharvey3021]

Another high-value review from Bad Gear. Good job!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@Ufomeow1]

dude delivers every time.

[@heavysystemsinc.]

It's so 'confusing part of the 90s' with choices, it hurts. Hurts so good. The features list feels like an SP404 that fell into the sewer and got exposed to mutigen and now is training to fight crime with Master Splinter and the Turtles.

[@voltijuice8576]

Unfortunately, mine only fought itself.

[@AudioPilz]

It's more like Bane in Batman&Robin;)

[@thelabby9998]

@@voltijuice8576 to keep alive…

[@0VRLNDR]

Ukelayyyyla..... you got me on my knees! [I don't know what I'm doing here, but if I don't comment each week I feel like I'm doing it wrong]

[@AudioPilz]

You're doing the right thing, thanks!

[@paulbmorgan]

Prior to buying one of these box fresh and for a decent price in the early 2000s (came with the optional expansion board) I had previously owned an Emax sampler keyboard, I thought the SP-808ex was the cat's pyjamas. I had a lot of fun with it - the ease of sampling and onboard FX were a major step up from the Emax. Yep, it had its limitations, polyphony, constant zip backing track, clunky work flow, etc. but I have fond memories of it. Still, it is definitely worthy of bad gear though, not aged well :-). Bold design too, any new gear as bold in colour choice? Another great episode, thanks.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! 90s design revival will come sooner than we think

[@Spherical_El]

@@AudioPilz ooh I hope not - just sold my og bass station 🤦‍♀️

[@christopherjohnson4276]

Wow this brings back memories of my blurry 20's. Thanks!

[@AudioPilz]

Instant flashback!

[@jeffersonharris]

do more on the other obscure SP series models! would love to see on one the SP-505

[@AudioPilz]

I had one of these, a friend of mine just threw it away without asking me;)

[@kolomahler]

Even better, the SP-555???

[@doublebass]

I traded my 505 for an ehx hog pedal. Sounded identical to my 303. The screen was a nice way to visualize effects and trim samples, also had a clipboard function, i liked the assignable effects and 4 track layout, but the pitch and chop settings weren't great. The simplicity of the 303 led to a faster more creative grooves.

[@thelabby9998]

@@kolomahler Different machines, both deserve a chapter.

[@sanakassara]

Man... You just made me surgically younger with those Funker Vogt, Puff-Puff, in 90s I used to be only twenty years old type beats! If people want to know how hardware synths can feel like at best, they need to sub AudioPilz and tune in!

[@AudioPilz]

Music is our fountain of youth! So happy to hear that, thanks! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[@NathanChisholm041]

I remember going into the Hi-Tech section at my music store and being amazed at this groovebox! I still prefer my MC-505 but she's sounding a little dated though you can still make some banging beats with it. My mate has a MC-909 and its built like a soviet tank! 🤘🏼🎹

[@AudioPilz]

The ZIP drive and lack of RAM is a real limitation

[@sub-jec-tiv]

505 was surprisingly good. Made a lot of stuff on it in the 90s. I liked the drum & bass kits.

[@gelatinous6915]

Soviet tanks haven't been doing too hot lately lmao

[@AnalogFlava]

fnally got the mc505 last year - this thing is awesome and always wanted the sp808 as well...mc909, maybe.

[@gauloiseguy]

I owned one. Wanted to love it. Ticked many boxes but didn't do what I needed it to do in the end. Should have researched better what a 'phrase sampler' is meant to do as it wasn't the machine's fault but a typical case of GAS without proper knowledge. It did one thing though, I bought an MPC because of this mismatch and 'never looked back' workflow wise. Cheers on a decent and fun channel 👍

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! MPC is certainly the better choice!

[@TobyBorrow]

Brilliant just brilliant. I loved this when it first came out it was hilarious

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@AH-wt7zu]

Woop woop, it's the sound of Audiopilz! As always, cheers for great content

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@gamma_noize]

Cool video! Didn't know this piece of gear even existed. ^^ Why is it, that such much Roland gear has great ideas, but then also has some quirk or flaw, that disqulifies it completely for most musicians?! I don't hear that much fuzz about other manufacturers. lol.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Maybe Roland knows exactly what they can get away with;)

[@voltijuice8576]

Classic LOLand!

[@thelabby9998]

The true question is “Why Roland keeps trying it and doesn’t go bankrupt?” That kind of Magic they should put in their r&d teams…

[@Zapperlivepa]

I still use mine. I deal with Zip drive crashes and crap memory because It’s the only machine that does changes pitch and speed of the sample via D-beam. This allows me to do scratching tricks. Also running a kick thru the distortion effects is amazing for hardcore or hardtek. Thanks for the video.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for watching. The effects on the SP808 are indeed really nice

[@thelabby9998]

It’s possible to do similar fx with voice transform and pitch control. Not dbeam involved but also availabe in other sp boxes…

[@nkogliaz]

I always kind of felt like Roland was trying to fill the 'sampling' void left wide open from the release of the MC-505 and it not having any kind of onboard sampler being a 'groove box' with thie SP808 (until the release of the MC-909, that is, and lets face it, Ensoniq / Emu / Akai were absolutely killing the sampling game at this point in time, the roland rack samplers were no slouch, however), the SP808 was always a really quirky device and never really seemed to function well (every single one of the Roland Groove Line had those beyond horrid steppy resonany filters on them, side note, if you automate / lfo the filters on any of these devices, the stepping almost vanishes entirely, not much fun though for actual knob turning, however...), I found swapping one of the CF / USB drives in solved a lot of the disk issues and performance issues of the device, but still ultimately, I feel like Roland really were just grasping at straws with the SP808 and trying to put one more product out and squeeze the last bit of juice they could from the 90's orange as it were, I still own an SP808ex and an MC-505/JX-305, but the SP808 anymore collects more dust than it ever sees usage, I have a plethora of old gear like this for nostalgia aka I spent money on stupid shit that I thought was great that wasn't that I couldn't afford when I was in highschool because these units were insanely overpriced for the value and because I was easily distracted by weird noises, bright colors and flashing lights (Cough*LSD*Cough). Great video man, as always, respect.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Teenagers are so easily distracted;)

[@noisetheorem]

Roland never quite got what users wanted in sampling. They had a lot of units since their dedicated samplers went out of production that were either overcomplicated or completely underpowered. For a while, it seemed like they just up and forgot how properly make a sampler. When they released the Fantom Series and the V-Synths, it got better...but they were still a complete PITA to deal with compared to Akai or EMU samplers. That said, I'd still probably give my right arm to have a DJ-70 in my studio if just for the grungy sound and the whacked out 'scratch dial' (which was like a casio rap-man on steroids). They are nearly impossible to find, though.

[@larsbergen6126]

Compared to E-MU ESI units, S-Series Roland Samplers were easy to operate.

[@secretelitemusic]

@@larsbergen6126 Agreed. The S760 had a mouse and monitor option, which made finding the zero crossings a breeze if you were looping breakbeats or pads, and were allergic to clicks and tempo glitches.

[@genuinefreewilly5706]

memories of scsi zip drives and the click of death. Amazing you found a 100mb disk that works

[@AudioPilz]

I still got a whole box full of them and most of them work. Hard to tell why...

[@genuinefreewilly5706]

@@AudioPilz In the day both myself and partner had zip drives, the scsi drives for the old macs worked the best but they all failed about the same time. I probably still have 20 or more myself with some data I would have l;iked to get off them. Oh well BTW I found an old 1 gig zip drive a few years back, totally different cartridge, USB I think

[@lundsweden]

I quite like the Roland/Boss Groovesamplers, but Zip drives deserve a special place in hell! The drives are more unreliable than an old FIAT in minus 30C!

[@AudioPilz]

Both, the Fiat and the SP808 are both ideal for hotboxing, though;)

[@2112jonr]

Or just a Fiat. Any temperature will do.

[@gilbertvalentin9367]

I've always wondered why Roland doesn't sell an upgrade version of the OS for PCs, Mac, Android, etc. And use the hardware for controller. Closed mind tunal vision. Would be great sales for both sp808 owners and software users. I guess they prefer to sell some new product although it doesn't compare.

[@LorenzoVDH1996]

Really? I've had plenty of Zipdrives both 100 MB and 250 MB ones and they have been more reliable than typical non-SSD harddisks from the same time period in my experience... but that could just be me

[@MG53v8]

Hell yes , I'd save projects on zip and just leave my mpc2kXL on to be safe . Would run for about month then have a spaz-out 😂

[@SianaGearz]

6:21 the musician known as Mr. Oizo is also a prolific filmmmaker. Mhm i personally like it when things make random mechanical noises from their magnetic and optical drives. Feels like they're alive.

[@AudioPilz]

No problem with the alluring sound of floppy disks but ZIP noises are just plain evil

[@thelabby9998]

“Feels like they’re alive.” Because that’s the sound of Roland stealing your life (waiting and hoping for no errors). It’s like “wasted life simulator” in a box.

[@timbrechopper]

You absolutely nailed this one. Great effects processor, decent sampler, and everything else was terrible!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@Roboprogs]

Definitely not even tempted by this format. We’ve moved past merely “Bad Gear” into the “Instruments of Torture” hall of fame. As usual, Adrianne find some use for the hunk o junk, though 😁

[@ZZEROO99]

Picked one of the non EX models one day on impulse for 250 CAD. Unit was in great shape and the owner had the original manual with a ton of extra zip disks to toss my way. Even had the Ex OS installed already, absolutely fell in love with the sound of it and the vinyl sim is the best out of any SP Ive heard and is way more tweak able with more parameters it just takes some time playing with it. I find it works best paired up with another sampler like a sp-404 that the 808 can record. 808 works great as something to do some final mixing or process some samples on for its character. I personally use mine along side a sp-202 and sp-404 sequenced with a beat step pro and a korg emx 1 sd.

[@AudioPilz]

Really liked the lofi fx too!

[@BrancoArgenta]

They look so Cool I would get one just to look at it!

[@AudioPilz]

Mmmmmh, late 90s design at its "best"

[@PLA.net-DANTE]

Your last track... Goosebumps

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@secretelitemusic]

Never really understood the point of this box. The SP808 appeared after the MC505 groovebox , maybe to fill a portable sampling gap in Roland's Akai rivalry, and a few years before the MC909 (with sampling) appeared.. The MC 505 was a reliable house/techno gigging machine, if a bit limited, but the MC909 was/is a reliable live gigging monster, and a genuine competitor for the Akai sampling grooveboxes. Having owned a couple of Iomega drives, I'd rather ride a Segway down a ski jump than rely on a wonky Iomega biscuit for data integrity. Zip and Jaz drives were a temporary solution with dubious data transfer rates, and an expensive one at that. Obese floppies in all but name. I've seen a few SP808s on fleabay in the UK for well under 100 sterling. Usually with the enticing strapline "for parts or repair only". I've never been remotely tempted. I'm amazed that it didn't reboot itself at least once during your mini-jams.

[@AudioPilz]

The funny thing is: I have a VS-840 with ZIPs from the 90s and it still works like a charm. Don't forget about the "hard disk" recorder section that was very tempting for people back then

[@secretelitemusic]

@@AudioPilz : I can see that being exciting. I had an SP760 sampler that had a mouse and monitor, and some Akai DR recorders, and it felt like the future. Except, Zip isn't a hard disk, it's a poor man's CD-RW. My Iomega drives were SCSI 1.0 and supposedly bombproof. They weren't. The Roland ones were ATAPI, if memory fails me well. The noise they make when they die is harrbl.

[@voltijuice8576]

I had an original SP808 which I upgraded to an ex later, and yes, I kicked myself when the MC909 came out.

[@secretelitemusic]

@@voltijuice8576 Did you eventually get an MC909, or make the jump to Akai?

[@voltijuice8576]

@@secretelitemusic - Neither! I realized that I wanted to do more "avant garde" sampling so I ended up trading my SP to a friend for a G3 Mac and using software such as LiSa and Max/MSP. I did perform out on it too, carrying my tower and monitor to events like a crazy person. A few years ago I bought a cheap A4000 with I/O expansion but it's in storage now. I want to try using the ADAT I/O on that with my Expert Sleepers modules. I was semi-retired due to parenthood but slooowly getting back into everything.

[@hailysvomit5305]

I’ve had 4 since they first came on the market . Never had any problems ! I’ve bought one from eBay last year . £250 and it’s running really well . I could see why some people don’t like them . But I find it useful and works well with my vs1680 midi it and excellent sound samples fits in perfectly .

[@AudioPilz]

👍👍👍

[@NunyaB1s]

I was tempted by this back in the day, I actually feel like I dodged a bullet. I don’t mind phrase sampling but 4 voice is only appropriate for analog or FM 🤣

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, the polyphony is a dealbreaker!

[@luminouscloud1269]

Roland was going for a proto-Aira system at this time in the 90’s. The Sp-808, MC-505, and Roland DJ-2000 mixer ( which also had 3 turntable inputs and a nice efx processor with midi clock and BPM adjusting) were supposed to be the complete “groove” package. The DJ-2000 had a special assignable sampler out which should be on every mixer IMO.

[@AudioPilz]

Didn't know that mixer. Thanks for posting!

[@luminouscloud1269]

@@AudioPilz There was also a DJ-1000. The efx processor only had a BPM sync’d filter, and the DJ-1000 was a 2 channel only. The filter on the DJ-1000/2000 was a filter house secret weapon. I used to own the 2000. Mazzulla and I chatted about it as he owned one too, he called it the daddy of all filter’s.

[@luminouscloud1269]

I applied for a job at a music shop and on the interview told them this was my favorite mixer…. The manager looked like he wanted to beat me… I didn’t get the job…

[@4CloudySky]

Great tunes dude! You should release an album!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Maybe release several albums - for every genre

[@vanpernoguerallopis5652]

But always mixing 4 or 5 Styles please, you àre so good muy friend

[@chrisrobinson246]

this is one of my favourite ending instrumentals

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!

[@dwen1816]

You've covered bunch of ugly gear on this channel but for me this one takes the cake. Maybe the shape is ordinary but everything else from the colour scheme to the Roland logo under this semi translucent plastic tortures my eyeballs.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, it won't get any more late 90s than this!

[@dylanleroysynth]

Dig the look of this machine to be honest. Great episode! Love the broken beat ballad!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! 90s design at its "best";)

[@MoeShinola1]

Cool, I've always wondered about this sampler. Sounds like it would make a nice FX box. So hard to find an affordable vocoder, something I'd really like.

[@AudioPilz]

The vocoder is cool but you need an external carrier signal for that.

[@thelabby9998]

Get a tc helicon peform ve. The best of variphrase/vc2 card inside a little and cheap unit.

[@scottharris7222]

Actually really enjoy Jam 2 and would love ot hear a full song with that style. Great work, you even make deeply flawed gear sound great in the proper context.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you. There's a longer jam on Patreon (shameless plug;)

[@snowleopard9749]

Would this channel even exist without Roland? Also, I wonder if there is a way to replace the zip drive with a usb drive?

[@AudioPilz]

I don't even want to think about it!

[@TaxEvader420]

The finale might just be my favourite piece of music from the show, einfach top

[@AudioPilz]

Besten Dank!!!

[@stereoroid]

If you don't like D-Beam controllers, you *really* won't like the Alesis AirSynth. I have its sibling, the AirFX, which would be useful if I was a DJ, but I'm not.

[@AudioPilz]

Had an AirFX, hated it😂

[@thelabby9998]

The “bad gear detector” has melt after the amount of potential episodes will possible extract from your amazing comment.

[@a.c.5813]

Great episode as usual and I am really glad that you covered this device. Next episode idea, the Roland MV-8000. Cheers 🍻

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! Isn't the MV almost too nice😏

[@AntoniojLara]

I hope that one day they will take out an inexpensive and compatible SD reader.

[@AudioPilz]

Some people claim that they have a solution but I'm still waiting on a verification from the Midi Maniac

[@michaelx9079]

Is the zip drive in these scsi? Scsi2sd card is amazing for old samplers..... maybe not this one though

[@thelabby9998]

Compatible seems arriving, cheap never…