To mark 20 years of the legendary SP-404 sampler, Roland and Serato have joined forces on a major update that bridges the gap between DJing and beat-making like never before. The new Version 5 firmware update now means the SP-404MKII works with both Serato DJ and Serato Studio, which could open up some interesting new options for live performances and on-the-fly remixing and beat creation.
This takes the SP-404 from just a beat maker’s tool to a powerful bit of kit that we might start seeing in the booth for lots of hybrid producer DJs – following the recent trend towards things like the NI Maschine or Ableton Push.
To find out more, check out the official announcement video from Roland:
SP-404MKII with Serato DJ
The SP-404MKII is now the first-ever sampler officially supported by Serato DJ, and everything’s already pre-mapped right out of the box. You’ll get control over everything you need in Serato DJ, including looping, hot cues and Serato Stems. There are also built-in FX from both Serato and Roland, all of which come with real-time performance control. This all means it can work as a complete DJ controller with no need for other gear. That makes it one of (if the most) portable options out there for Serato DJs.
SP-404MKII with Serato Studio
Producers who use Serato Studio will also be really keen on this update. Now, the SP-404MKII becomes a pre-mapped controller and USB audio interface, which turns it from just a sampler into a super useful bit of kit. You can route audio from Serato Studio through the SP-404 and use its legendary FX engine to play around with your sounds. The 16 performance pads on the unit can also trigger one-shots and loops, so you can use them for finger drumming and performances. It’s also got the ability to control Serato Studio’s stem. This extra power makes the whole unit more like a full-on producer groovebox or workstation than just a sampler, so anyone with one of these units at the moment should defienlty try it out with this new update.
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