Roland SP-404 MK2 : Ambient Workflows and Techniques for Relaxing Sonic Textures

Check out more relaxing techniques on our blog : bit.ly/3PO2VJr
Grab a 404 on the site : bit.ly/3Ow4RVQ
Join our pal Brian for a relaxing look at some of the 404's capabilities for creating ambient textures, soundscapes, and interesting unquantized rhythms!
0:00 Intro
0:48 Resampling to Generate Loops
3:55 Chopping and Envelopes
5:04 Vibey Texture Break
5:19 Fluid Mindset and Performative Musings
6:00 Enter the Grotto With Questions and Leave More Confused
6:52 Pitch Shifting and Sample Manipulation
13:34 Sonic Manicuring Montage
13:52 Memories of an Unrecognizable Future
14:37 Wrapping It Up
Don't forget to Like and Subscribe for more synth videos.
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Perfect Circuit is an independent electronic instrument shop with an online store at www.perfectcircuit.com/ and a Burbank showroom at 2405 Empire Ave. Open seven days a week, 12-8 PM, get your hands on the most excellent gear!
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#sp404 #mk2 #lofi #beats #sampler #ambient #relax #meditate #pal #brian #synth #synthesizer #synthesis #chimes #wind #meditation #roland

[@PerfectCircuit]

Check out more relaxing techniques on our blog : bit.ly/3PO2VJr Grab a 404 on the site : bit.ly/3Ow4RVQ Other samplers we dig : bit.ly/3aWyzph

[@deanivan3951]

Thank you Sir!

[@goemon4]

>grab 404 >out of stock Wonder when they will be back in stock

[@MathHammer]

@@goemon4 Maybe soon? I just put a restock notification on my Perfect Circuit account.

[@Jason75913]

@@goemon4 next year at this rate 🤣🤣🤣 better off getting an MC-707 instead at this point, it can do most of the same things and has a sequencer on a whole other level, plus 8 parts, which can all be set to loopers, and more stuff going defeats the whole point of getting a more portable $500 device in the form of an SP404, though

[@chump72]

The bob ross of sampling

[@Jason75913]

LOL

[@SonicBodhi1]

“We’ll just give him a little loop friend right there! No mistakes- juuuust happy accidents!”

[@cymbolic_space1832]

The Rob Boss of Amplsing

[@PreRenderedRealities]

I've watched this video so many times. By far the most inspiring 404 video on YT for non-beat-driven producers.

[@Screenshot1015]

This is really the only way I use my 404. Awesome to see very skilled people doing similar things

[@Mutedimagery]

I wish this video was hours longer!! Please make more stuff like this about sp404

[@va941]

EXACTLY. we have more than enough öo-fi hip hop tutorials etc on this machine...other genres, ambient especially, far and few between!!!

[@thomasweiler5319]

We need way more videos like this, the SP404 has always been more of an "instrument" (like a cello or guitar) than other samplers, which I think of as "workstations". The new one is even more flexible and self-contained than it's ever been, and while it's of course great to make house music or hip hop, this thing is so murky and juicy and flexible.

[@nexcyia]

Yes! I've been waiting to see the SP404 used as an ambient machine! Love

[@sailortomb9307]

Excellent demo, well told! It was really illuminating watching you work with this device and seeing the range it can muster.

[@MaRkoMadafaka]

mine arrived just yesterday and i never thought about using it that way can’t wait to try it

[@brawndothethirstmutilator9848]

This was really great! I’ve been working on new ways to use my 404 with a groove box. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@nobodys2358]

I love this video so much. Soothing voice and pleasant sonic ambience - exactly what i needed on this rainy sunday afternoon.

[@BKLounge45]

Thanks for making this video! I loved the performance vid and was hoping we’d get a behind-the-scenes on it. I remember seeing Ulla Strauss rocking a sp404 at many live shows and have always associated the 404 with ambient music over beats, nice to see others doing the same

[@danncozey]

Awesome video!! Really showed me a new way of working with the SP - I’m still learning so this was really helpful, thank you

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

Roland has a hit on its hands with the 404 mkII.

[@I.O.M.]

They are great ambient machines in the right hands.

[@MartinYamMoller]

Lovely video... I used to have the MK1... Also for ambient and soubdscape stuff. Great little samplers. That mkii looks great!

[@ArthurSutherland]

Very nicely done!

[@neilthecraig]

what a refreshing video on this, usually only chill hip hop beats! cheers 😊

[@RadicalOwl493]

Thank you for this. Liked, subscribed, sold. Gold.

[@user-fi4yd2kf6g]

Ok, that was really spectacular!! Thank you

[@ravenstrange8466]

This is incredible. Thank you . i am now getting one

[@mrnessss]

Very cool!

[@cooloutbeats]

Super cool! it really shows the power of 404mk2 for sound design. A lot of the mk2's FX were inspired by the more esoteric side of modular like resonators, granular, etc. Stuff that doesn't usually fit into the typical lo-fi hip-hop usage. The video also spotlights the only thing missing from the MK2 in my opinion...a live looper FX with overdub. Imagine instead of 'skip back', you could use that buffer for multiple asynchronous live loops while playing your melodic chops on top. You would be able to do a whole improvised set with just the 404.

[@ghanezu]

Ask for it and mabe they implement on new firmware.

[@cooloutbeats]

@@ghanezu Oh I have told my Roland connections, so they know. The 404 dev team is very aggressive on updates and there is a chance if enough folks ask for a ‘live looper’ that it could be added as a FX choice. There was a simple live looper on the SP-555 I believe, so there is a president.

[@brawndothethirstmutilator9848]

Coolout Beats, where is the most effective contact point for me to communicate that request? I want to add another check mark to the list to make this happen.

[@ghanezu]

@@brawndothethirstmutilator9848Please, can you ask for arp implementation(older sp has it).

[@cooloutbeats]

@@brawndothethirstmutilator9848 You just need to send a message to Roland product support and they can forward feature requests and bug reports to the development team. There a form on Roland Backstage...you need to register your unit first.

[@seanspartan2023]

I usually run my Morphagene through Mimeophon to get ambient sounds, but this thing does a lot for something with this price point.

[@genebrady]

Really glad you all made this, and Brian was perfect for the role!!

[@SonicBodhi1]

I have a Roland SP-404 SX that I’ve been using in the creation of ambient music for the last couple of years.

[@jomoswagos]

having used the sp404sx some years ago, my muscle memory was itching quite a bit while watching this video 🤣 the loose aspects of just playing back samples with the pads is what makes working with the SP so dreamy and magically... I love my octatrack for making basic ideas, but always those loop things were so much nicer with the SP... and the envelope function!

[@SageOfQRtet]

Very inspiring 🤩

[@smt_]

this is really really sweet

[@isolabeats4271]

Thanks for this, nice tips

[@BrianCGibson]

Great stuff!

[@PerfectCircuit]

Thanks!

[@asyncron_os]

The best video, it helped me get the best out of my horrible electribe sampler

[@andres.n.1706]

Thank you, learnt a lot.

[@matstjean]

Sooo interesting!

[@JoshBeavers]

so sick man

[@andystandys]

I need to try this.

[@damiensimper]

Exactly why I got one 👍

[@lafoudrepasslafoudrepass5238]

cool I really think of this as a percussive machine

[@davidrobertson4301]

KZbin through this on my feet while I was on a busy, noisy train. So I'll have another look at this when I'm in more civilized surroundings

[@moogsmiley4157]

Are these ever going to ship? Been waiting a year since preorder lol

[@mikiyosangyo1627]

What is the sample rate 404MKII outputs? And what's the best sample rate to feed in to this lovely machine, please? Thanks!

[@MrDaigoRiki]

Where did you get those samples? Do they come with the so-404mk2? Or did you create them or got them in some website?

[@asynchronicity]

When will you have some. .?

[@karlmeadows4986]

What's the crack with all the items around the roland, noticed a lot of people who review these lay mantras around them

[@manuelsirotti9340]

Great Sample man !

[@cixeau2449]

is that a matte black face plate or is the lighting messing with my eyes

[@labland6633]

Is this the guy from The Buggles? Video Killed the Radio Star!

[@ricardobaigorria2342]

Sugiero habilitar la traducción al ESPAÑOL

[@SonicVibe]

Mine been on back order still one day maybe

[@DaeKim_ipseity]

I have always wanted to incorporate samplers into my workflow but never have so far. How would octatrack compare to 404s creating ambient music?

[@mooseymoose]

Having owned one (OT)and sold it, it can be used for that, but meh. Honestly dRambo on iPad is far better in all ways.

[@i-never-look-at-replies-lol]

An Octatrack isn't really a sampler per se, more like a sound mangler & remix device.

[@tompoynton]

@@mooseymoose one day the world will wake up to drambo

[@tyroneshoelacez3498]

@@tompoynton and Koala

[@mauriciomandara5946]

Check The Master Dieter Möbius (RIP) using the old version on stage on KZbin

[@JadanDuffin127]

This video makes me want to go to PC to buy it, sadly, its never in stock...

[@atomicafro]

Why do you torture us with gear we can't buy.....Ahhhhh!!!!

[@TheCanadianDreamEvergreen]

This was 🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱

[@micrwill]

Where can you even get an sp-404 mk2? Seems like they are on back order still.

[@hiltonhowell3098]

I ordered one from Sweetwater at the end up June. Expected to get it middle of September

[@_c_y_p_3]

Not really a secret anymore now Perfect Circuit just got through telling everyone is it…😳🤖🎃👻👾

[@user-mg8jx6rp5r]

Норм🥳👍

[@BeastlyAnteater]

Had a preorder for one with you guys all the way back in November, just cancelled it because they’re still not in stock and not worth the wait

[@coolo73]

You gotta check different stores and find ways to get notified of stock ups. There was also a facebook group called something like, "dude, where's my 404 mk2?" for discussing who had stock, wait times, etc. It's just a very in-demand product. Roland can't make them fast enough and that make sense. The 404 is the longest selling hardware sampler in history. The community is large. They have a cult following and the MK2 has exceeded all expectations. Roland hit it out the park on this one and it keeps getting better, so the demand still hasn't fallen yet. Well worth the wait and effort to find one in my opinion. I'm never getting rid of mine.

[@BeastlyAnteater]

@@coolo73 over the 8 month waiting period I realized that I really don’t need it and that I have plenty of samplers as it is. The mk2 looks great but given I already have a 202, 303, 404sx and MPC Live I figured I’d just save the money instead. That being said it would’ve been nice to at least get updates from Roland on *why* these are taking so long to produce, since they have many many other products that are easily just as popular but are always in stock; every time I checked in with Perfect Circuit they had absolutely no information, not even a vague estimate of how long it would take

[@coolo73]

@@BeastlyAnteater I feel you. I have at least 10 hardware samplers myself including a sp-303, 404A, MPCs, etc. It took at least 4 months for me to get my MK2, so long that I forgot that I ordered as my card hadn’t been charged yet. I decided to grab it anyways on a whim, knowing I could flip quickly if I didn’t like it. Pleasantly surprised…this thing is a keeper, damn near perfect. They are in demand for a reason. I’m sure Roland is getting them out as quick as possible to not leave money on the table. They can’t give updates because there is nothing to update from a manufacturing perspective really. As soon as units gets to retail…they’re gone. Of course there was the chip shortage and global supply chain issues, blah, blah, blah…but the bottom line is the MK2 is just too hot right now. It won’t last forever though.

[@BeastlyAnteater]

@@coolo73 I mean all it would take would be Roland to put a message on their website (or tell retailers so they can pass along the info) something like “next shipment of 404’s goes out on x date, currently x months behind schedule on shipments with x amount of back orders to fill” Literally anything like that, any information at all would be nice given people are down to drop so much $$ on these devices. They managed to make enough units to give to every influencer on KZbin and generate hype, but then after all that teasing they have been so hard to actually get. Imo it’s on Roland to at least give us some information so we’re not left totally in the dark

[@coolo73]

@@BeastlyAnteater I think global distribution and dealing with various retailers is a little more complicated than that. Roland doesn’t have to send out a statement to comfort anyone’s feelings….the product will sell regardless. It’s a great device that’s in super high demand. From what I can tell, going by the forums and facebook groups there are actually a lot of MK2s in regular users hands, not just influencers. There are even some overpriced ones online. If you’ll haven’t been lucky or clever enough to find a way to get one…you’ll just have to wait. Eventually the demand will lessen, the stock will build up, and a few folks will move on the next shiny new thing. Roland’s probably planning on selling this one for another 10+ years.

[@christdolphin69]

where do you find these guys, the needle exchange?

[@tompoynton]

honestly guys if you’re sick of waiting for one of these, just get an ipad, you can do all this and so so so so much more

[@ZenMountain]

You would call an apple an orange just to make a buck.

[@va941]

Dafuq does that even mean in this content?

[@hiltonhowell3098]

Hahaha what?

[@McEnroe911]

Sp 404 is more of a legume IMO

[@truesearch69]

please add subtitles.. in spanish...................... so sad