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Roland SP-808 Manual
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Roland SP-808 Manual

Groove sampler
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  • Page 2 SP-808 such as sampling and track editing. In addition, we will offer some tips and suggestions for using the SP-808 in ways you might not have thought of. This document is not intended to be a replacement of the owner's manual, but it can provide you the basic knowledge needed to start using your SP-808.
  • Page 3 When you record to the SP-808, you will record in one of two ways: as a sample, or as a track. A sample is typically a shorter piece of audio designed to be triggered from the 16 pads in the sampling section of the SP-808.

  • Page 4: Sample Editing

    III. Sample Editing After sampling to the pads, editing is a breeze. First of all, the SP-808 has a section on the front panel called QUICK EDIT. The main sample editing features (Trim, Level, Stretch, and Pitch) allow you to quickly cut, adjust the volume, change the tempo, or change the pitch of your sample.
  • Page 5 Knowing the tempo and time signature of your sample will allow you to set the loop points quickly and easily. The SP-808 will estimate the tempo of your sample based on the note type and length parameters that are set on the Sample Parameter screen and the length of time between starting and stopping the sampling function.

  • Page 6: Time Stretch

    Time Stretch Stretching a sample will allow you to change the tempo or BPM of the sample without changing the pitch. This is extremely useful when you wish to match the tempo of one sample to another or when you want to change the tempo of a sample to match the tempo of a tune you're working on. Use the following procedure: 1.
  • Page 7 Expansion boards used in our popular hard disk recorders. It's amazing how these effects can make even the most tired, overused samples seem brand new. The SP-808 also allows you to use the dual D-Beam controller to alter the effects in real time, great for live performance and re-sampling (page 15).
  • Page 8 Sampling with Effects The SP-808 allows you to record an effect and make it a permanent part of your sample. This frees up the effect processor, allowing it to be used on another sample or track. There are two different ways an effect can be routed to record: as an insert effect or in a send/return loop.
  • Page 9 Virtual Analog Synth In addition to all of the other effects, the SP-808 contains a virtual analog synthesizer similar to the Roland JP-8000. This is a programmable monophonic synthesizer that can be triggered from an external keyboard, the D-Beam controller, or the Step Modulator. It has all of the parameters you would expect from an analog synth including cutoff, resonance, VCO, VCF, LFO, portamento, ring modulator, delay, chorus, and flanger effects.
  • Page 10 There are many preset sequences already programmed Setup Screen into the SP-808 or you can create your own. Use the following procedure to set up and record your own patterns into the Step Modulator using the Analog Synth preset: 1.

  • Page 11: Track Recording

    VII. Track Recording Along with all of these cool sampling features, the SP-808 can function as a four stereo track hard disk recorder. This allows you to create songs from your samples or to record directly onto a track...
  • Page 12 The SP-808 features a quantize function, so if you play the pad a little off time, the SP-808 can correct it for you. This can be extremely helpful if you are having difficulty playing a particular section of your song in time with the metronome. Use the...

  • Page 13: Audio Recording

    "portable studio" type multitrack recorder. You plug something into the recorder, hit record, and play your instrument. The SP-808 can record in a similar fashion. Use the following procedure to record a track directly from the mic/line input: 1.

  • Page 14: Recording With Effects

    Recording With Effects The SP-808 allows you to record an effect and make it a permanent part of your track. This allows you to use the effects processor for other tracks or samples. There are two different ways an effect can be routed to record: as an insert effect or in a send/return loop.

  • Page 15: Track Editing

    VIII. Track Editing Track editing could not be any easier on the SP-808. Crucial editing functions such as erase, cut, insert, and paste have dedicated buttons on the front panel for easy access. The SP-808 lets you select a range of material to be edited by simply pressing the REGION IN/OUT button at the appropriate locations.
  • Page 16 7. If you do not like your edit, press UNDO/REDO once. Then, repeat steps 2-6 until you are satisfied with the results. As you can see, the SP-808 is an innovative product. It combines powerful sampling and recording features with a unique interface that is very musically oriented. We hope that this document has provided you with the tools you need to begin using your SP-808 to its fullest potential.
  • Page 17 Yes, the D-Beam can be shut off and assigned to any sound or effect parameter. You really don't lose anything to resampling. The SP-808 like any other digital hard disk recorder has limitless tracks because of resample and/or bounce that is performed in the digital domain! HINT: The step modulator hooked to the Virtual analogue synth effects patch makes for a 5th sound...
  • Page 18 (i.e. external sync). This is confusing as the setting of loops involves referencing a tempo - but that is only an aid to get things right at that particular setting. Syncing the SP-808 is for making the linear tracks play back in sync to an external source. The contents of these tracks (1-4) can be either recorded material or pad hits that were recorded.
  • Page 19 The solution: Resample. Bounce to one new sample that comprises the many little pieces. Then the SP-808 can read it. Obviously if the SP-808 can't even read the data at a specific BPM, it certainly wouldn't be able to read and write it, right? Right. So to sneak around this limitation, resample the pieces with the Vari-Pitch feature turned on and turned WAY DOWN, to around half or even less of the original BPM.
  • Page 20 Hard to explain on the computer - READ YOUR MANUAL. Most of the time the SP-808 sets this correctly for you if you trim it right. Next you stretch to the length you want the sample to be (usually the same as the tempo map) so a drum loop that you want to loop every measure in a song that is a tempo map at 120 BPM would need to be whole note = 120 BPM.
  • Page 21 _____________________________________________________________________ Using Effects/Getting dry signal/External FX _____________________________________________________________________ Run the splitter out of the "phone" jack (using an adapter cord) into a crossfader or mixer. Use the "extra" jack to plug in your headphones. Now hook up your "master out" to the other channel on your crossfader or mixer.
  • Page 22 _____________________________________________________________________ This is cool, because I was actually experimenting with the SP-808 a while back, and sort of got a Fatboy Slim kind of thing going. Check it out, pick a sample, make sure it's on a loop, and set up some kind of external recorder hooked up with the SP-808.
  • Page 23 11, if it goes to 10, it will say that the drive is too busy. Then if you want to turn it back, just put the dial counter clockwise and the sample will get larger. I hope you guys understood this. It's just a fun little SP-808 trick. _____________________________________________________________________ If you put the loop point right after the "g"...
  • Page 24 MIDI? I've just been using Cakewalk with the main board. I'd play the chords, split them up and sample them as Cakewalk plays them on the SP-808. I put each part to a track, then bounce them to one.
  • Page 25 - you've got all the basics down. Don't worry about the MIDI section of the manual beyond using and external keyboard to trigger the VA synth, MIDI implementation on the SP-808 is none-too outstanding beyond a certain practicality for live performance.
  • Page 26 (1) Pads now transmit note-on messages. go to MIDI PARAMETERS and make sure PAD TX or something like that is set to ON. I like this already. If you have other Roland gear that does RPS, imagine using the EX to trigger an SP-808 sample + RPS.
  • Page 27 Using Pad-Track _____________________________________________________________________ With Pad --> Track engaged... A B C D <--------- Volume Fader on SP-808 face Track A B C D <--------- FX Patch (master insert) A B C D ----------> Track sub outs (OP1 board) A B C D <--------- FX Patch (Channel Insert) A B C D <--------- Master Volume Fader...
  • Page 28 Here are the instructions for each method. 1. Mic = source, line in = modulator - note: only audio on the (Right) side of the line input is used for modulation. - I’m not sure but, I believe the left input can be used as a source, instead of the mic. - anyway, talk into mic while playing synth into line input.
  • Page 29 The TIE feature is also found in the VA synth (both SP-808 and EX.) When developing patterns by setting each step as a note, you can select any step following a note with a TIE, which is right by the REST function towards the lowest position.
  • Page 30 _____________________________________________________________________ Normalise _____________________________________________________________________ EX manual, p. 65: "Raising Sample Levels As Much As Possible (Normalize): Normalize is a function that brings up the level of the entire sample as much as possible without exceeding a predetermined maximum level." _____________________________________________________________________ Mute Groups _____________________________________________________________________ To cut into different loops in realtime, right? In the sample edit page, go all the way to the bottom and turn on to 1.
  • Page 31 SP-808 WAV Converter software with SP-808EX _____________________________________________________________________ With the SP-808EX or SP-808 classic upgraded to EX, it is necessary to record some (as in 1 second) silence on a newly formatted disk or else the conversion software won’t recognise it.
  • Page 32 External Sequencers/Triggering Samples _____________________________________________________________________ Samples can be triggered in the SP-808 with Notron no problem, and the SP-808 responds to velocity information from external sources, but little else – the Notron seems like it is designed more for controlling sounds in a MIDI engine,rather than using MIDI to trigger samples...
  • Page 33 (you don't have as much tweekability with the sound in terms of decay, reverb, chorus, nuance, etc. when you are using samples in the SP-808 rather than samples from an internal MIDI engine). _____________________________________________________________________ Copying FX files _____________________________________________________________________ Transfer FX from one Zip to another without additional Zip drive (Overwrites any existing patches on target Zip, though) Put the Zip disk in that has the FX you want.
  • Page 34 _____________________________________________________________________ Upgrading Zip/Jumper Settings _____________________________________________________________________ Changing out the 100MB Zip drive for a 250MB Zip drive Obviously: Disconnect the power supply and all other cables from the SP. Observe the usual precautions about electrostatic etc. As you disassemble the SP, keep the screws in three separate piles as you remove them.
  • Page 35 SP-808 cut out) and run the headphone jack back into the SP-808 Line-In, so that once it comes up, I can start using the FX on the SP-808 to effect the CD. I do the same double routing with the record player (run into the mixer/preamp, and use the tape/aux out on the mixer to send to the Aux-In on the SP-808).
  • Page 36 _____________________________________________________________________ I use an SP-808 "EX-ed". I don’t use any sequencing, its all realtime. I run a MIDI fader box into it. I use the MIDI faders to control the pan assignment of each track. I then run the "l" into one channel of a scratch mixer and the "r"...
  • Page 37 _____________________________________________________________________ Cool Effects _____________________________________________________________________ LofF . Bit/RateDown PreFilter - On SampRate - 1/16 Down to... - 16bit PostFilter - Off FX Level - 75 Dry Level - 0 Fil . Filter Type - Notch Slope<oct> - -12db Cuttoff - -12db Resonance - 0db Gain - 5db NS.
  • Page 38 [1 step, 2,{0,127}, quarter note, song, 80%] Try holding down the step mod for a few seconds, gets kinda fun when you tweak it too... ___________________________________________________________________ __ SP-808 Stomper Use "20:Virtual analogue synthesizer." in SP-808 effects. 1. Open "step sequencer" set the parameter. repeat,4,1/16,song,80 "E2 rst rst rst"...

  • Page 39: Knowledge Base

    _____________________________________________________________________ Knowledge Base _____________________________________________________________________ SP-808: Internal Memory The SP-808 records and plays directly using a built-in Zip drive. A Zip disk can store up to: 64 Songs 64 Sample Banks 1024 Samples - 16 samples per bank 99 Preset Effect Patches...
  • Page 40 25. Vocoder (EX) SP-808: Pre and Post-Fader Effect Settings An input signal can be sent to the SP-808's built-in effects before or after it goes through each channels’s fader (or the stereo balance setting). The choices are Pre-Fader or Post-Fader.
  • Page 41 SP-808: Varying the Pitch Using the D Beam The SP-808 can lower the playback pitch of a sample using the D-Beam sensor. This feature can add unique real-time pitch changes to a performance or recording. Use the following procedure to use the D-Beam to vary the pitch: 1.
  • Page 42 3. To jump to that song position, simply press the illuminated locator button. SP-808: Moving Locators The SP-808 can fine tune registered LOCATORS down to the frame or "tick." This is a useful feature for providing precise location recall. Use the following procedure to edit or move the location of registered LOCATORS: 1.
  • Page 43 SP-808: Pad Response Options The sample pads can be triggered in three different ways, Gate, Trigger and Drum. These different options work as follows: GATE: Press and hold the pad -> Starts playing sound. Release pad -> Stops playing sound.
  • Page 44 SP-808: Changing the Display From Measures/Beats to Hours/Minutes/Seconds The SP-808 allow you to view song data in terms of hours, minutes and seconds as well as measures and beats. Use the following procedure to change the display from measures and beats to hours and minutes and seconds: 1.
  • Page 45 SP-808/SP-808EX. 2. Load the first MIDI file of the update into the sequencer. 3. Hold down the STATUS & EFFECTS buttons for Track A and then power on the SP-808/SP-808EX to display "MIDI UPDATE - Waiting MIDI . . ."...
  • Page 46 SP-808: Cleanup Disk Options The SP-808 stores all data on the internal Zip drive. Data can remain on disk, using up valuable disk space, even if the data has been erased, cut, or truncated. Use the Cleanup Disk function to regain previously edited sampling or recording time.
  • Page 47 SP-808: Initializing - Restoring the Factory Settings The following procedure can be used to clear the internal memory and reload the factory settings: (CAUTION: All USER information will be lost. Be sure to back up any information you wish to keep.) 1.