Boss SP-202: Complete Guide to a Unique Hardware Sampler

[@MicrophonesInTheTrees]

The pitch is smooth because it's actually speed, like a record - the pitch and tempo change together. It's not trying to maintain the tempo as the pitch changes, so there's no glitching a la the 303 or 404sx etc.

[@StephenMcLeod]

Do the 303/404SX try to maintain the tempo? I didn't think they did.

[@MicrophonesInTheTrees]

@@StephenMcLeod The 303 and 404 have a pitch shift effect (changes pitch, maintains tempo) or they time stretch (changes tempo, maintains pitch). Both get glitchy. They don't have a means of changing sample speed (pitch and tempo moving together like a record slowing down/speeding up), achieved by altering the sample rate(s). Everyone always gets excited about the 'smooth' pitch on the 202 without realising it's something different entirely.

[@StephenMcLeod]

@RunOfTheHind I'll need to dig out my 404 and have a squinty because I don't think I've ever realised that

[@StephenMcLeod]

To be fair I never use the pitch/stretch functions on the 404 anyway. Vp9000 for life.

[@MicrophonesInTheTrees]

@@StephenMcLeod The VP9k is obvs excellent at all 3 iirc, lol. The SPs (- the 202) are collectively some of the only samplers that can't 'speed'. I've always had a love/hate relationship with the 303 as sample speed is fundamental to me. The 202 pitch is far from ideal tho. Like you said, it's global BUT it only affects playback, so samples still need to be in tune together if you're making a track on one. The Roland MS-1 that was the precusor to the SPs also has global pitch BUT you can further alter the sampling sample rate with the pitch settings beyond the sample grade settings, so you can tune your samples to the sample you're about to take, so then the global pitch will move everything in relation with eachother. The SP808 can also do this by altering the sample rate of the entire machine.

[@andrewmypocalypse]

I was lucky (I’m 45). My best friend bought one in ‘99 and it was a staple in certain areas of our music production. We’ve spent many years off and on again in terms of making music, but just yesterday he sent me the SP 202 in the mail so I can resurrect it with my Tascam portastudio 424 mk III that I bought in 2000. Talk about lo-fi. I’m gonna make some sweet love to this sampler.

[@vvlvmusic]

Gotta say, that one is tempting. I love how it looks. Which, as we all know, is the most important thing when shopping for music gear.

[@StephenMcLeod]

I may or may not have bought it 80% on looks. Maybe 90%. I also may or may not have two of them. (Don't ask)

[@paintnamer6403]

I was lucky to have a friend at a music store give me a Boss 5 volt card that did not sell with a used SP 202. That was in2007. I do have fun with Dr Sample every once in a while, like today.

[@StephenMcLeod]

Great find!!

[@Schoolforthesoul]

This was the first stand alone sampler I ever got. I loved it! I used it for playing DJ samples like my DJ name. I used the onboard mic and it worked great for the time! I sold this unit in the early 200s and got the next model SP-303. I'm totally going to bring it out to play around with it again.

[@StephenMcLeod]

It is such a big beautiful plasticy weirdo!!

[@allanroney]

Roland/Boss never again reached the peak of the aesthetics (resisted the urge to capitalise that/insert spaces between each letter) of the orange/black series.

[@StephenMcLeod]

A.E.S...

[@Two-Eyed_Boy]

Thanks for highlighting the lack of internal re-sample function. Decisions made!

[@Hectik17]

midi up to the dr-202 you can sequence to it. Im waiting for one To be delivered. I think you can use the samples from the 202 as polyphonic in the Dr. not sure yet

[@davidlynch4338]

My first sampler was an SP-202. I also had a 303 and the 2 together were great. Sadly, I bought an SP-555, which on paper was a huge upgrade over both the 202 and the 303 together. So I sold the 202 and 303... Big mistake, The 555 was definitely "more" but not exactly better. I would love to have a 202 again, it has something really special going on and that isn't just nostalgia. I listen to old tracks I made with the 202 over a decade ago and still miss the sound. Great video!

[@StephenMcLeod]

Cheers David! The 555 looks like a beast. They still fetch a pretty penny on ebay too by the looks of things!

[@davidlynch4338]

@@StephenMcLeod Yeah, it is a bit crazy... I bought it in Canada for $500cad and sold it in Germany for 500euros after using it for ten years... With the 555, it just seemed like I was preparing banks all the time and never really playing music. Whereas, with the 202/303 I was just capturing stuff regularly and using the samples for what they were.

[@StephenMcLeod]

@@davidlynch4338 I hear you. That's what I like about the SP-202. You just grab stuff, use it, and then it has to be discarded. Rather than arranging sets and patterns and sequences. It's just... immediate and you work with it. Damn now I need to go play with it again.

[@XyNoST]

The ring mod is how they made the weird voices of the ghosts in the game Killer 7 ! Not so useless after all ! ;)

[@StephenMcLeod]

Nice! Top fact!

[@tapefilter2000]

Hell yeah, I love my 202. I've heard it described as a poor man's/micro Emu SP-1200 but I think it's way more than that. Sure cutting samples is a pain in the arse when all you have is the mark button but it's still a great machine. Good vid

[@StephenMcLeod]

Now I need an Emu SP-1200!

[@rorz999]

I enjoy the challenge of mark button precise timing!

[@rdean150]

Suddenly glad I never got rid of my old SP-202. I still have the memory card, too! Power jack doesn't work anymore, but batteries bring the ol girl back to life! I hope you show us how to sequence it with that Pyramid!

[@StephenMcLeod]

Not a bad idea! I might give that a bash. Sequencing it is pretty good fun

[@rdean150]

@@StephenMcLeod i agree about the feel of the pads on the 202 - they feel nicer than most actual drum machine pads. Certainly more pleasant to the touch than the Rytm or my Roland midi controller. Shame that the 202 doesn't have midi out.

[@rorz999]

​@@rdean150hmm I always found the pads to be a bit stiff. I preferred the pads on the 303 which look identical but I found them to be more responsive!

[@XyNoST]

Will surely get one this week but I will mostly just use it to throw samples from Snatcher between tracks in my set and maybe sync it with MaxYMiser on the Atari STe !

[@StephenMcLeod]

Hope you love it!!

[@Madstubborn]

I got a card off eBay for 20 Aud a decade ago. Crazy how much they are

[@StephenMcLeod]

Bargain!!

[@shibbidydoowop]

You're not joking! About 2 years ago I bought a 202 for 100 US, first thing I did when it arrived was check the memory... 4mb card in the slot 😯 I was so happy they left it in!

[@Madstubborn]

@@shibbidydoowop fucking score!!!

[@rorz999]

I paid £10 for a 4MB card in about 2016

[@davidm3569]

Gonna dig mine out, thanks for reminding me about it 😁 I thought it would work with some old Smart Media cards, but as you said it needs a 5 volt ? type, which sadly I don't have.😓

[@StephenMcLeod]

Yeah, though don't worry about that - it is still awesome even without it. It has built in memory too.

[@Hectik17]

truncate your samples for more space. and if you've got a mem card you can save entire bank a or b to a pad on bank c or d to store for later letting you record more samples on all the pad (bank a or b)

[@StephenMcLeod]

Top tips! How do you save the entire bank?

[@Hectik17]

@@StephenMcLeod when I get home I'll look it up

[@rashodlewis2918]

SP Gang! 202, 606, 404A

[@StephenMcLeod]

SP4lyfe

[@mastercylinder1939]

You could solve most of the issues you mentioned by getting a second SP-202, for the same price of a 5V smart media card.

[@StephenMcLeod]

Believe it or not that's what I did lol

[@FairchlldMusic1]

You might want to pick up the Zoom Sampletrak - it stomps on the 202 for around the same price, and is loads more fun. The 202 is still a dope sampler nonetheless.

[@StephenMcLeod]

I'll check it out, cheers!

[@ProfessorJohnSmith]

ive got one of these lying around. are they worth much thesedays

[@StephenMcLeod]

Depends on the condition and if there's a memory card or not, but about 200-250GBP roughly.

[@2brucey]

How would you go about using a computer with the sp-202

[@StephenMcLeod]

That depends. What do you want to do?

[@2brucey]

@@StephenMcLeod retrieve samples from it

[@2brucey]

@@StephenMcLeod and record from the Sp

[@StephenMcLeod]

You can't really do that easily. The most straightforward route is to record using the audio output

[@mastercylinder1939]

You should also consider getting a Zoom Sampletrak.

[@StephenMcLeod]

Those do look cool

[@mastercylinder1939]

They say; the Sampletrak is the poor man’s SP 1200.

[@Hectik17]

save banks page 35 and 36 in the sp202 manual

[@StephenMcLeod]

Amazing, thank you! I had missed that.

[@lamentpnw8662]

huh so sounds like i could prolly get away with buying one of the 2mb cards, they seem to be a lot cheaper these days lol

[@StephenMcLeod]

Only if it's 5v! They are still pretty spendy here at the moment sadly...

[@704queencitygoon6]

Where are you from Stephen? You have a unique accent

[@rorz999]

It's definitely a Scottish accent

[@StephenMcLeod]

Glasgow

[@Hectik17]

the memory cards over rated it has limitations with some fx and less voices in total when playing bank a an b and mixing in sound from the cards bank. somthing like that from my recollection..

[@comesect]

I remember when I smashed mine with a hammer and used the parts for an art collage....only time it was ever useful

[@StephenMcLeod]

Sacrilege!

[@Hectik17]

damn. I tryed to replace the DC input and fucked it. gotta redo some tracers and try Dr on another aftermarket dcinput. SMH.

[@thetruemrstallings]

​@@StephenMcLeodAgreed.