Roland has been leading the way in sampling technology since the 80s. They are responsible for a lot of how we hear and interact with music. From their early hardware samplers that were introduced in the 80’s to their latest grid patterned sampler, the SP-404MKII, Roland’s mark is undeniable! Continue reading to learn more of the early days of sampling with Roland.
In 1986, Roland’s sampling tech entered the market with the S-50 keyboard sampler. The S-50 opened the door to all kinds of musicians since it was an affordable option with pro grade features. It came packed with a 16-voice polyphony and four-part multitimbral capabilities, which was a huge hit for artists. The S-series introduced ground breaking features such as waveform editing, using an electronic stylus as well as support for CRT monitors. A total game changer!
By 1989, sampling became essential and extremely popular, which is when Roland introduced a workstation concept. Now known as the W-30 keyboard sampler, this powerful machine offered improved tonal capacity and built-in ROM samples for drums, bass, pianos and more. Liam Howlett (from Prodigy) among many other artists embraced this instrument as their musical weapon of choice!
Fast forward to 2005, Roland released one of its most iconic samplers, the SP-404. A grid of numbered pads replaced the keyboard found in the S and W-series. This opened the way for sample triggering and onboard effect activation. The SP-404 rapidly became synonymous with lo-fi hip-hop and house genres. Performing live with a device like this became a natural way to manipulate sound in real-time, using its extensive effects section. Clearly an exciting time for the synth!
Now in the 2020s, Roland released an upgraded version of the SP-404, with SP-404MKII. And yes, Roland listened to all of the artist feedback and introduced many features that were highly sough after and requested. To name a few features: OLED screen, 16GB of internal memory, chromatic play, Skip Back Sampling mode. The MKII represented another new horizon in the world of sampling and included a path way to share creativity with a whole community of varied artists! If you’ve never heard of the SP-404, you can be confident that you’ve heard it in many tracks! The list of artists and genres that use this sample beast is virtually endless!
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