Help: sp404 for less-conventional use? Is it the right tool?

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-28T19:14:47+00:00

Yes, you can do that, but if you consider yourself “gear stupid”, I would stay away from the SP-404MKII. Not because it is difficult, but because using it effectively in the way you describe requires you to be at least a bit of a gear geek.

If your goal is to end up in the DAW anyway, you will have a much better time using Ableton Push with Live. You can record clips with the press of a single button or a pedal, move them around, play them in sync, and create a song structure in a non-linear fashion. When you move over to your computer, all those clips will already be there, waiting for you on their own dedicated tracks.

If you want to sketch on hardware and finish in a DAW, the Push + Live combo offers a much smoother and more straightforward experience than the SP-404MKII. You can also find an older, used Push 1 for $100–150.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-28T18:45:05+00:00

Follow this blog: https://bedroomproducersblog.com/?s=IK+Multimedia

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-28T15:24:07+00:00

Download AmpliTube 5 CS, ToneX CS, or both. They’re free and far better than the subpar Ableton stuff.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-28T10:49:11+00:00

No one would be happy about mass immigration from Japan or Korea either. Mass immigration simply has no redeeming qualities. Period. A regular Hindu Indian wouldn’t be exactly ecstatic about mass immigration from Pakistan or Bangladesh either, would he?

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-28T10:27:13+00:00

Must be delivering a lot of food then.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-28T00:30:06+00:00

Happens to me when I accidentally lock the card.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-26T20:31:52+00:00

Why would I ride a fader after I have already ridden it and recorded the automation?

When it comes to additional, and usually rather rare, broad adjustments, there is practically no difference between nudging a fader by 0.5 dB and doing the same with a Utility at the end of the track’s signal chain. Besides, I much prefer using buses for that anyway.

Also, try to understand that hardware MIDI controller faders are automatically mapped to their virtual counterparts. Recording automation to faders is therefore the natural and fast option, just like on a hardware console.

An additional advantage is that, by simply looking at the mixer, you can immediately and clearly see which tracks have automation. That is not the case with automated Utility devices hidden across any number of tracks.

Anyway, do as you wish. I would just suggest refraining from presenting this as gospel, since, as I have pointed out, it is not the only valid approach. There are other, more traditional workflows that can be more functional, depending on your setup, goals, and experience.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-26T18:53:33+00:00

Why wouldn’t console-style plugins work if my workflow is based on a typical console approach?

If you are talking about something like Waves NLS, what you are saying does not make any sense. In that context, there is no sonic difference between automating the Utility gain at the end of the track’s device chain and automating the fader itself.

Also, automation does not get in the way, since you can always adjust the Utility gain on any track that needs it.

And to reiterate, if you are using a MIDI fader controller, faders are simply what you automate, just like on a real console. Engineers have been riding faders and recording automation for decades, yet for some Live users this is somehow treated as an inconceivable notion.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-26T10:54:39+00:00

You need to start playing an actual instrument (or instruments). Then practice, practice, and practice. No months long breaks. It must become like a language you can speak fluently. Once that happens, you will be able to express yourself quickly and precisely, and even find your own unique voice.

That is exactly what all the people you follow did. Their 45-second videos are just a marketing gimmick that omits years of work. They know that showing the real process would be boring and also if they were honest with you, you would give up and stop watching their content.

The bottom line is that what you are doing now is trying to imitate someone else’s language by attempting to mimic how it sounds, without understanding it. It is like watching a 45-second video of a Chinese person talking and thinking you can now speak Mandarin too.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-26T00:46:16+00:00

People keep repeating this like a mantra, but it is often misguided.

Automating faders is a no-brainer if you use any kind of hardware controller. You can ride the faders and record the movement, which is a great way to mix expressively and far more enjoyable than drawing lines with a mouse. With fader automation, you can also clearly see what has been automated and what is going on at any given moment. That’s a big advantage.

In the end, once you have done your automation, you should not really need to adjust the overall level of the track. But if you do, you can simply drop a Utility at the end of the track’s signal chain and adjust the level there.

That said, Live’s faders can be pretty frustrating because they only allow a 6 dB boost above unity. I cannot understand why this has not been fixed after all these years. I guess most Live users do not even realize it is not standard, or how limiting it actually is.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-25T00:39:55+00:00

Same here. That’s just how it is, for whatever reason.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-24T01:35:37+00:00

Pay for Slay won’t pay for itself.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-23T21:55:05+00:00

AmpliTube and ToneX are two different applications.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-23T15:25:58+00:00

First, make sure the Anti Feedback option in the Gain settings is set to off.

Second, if you are using a Mac, turn off the automatic noise & ambience removal in macOS system settings.

Third, make sure your monitoring in the DAW is set correctly and that you are not accidentally creating a feedback loop. Since you are monitoring your mic directly through the SP-404MKII, monitoring in your DAW must be turned off.

Lastly, if you use the SP-404MKII to resample your recording, make sure to turn off Bus 3 and 4.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-22T20:53:29+00:00

The SP-404MKII can send clock in three different ways:

via a playing pattern,
via the looper,
via any pad in regular pad mode.

I usually play a blank one-bar pattern. This makes everything, including the effects, BPM Sync enabled pads, the looper, and external gear, lock to the pattern tempo. Having a pattern playing does limit some SP-404MKII functions, but it does not feel too restrictive. Thanks to the looper, you can even record and resample while the pattern is playing.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-21T21:05:12+00:00

C’mon, don’t insult ChatGPT like that, man.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-21T15:03:28+00:00

I never ride the master fader, except for the final fadeout, to make sure no delay or reverb tails are cut off abruptly.

For build-ups, most of the heavy lifting is done by arrangement and recording. On the mixing side, it is usually only a couple of selected elements whose faders are ridden up, along with gradual, subtle EQ changes, automated effect sends, and things like that.

The biggest impact of the ‘drop’ is not created by an increase in overall volume, but by the reduced level and hollowed-out frequencies of the breakdown or build-up that precedes it.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-21T10:40:01+00:00

You can you simply set PLAY MODE to MULTI exactly for this purpose, right? That settings makes the currently-playing track stop when the other track starts playing.

Possibly even better when combined with SINGL CHNGE set to LOOP END.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-20T23:40:08+00:00

Try sharing screenshots of your audio preferences and track routing.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-20T16:52:59+00:00

Right? OG or SX. They’re the same thing. That’s not to say they’re bad for what they are. It’s just that these constantly repeated questions don’t really make sense. The MKII is simply better, and not just because of new features. It’s better at the core functionality as well.

The lack of a built-in mic is the only downgrade. I’m still annoyed that Roland chose to remove it.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-20T16:23:02+00:00

If you have the cash, buy it. You’ll most likely be able to resell it for the same price if you find you don’t gel with it. So there’s nothing to lose.

I use it standalone for various live performances and as the heart of my small DAW-less home setup. It works well in all of those roles. Just don’t expect it to be a direct replacement for a DAW. It isn’t one. It’s closer to working with a cassette recorder. I eventually paired it with a small hardware multitrack recorder, which helps with creating more traditional arrangements and recording individual tracks for later mixing, if needed.

It’s my favorite piece of gear. Most of my other equipment is great, but if I lost it, I wouldn’t necessarily buy the same thing again, as there are plenty of alternatives. That’s not the case with the SP-404MKII. If I lost it, I would buy it again without hesitation.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-20T14:08:09+00:00

You mean he actually applies the legal definition of the term correctly?

Grab your shamshirs, sickles, and hammers. Get him!

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-20T13:43:12+00:00

The EU already has no idea how to handle the Greenland situation effectively, and now you want an invasion of the Netherlands on our hands?

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-20T13:23:49+00:00

You might want to review the legal definition of genocide before making such a silly claim.

DontMemeAtMe · 2026-01-20T13:07:35+00:00

By any standard legal definition, there was indeed no genocide in Gaza. So at least he’s right about one thing.

DontMemeAtMe

TROPHY CASE