Roland SP-808

Poly ultra-limited, we can tweak to make the re-recording parts but it does not compensate for the (only?) Major fault of this machine.

The sound deserves a listen: we have only eight tracks, but the mastiff how my ancestors: it is far from the coldness of Akai! The sound module E-mu also pales next to the SP. The sound vibrates, hurt the speakers, and when the resonant filter is running, it's really physical!

Standard memory and max: 100 Zip! ample time to sample, no memory problems, no need to fight with the connection to the SCSI (by the way, the interface is optional for the very hungry)

PC and Mac editor is available for download, you can transfer sounds into Wavelab SP 808, even more work on his finesse, recharge in the SP: the madness! (Zip drive required ...)

UTILIZATION

Config ultra simple: it's almost child's play without the manual, and it may not be worse: getting started easy, pleasant day operations, few sub menus: the beast is easy to tame. Some operations Time Stretching or registration loop points are tedious, but as time goes, it goes by itself.

Effects: terribly effective, diverse, creative, versatile: it is very simple when I want a synth sounds correctly I pass in the effects section of the SP: spatialization effects well done, Lo-fi effects not loops, distortion + delays to try it with a guitar, filter (cutoff / resonance to fall) devilishly effective.
Lexicon Reverb enthusiast on your way, a lover of sounds that move come here!

3 buttons change real-time for the live well, creations in real time, changes on the wire: perfect.

Another plus: the laser beam D-Beam, ranked ray gadget for some, loved by others and for good reason: time stretching samples in real time and controlled by hand: the effects of scratch, lo-fi Portishead's guaranteed! As for the emulation of ondes Martenot: effective, simple, and it's her little effect in live ...

SOUNDS

The converters are not transparent, that's why I love them: they provide a style that plays directly to the sample ... The sound is in any way changed for the better in my opinion. It is far from the quality Ensoniq dear to some leading experts, but we approach it a lot.

The effects are effective, nothing to add. If only: Only on this machine it sounds like that! Many other Roland, Korg, Yamaha and E-mu (!) Are not as good on that side ...

OVERALL OPINION

Attention is an instrument in itself!

with its weaknesses (polyphony and menu navigation) and qualities (effects, sampling performance, real-time controls, resampling and all the rest). MS 808 allows me to make effective and premix prepared away from home models of songs Rock, Electro, Trip Hop very well prepared, good quality, somewhat limited in polyphony, but the sound tenfold.

As to live with MS, I'll let you a glimpse of the capabilities offered by this machine: a track turns the background, I have fun with my second and crushed samples in real time traffics I voice the singer with the internal effects and I record everything (voice and musicians premixed) at the same time!

Only the SP is doing its job of dedicated Sampling Workstation, and if he adds a powerful keyboard (random: Ensoniq, or Rhodes emulation for hoppeurs trip) if you plug a guitar to take advantage of its effects, if s' used in the maximum, it is a royal place in a mix or a concert: Batteries in the background, samples and powerful and dynamic effects really exciting.

This machine has a hybrid status: not really a pure sample or a real Dtd today's standards, it provides models, premixes, and to concerts without having to be ashamed of his or building. It is always served by design "while a limited" but it can, like a real musical instrument to imagine, to seek, hack, find and finally brings to one who uses it a little something that gas plants do not have: creativity!

Sampler with 4 voice polyphony, 20-bit convertissuers which I think are of good quality, good amount of effects specific to roland, memory 250 MB zip
Low connectivity, AUX RCA line inputs and RCA jack, headphones, and the master output on RCA and MIDI in and out.
Conversion software for sample SP 808 EX.
For me there is a lack of polyphony, only 4 votes

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use, clear manual "in French" which is not negligible.
Editing sounds is quite simple.
I use it for a year, and the quality of work is better than a virtual sampler.

SOUNDS

For me the converters are well made.
It lacks some effects such as filter banks, otherwise good sound effects for bidoullage.
The delays are of good quality and the dynamics processors.
Otherwise the general dynamic is good

Any takers.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a year and I think to keep a long time.
The phrase sampler is very simple and well studied for the design of part polyphony.
The integration of synth works fine, apart from the fact that it is monaural.
I wish I tried a sampler AKAI like to really see the difference, but given the opportunity I had "paid 700 Euros," I did not ask.
if it again I will make the choice m ^ me.

What polyphony? 4 very poor, and single or stroc same, for this as well as tracks for the pad, the big weakness of the machine
- What converter? trs good as the 20bit A / D and 24-bit N / A, 24-bit internal processing, so good
- What effect? I possde EX version, so I possde few more effects from the normal version. there are a bunch, you can CRER meme.Il you are really all you need, vocoder, distos, lo-fi, phase effects, pramplis, delays, reverbs, ... virtual analog synth
- How much memory as standard?
memory disk zip
- What connection (Audio, MIDI, numrique ...)? are the midi in and out, input / output and RCA AUX_IN / aux_out RCA, an additionnal card to add the digital inputs and outputs, and XLR
- Is there a utility edition of Mac / PC? wai, you can just thanks to the zip, TRANSFR wav format and vice versa sp808

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use for sampling, the shipping of samples, timing the tempo with time stretch is an easy and a rapiditC even funny!
The recording, mixing, everything is very easy
By good effects against the edition is a bit boring.

SOUNDS

The incorporated multi effect is all just "yeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaa !!!!!"
The delays are extraordinarily good, distos (in Stereo) not bad, flanger and other effects of phase excellent ones I prfre effects are LO-FI, thickeners analog sound, and the simulation Micro, which offers all the grains you want, the Space cho (a must).
a vocoder is good too, but not chuis fan (overdose)
I balance my mc 303 sounds that are compltement heavy and flat, I fiddle with the effects, and hop right now It takes the look, there's no better now to give a sound color.

The sounds of the synths are great too.

In my opinion, the multi purpose alone justifies the purchase of the unit.
The Sampling compltement respect the original sound. Perfect

OVERALL OPINION

This shit polyphony c: 4 c limit! C but I think the only major default of the machine
Oh yes, there is something super bad! c you can not change the pitch of samples playing on a keyboard like on the classic samplers! ca c boo. Otherwise the rpart manually fo ...

For the rest, no complaints!
Zip disks allow time chantillonage trs long, and no need to load into RAM, not yen, c the direct-to-flowing ZIP.Ca c, c ca ke elsewhere to the polyphony is limited e.

In fact c plus a sampler itself dit.un multitrack multitrack and a phrase sampler and a multi purpose.
Well, I'd chop € 1000 into an opportunity, and I do not regret it. I confess that nine more than € 1500 was worth ca not go.
But if you have the opportunity to chop in time, Do not hesitate!