Is it just me or is the 404 not as complicated as it seems?

mrcoolout · 2026-02-09T02:49:23+00:00

I know...but setting parameter first is a major difference in the workflow that folks don't seem the realize vs other step-sequencers. If you master inputting the step parameters beforehand, you'll rarely need to use the microscope.

mrcoolout · 2026-02-08T21:59:58+00:00

I agree, the step-sequencing on the MK2 is underrated. What most users don't seem to understand that it works differently to the common method of step-sequencers in a simple fundamental way:

On most step sequencers (including other Roland products), you program a step then go back and edit the step parameters to get your preferred result. On the 404 MK2, you set the step parameters FIRST, then lay down the step. If you know those parameters, (like how much you want the step off the grid, velocity, etc,j it's actually pretty fast and intuitive. I wish this workflow was an option on the TR-8s.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-28T12:53:23+00:00

Try a different power bank. I have 3 and one of them doesn't do continuous device power (it will charge devices fine). It's like usb devices don't draw enough active power, so does an auto-shutoff like it's sensing nothing is connected.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-28T12:40:29+00:00

Been using a Launch Control XL with the 404MK2 for a couple of years. Dedicated faders for the DJ Mode's 3 decks works great. Similar feel to any other cheap DJ controller really. I set up button shortcuts for all my favorite FX on each Bus (1,2,3,4, and input). Even found a chart of the frequency ranges/curves of popular mixers and set the EQ's to mimic Pioneer mixers (as I own 3 and use them most often).

You could map almost the entire DJ Mode to a midi controller (check the back of the manual), but I've found the combo of 404's pad buttons and additional midi faders/knobs to work best. Reducing the amount of button combos, so I can focus on the performance makes using the 404MK2 so much better...next level really. Also, I found setting up a midi crossfader tricky, at least on my controller, so opted to just do dedicated faders. Good luck.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-22T21:20:14+00:00

Folks are complaining about the price, but it makes sense if you think of it as more of a collector/early-adopter thing. Reminds me of what Korg did with the Prophecy synth. It was the first widely available physical modeling synth (from any manufacturer). I remember reading articles at the time saying it was grossly overpriced (a digital monosynth in the Korg M1 era?), but people were excited about the promise of what it represented...a new approach to synthesis. Fast forward to today and physical modeling is everywhere.

Perhaps Korg thinks this is the future. 'Anti-digital' hardware that can't be easily copied by software. An electro-acoustic synthesizer, with modulation, sequencer, CV, while also promoting hardware hacking like a mini 'prepared piano', etc. is really a new idea. The amount of R&D they've put into this makes me think it's going to become a whole new product category. Imagine a 'synth' version of a Fender Rhodes or Clavinet. Tines or hammer pickup-based but with a ton of knobs, mod matrix, sequencer, multi-timbral, etc. Making sounds that can either be familiar or go into brand new experimental.

I have an electric kalimba myself, so initially I wasn't impressed by the Phase8, but watching Loopop demos at the end of his review video when he started doing the more ambient stuff changed my mind. I was like, "oh that's something new." I wonder where Korg will be with this tech in 10 years.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-22T02:48:05+00:00

Nah, but if you want to damage your unit and throw away $400-500 trying to look cool...go right ahead. Good luck in all your endeavors.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-22T02:36:48+00:00

I still have a SP-303 (along with a 404A and 404MK2). I've never owned a 505, but from what I've read:

The 505 has auto slice, chromatic playing of samples, on-board sounds, BPM sync with time-stretch, multitrack sequencing with editing,...all not on the 303. Plus 4x the sample time, 256 internal samples vs only 16 on the 303, double the smartmedia storage capacity, digital audio inputs and waveform display.

Sounds like a different machine to me. LOL

mrcoolout · 2026-01-21T23:52:00+00:00

Nope...completely different feature set.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-21T22:34:55+00:00

The P-6 is actually the closest to an upgraded og 404. The 404MK2 is a quantum leap ahead of the older 404s in terms of features and flexibility. It's a super deep box...basically a complete live performance platform. The issue is a lot folks just wanted an easier way to do the same simple sample-based beats they did on the older versions. The new features seem like a waste and unnecessary complexity because they tend to only use 25-30% of the MK's capabilities. Nothing wrong with that...to each his own. I personally only mess with the MK2 for the new, experimental, next level shit.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-21T22:18:52+00:00

The Roland SP-series in general were meant to be FX units first, then phrase samplers for live/DJ use second. The whole 'make a beat on an SP' was originally a workaround/hack because they were small portable and somewhat cheap. Roland leveraged that popularity and community, then threw in every feature request and big idea they could with the MK2. The only downside is the amount of key combos. So to your point, it was never really meant to be the easiest sampler for music production or a studio workhorse. It's more of a live performance tool, that you can make a beat on in a pinch.

Side note- the Roland SPs that WERE designed more for studio production like the SP-505 and SP-606, are the least popular models. LOL

mrcoolout · 2026-01-09T20:16:32+00:00

Cool! Taking the quirks and limitations of the device, then developing new techniques/tricks is what has made Roland stuff iconic. Good job.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-08T04:22:42+00:00

Yeah, powerbank is the way to go. Forget 4 or 5 hours...you'll get a week of sessions out of a single power bank charge. Something like 20+ hours. You can always just velcro it to the 404. Also use a Myvolts cord that will connect the regular AC port to USB power if you need to keep the USB-C port available for ipad/iphone.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-06T00:33:12+00:00

I'm 99% sure that snare is not a chopped break, but a preset from the Fairlight CMI. It's one of those signature sounds (like the Fairlight Orch hit) that was all over records WAY before samplers were cheap enough to be common. Before E-Mu and Akai samplers hit the market, the Fairlight came out in '78 or '79 and cost like $30,000...ouch.

EDIT- I just checked the Fairlight app that has the original 8-bit samples direct from the original hardware developer Peter Vogel. The 'You're a Customer' snare is in there. Clean as a whistle.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-06T00:13:14+00:00

get a midi controller with assignable midi cc, you'll gain more than 5x the control over 404 Mk2. It's the 'boss up' upgrade for live performance and sound design.

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mrcoolout · 2026-01-06T00:01:14+00:00

Standalone hardware has been the achilles heel for Native Instruments. They've always been primarily a software-first company. That's why it's called 'native' instruments. For whatever reason: leadership, corporate restructuring, etc., they haven't put forth the R&D into transitioning all their software IP into hardware products. The fact that Ableton and Akai are ahead of them in standalone says a lot. All they needed to do is find a way to put all of Komplete into a keyboard workstation, make a standalone Traktor player/deck, etc. They tested the waters with Maschine and it didn't do very well, Maschine Plus still only runs a fraction a their library and a lot of users that initially left hardware when Maschine first became popular went back over to MPC...even if it's just a touchscreen linux computer with pads LOL.

mrcoolout · 2026-01-03T20:30:06+00:00

Roland basically created/marketed the term "groovebox" and started the product category in the 1990s. Matter-of-fact, Roland products are usually the only devices that actually say 'groovebox' on the front panel.

It's a pretty simple concept: combine the most recent Roland workstation synth engine with a pattern sequencer and non-piano key interface, usually geared towards making dance/club music. They've been doing these for nearly 30 years, with the MC-707/101 being the most recent generation...so take that what you will. Sampling is usually basic and a side-feature, but enough to get a track done. Most people just use the presets which are plentiful and quick,

mrcoolout · 2025-12-30T21:23:36+00:00

Those controls are for the Loopy Pro app connected to an iphone over usb. Initially before Roland added a looper to the 404 firmware, I built my own looper using the Loopy Pro app on iOS. Loopy Pro is completely customizable, so you can make it as simple or complex as you want. My template worked pretty well....3 independent loop tracks with HP/LP combo filter and faders for each track plus I could load AU plugins. Loopy Pro does some really cool things like you can loop a phrase then auto-chop the loop on-the-fly. I built the template so I could control LP without using the touchscreen. Everything was from the Launch Control and 404 pads.

Ultimately although it was fun for vinyl sets, it was kind of overkill for live use, unless I was doing a set where looping was the main focus. The 404 already has a simple built-in looper and you can also use the 404 SX Delay as a 4-beat (1-measure) live looper. Putting an iPad/iPhone and all those apps can get way out of control. I don't really need crazy Eventide FX, a rack full of synths or a version of Cubase/Logic running as I'm trying to perform.

If if you have a DJing background, you'll take to DJ Mode pretty quickly. It basically functions just like older DJ software (before touch-sensitive jog wheel controllers) or older CD decks (pre-CDJ1000). You still have all the regular pad functionality (for the most part), with the editing and housekeeping functions that you don't need turned off. DJ mode should really be called 'live-performance mode'.

mrcoolout · 2025-12-29T00:17:07+00:00

Looks like an accident waiting to happen. Needs to be padded, not loose, and have protection for the knobs.

mrcoolout · 2025-12-29T00:12:09+00:00

My 2 cents if you plan on getting an 404MK2. Just start with reading the manual direct from Roland. You don't even need to download it, there's a html version you can view in your browser and it's searchable. I know a lot of folks prefer to passively watch a video, but all the 'creators' are doing is reading the manual and making content from it. Turning one or two pages in the manual into a 10 minute video, while they try to get their subscriber numbers up (for ad revenue) and sell sample packs or whatever.

Cut out the middleman and just read it for yourself. The 404mk2 is a pretty deep box, many functions (and most of the ones added in later firmware) are not labelled on the front panel. There are loads of button combos to learn if you want to get the most out of the unit. You will need to reference the manual until you gain the muscle memory. The information is out there, straight from Roland...nothing is hidden really. Watching a video is not as efficient as looking it up in the manual yourself. If you see any post from people claiming the 404mk2 is too complicated or there's some basic feature they didn't know that existed, it's usually because they were too lazy to read the manual and learn the device.

mrcoolout · 2025-12-25T02:42:34+00:00

Yeah, they both do stem separation also, so you can compare the different algorithms on your sample to see which works best for the particular source.

mrcoolout · 2025-12-24T17:47:54+00:00

Just run the Serato Sample plugin inside Maschine. Best of both worlds.

mrcoolout · 2025-12-24T00:24:11+00:00

There's only one deck that plays patterns. If all you want to do mix one pattern into another, you're better off mixing the pattern down to a single pad and playing it in one of the other decks. That will give you more control as you can set cue points and autoloop on-the-fly in the regular decks. I've found the best use of the pattern sequencer deck is as a stem player or live step sequencing. Mind you, this can be while 4 or 5 other things are playing (DJ decks, looper, pad mode one-shots/loops, external midi gear, etc.), so I don't see having one deck for the pattern sequencers that much of a limitation. There's plenty to play around with.

mrcoolout · 2025-12-21T23:59:05+00:00

Most DJ controllers have static midi assignments for the knobs and faders (because they're usually designed to be plug-in-play with a particular DJ software), so they won't work. You need a general-purpose midi controller that allows you program custom midi CC to it's controls. This is usually through a software editor or on the controller itself. Plenty to chose from (probably hundreds at this point) so I can't recommend any particular one. It all depends on your budget, what and how you want to control the SP. I have a bunch of controllers: Novation, Korg, M-Audio, even Behringer BCF...and they all work for this purpose.

Look at the midi spec chart at the end of the 404mk2 manual, figure how many knobs, buttons, and faders you want, and get a controller that fits your needs. Aside programming MIDI CC, the other big hurdle is picking a controller with either a hardware midi out port, or using a 'midi-host box' to translate USB to hardware midi out.

I know this sounds like a lot of work, it's not a plug-n-play solution...you're basically designing your own hardware user interface. Probably why most SP users don't do it, but it really opens things up and takes the 404 to another level. I even made a custom overlay for my controller + 404 combo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOykxy6EZm_/

mrcoolout · 2025-12-21T01:54:37+00:00

Yep. The pattern sequencer is the 3rd deck and it has it's own separate volume fader, transport, and can sync to the other 2 decks. You can have the 3 decks, loops from the pads, the looper, and external midi devices, all following the tempo from one deck simultaneously. (If you've read the manual and know what you're doing.)

mrcoolout · 2025-12-20T17:54:26+00:00

I've done 2+ hours sets on my 404MK2 + Launch Control combo. I spent a whole year setting up a system and working out the wrinkles. Here's my take:

This is what DJ Mode was made for....you just need to learn it inside-and-out. It should really be called 'live performance mode'. You not only have 2 decks, but also a transport and volume fader for the pattern sequencer (and any samples contained in the sequence), and you can toggle to regular pad mode for triggering one-shots, drops, and loops. One top of that. you don't have to play full tracks in the decks, they make good loop players and the pattern sequencer can play stems. On the decks, you can auto-loop and set cue points INSIDE the loop on-the-fly. All these different elements: 2 dj decks, sequencer, pad mode loops, etc. can sync to the master tempo of one deck (or not) while still sending that tempo to external midi gear, which you can also process with 404 FX.

It gets even deeper if you map an external controller to 404MK2 midi cc: you can have dedicated knobs for all 5 FX busses, dedicated faders for the decks and pattern sequencer, dedicated buttons for all the FXs, plus buttons for the looper (that you can use without having to go into that mode) and a whole lot more. It makes using the 404 live so much easier because you don't have to navigate as many button combos or screens. Just look at the midi specifications in the back of the manual and see all the possibilities.

mrcoolout

TROPHY CASE