5 things I LOVE about the BOSS SP303

[@Ross_Antonich]

The vinyl sim effect of the 303 is iconic like the pitch effect of the 202-also needed a break from the MKII content

[@rashodlewis2918]

I never thought about it but the SP-303 looks best. The SP-202 comes in next. I like the boxy look.

[@spvidz]

agreed! Love the old square edges

[@railster]

thanks for not putting only sp404 mk2. I love the 303.

[@railster]

I agree with you, specially the lofi (first) and the stereo are another world.

[@spvidz]

Definitely needed a break. There will be more variety now that the hype has died down a bit :)

[@kippa5t0ne5]

I like the the looping feature when you mark a samplel on the 303, instead of kicking you back to the beginning of the original sample it lets you hear the rest of the sample from where you last marked the sample

[@adamcrafts3645]

The limitations memory wise work for me too. Once I have the machine full with samples, I use them pretty quickly in tracks so I can load it back up again with fresh ones. My Digitakt on the other hand, I've stacked a mountain of samples that I never get round to actually using.

[@spvidz]

Thats a good point. When you get thrown a ton of features and memory its difficult to end up using them all. I find thats the case with the MPC Live 2.

[@xoabys5180]

just copped a sp555 cant wait to use it

[@spvidz]

Nice, the pads are similar on that to the 303, as are the FX I think. Its a fun unit i just didn't really use mine so sold it.

[@jesusitox12]

Great video mate, this was exactly what i needed right now lol, thanks got one for $330 usd , comes with 32mb smartmedia, power supply and a smartmedia card reader for pc, it's coming someday next week, really hyped.

[@spvidz]

Nice mate, I think it was your comment that got me back on the 303 actually! Glad you snagged it man, thats a good price!

[@reazallykhan]

Amazing price

[@waveyan]

Nice Vid! The sp303 just looks reallly cozy.

[@MicaelAzevedo]

Bought sp202, 303 and 404sx just to try them. Kept the 303 since it relates to me more. I play other musical instruments and letting me record via input while playing the sample was deal breaker. Sp202 pitch function was amazing, but just for that feature I was not going to keep it and ended selling it at higher price. Sp404 was the most complete but nothing new and not mind-blowing. Going to keep 303 although atm I am using more analog synths, guitars and bass sequenced via hardware sequencer.

[@spvidz]

Thats something that should have probably been in the list tbf Its an awesome feature. Its back on the MK2 now

[@rozza7378]

Just bought a 303 today for £150 and already love it

[@spvidz]

Mad price! Enjoy 🔥

[@reazallykhan]

What?? The person who sold it to you….didn’t actually know what they were doing…but FairPlay to you man….its your luck 👊🏼

[@paul_shuler]

my favorite feature is that you can record input while playing back samples on the pads

[@MicaelAzevedo]

@@rorz999 Does MK2 let's you do that? Record input while playing a sample?

[@MicaelAzevedo]

@@rorz999 man that's nice! Hope soundwise is a good machine MK2.

[@spvidz]

I should have put this in the list for sure! Killer feature. Its nice to have it back on the MK2

[@str8upndown856]

Didn’t know if you knew but if you Hold Remain while choosing the effect you want, it highlights all the pads in the bank. Also, the EQ on the 303 is very much slept on. If you want a good Hi, Mid and Low End boost…the 303 definitely has the butter 🥞

[@spvidz]

Hey man thanks yeah I did know that actually, its the same on the SX. On the SX is actually applies to every pad on the unit. Not sure if its the same on the 303 I'll have to check. I often forget these simple things when I'm making videos haha.

[@Gus_tha_Snail]

Nice vid, just dug mine out of the cupboard after almost 20 years. Barely scratched the surface of its capabilities back then, but the FX are def one of the strong points. Not as many options as say a Kaoss pad, (got one of the first batch to arrive into AUS around the same time as I got this unit) but much better control over the FX options available.

[@spvidz]

Yeah the fx are probably the best thing about the device. They sound really buttery 👍

[@baltimega]

Hope the price of the 555 goes down. Though my mkii is on the way, I've always wanted the 555

[@multipreach2674]

Prices will only go up, gone are the days of old models going for cheap when a new model is released.

[@Ross_Antonich]

I love the 555!

[@larsyvegas8140]

I just sold one for €350

[@larsyvegas8140]

Why the sp555?

[@larsyvegas8140]

@@multipreach2674 here everybody selling the og’s I guess the mk2 is an all in 1

[@Trioptic3D]

I have the 303 still have the original box in my mom's storage shed. I used to pair it with my DR-202.

[@spvidz]

Nice. I have both too but haven’t touched them much lately. Nice ornaments at the moment 👍

[@khemetbey803]

I remember making beats on this thing...talk about patience and truly using your ears

[@boss_galaga94]

I love how you can still make some sick ass beats without a 303 but the minute u run those same beats into the 303 compression it slaps even harder than you thought possible

[@spvidz]

lol yeah its such a beast for the FX. We all love that Vinyl Sim compression!

[@deebaker4671]

Everything you mentioned in this video is head on facts. I love the look of mines also. Very nostalgic and classy looking. Will never sell my 303 !!!!!

[@xoabys5180]

the sp555 looks the best to me personally

[@hardtakeoff]

The Ergos just aren't there. Want to buy my 555? lol

[@adamcrafts3645]

I love my 303, use it all the time

[@wiggesobk]

Yes the 303 looks great!

[@adamcrafts3645]

Yeah my favourite look wise

[@Silverhilt]

When you get back to the mkII, Id like to know more about customizing the startup screen!

[@jordanevo3]

SP 303 was my first sampler, got it when it first came out. Just loved the ease of use and simple but quality effects. I would have so many people make negative comments about it because you couldn’t view waveforms on it. Personally I never thought of that as a downside. I still have my 303 and now with all this hype surrounding the new 404 I feel like I need to revisit it.

[@spvidz]

Seeing the waveform does have its advantages but without it you are forced to learn how to use your ears which IMO is a very good thing! I hope you dust if off again, its a killer unit!

[@jordanevo3]

@@spvidz Yeah, seeing the waveform is very useful, but I guess not being able to see it made some people completely overlook or dismiss it. And I totally agree. The lack of a waveform display trains your ears.

[@magnuseriksson8081]

So warm and nice sound, better than 404 Mk2

[@spvidz]

Definitely a better sound FX wise yup!

[@culturemax234]

I love the way the 202 looks the best then the 303 404 is last in the looks category for me

[@ricardomilice2470]

I brought the sp303 , And end up selling it 10 years ago. Wish I had your video then, because I didn’t use it like everyone (resample mode). The limitation was killing me. I had other equipments like the Roland Mv.

[@jordanevo3]

So how were you using it? Just wondering.

[@ricardomilice2470]

@@jordanevo3 🤣 I had used it more like a looper, and just looping tracks wasn’t doing it for me. At the time I felt like I was the only one using it, until KZbin. I’m a gear Junkie, so I re brought the Sp404sx and the Sp 555. I preordered the Mk11.

[@jordanevo3]

@@ricardomilice2470 Nothing wrong with that. Personally I used to make a lot of beats just combining a loop I sampled and a drum break. I never used the pattern/sequencer stuff. But I moved on to other gear too because I sorta thought the 303 was too limited. However looking back at it now I’m realizing that my workflow on it resulted in a lot of solid beats and ideas that I probably would have never pieced together if I was using the gear I use now, back then.

[@ricardomilice2470]

@@jordanevo3 agreed, believe it or not , I actually use an iPad for beat making these days. Who knew☺️. My results are just as good and if not better on the go. I’m getting the Mk11 to stay sharp and feel current, and bring back old good memories. The Mk11 can kinda compete with the Roland Mv8800 a little bit.

[@im_amil]

some of madvillainy was made on an sp303 and a portable record player

[@im_amil]

@@rorz999 can i not just point out a cool fact? lol

[@spvidz]

Blows my mind that full albums were put together on it, especially of that quality. I must try harder lol

[@themixmusicandmore6280]

I bought one still brand new in about 2008. I didn't know that it was amazing to find a brand new one at the time and I sold it SMH

[@Blumour]

Awesome vid. What’s your opinion on the 303 vinyl sim compressor vs the MK2’s 303 vinyl sim compressor?

[@spvidz]

You aint going to beat the 303 but it does come close

[@elheem]

I’ll never sell my 303 ❤️

[@reazallykhan]

Same here

[@uli-grant1195]

Couldn’t imagine a time before I was twisting knobs on the sp’s and I have you to thank for that ✌️♥️ P.S. I see you messing with The Ebonys, that album is for sure in my top 10 🔥

[@spvidz]

Nice man, I was struggling hard with the MPC 2500 before I got an SP but thinking back I had a lot to learn about beat making at that point

[@dimensionstomorrow]

One feature I would love implemented on the mkii that I think loads of people would be interested in is the ability to change the sample rates to get closer to the lofi mode on the 303, which would presumably also greatly increase the sample time. Any idea what forums Roland is monitoring for feature requests?

[@theomnetwork3898]

I too would love this as I think it would get that more authentic lo-fi sound, but it doesn't seem possible on the MK2. Though I wonder if they could add it in an update.. who knows

[@VeggieLard]

Aayyyeeeee 303 gang ✌️ This video pretty much sums it up. Couldn’t agree more. I don’t have a ton of hardware experience but working with other equipment deff makes me appreciate all these qualities about the 303 as well. Always blows my mind the albums put out on this thing too. Makes me realize how much I need to learn, lol. I have the muscle memory and workflow familiarity with everything, but I feel like I could stand to learn more about the FX. Do you think there’s merit to making a video about that? Something more than just what they sound like, as in practical use from a producer’s prospective. Or does it just boil down to going with what sounds good?

[@spvidz]

Its a combination of both I think. For example you can use Isolator to fill the blanks on whats missing in your beat, or you could use it to take the bass out of a sample to leave room in the mix for your kick and sub. Like you mention as well sometimes FX just sound cool too. Its all about whats right for the beat you are making I think

[@VeggieLard]

That makes sense, maybe if I use a spectrum analyzer in Ableton I can visualize them and then be able to execute it better. If for nothing else, just to gain a deeper understanding. Thanks for always getting back to me btw ✌️

[@Metamophisis]

Dope video 📹 man! 🔥🔥🔥🔥💣🎧🌎🚀😎

[@spvidz]

Thanks for watching!

[@culturemax234]

Plenty 202 & 303's available on ebay now but the price are still the same or a little bit higher right now

[@hellf.o]

Hi great vid! Does the 303 has a built in sequencer or not? Thanks for sharing

[@spvidz]

yes it does

[@hellf.o]

@@spvidz The 202 doesn't right?

[@MarkusAudio]

Best looking SP? 202. I've long desired it just for that, and its limitations :-)

[@ourmindzdj]

How easy is it to manage/important samples onto this thing? It’s been so long since I’ve had card based samples (probably the MPC1000 was the last one). I make house music today and really tempted to go this just to process samples, sum stem groups and even maybe entire mixes through if possible for some subtle bit reduction. Is it as simple as an SD card reader for your PC and drag your wav drums on it!? I suspect the internal memory is limited. Can it be used as a through device and not recorded on? So maybe questions haha. I’ve been wanting a sampler with great FX’s on for authentic lo-fi sampling and with these at £200-300 on eBay they seem an absolute steal! A very viable option regardless of limitations.

[@spvidz]

It used smart media cards. If you’re doing a lot of that with samples it’s probably not the best. The 404 sx is the first SP with SD and it’s a lot faster. The internal storage on this is also incredible slow

[@ourmindzdj]

@@spvidz thank you for your reply! Have you used a 404 SX? Does it have similar lo-fi FX etc? Would be interested to know if it sounds as good as this!

[@xoabys5180]

cant wait to gather the sp family including the 303

[@frilent]

How many mk2 vids did you stock up on while you had it early?

[@spvidz]

Zero 😂 Tbh its hard enough just keeping the channel going week-to-week and MPCVIDZ now too without trying to find more time to do videos to go live in the future. i should have spent more time with it when I got it early tbh but yeah it was hard finding private time to do that on top of everything else

[@frilent]

@@spvidz Well I appreciate the grind you’ve been on the past few weeks

[@BENWORKIN89]

Donuts was actually done on a computer believe it or not.

[@spvidz]

I think you are right yeah. A lot of info came out in Dilla Time that debunks the 303 theories. I do believe he had some kind of SP at his hospital bed though

[@culturemax234]

I like the 303 pads the best but I'm almost afraid to use mine a lot because there are no replacement pads available for the 202 or 303 that I know of

[@spvidz]

Feel exactly the same. I'm worried using the 303 as a whole incase anything breaks because it feels so valuable to me!

[@donwalls1304]

Can you make beats in stereo with this unit? Everything I've heard on youtube sounds like its in mono and havnt really been able to find a clear answer. Love your vids!

[@spvidz]

yes it can handle both mono and stereo samples

[@mattcamacho]

love your channel man. got a question for you: would you recommend pairing the 303 with the 202? i currently have a 202 but i’d be using each without the memory card. is it still worth it? looking to use them as effects units, thanks!

[@spvidz]

if you have later models of the SP stick with those. The 303 is great for the FX but you will be left in a similar situation to the 202 where its good for processing samples but not great for making full beats (imo!). I think a modern SP with the older SPs is the way to go if you want a DAWLess SP workflow

[@SeanandOreo]

Does this quantize?

[@spvidz]

It does in pattern mode yes

[@karoi4952]

Hi man! Have you ever had the 505? Thanks!

[@spvidz]

I haven't had a 505 no. I would like to try that and the 404 OG some day!

[@karoi4952]

The only Roland I have thinking of samplers is the MS-1. I like the limitations on it. I had an eye always on the SPs but never got one. Now the MKII came out (which looks great to me) and all the SP404SX used prices went down and a lot of people trying to sell their SX or A. Now a SP505 came my way and the price is ok, so yeah...I have checked some reviews and liked it somehow. Somebody told this for example: " is an SP-303 with more bells and whistles" cheers

[@kevinjackson7539]

Any recommendation on a midi controller l want to save the wear and tear on my pads after l heard they can't be replaced? If l could map any other functions that would be a bonus.

[@spvidz]

I only own a Push which is good for Ableton but if I were to buy one again I'd probably go with something by Akai just becaues of their legendary reputation with pads

[@kevinjackson7539]

@@spvidz Thank you and you're one of the few content creators that actually answer questions and going forward that's my first requirement before I subscribe to any channel thanks again.

[@albanyrebelion]

What's a good price these days

[@spvidz]

These have gone super expensive now. You're looking at about ~£500 / ~$500

[@i.am.imara1]

7:32 what sample is that?

[@d3signer.dr3ams]

The Ebonys - "You're the reason why"

[@kevinjackson7539]

Can l use my MPK Mini's pads to save wear and tear on the 303's pads?

[@spvidz]

you should be able to if it has midi yes. The 303 has midi in

[@kevinjackson7539]

@@spvidz Thanks so much

[@kevinjackson7539]

Anyone know what type of mic this unit recognizes? because my SM58 does not work

[@kevinjackson7539]

Had the mic level turned down doh!!!!!!!!

[@spvidz]

lol glad you figured it out man

[@mustbescud]

So what 303 efx comes with the mkII? And does it sound the same?

[@spvidz]

Probably best to look at this - static.roland.com/manuals/sp-404mk2_reference/eng/17805539.html

[@culturemax234]

🖤

[@culturemax234]

Got tired of the mk2 already lol

[@reazallykhan]

The only thing that annoy me about the sp303 is the speed…..it’s the best sounding sampler

[@spvidz]

agreed yeah the speed of it can kill your creativity sometimes

[@reazallykhan]

@@spvidz definitely and sometimes my mark button keeps getting stuck or may be…I don’t know how to use the mark option properly

[@jbbrolic]

Smaller smart memory cards are MUCH faster. I won't go over 32, prefer 16mb.

[@reazallykhan]

@@jbbrolic this makes sense I’ll keep this in mind my friend…much respect ✊

[@jonastreadwell7182]

PLEASE MAKE A BEAT WITH THOSE CHOPS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@franciscomolina8970]

Almost to 303 likes !

[@B-Nice]

Got my 303 10 years ago for less than $100. Prices now are stupid

[@spvidz]

Agreed. Prices have gone through the roof. Its difficult picking these up at a reasonable cost now. I got in just before the price hike luckily.

[@issmodissmo1485]

My Mkii Order was delayed. From 3 weeks to 14 weeks. Lul

[@spvidz]

ah damn man 😭

[@yohonthewolf]

I almost got a 303 but got out bid. I was so bummed

[@spvidz]

ahh damn thats unlucky

[@yohonthewolf]

@@rorz999 I'm not I'm in California unfortunately

[@daimondttnk7814]

Sp 404 og vinyl comp better