Roland SP-404 MK2 Review

The Roland SP-404MkII is such a big step forward compared to the original SP-404 that it deserves to be considered a completely new device.

If you’re looking for a truly useful, practice-oriented sample playback device that is also a proper sampler and has plenty of power under the hood, you may find what you’re looking for here. Thanks to its capability and its form factor, which fits nicely into most DJ setups, it’s also particularly well suited for DJs.

First impressions / setup

The original Roland SP-404 doesn’t need to be introduced. It was a highly popular sampler, loved by hip-hop producers and artists worldwide. The new Roland SP-404 MkII doesn’t stray too far visually from those roots, which is probably a smart move.

So what does it offer? Well, it’s a real sampler with two 6.35mm jack inputs on the rear and a switchable microphone/instrument input on the front with preamp.

Of course, the device is also a sample player - there are 16 projects, each with 160 samples (16 per Bank A-E), an easy-to-use sequencer with 16 patterns per bank across 10 banks, and even a “mini DJ controller” with a DJ mode.

The SP-404 has a headphone jack (3.5 mm and 6.35 mm jack), which can be used for cue mix. In addition, via its USB-C port the device provides an audio interface with 2 inputs and 4 outputs, as well as 37 built-in effects, 16 input FX, 5 shortcut buttons (configurable) and controls for adjusting parameters.

Power is supplied by 6 x AA batteries, which allow a runtime of three to four hours. The sampler can also be powered via a sufficiently powerful USB-C power supply.

As for the other updates, there’s now naturally a high-resolution display, four more pads, velocity sensitivity, more voices, more effects, 16 GB of internal storage (One Shots, Loops, Stems and up to 16 minutes per sample slot) - and you can expand the storage with a SD card.

The only thing missing compared to the original is the built-in microphone - not a big deal, since you’d never use it for serious sampling anyway.

Sampling

Sampling couldn’t be easier: you press record, choose an empty pad and... record! After that, the track can be normalised, start and end points can be set, and much more.

More recording options are also available:

• Count-In (start recording after counting in)
• Gate recording (starts recording only if a threshold is exceeded)
• Recording with metronome switched on - very useful
• Resampling mode - i.e. record yourself while playing back samples. Does anyone still remember overdubbing on four-track cassette systems? Exactly that.

Hip-hop producers will especially like the “Chop” mode, in which samples can be manually chopped up, or automatically marked according to time divisions or transients.

A real standout advantage is the always-on 25-second buffer, which records everything, whether you’re recording or not.

If you accidentally miss something, the SP-404 keeps running anyway and the sample is there as if by magic, so it can be restored and saved. Brilliant!

Playback qualities

The pads offer various playback modes:

• Velocity-sensitive,
• Velocity sensitivity spread across 16 pads (the same sample with different volume levels across all 16 pads)
• Fixed sensitivity
• Chromatic (i.e. the sample changes its pitch across the pads - however without scales)

In Gate mode, the sample plays as long as the pad is pressed - in contrast to the One-Shot mode, where the pad only needs to be tapped and the sample plays through completely.

There is a comprehensive loop mode that plays samples in a loop. Loop points can be set for this, and they can be played back in different styles (Normal, Reverse, Ping Pong). In addition, you can also adjust the volume and panning per pad.

We liked the adjustment of pitch and speed with the “Vinyl mode” (speed and tempo linked), or the time stretching/pitch shifting of samples, the latter by semitones. As with comparable devices, normally around 15% is fine before you start hearing artefacts.

By default, the screen shows the sample’s BPM. When you’re in the sample editing mode, a waveform display is also available.

The effects section

As with the predecessor, there’s an extensive effects section available so you can reshape your samples according to all the rules of the craft: they’re split into two “types”.

Input effects include

• Vocoder
• Chorus
• Reverb
• Delay
• Auto Pitch
• Guitar Amp
• Saturation
• Vinyl/Cassette
• Compressor 

There are four “Main Mix” effect slots to choose from, with 37 effects in total; of these, five are accessible via the top control panel (configurable), 16 can be selected via the pads, and all of them can be controlled with the four knobs. These include

• Resonator
• Delays
• EQ/Isolator-EQ
• DJ-style Loop
• Lo-Fi
• Vinyl simulation
• Phaser
• Wah-Wah
• Phaser Distortion
• Compressor

Note that the FX settings are global, not stored with projects, and not retained when the device is turned off - although they can be saved as favourites. Roland probably wants you to choose your favourites and use them universally.

If you want to create your unique sound once with the effects and then focus on a fast workflow, you’ll be very happy with the SP-404 MK2!

The sequencer

Operation is just as straightforward here: you choose an empty slot on the pads or add notes to an existing sequence. The sequence tempo, the length in bars (4-64), and things like the grid options for quantisation can be set.

However, there is no step sequencer - everything is still performed live here.

There is, though, a Undo function and a practice mode, which is started by pressing Record twice.

DJ mode

Yes, you can actually DJ with it!

By dragging entire music tracks into your slots and banks (which is easier on a computer with the associated app), you can put together a “set”. The device features pitch bend/BPM changes. The upper buttons are available for mixing.

In addition, there is a Sync button - you can change the tempo by tapping, and there’s even a small crossfader shown on the screen.

With cue mix, available via the headphones, you can actually realise light DJ sets with it.

Our take

As with the popular predecessor, in the MK2 version the SP-404 is a solidly built and highly direct sampler that invites you to play and jam right away.

Getting started with the device is intuitive, and you quickly get the hang of it. In no time at all, you can turn ideas into reality.

Overall, despite its huge improvements over the original, it’s just as easy to use as the old unit at the same price.

No, there’s no step sequencer, and during playback you miss out on polyphony and any kind of scales.

But it also has unbeatable advantages: it’s easy to use, portable, can record everything, works with batteries... and as a practical sampler and sample playback device for DJs and performers, it’s exactly the right thing.

For all producers and DJs who want to work with samples quickly, easily and effectively, this small, compact device is the right choice!