Roland Celebrates Two Decades of the SP-404 with Global Festivities
Honoring Beat-Making Heritage
Every April 4th, Roland pays tribute to its iconic sampler, the SP-404, during the annual celebration known as 404 Day. This year is particularly meaningful as it marks the 20th anniversary of this groundbreaking device. The festivities will encompass a variety of global events and showcase its innovative successor, the SP-404MKII.
The original SP-404 made its debut in 2005 and rapidly became a vital instrument for beatmakers during the emergence of underground hip-hop and electronic music scenes in cities such as Los Angeles, Tokyo, and London. Its impact on music production has been ample.
Innovative Collaboration with Serato Boosts Creativity
This year’s festivities highlight an exciting partnership between Roland and Serato, which integrates both Serato DJ (Lite and Pro versions) along with Serato Studio into the functionality of the SP-404MKII. The recent V5 update from Roland enhances this sampler’s capabilities by bridging DJing seamlessly with music production.
This collaboration makes Serato the first DJ software to officially support the SP-404MKII. This integration allows DJs to easily access this compact sampler without needing an extensive setup. With pre-mapped controls for Serato now available,artists can effortlessly merge their creative processes while utilizing features like Serato Stems,looping options,hot cues,among others.
Expanded Production Features for Artists
The partnership also extends into production; when paired with Serato Studio, this hardware acts as a pre-mapped controller while functioning as a USB audio interface that provides deeper hardware integration. Producers can now manipulate audio using onboard effects in real-time via their SP-404MKII.
A Week Packed with Global events
The celebrations extend beyond just one day; Roland is organizing various events across five continents throughout 404 Day week. These activities include live performances featuring talented artists, beat battles showcasing creativity in action, panel discussions on music creation techniques—and much more! Notably active are several Roland Stores worldwide including locations in London and Tokyo that will host special workshops focusing on both classic models like the original SP-404 alongside demonstrations highlighting new features from Model 5 updates on their MKII version.
Discover More About upcoming Events!
If you want further details regarding updates on V5 for your SP-404MKII, or check out Roland’s guide to 2023’s 404 Day celebrations.
This article originally appeared at MusicTech .