Roland releases new sampler: Roland SP-555

[Artemiy]

Check it out:
http://www.roland.com/products/en/SP-555/index.html

[Doug Crazy]

Hey Artemio... tell Roland to go back to the drawing board with the SP555. Why WHy WHY would Roland STILL make editing samples on these SP machines a pain in the butt?? The SP555 only lets you edit 130 milliseconds at a time when editing the start point. RIDICULOUS !! A user should be able to adjust the sample start/end points to taste...NOT have to hit "MarK" everytime they want to get closer to the desired start point. Samples are an important part of this machine so at least the ability to quickly edit samples should be standard. I may be wrong but I think the SP606 does edit correctly. Roland has got to step it up. This is becoming a joke.

Below is from the onwers manual.


• The range of movement for a single operation is
approximately 130 milliseconds before or after the current
start point or end point. If you want to adjust the point by a
greater amount, repeat the same procedure.
• You can’t set the start point and end point closer than
approximately 100 milliseconds.
• If your adjustment results in the start point and end point
being respectively at the beginning and end of the sample,
[MARK] will go out.
• If [MARK] is extinguished (i.e., if the playback region has
not been adjusted), adjusting the sample’s start point or
end point will cause [MARK] to light.

[Quinnx.]

- -


Well.. i mean realy...
What do you expect from Oldland
this is just the same old crp in a new box
just like all there previous releases

I suppose Oldland can only re-invent the past
They always take 1 step forward and 10 steps back.

There getting too *ol**d for any thing else..



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[Artemiy]

Doug Crazy:

I am sorry but who ever told you I have some direct connection to Roland R&D?

Quinnx:

If you can't say anything good, you better don't say anything at all. And yes, please learn how to write the word "their" (it's not quite the same as "there").

[wudsiba]

What is the street price? As far as the editing goes, does that mean that you can still edit it where you want you just have to mark it several times? If so, I find that you get use to these little qwerks, strange as they may be.

wudsiba
Fantom X6
Audio exp.

[Doug Crazy]

Deleted !!

[wudsiba]

MOMMY AND DADDY STOP FIGHTING!

wudsiba
Fantom X6
Audio exp.

[J.Daniels]

It looks mad, especially the live looper, new fx, midi out(!), computer compatibility, velocity sensitive pads and d-beam synth!

Although i wont be upgrading my 404 to it anytime soon. Mainly because, the reason i dig the 404 so much, is that its so compact and portable. Its a very simple peice to navigate, and all these extra features and pads make it now double the size and in addition, most of these features arent nessessary at all!

Also, the biggest drawback of the 404 is the pattern sequencer. Its barely usable! and to see that roland havent updated it(judging by the manual), is very dissapointing. Almost everyone at the sp-forums uses the 404 as a mini-mpc beat machine, apposed to live DJ tool that it was intended to be. and it is now obvious that roland have ignored their key demographic for grooveboxes like the 404, as this sp-555 is clearly targeted towards live dj's with the looper, d-beam and other add-ons.

As for chopping on the 404, i personally dont mind it at all, and i personally love not looking at a waveform and chopping the obvious transients. Infact the results are often more desirable than my samples chopped up in recycle.

The MPC500 is too expensive and the workflow of that machine isnt very desirable. If roland catered more towards the beatmakers(who are clearly taking advantage of the 404 more than live dj's) and offered a decent sequencer with ease of use, and portability of the 404, they would clearly have a winner. well maybe next time.....

[Quinnx.]

- -



What do you mean?

I thought it was all GOOD
Roland to Oldland
Who else would have though it



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[Artemiy]

I just LOVE to see people whine about a unit they barely know anything about! This is one of the reasons why you rarely hear my opinion on any gear at all - basing your opinion on a first impression with the specs is, well, ridiculous. One of the other reasons why you rarely hear my opinion on any gear is that I made thousands of sounds and dozens of tracks with the gear you whine about. Think, think.

[stevie]

ding, ding, seconds away, round two (or was that three).....

[Hugo]

I think the new unit looks awesome. What will be the retail price? If it's cheap enough, I'll consider buying it.
I have a couple of questions, however;
1. Will it be possible to resample entire patterns?
2. Will it be possible to copy patterns?
3. How many effects blocks are there? One, as in the 404, or two as in the 606?

A couple of very cool things I like; the integrated synth, controllable by the d-beam (which are fantastic to see on the unit, btw). I tried playing the Juno G with its d-beams, and it was hilarious (the Juno G was awesome itself, btw).

Another very welcomed inclusion is the usb-port. I guess it not only streams audio, but also works for file transfer?
And I think it's about high time I start checking out the V-Link feature. This one is also part of my V-Synth, and I'm curious to explore the possibilities in this technology. Very cool to see it included in this one as well

Oh, and sample triggering via the d-beams is a top notch feature!

regards, Hugo

[Hugo]

Well, now I see the manual is already online over at Rolands web pages. To answer my questions:
1 Will it be possible to resample entire patterns?
- not that I can see; resampling is done by triggering a sample by pressing its pad. This lets you resample with effects, and is very useful in this manner.
However;

2. Will it be possible to copy patterns?
- Yes, so it seems! Page 37 of the manual states:
"You can copy a pattern from one pad to another pad. This
lets you create a new pattern based on an existing pattern."
This will to a large degree eliminate the need for resampling entire patterns, well, as I see it anyway.

3. How many effects blocks are there? One, as in the 404, or two as in the 606?
- One, as I suspected. Still no biggie, as resampling samples is always an option.

Ths built-in synth has an included delay, plus various scale settings. Can't wait to try it out!
I'm a bit curious about the filter; not sure if it is of one the effects, or in addition to the effects? Anyone?

All-in-all; a very desirable unit for me. As any piece of gear, this is not a sampler to eliminate the need for any extra equipment; having said that it seems to be possible to do entire compositions if that's your wish.

And again; one of the major selling points for me is sample triggering via the d-beams and virtually unlimited sample time (up to 12 hours (!)).

Good job, Roland!

regards, Hugo

[J.Daniels]

Honestly did roland do any research before constructing this unit? All these new features are fun, but arent nessessary at all and would most likely hinder productivity due to them just being there. The popularity of the sp series is mainly the result of its simplicity and compact size, and now the sp-555 is double the size, doesnt run on batteries and has all these fluff features that would just get in the way of workflow.

...Although that lo-fi comp effect does sound rather tasty...

[Quinnx.]

- -




Why does it seem everywhere you go these days no one like you unless you talk happy.
I notice on practicaly every board on any topic.
Is the Art: of discussion and debate lost somewhere.
Why do people have to be YES people to be accepted.
GAWD if the whole world was like that the rest of the planet would just have AMERICA raped around and we would all be following creationism and bringing back hangings and burnings at the stake.

I also have several roland gears and from havng such i have noticed a tendancy on Oldlands part to cut corners where they should not have all in the effort to Squeeze musicians to pay more for less.

I have an sp404 so whats so absolutly fantastic about the 555?
if it still has the same flaws as the 404.
as long as Oldland keeps perpetuating the same flaws accross its product line and trying to distract people from the fact they have not fixed them by adding more or what you dont need and fixing less of what needs fixing which i think the original post was trying to get at.



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