I just bought a SP303 new condition. My first SP. I wanted a 404SX, but found this very good deal on 303. I love so much this machine. It's slow, retro, warm and cheap sounding like my brain. I'm feeling like I have to learn how to use it like a real instrument. I have to try hard many years before mastering it. It's very easy in fonctionnality but extremly deep in learning curve. I think 404SX rocks too, but if you find a good deal on 303, don't hesitate.
Great video! I've had the SP303 for years collecting dust. Stopped using it after I moved from DJ to producer. Didn't know what I had. Thanks for taking the time and walking through how you did the beat.
i've noticed that sometimes the 303 and 404 can add a very small space at the beginning of your loops before the kick hits. sometimes its just a product of hitting the sample very slightly before the first kick when using the resampling method. so sometimes it helps to trim the start point of your loops if this kick isn't hitting precisely when you hit the pad. not sure if that was going on here but seems like it might've. just a thought
@@CoinOpMilitia Basically you can sample an external source live while resampling. I heard you can also feed the outputs into the inputs and build a beat that way similar to how the loop capture on the 555 works. Keep meaning to check that out.
Always love seeing your workflow and creation vids. Would personally love to see more live setup, live performance discussion stuff too. Got that pack too, havent checked out the sounds yet but i trust its good ha that's hilarious putting your plants on your gear list btw
I keep looking back to this video because it gets me super hyped to making stuff with the 303 and I agree with you! I was expecting the internal memory to be much faster all around, but the card is. Say you're in bank a and want to change a sample to a different pad in that same bank then changing pads doesn't take much time, but whether you're changing pads on bank c or d within the same bank it's much slower and same when changing pad to a different bank entirely- switching from card bank to internal bank takes a while, but all the wait times are nice kind of... it's buddhistic in that everything, even my electribe 2 sampler, is so instant and you get used to everything just "working" but with the SP you're working on the 303s time and it fights with you a lot. I always kind of laugh when I make a mistake and have to start what I'm working on over and think to the Madlib and redbull interview "Ya gotta use ya brain" lol yeah.. not used to that
So, this is a guess about the internal vs. card processing time. When the Boss was made the actual processor could go faster than the internal memory, i.e. the internal memory access times were holding the processor back. Now, put in a modern card with much faster access times and the Boss processor can run all out, do the job faster.
spvidz Well, I didn’t realize the card is a Toshiba SmartMedia card (thought it would be CompactFlash). So the card is probably pretty old too. Less certain with this info, but I guess it still relates to the internal memory access being slower. Anyway, thanks for showing off the 303 occasionally👍🏻.
thanks for the great demo and tunes! one comment for future aesthetics is shove that vhs up into the top right corner more, fill that negative space and make the 303 the focal piece. you got some cute ass shit either way. much love
Thanks a lot, yes definitely can see what you mean. My setup has changed a bit since I did this vid - tend to have the sampler in the middle now. I need some new plants too... :)
Dude, that beat was nice man. Give yourself credit bud. I'm trying to learn one of these from scratch, and I'm scared lol I think we are all here because we like imperfect music. Gaps in beats? Record crackle? Needle skips? Bro do you even Boom Bap? 😂
I would go for a 404sx I started my SP life on that and I'm glad now I've bought the others. I think the other way round may be a bit difficult as they have limitations. (generally speaking)
Im struggling with buy-in the mpc or the roland sp 404. I basically just wanna make samples and than record into the daw without exporting or anything. So I actually just wanna have my samples ready and than record in real time to logic. Is that possibly with one of the devices in any way? You know what I mean? Would really appreciate an answer.
I would go with an SP - the MPC (music production center) is a machine for making full beats - the SP can make full beats too but its built in fx are legendary so you will have more joy recording samples into the SP with the various FX and then putting them onto your computer. As far as I am aware the MPC has very little in terms of built in fx. If you want to make full beats without the need of a DAW then I'd go for an MPC. Otherwise its the SP. Obviously that's just my opinion...!
@@spvidz Thanks so much for your answer bro. You made my life easier. I was going more for the sp already. One last thing. The samples you record into the daw would be just audio waves though right? There is no way of quantisation if you wanna record rhythm signals right?
Hey man i use shopify. I'm a web designer/developer so it was easy to set up however Its really intuitive so its good for anyone really - bit.ly/2W7Hoz4
Hey, I was thinking about picking up a 303, partly because I love retro gear and partly because of the legendary vinyl sim and compressor. BUT, you stated in this video that you don't think the vinyl sim on the 303 is that good? Literally everything I have read or watched has said the opposite, that the vinyl sim effect on the 404 and 404 SX are inferior and that no one has ever been able to properly recreate the 303 vinyl sim. What makes you prefer the newer version of this effect over the 303 version? Also, great beat!
the more modern Vinyl sims have much more subtle warping in my opinion but the vinyl compression on the 303 is really good. My go to is always the SX because of its speed and sample time but the 303 is a very decent box in its own right as well
@@spvidz Hmmm, thanks for the reply. Still not sure what I should get. Have you ever tested out the Vulf Compressor from GoodHertz? It's a plug-in that aims primarily to recreate the 303 Vinyl Sim. I'm testing out the trial version at the moment, but as I don't have an SP, I have no way to compare it to the real thing.
@@spvidz I downloaded the 15 day trial today. It's cool, but I have nothing to compare it to do don't know how close it is to the real thing. It is expensive; $149.
i've got vulf compressor and a 303, and the vulf compressor is really good. wouldn't call it an emulation of the 303 or anything, it's its own thing but is a great lofi tool. saying that, i really rate the 303 vinyl sim...can't compare it to a 404 as i haven't used one before, but it really adds that special pixie dust to most samples once you know how and when to use it
@@spvidz Vulf Compressor can do a lot of things, ranging from very subtle to extreme. It's pretty expensive at normal price but they have decent sales like on Pi Day where everything is 31.4% off. Not sure if it's still a thing but you could get a 50% off coupon if you uploaded a track using their plugins along with the settings you used.
Nice one man - thanks a lot for the info. I'm going to stick with the hardware I have at the moment. I would actually like a real compressor but they can be pricey. I imagine it would be worth the money though.
spvidz I have no idea, maybe a local place could do it for you if someone is just experienced in electronics. I don’t know of anywhere specific. Take care!
Yeah sometimes I filter the sound a bit with EQ8 just to take out some of the horrible frequencies and sometimes I'll boost the volume a bit as well but kinda like to keep it as raw as possible!
I buy a Polyend tracker but i am not realy happy with him. Should i swap it against a Sp 303 or sp 405sx\mk2? The Polyend tracker cost new 600Fr. Is that a fairer Deal?
The 303 has a lot less features than the 404mk2. I would recommend the mk2 over any other SP now. The problem is they are pretty hard to get hold of at the moment.
If you have 2 or more samples you want to loop over each other, and you want it to be lined up, how do you do that? Each sample is 4 bars long so they are capable of looping perfectly. I guess im saying i want them to be played at the exact same time, and asking how. :/ BTW great video.
Is it just me or the sound of the 303 is actually more pleasing than the 404sx? You seem to lose a bit on functionality though. They do sound different for sure.
Yeah a lot of people rave on about the 303 having a better overall sound but it’s a lot slower to process recordings/deleting etc and the 404sx takes SD which is a lot better for storage imo.
@@spvidz , that's indeed an important consideration. I am considering the possibility to buy a 303 rather than a 404sx, mainly for the price difference and the sound. The fact that the processing is slow, how bad does it impact the workflow? Is it still usable/enjoyable?
Cristóbal Dión the sx is my go to just because it’s fast tbh. I do like the 303 but the slots that use internal memory are painfully slow (two banks internal 2 banks use the card). There are also less pads per bank which can get frustrating. Overall though it sounds amazing and like you say it’s cheaper
Yeah man they look so good I fancy one myself. I wouldn't mind a 555 as well. Collection never stops growing...The isolator on the 303 is amazing as well I've found from making beats today
Spvids: The example is a dope tutorial... but... why sample... just to ruin a dope drum track... with a boring rework of the original jazz loop??? [Example: start by dancing on the 3key and the 1key, to the beat, 3 x 1 or 6 × 2, for the 1st 3bars... dance between the 4 and 2key for the 4th bar... and swing your kicks to 32 to 45... I watched a Louis den video and it hit me like a ton of bricks... a guy I had great battles and good relations with wasn't this super genius... he had this shitty-azz box that... doesn't clock the best real time... the glitch in this particular line of machine was and is ground breaking for... HIP HOP DRUM PROGRAMMING AND... anything related to or based on it... and just think, I had learned to be a dope writer bcuz my comp had figured how to sound like a savant with THIS... shitty-box... I spent years learning how to master 3 different techniques in order to get, other sample drum machines to emulate... something that this shitty-box does automatically... any who... my opinion means nothing so, please disregard... I digress... best to you.
The chops were out of order. So not a straight loop. Lofi hip hop generally is just loops anyway. Dusty laid back repetitive hypnotic loops, you don’t want too much bounce or to many intricate sections as it becomes more boom bap and takes away from being lofi (as we know it today)
I just bought a SP303 new condition. My first SP. I wanted a 404SX, but found this very good deal on 303. I love so much this machine. It's slow, retro, warm and cheap sounding like my brain. I'm feeling like I have to learn how to use it like a real instrument. I have to try hard many years before mastering it. It's very easy in fonctionnality but extremly deep in learning curve.
I think 404SX rocks too, but if you find a good deal on 303, don't hesitate.
Yeah definitely. Some of the FX are amazing on the 303. Need to start using mine more!
saw a 303 for 250 while i was in cali.... this guy is absolutely correct. do NOT hesitate to buy!
How much should a 303 cost second hand?
@@AlexRDL88 300€ is a good price
I like the gap in the loop. It's rhythmic. Adds a little tension and release.
Nice one man. Thanks again for watching
Great video! I've had the SP303 for years collecting dust. Stopped using it after I moved from DJ to producer. Didn't know what I had. Thanks for taking the time and walking through how you did the beat.
Any time man, glad it was useful
Nice beat. I just purchased the SP-303 as well. Your SP videos are 🔥 that I had to get one. You make it look effortless. Keep up the postings!
Dope man the 303 sounds so good. I'm going to be using it more in the near future for some sample processing! Appreciate the kind words too 🙏
Gotta say your sample pack is really nice man, best 3 quid I've ever spent!
Awesome man, glad to hear that!
Lo-Fi Drums procured!
Thanks a lot. Appreciate the support 🙌
i've noticed that sometimes the 303 and 404 can add a very small space at the beginning of your loops before the kick hits. sometimes its just a product of hitting the sample very slightly before the first kick when using the resampling method. so sometimes it helps to trim the start point of your loops if this kick isn't hitting precisely when you hit the pad. not sure if that was going on here but seems like it might've. just a thought
Thanks, I'll look out for that next time man
Just bought an Sp-303 today!
I liked that video. 👍
Nice man! I'm going to be doing more content on the 303 over the next few weeks. Got a video dropping later today :)
spvidz Awesome. I hope you mention the trick I’ve heard about where you can sample the outputs. Can’t seem to find much about it.
@@lawrenceonethree6872 Just bought mine today, did you find out what that trick was in the end? Sounds interesting
@@CoinOpMilitia Basically you can sample an external source live while resampling. I heard you can also feed the outputs into the inputs and build a beat that way similar to how the loop capture on the 555 works. Keep meaning to check that out.
Always love seeing your workflow and creation vids. Would personally love to see more live setup, live performance discussion stuff too. Got that pack too, havent checked out the sounds yet but i trust its good ha
that's hilarious putting your plants on your gear list btw
Really appreciate that man thanks for the support! Good idea yeah there's definitely more scope for content there, will add it to the list!
I keep looking back to this video because it gets me super hyped to making stuff with the 303 and I agree with you! I was expecting the internal memory to be much faster all around, but the card is. Say you're in bank a and want to change a sample to a different pad in that same bank then changing pads doesn't take much time, but whether you're changing pads on bank c or d within the same bank it's much slower and same when changing pad to a different bank entirely- switching from card bank to internal bank takes a while, but all the wait times are nice kind of... it's buddhistic in that everything, even my electribe 2 sampler, is so instant and you get used to everything just "working" but with the SP you're working on the 303s time and it fights with you a lot. I always kind of laugh when I make a mistake and have to start what I'm working on over and think to the Madlib and redbull interview "Ya gotta use ya brain" lol yeah.. not used to that
So true man! Gonna do more with the 303 soon!
Just bought the pack. I'm on a 30daybeatchallenge. Gonna try to use that on the rest of the challenge, sound selection and recordings are dope!.
Great to hear man! Good luck with the challenge. I might do that one day and post each beat on the channel!
So, this is a guess about the internal vs. card processing time. When the Boss was made the actual processor could go faster than the internal memory, i.e. the internal memory access times were holding the processor back. Now, put in a modern card with much faster access times and the Boss processor can run all out, do the job faster.
Sounds like solid thinking! I really can't get my head round how a card would be faster! Might be time to do a bit of research!
spvidz Well, I didn’t realize the card is a Toshiba SmartMedia card (thought it would be CompactFlash). So the card is probably pretty old too. Less certain with this info, but I guess it still relates to the internal memory access being slower. Anyway, thanks for showing off the 303 occasionally👍🏻.
Dope chops....respect
Thanks a lot! :)
Cool Beats! 😎
Thanks a lot, appreciate it!
Grabbing your kit. Thanks!
Appreciate that, thanks a lot!
@@spvidz Good content with your pack. Cheers!
thanks for the great demo and tunes! one comment for future aesthetics is shove that vhs up into the top right corner more, fill that negative space and make the 303 the focal piece. you got some cute ass shit either way. much love
Thanks a lot, yes definitely can see what you mean. My setup has changed a bit since I did this vid - tend to have the sampler in the middle now. I need some new plants too... :)
Speak for yourself. My music station is my sanctuary and I enjoy seeing everyone else's, and taking inspiration from them.
great video as always
Thanks man!
Dude, that beat was nice man. Give yourself credit bud. I'm trying to learn one of these from scratch, and I'm scared lol
I think we are all here because we like imperfect music. Gaps in beats? Record crackle? Needle skips? Bro do you even Boom Bap? 😂
Haha cheers man appreciate it! Takes a bit of time to get used to but you’ll soon pick it up man I’m sure!
Great vid! Been saving for either a 303 or 404. Still haven’t made up my mind yet!
I'd say a 404, super versatile and once you learn that then you can backtrack and get some other fun toys
Johnny Lamb word thank you!! I really appreciate it
I would go for a 404sx I started my SP life on that and I'm glad now I've bought the others. I think the other way round may be a bit difficult as they have limitations. (generally speaking)
I agree man yeah
bought the pack, thanks brotha
Thanks a lot man, really appreciate that!
If Dilla can....
I neglected it also from years ago it will be getting hooked up to my technics now
Nice combo, bet you will cook up some fire with that! :)m
@@spvidz i hope so.
The recent trend in hip hop neo soul "just out of sync" drum phrasing may actually save my blushes lol....j dilla chris dave style
Im struggling with buy-in the mpc or the roland sp 404. I basically just wanna make samples and than record into the daw without exporting or anything. So I actually just wanna have my samples ready and than record in real time to logic. Is that possibly with one of the devices in any way? You know what I mean? Would really appreciate an answer.
I would go with an SP - the MPC (music production center) is a machine for making full beats - the SP can make full beats too but its built in fx are legendary so you will have more joy recording samples into the SP with the various FX and then putting them onto your computer. As far as I am aware the MPC has very little in terms of built in fx. If you want to make full beats without the need of a DAW then I'd go for an MPC. Otherwise its the SP. Obviously that's just my opinion...!
@@spvidz Thanks so much for your answer bro. You made my life easier. I was going more for the sp already. One last thing. The samples you record into the daw would be just audio waves though right? There is no way of quantisation if you wanna record rhythm signals right?
what service did you use to make your website ?? it's very clean, and not confusing... thx..
Hey man i use shopify. I'm a web designer/developer so it was easy to set up however Its really intuitive so its good for anyone really - bit.ly/2W7Hoz4
Hey, I was thinking about picking up a 303, partly because I love retro gear and partly because of the legendary vinyl sim and compressor. BUT, you stated in this video that you don't think the vinyl sim on the 303 is that good? Literally everything I have read or watched has said the opposite, that the vinyl sim effect on the 404 and 404 SX are inferior and that no one has ever been able to properly recreate the 303 vinyl sim. What makes you prefer the newer version of this effect over the 303 version?
Also, great beat!
the more modern Vinyl sims have much more subtle warping in my opinion but the vinyl compression on the 303 is really good. My go to is always the SX because of its speed and sample time but the 303 is a very decent box in its own right as well
@@spvidz Hmmm, thanks for the reply. Still not sure what I should get. Have you ever tested out the Vulf Compressor from GoodHertz? It's a plug-in that aims primarily to recreate the 303 Vinyl Sim. I'm testing out the trial version at the moment, but as I don't have an SP, I have no way to compare it to the real thing.
@@HerrTipple Ive heard of it but never tried it, remember it being a bit expensive. You can't be the real thing... :)
@@spvidz I downloaded the 15 day trial today. It's cool, but I have nothing to compare it to do don't know how close it is to the real thing. It is expensive; $149.
i've got vulf compressor and a 303, and the vulf compressor is really good. wouldn't call it an emulation of the 303 or anything, it's its own thing but is a great lofi tool. saying that, i really rate the 303 vinyl sim...can't compare it to a 404 as i haven't used one before, but it really adds that special pixie dust to most samples once you know how and when to use it
Put some vulf compressor on that
Heard a lot of good things about that compressor! Is it worth the money?
@@spvidz Vulf Compressor can do a lot of things, ranging from very subtle to extreme. It's pretty expensive at normal price but they have decent sales like on Pi Day where everything is 31.4% off. Not sure if it's still a thing but you could get a 50% off coupon if you uploaded a track using their plugins along with the settings you used.
I agree. Prefer hardware over software!
Nice one man - thanks a lot for the info. I'm going to stick with the hardware I have at the moment. I would actually like a real compressor but they can be pricey. I imagine it would be worth the money though.
be careful with those pads my 303 is out of use because of going to hard😖 love the videos
Cheers man I will make sure to look after them! Is there anywhere you can get them fixed..?
spvidz I have no idea, maybe a local place could do it for you if someone is just experienced in electronics. I don’t know of anywhere specific. Take care!
Dylan Farley yeah that’s a tough one man. I know there’s a place that does MPC stuff here in the uk but that’s about it
i follow some dude on twitter that does SP repairs and stuff. not sure if he only does 404s or if he could do the 303, too. his @wheres_geoff
Nice one man!
I'm not sure how much this has been said but you MUST use remain+Vinyl Sim, crank the compression to make, it adds that honey and spice to everything.
Will give that a try man, thanks!
I’m curious, what do you end up doing once you record it into abelton? Any additional effects?
Yeah sometimes I filter the sound a bit with EQ8 just to take out some of the horrible frequencies and sometimes I'll boost the volume a bit as well but kinda like to keep it as raw as possible!
spvidz I’m sorry for the late response! Awesome thank you so much man for the response!!! I like the raw style too
any time man!
I buy a Polyend tracker but i am not realy happy with him. Should i swap it against a Sp 303 or sp 405sx\mk2? The Polyend tracker cost new 600Fr. Is that a fairer Deal?
The 303 has a lot less features than the 404mk2. I would recommend the mk2 over any other SP now. The problem is they are pretty hard to get hold of at the moment.
hello, i have been wanting to make beats, and i don't know what machine to purchase first. Do you think this is a good one to start off with?
The 404a is a better option because it’s a lot faster and has SD storage too which makes it a lot easier to get samples on to it 👍
If you have 2 or more samples you want to loop over each other, and you want it to be lined up, how do you do that? Each sample is 4 bars long so they are capable of looping perfectly. I guess im saying i want them to be played at the exact same time, and asking how. :/ BTW great video.
Not easy with the SP. have you tried the pattern sequencer?
@@spvidz Not really. Im trying to figure it out. Is Panda Bear using pattern mode in this video ? th-cam.com/video/kMLF6qzfJxs/w-d-xo.html
Doesn’t the vinyl sim have a compressor as well?
Ye.
Yup - described in the manual 'Adjusts the sense of compression in the sound that is characteristic of analog records.'
Hi, kinda new to this but does your sample/drum pack you put in the description only work for the 303? can it be used in a daw?
Can be used in anything yeah they are just wav sound files :)
@@spvidz ok, thanks. Ill buy one right now :)
Thanks a lot! If you have any issues using it with a DAW just let me know 👍
@@spvidz uhhh, you got discord?
Naa man. Got insta - search spvidz and dm me there.
Is it just me or the sound of the 303 is actually more pleasing than the 404sx? You seem to lose a bit on functionality though. They do sound different for sure.
Yeah a lot of people rave on about the 303 having a better overall sound but it’s a lot slower to process recordings/deleting etc and the 404sx takes SD which is a lot better for storage imo.
@@spvidz , that's indeed an important consideration. I am considering the possibility to buy a 303 rather than a 404sx, mainly for the price difference and the sound. The fact that the processing is slow, how bad does it impact the workflow? Is it still usable/enjoyable?
Cristóbal Dión the sx is my go to just because it’s fast tbh. I do like the 303 but the slots that use internal memory are painfully slow (two banks internal 2 banks use the card). There are also less pads per bank which can get frustrating. Overall though it sounds amazing and like you say it’s cheaper
Oh we're going old school old school lmao
hahah hell yeah man. Who knows 202 beat next? lol
@@spvidz trying to decide if I wanna get an sp 808 myself. Crazy machine. But I also want that 303 flutter and comp. Glad you used them both lol.
Yeah man they look so good I fancy one myself. I wouldn't mind a 555 as well. Collection never stops growing...The isolator on the 303 is amazing as well I've found from making beats today
Yeah I would kill for a 555 but after buying my SX I can't justify posting that much again this soon. Just got it in March so maybe next March.
Yeah with having 3 sps now its hard for me to justify as well haha although it would be good content for the channel
Bro, I have a question for you about the "SP-303"....Is there anyway that I can message you?
Just ask here or DM me on insta man
Spvids: The example is a dope tutorial... but... why sample... just to ruin a dope drum track... with a boring rework of the original jazz loop??? [Example: start by dancing on the 3key and the 1key, to the beat, 3 x 1 or 6 × 2, for the 1st 3bars... dance between the 4 and 2key for the 4th bar... and swing your kicks to 32 to 45...
I watched a Louis den video and it hit me like a ton of bricks... a guy I had great battles and good relations with wasn't this super genius... he had this shitty-azz box that... doesn't clock the best real time... the glitch in this particular line of machine was and is ground breaking for... HIP HOP DRUM PROGRAMMING AND... anything related to or based on it... and just think, I had learned to be a dope writer bcuz my comp had figured how to sound like a savant with THIS... shitty-box... I spent years learning how to master 3 different techniques in order to get, other sample drum machines to emulate... something that this shitty-box does automatically... any who... my opinion means nothing so, please disregard... I digress... best to you.
Thank for the ideas man will give it a try
The chops were out of order. So not a straight loop. Lofi hip hop generally is just loops anyway. Dusty laid back repetitive hypnotic loops, you don’t want too much bounce or to many intricate sections as it becomes more boom bap and takes away from being lofi (as we know it today)