There are a few things that might have clouded your experience with the 303: 1) Even without a memory card, you can have 16 samples assigned to pads, not 8. You need to use banks A and B, and you can mix and match the samples from both banks in your beat. With a memory card you can have 32 samples assigned to a pad using banks A,B,C and D. The 303 has 8 Note polyphony (only 8 samples playing at EXACTLY the same time) but the number of samples you can use in a beat is 16 without a card. 2) To get the real magic from the Vinyl Sim compressor you really need to sample in at the lower sampling rates. The 303 compresses to RDAC rather than Wav, which becomes really buttery at the lower rates in combination with vinyl sim. That’s why VULF can’t really match it. Most people are putting WAVs through VULF, but it needs to be crushed RDAC files. 3) Using the sequencer eliminates all of your workflow issues like having to make a resampling decision and stick to it. These three things together give the true 303 experience.
there's a WAV to RDAC converter out there. one open source and one official from roland. with #2 in mind, could I convert a WAv to RDAC, resample into WAV then pitch down? or would that not give the same effect since the RDAC is technically being converted back into WAV?
The two main things about 303 vs any of the 404's....just SOUNDS BETTER..more buttery (OG, NON SX 404 has similar sound quality) especially the vinyl sim, and second, the ability to RECORD TO A PAD, WITH a pad PLAYING...giving one the ability to play a drumloop, for instance, on one pad, while playing, say, a synth, or bass, plugged into the mic input or RCA, and play along, OR playing sampled chops, WHILE recording both simultaneously to another pad, giving one the ability to basically "live loop" with multiple layers and efx, and record those "loops" to create different sequence parts that can be triggered live manually, and then recorded externally to create "full songs". It's a fairly technically primitive way to go about things, but somehow feels far more "musical" to me, and allows me to actually "play" more things and makes it more of a "recording process" workflow, alot like using a 4trk....and I love it
I bought the SP-202 when it came out. Right after, replaced it with the Yamaha SU700, in late 99. Wore the crap encoders out on the SU, because it was crazy fun. I have a banana box, mostly full of floppies, for that. Sold it to DJ Kero, who replaced all the encoders. Today I find myself wishing I had the 202, only converted to SD. The way it works, and the character of it's sound, is timeless. I can still hear the SU700's 3.5 drive...12 disks worth, per complex project. Sometimes late at night, I fell asleep laying back in my chair, waiting for saves/loads.
I’ve never seen your channel before, but this is so incredibly helpful as a newcomer to analog equipment… seriously change nothing about your format. So informative and honest!
202 pitch is fantastic honestly. I also love the Zoom sampletrak, which is my favorite of these older gems due to the sound and swing you can put on a tune.
if you notice after you hit the start stop button that the mark lit up. that shows you that your values were saved. recenter the value knob, hit the start stop button and continue shortening the sample. Also after you get it close you can adjust the bpm value and make it perfect...im sorry if you know all this. just responding to your question.
"At first, Wolf wasn't sure what he was listening to. These weren't warm, neo-soul Jay Dee beats, nor were they like the unstructured, raw Dill Withers tracks he'd created since his move to California. These were tiny compositions, moving from place to place, in little more than a minute each. Instead of large open spaces on which an MC might rap, these were filled with hectic scratches and stabs of vocal and instrument samples. And the manipulations themselves were of a different kind than Wolf had ever heard James do. In one track, looping part of an old Jackson 5 ballad, “All I Do Is Think of You,” James suddenly halved the tempo and stretched the loop out to cover the doubled space, while keeping the pitch constant. This kind of “time stretching” wasn’t possible on an MPC. He’d done all these beats right on his laptop, via his Pro Tools software, which enabled James to see the waveforms-dice and recombine them, squeeze and stretch them-in ways he’d never before attempted. Created in a burst of energy after James’s discharge from Cedars-Sinai in early 2005, Donuts emerged as a complete thought." Dan Charnas, Dilla Time
The entirety of dounuts wasn’t made on protools . Dilla had about 10/11 tracks done already and really thought about putting it out as is. In fact I would say Dilla’s closest friends have the original version of dounts and it’s a lot shorter than what the fans got.
@@M_orcan Classic Album Sundays, 'The Story of J Dilla Donuts': 'Released only three days before his untimely death, Donuts was J Dilla’s ninth album and would go to be recognised as one of the most important albums of the 2000s. The album was recorded whilst Dilla was in hospital undergoing treatment for lupus on a Boss SP-303 sampler and a portable turntable which were brought to hospital by his friends from the Stones Throw record label...'
@@M_orcan I'm yet to read 'Dilla Time' - If it doesn't talk about Dilla making beats in his hospital bed, then something doesn't add up... If you're not already aware, a book dedicated to the album was released in 2014, in the '33 1/3' series by Jordan Ferguson, which i'm also not read, yet...
I haven’t read the book, so I don’t want to make any accusations. But plenty of people who actually were part of making Donuts-Stones Throw connected people like Egon and PB Wolf-have already talked about the recording process of that album all the way back in 2005 at the time, as well as since. One thing that they have said in the past is that there were also a few MPC 3000 beats, but the majority were done on the 303 Madlib put Dilla onto when they did the first version of the Jaylib project, and then Champion Sound. THEN … Dilla and Stones Throw engineers used Pro Tools to edit and stretch the very short snippets of beats into tracks. There’s a video on RU-vid where one of the engineers even talks about the process. Apparently, some of the beats were literal sketches and lasted no more than 30 seconds. In order to make an album, some clever editing had to be done. So yes, Donuts WAS made in Pro Tools. But it was MADE on analog samplers, primarily the 303. I don’t want to disparage the author too much, but I think that’s what happens when someone who wasn’t there and isn’t connected to hip hop or the time period … writes a book like this. I appreciate Dilla getting his proper respect and scholarly treatment, but I have a feeling Dilla Time is faaaar from authoritative. I heard interviews with the guy on podcasts when it came out and wasn’t impressed, and I had a number of cringe moments, so never read it. Now I might want to check it out and see how many inaccuracies there are.
the 202 and 303 are the only samplers I've ever really gotten along with completely. There is something about their limitations and simplicity that makes me love them. I do all the sample preparation besides chopping on the 202 to acquire its sound and then do the final chopping and sequencing on the 303. There is a workaround for duplicating patterns, so I will program my drums once and then make 4-6 copies of it to lay samples over. Then I just "perform" the beat into a handheld recorder with the Vinyl Sim applied to all samples and I'm done! No mix or master required. Recently I picked up the Sonicware Liven Lofi-12 but I did not enjoy the workflow for making beats on it, however, it is an EXCELLENT sample editor and has polyphonic chromatic playback so I basically use it as a fancy SK5. Has made creating basslines WAY easier.
The SP-505 has the same Effects and has 4 Tracks (or parts). For those who can't get their hands on one of these, don't sleep on the 505! I usually cost a lil less than the 303 lol
Been waiting for this! Very cool look at the 303 man good job. I’ve got a 202 I still use occasionally and always have wanted it’s younger brother. Crazy how much these old samplers have jumped in price the past few years. Would love to see you do more vids on samplers 🤘
Yeah resampling can get annoying combined with the storage management. I highly recommend using two samplers side by side, it really improves the workflow for resampling; Diabia$e’s 404 masterclass explores this concept in depth
Ya I wanna have 2 sp's side by side but I have been thinking about getting a launch pad.. bcuz instead of 12 sample banks on an sp404; I'll have like 64 sample banks
Man, i remember back in the day when these things were like DS-1 pedals and just everywhere. I REALLY wish I snatched one up while they were still ubiquitous and cheap lol
Barely related, open question (for engagement, at least): RCA jack repair - I scored a pawn shop deal years ago on a Tascam DP-32... All perfect aside from the RCA output is dead on the left channel only. My local repair guy wasn't interested in looking at it. His reason seemed awfully general... something like, "Tascam uses crappy multi-layer circuit boards which are not worth trying to repair by anyone but the manufacturer". Do you guys and gals agree with him? It always seemed to me that it should be a super easy fix, like a faulty jack or cracked solder joint. But this guy made me paranoid that any attempt will brick my unit. Wait, why am I posting this question in Jorb's comments? Oh, right, the 303 repair. And engagement for the algorithm... Jorb is the man!!
Needs - song seq; proper pitching (i.e. sample speed, like the 202 and nearly every other sampler ever - preferably per sample); at least one mute group. Would've made it perfect. Other than that, nice box. Just sold mine for an OG EPS. Tip - buy multiple 8mb cards and use one card, one beat (obvs backing up banks A/B).
there are a few traits of the sp303 that are exceptional but overall I am still happy to have upgraded to the sp404A then the mk2. I will never get rid of the 202 though for the buttery smooth pitch (still better than the mk2 pitch feature imo).
I love this sampler so much. once you understand everything it becomes very easy to make songs on. Sadly I have owned two in the past and always ended up selling them for some stupid reason that seemed logical at the time. I think I'm going to fork over the 400-500 for another one soon and never let it gooo lol.
I use an sp303 and a sp404a. I tried to go to an MPC ONE and am having trouble with it. The MPC ONE can do so much its overwhelming for me. I think im going to pick up another sp303 really love them.
Ah man you need a SmplTrek for now memory. They are finally shipping. It won't have that Lofi sound authentically but they have send fx for it. Mine will be here soon and I'm too pumped.
Very cool. I have mine chained to my Live II input just for sampling in through the Vinyl Sim (with flutter and crackle off) Everything I've played or sampled into mt MPC for the last couple years has gone through it. Adds some character for sure. Waiting for you to come upon an EMU SP for a video.
Mine is set up the same. Its much easier than trying to deal with the sample times. I use it as a pass through effects machine and only sampling chops on to the pads for the long or lofi then right back in.
I find it surprising how much people are willing to put up with for a device with small form factor. By the time the SP-303 was released there had been so many advancements in sample technology and the capabilities of actual professional samplers was significantly more than this...I bring this up because you'd think that we'd have some insane hardware samplers or at least something to rival what was, but there just isn't, and it kinda frustrates me as someone who wants to actually make music with only hardware.
The 303 is my favorite SP. They all have a variety of very annoying limitations (biggest pet peeve to me is no actual pitch) but the 303 has the best combination of nice sound and flexible resampling. Also a lot of the "made on 303" is not true or partially true. For example, Madlib was using it with a Roland VS multitrack recorder, not standalone. Dilla rarely used one etc.
I absolutely love the mirror idea on the o-scope. If you got it from Cuckoo kudos! These effects are also on the MC-505. Same Boss Engine. The whole kit in a 24-bit unit from boss called the VF-1.
@@JorbLovesGear I'll be interested in your thoughts on the 505. It was the first bit of kit that I ever learned inside and out (because I was poor and had no other choice.) Not a slam on it but as you will discover when you play with it, getting *believable* analog sounds out of it took effort. There's a reason I lusted for a Virus. If you choose to do a video on it I would be willing to support you for free of course--I haven't had one for a long time but I have muscle memory ROFL. After I finish up my first (full) track in 17yrs I'll be available. Compliation deadline is Dec 31.
I definitely understand the vintage/straight forward/knob per function/“what you see is what you get” appeal of the older types of samplers. However, despite the charm, I really don’t see how these older devices can compete with something even like a circuit rhythm, in terms of ability and functionality. But this is also coming from someone who doesn’t have any sampling in their work flow! Haha
It's better in the long run to buy an Smartmedia to XD card converter & use the XD card to store/transfer you data. @Jorb Don't forget about the SP-505 which came out before the 404...don't ask me why 🤔
I bought one of these a long time ago around the same time that I purchased an MPC 4K. I found the 4K way easier to learn and actually use lol. Obviously the 4K and the 303 are in totally different leagues sonically, but I expected the 303 to be the easier machine to learn. That wasn't the case at all. I kept the 4K and still have it to this day. I can basically make that thing do backflips and it's like an extension of my mind when I'm making stuff with it, but I sold the 303 after maybe a year or so of fighting with it. I didn't actually need to consult a manual to wrap my head around the 4K, but I couldn't figure the 303 out any other way, which is weird because the 303 is the much simpler and limited machine so it should be easier to learn, in theory. Maybe the 303 is really simple and easy to use when you finally figure it out, but in my view, something is poorly designed if I have to actually get the manual to use it. I get that people have a lot of love for these machines and I'm as big a fan of Madlib as anybody, but I just couldn't get on with them and don't understand the appeal. I found the workflow to be clunky, unintuitive, limited, and awful.
Talking bout gear and history, probably one of the staple, unmissable sound quality that goes with a genre is Akai S series and Bristol Trip Hop, especially Tricky. That 10 -12 -16 bit crunch evolution in samples is so so iconic. You can hear Akais all over Massive Attack stuff too.
I had 2 of these at one point and regret selling one.. True that the slow sample deletion sucks on this machine and that's my only compliant.. What I do is sample and chop on the MPC and sample it to the SP303 just to speed things up. Other uses I had with this is that I can use it as an external hardware effect in Ableton or have in a mix bus for a bit of color.
I almost traded a MS-20 Mini for a SP-303, but samplers just are not my jam really. Plus the more I looked into what it can do the more I realized it's workflow isn't my cup of tea. I do wish I would of gone for the trade for the simple fact I found out after I had turned the offer down is that you can often get more out of a SP-303 than a MS-20 Mini.
If you're not already aware: 'The filter on the MS20 is legendary, and the designers were kind enough to provide an external input for processing other gear...'
Why couldn't Korg make the sampling achieved like that on the Volca Sample 1 or 2. I hate how you get Samples on both. I got rid of my first Sample because sampling was such a pain. I bought a Sample 2 because it was supposed to be easier but the librarian software sucks. It almost never works and you have to lower the quality first. Maybe I'm a dum dum.
The year 2001, when the sp303 came out, definitely wasn’t early to have a “lofi” effect. In fact, the first wave of lofi was almost over by then. Think “Land Of The Loops”, Roudoudou, Kid Loco, the first Looper album “Up A Tree”. David Holmes, AIM. The way we often got the sound back then was using the Sound Recorder in Windows 95 and Windows 98 which could convert your samples to any sample rate and bit depth. But by 2001 the market was awash with samplers that had a “lofi” button. The Zoom Sampletrack, the Yamaha SU200. Roland were quite late to the market with that. In fact, I think Roland copied the resampling feature from the Yamaha SU200, which probably took it from the Yamaha SU700. And I think the SP202 was basically a rip of the Yamaha SU10. I love the sp303 though. They perfected the workflow with that. Great video though. Looking forward to your journey through the SPs. I get the feeling that by the time you reach the Mark 2 you’ll be pining for the simplicity of the 303. Koala pretty much obsoloceses the Mark 2. But it can’t touch the sound of the 303. Not so much the effects, but the 303 compresses the samples using RDAC, which can’t be matched by WAV for warmth and tape-like quality, and that ringing on the lowest sample rate. That’s what it’s all about.
Did you buy the 303 from Reverb in early 2018 (or somewhere around that time)? I sold mine at that time, after having attempted soldering a new jack onto it.
Dude, you are clearing samples right? how does that work, this could really be very cool to hear you talk about tbh. Often i can free myself to do a creative part until i know its possible and doesnt put me in a bad spot.
I'm not, I highkey have no idea how to do it. I sent a few emails to tracklib about working on a video years ago because they simplify it, but maybe I've got the clout to get a response now...
OP, if your sampled music is under the radar then it really doesn't matter, or if your music ends up on a label they can deal with it (most independent labels are still very under the radar to bother with clearing stuff)... If you want to read up on this stuff, just search for 'sample clearance guides'...
the phono jacks on my unit i bought back in the 90s ..new with the dr 202 crapped out as well. not due to physical damage...may just be a faulty component? imo its the only downside to this unit
It's worth getting the 404 or one of the 16 pad sp devices. The resample is pretty nice. I do everything into the mpc then record that into the so for the reverb,lofi, and effects. Commit and let love for sure
Jorb, you are the coolest. I love your videos and this was one of 'em. Back in '99 a guy loaned me a 202 for a couple of weeks & it got stolen at a show. I thought about that thing for 20 years. Preordered the 404mk2 the second it was announced, and I love it. Samplers are: FUN.
Love this thing, I bought mine in 2001 and never got rid of it. Regarding the delete times: IIRC deleting samples from the SM card is MUCH faster than deleting the internal samples. My biggest gripe with it is the lack of actual pitching (where time and pitch are locked together). I think the SP-202 had it, and even the digital drum machines in the 80s did. Seems like such a simple thing to implement, no idea why it wasn't an option.
