r/SP404

Hey everyone,

Looking for a speaker to pair with my SP-404 MK2 for travel this summer. I’ll eventually get proper monitors for home, but that’s a separate purchase — right now I specifically need something portable enough to throw in a bag or suitcase when I travel.

The main source will be the 404 (beats, sampling, jamming on the go), and it would also be nice for playing back references and listening to music. It doesn’t have to be tiny — I’m thinking roughly around the footprint of a Yamaha THR5 (271 × 167 × 120 mm, 2 kg), and a bit bigger is totally fine if it really pays off in sound.

A few things I care about: stereo is pretty much a must since the 404 is very much a stereo instrument and mono kills half the fun. I’d want enough headroom to actually enjoy the beats, not just whisper-quiet bedroom level. Battery power would be a nice bonus but not a dealbreaker. And I’d prefer something with a reasonably honest response rather than a Bluetooth speaker that smashes everything into a smiley EQ.

Budget is open but reasonable, since the “real” monitors are coming later anyway.

I’ve seen people mention the Roland CUBE Street EX, Bose S1 Pro, and various small PA options, but I’m curious what people here are actually using on the road with their 404. Recommendations welcome 🙏

I'm wondering if/how I could use a groovebox like the SP404 mk2, as the brains of a setup for synth-based ambient/progressive rock. I'd like to loop stuff, play multisamples (like mellotrons etc), process sound from multiple synths and trigger one-shots. Does anyone use these in this way? Most of the videos I see in YT are techno/house/beat-making stuff.

Hey everyone,

I did a small test today with my MPC1000 and SP-404MK2. I took the same drum loop and ran it through the SP-404MK2 with the same effects/settings in two ways:

1. Drum loop through the SP-404MK2, directly recorded into the MPC1000
2. Drum loop recorded/resampled on the SP-404MK2 first, then recorded into the MPC1000

Same loop, same effects, same gain staging as close as possible. Real talk: I honestly can’t hear a difference.

Should I? Or are my ears just trash? I always thought that recording/resampling into the SP-404MK2 itself would maybe add some extra character from the converters or internal recording stage, compared to only using it as an FX box and recording straight into the MPC.

Is the “SP sound” mostly just the effects, compression, resampling workflow, gain staging, and maybe the lo-fi modes, rather than the normal recording converters adding obvious color?

Curious what others think, especially people who use the SP-404MK2 with an MPC or other hardware samplers.

I haven't had the SP404Mk2 for very long, but I'm finding it difficult to set the sample chop or start/end and play the samples to the metronome... Do you happen to have any tips? Has anyone else experienced this at first? Will my skills improve if I keep playing? Please let me know.

I'm going to be taking a job that will take me away from the home for 2-3 weeks at a time. I'm unable to take my tower with me. I'm thinking about getting a SP-404 MKII and samples loaded up on SD cards. Is this a good solution for beat/song making while away from home?

Live sample performance in Galway, Ireland with the SP404A plus turntable. Crowd really enjoyed it, hope you will too