mrthraz's Electronic Synth Setup

cons: 8 note poly, only 4 tracks, small lcd, no 16 level pitch, can't resample patterns, weak time stretch.

pros: Linux compatible. audio/midi interface. can be used as a midi controller, EFX from the gods!! has mute groups. (the only SP that does.)

to understand the attraction to the Roland/Boss SP-Sampler series you have to know what an SP is: just enough midi/sequencing to get by as a sequencer, just enough audio routing to be a sampler.. but an effects engine beast. consequently where SP's fail you as a sampler you have to make up for those failing with the effects. it forces a lot of creativity out of you.

almost all of its weakness have a workaround involving the efx's: you can't resample patterns but you can resample the delay buffer, if the wet and the echo are all the way up you can get a whole bar in there.

if I want 16 levels, I can resample a button pressed 16 times while changing the pitch effect with a knob before auto-chopping across the pad bank. add to that: this thing is an audio interface, i.e. sampling directly from youtube.

windows 7 requires a hack to get working that can be found at the sp forums. more than worth the $250 i spent on it.

this is my first hardware synth so an objective review is not possible.

very underrated unit.

fx's from heaven. small form factor but very good pitching on it. 8 voice poly which is standard for the samplers in this series. no mute groups cripples it. rca in. vinyl sim and lofi fx's are to kill for. lcd display: good to have on an sp but why so small?.?.

this is basically an SP-303 on steroids, in much the same way the SP-808 was an SP-202 on steroids.

to understand the attraction to the Roland/Boss SP-Sampler series you have to know what an SP is: just enough midi/sequencing to get by as a sequencer, just enough audio routing to be a sampler.. but an effects engine beast. consequently where SP's fail you as a sampler you have to make up for those failing with the effects. it forces a lot of creativity out of you.