Question

Explain the effects buttons around the screen and how they work. When I turn the delay on and off, the feedback stops playing: how can I change that? Give me the basic parameters and modes, then some advanced use cases.

Key takeaways

• BUS FX picks which bus the effect buttons and knobs control: lit orange = BUS 1, blinking orange = BUS 2. (Adding effects (BUS FX))
• Pressing a lit effect button turns the effect off. The manual has no tails/spillover setting, so the repeats stop with it. (Adding effects (BUS FX))
• To keep a tail, stop feeding the delay: Ko-Da-Ma's SEND sets "the volume of sound sent to the effect", so turning it down should leave the repeats fading. Sync Delay, Tape Echo and TimeCtrlDly have LEVEL (the echo volume) instead. (Ko-Da-Ma)
• MUTE BUS, SHIFT + BUS FX, mutes the bus input so only the delay or reverb tail is heard; pressing it again lets the sound back in and turns the bus effect off. (MUTE BUS)
• Hold REMAIN and press a pad to switch it between the selected bus and DRY (no BUS 1/2 effects). (Assigning each sample to a bus)
• BUS 1/2 main effect parameters survive power-off only after SHIFT + MARK held for 3 seconds. (Editing the effects)
• SHIFT + pad 16 (EFX SET) holds the routing (TYPE A serial / TYPE B parallel), FAVORITE for BUS 3/4, SIDE CHAIN, DIRECT FX button assignments and OTHER. (EFX SET)

Details

The buttons. FILTER+DRIVE, RESONATOR, DELAY, ISOLATOR and DJFX LOOPER each toggle one effect on the selected bus; DIRECT FX can put a different effect on each. MFX gives any effect: hold it and turn VALUE or CTRL 3, or press pads 1–16 (add DJFX LOOPER for #17 and up, ISOLATOR for #33 and up). CTRL 1–CTRL 3 edit the main parameters; hold VALUE and turn them for sub-parameters. REMAIN + an effect button keeps the edit screen from timing out (VALUE flips main/sub, EXIT leaves). The same effect on both buses shows "Same EFX on other BUS". Sub-parameters are shared between INPUT FX, BUS 1 and BUS 2.

Bus colours while holding REMAIN: orange = BUS 1, green = BUS 2, white = DRY (factory colours). REMAIN + a bank button sets a whole bank; REMAIN + EXT SOURCE sets the bus for the external inputs.

Effect grab: hold VALUE and press an effect button; the effect is on only while the button is held.

Keeping the delay tail (Claude's recommendations built on the manual):

1. Use Ko-Da-Ma (via MFX, or assign it to DELAY with DIRECT FX) and pull SEND down instead of switching it off. The manual doesn't describe this as a "tails" feature; it's how a send control behaves.
2. MUTE BUS. Whether it hits both buses (ALL) or only the selected one (BUS) is set under EFX SET > OTHER > Mute Bus.
3. Leave the delay on and move pads to DRY with REMAIN + pad.
4. Raise FEEDBACK before the drop; near 99% it can run away.

Main / sub parameters (main = the first three in the manual's tables):

Advanced uses

1. TYPE A runs BUS 1 into BUS 2 (e.g. DJFX Looper into Tape Echo, so the echo repeats the stutter); TYPE B runs them in parallel.
2. BUS 3 and BUS 4 (EFX SET > FAVORITE 1–16) are master effects after BUS 1/2, saved independently of projects. VALUE + BUS FX bypasses them without changing the FAVORITE. EFX SET > OTHER > DRY Routing = BUS3 sends DRY pads through them too.
3. SIDE CHAIN: SOURCE = the kick's bus, TARGET = the bus to duck; THRESHOLD, RATIO, RELEASE, GAIN.
4. EFX MOTION REC: play the pattern, REC, then MARK ("MOTION REC START"), and perform. START/END toggles playback of the moves; DEL + MARK on the pattern edit screen erases them.
5. Resample (RESAMPLE) with the effects running to print a delay tail into a sample.
6. Stopper slows playback like a turntable stopping; Back Spin needs up to about 3 seconds of playback first (BACK SW blinks while charging); Scatter's SCATTER switch turns the effect on and off.
7. Input FX (EFX SET > OTHER): Auto Pitch, Vocoder, Harmony and Gt Amp Sim exist only there; Input Bus sends the input to DRY, BUS 1 or BUS 2.

Still to try / open questions

• Put Ko-Da-Ma on DELAY and check that pulling SEND down leaves the repeats ringing.
• Try MUTE BUS with ALL vs BUS on a delay break.

Question

Explain best sampling practices again, and pattern creation with quantization and "free" quantization.

Key takeaways

• In sampling standby (REC), RECORD SETTING gives REC BPM (CTRL 1), ROUTING ExtIn/Mix (CTRL 2), LEVEL (CTRL 3) and PAN (SHIFT + CTRL 3); pressing VALUE there opens INPUT FX. (RECORD SETTING)
• SHIFT + pad 10 cycles the count-in (1MEAS, 2MEAS, WAIT, OFF); WAIT starts sampling when the input exceeds Auto Trig Level. SHIFT + pad 9 toggles the metronome. (Adding a count-in before sampling)
• Real-time pattern recording: PATTERN SELECT, REC, a blinking pad, REMAIN until REC MODE is "Real-Time"; VALUE sets QTZ (Off, GRID 32…GRID 4, SHUFFLE 16/8), CTRL 3 STRENGTH or SHFL RATE. (real-time recording)
• "Free" isn't a manual term: QTZ Off stores hits where you played them (480 ticks per quarter note); lower STRENGTH keeps some feel. (Main specifications)
• Quantize afterwards per pad: PATTERN SELECT > PATTERN EDIT > pattern pad > RECORD SETTING, pick pads, CTRL 2 QTZ, CTRL 3 STR, VALUE > OK. It can't be reverted. (QUANTIZE)
• While recording: REC toggles rehearsal, SHIFT + PATTERN SELECT undoes the last take, DEL + held pad erases. (real-time recording)

Details

Sampling, in a sensible order (the manual gives procedures, the order is Claude's recommendation):

1. REC: empty pads blink red.
2. Set the sample tempo with CTRL 1 (SHIFT for finer values, or tap tempo) so END SNAP and later BPM SYNC line up.
3. CTRL 2 = length 1–32 measures or ∞; SHIFT + CTRL 2 = time signature 1/4–7/4.
4. RECORD SETTING for level, routing, pan; VALUE for INPUT FX (printed into the recording).
5. Metronome and count-in. WAIT suits sampling from vinyl or a phone: no dead air at the start. Auto Trig Level is a SYSTEM parameter, 1–10.
6. END SNAP: press START/END in standby ("END Snap ON").
7. Press a blinking pad, then REC; stop with the pad or REC; EXIT cancels.

After recording: trim with START/END (RESAMPLE lit snaps to zero crossings); VALUE there for TRUNCATE / NORMALIZE / EMPHASIS (destructive); set the tempo with PITCH/SPEED > BPM SET; missed a take? While MARK blinks, press MARK, REC, then a pad (skip-back keeps 25 s, 40 s with MARK Function "SBS Long").

Pattern parameters (Real-Time)

Press REC to record; the pattern loops and overdubs without overwriting. EXIT once finishes (saved automatically), twice stops playback. For patterns, count-in WAIT starts recording with your first pad hit.

Quantized: GRID pulls hits to the interval; ".3" values are triplets (GRID 4.3 = quarter-note triplets). STRENGTH 100% puts notes exactly on the grid. SHUFFLE delays the upbeats; the manual says +10 to +16 "generally give a pleasant shuffle feel". Claude's suggestions, not manual figures: GRID 16 is the usual drum choice, and GRID with STRENGTH around 50–70% is a middle route.

Quantizing afterwards: SHIFT + CTRL 2 / CTRL 3 set the start and end of the range. With SHUFFLE on that screen, STR 50% is even spacing and higher values lean toward dotted notes. Copy the pattern first, since quantizing can't be undone. This lets you tighten kick and snare and leave hats or chops loose.

TR-REC (REMAIN blinking) is step entry, always on the grid: hold SUB PAD and press a pad to choose the sample, then pads 1–16 place steps. Feel comes from SHUFFLE (SHIFT + CTRL 2), per-step START (SHIFT + CTRL 3, -50 to 99%), and Microscope (hold PATTERN EDIT and press a step pad, then turn VALUE to shift that note's timing).

Still to try / open questions

• Record a hi-hat part with QTZ Off and quantize only the kick and snare afterwards.

Question

Give me a detailed breakdown of the ways to deal with samples when recording from a PC over USB-C: what the project BPM is, best practices for recording samples in sync with (or at the same BPM as) the project, and how samples can be changed to fit the project BPM. (Chopping, asked in the same message, is in its own entry.)

Key takeaways

• No driver needed (USB Audio Device Class 2.0). Don't go through a USB hub or use a charge-only cable. (Connecting to a computer or mobile device)
• Windows: Control Panel > Sound > Playback > "Speakers SP-404MKII-G" > Set Default, then press EXT SOURCE so it lights. (USB AUDIO)
• Three tempos: sample tempo (per sample), bank tempo and project tempo. SHIFT + pad 11 (TEMPO SEL) picks PROJECT or BANK as the base tempo; patterns always play at it, samples only when BPM SYNC is on. (Setting the tempo)
• Record in sync: set REC BPM to the source tempo, set the length in measures with CTRL 2, and turn on END SNAP (START/END in standby). (Sampling)
• Fit an existing sample: PITCH/SPEED > BPM SET (AUTO range, SX (Length), MANU or MANU-F), then BPM SYNC on, or SPEED by hand with CTRL 1 (50–150%, only with BPM SYNC off). (Setting the tempo data in a sample)
• With a DAW, UTILITY > SYSTEM > MIDI > MIDI Sync "USB" or "Auto" makes the unit follow the DAW's MIDI clock. (SYSTEM)

Details

Claude answered from the 5.50 reference manual. Later in the session the user said the unit runs Ver. 5.52 (shown under UTILITY > SYSTEM > VERSION), so the 5.50 manual applies.

Ways to get a sample onto a pad

If the audio is already a file on the PC, importing it is cleaner than recording it over USB; record over USB when the source is a stream, a DAW or a browser.

USB setup. If EXT SOURCE blinks red the input is too hot; turn the PC volume down. UTILITY > SYSTEM > USB IN decides the path: "LINE IN" mixes USB audio with LINE IN, before INPUT FX; "MIX OUT" sends it straight to the mixer output without INPUT FX or BUS FX. Claude suggested "LINE IN" for sampling (its reading, not a manual statement).

Recording. REC (empty pads blink red); CTRL 2 = length 1–32 measures or ∞, SHIFT + CTRL 2 = time signature; on RECORD SETTING: CTRL 1 REC BPM (SHIFT for fine steps, or tap tempo), CTRL 2 ROUTING ("ExtIn" = only the input, "Mix" = input plus the unit's playback), CTRL 3 LEVEL. Press the pad, then REC; press REC or the pad to stop.

Recording already in sync.

1. Set REC BPM to the real tempo of the source.
2. Set the length in measures rather than ∞.
3. END SNAP: in REC standby press START/END ("END Snap ON").
4. SHIFT + pad 10 cycles the count-in: "WAIT" starts when the input exceeds Auto Trig Level; "1MEAS"/"2MEAS" count in.
5. SHIFT + pad 9 toggles the metronome.
6. With a DAW: MIDI Sync "USB" or "Auto"; the DAW's start (FA) / stop (FC) messages can start and stop the recording.
7. In the DAW (Claude's advice): run at 48 kHz and loop exactly 1, 2 or 4 bars.

Making an existing sample fit. BPM SET AUTO detects the tempo: choose the range that contains the real tempo to avoid half/double readings, or "SX (Length)" for trimmed loops up to about 10 s. MANU (0.1 steps) or MANU-F (0.01 steps) if you know it. Then turn on BPM SYNC (SHIFT + BPM SYNC for the whole bank), or leave it off and set SPEED by hand. VINYL MODE (SHIFT + turn VALUE): "Yes" changes speed and pitch together like a record; "No" keeps them independent and enables VARI MODE ("Backing" for decaying, percussive sounds; "Ensemble" for sustained sounds, using 2× the voices for mono and 4× for stereo samples). PITCH is CTRL 2; SHIFT + CTRL 2 is fine tune. Resample the pad to make a stretch permanent.

Correction from the manual: the session gave PITCH as ±12 semitones. That is the range with VINYL MODE "No"; with VINYL MODE "Yes" it is -12.00 to +7.00.

Still to try / open questions

• Does a USB source routed with USB IN = "MIX OUT" get recorded when sampling? The manual doesn't say; "LINE IN" is the safe choice.
• Try MIDI Sync = "USB" with Ableton sending clock, and record a loop started by the DAW's transport.

Question

Do I need to turn off the SP to pull out the SD card? What is the best practice?

Key takeaways

• The manual doesn't require powering off; its rule is: never turn off the power or remove the SD card while the screen indicates "Working...". (IMPORT SAMPLE)
• Imports and exports run in the background with an indicator in the display, so wait until the indicator is gone, not just until you're back on the main screen. (Importing/exporting (using the SD card))
• "No SD CARD!" means the card isn't (fully) inserted: turn the power off, seat the card fully, then turn the power back on. (Error messages)
• On the PC, eject F: in Windows before pulling the card from the reader.
• Powering off first is the cautious habit, especially right after a backup or project export (Claude's advice, not a manual requirement).

Details

The manual's own procedures (for example for custom images) just say "remove the SD card from this unit" with no power-off step. The unit doesn't use the card as live storage, so once import, export or backup has finished nothing else is being written to it.

On the computer side, Windows can still be holding writes after a copy looks finished, which can corrupt files, so always eject the drive first.

Still to try / open questions

• Note what the background import/export indicator looks like on the display.

Question

I'm trying to change a sample's volume and pitch, but when I hit the pad and then PITCH/SPEED I get a different screen: Humanize, Rate, Groove.

Key takeaways

• PITCH/SPEED, then a pad: CTRL 1 SPEED (50–150%, only with BPM SYNC off), CTRL 2 PITCH, CTRL 3 VOLUME (0–127). (PITCH/SPEED)
• SHIFT + CTRL 2 is FINE pitch, SHIFT + CTRL 3 is PAN. (PITCH/SPEED)
• Humanize / Rate / Groove is the Groove screen: press PITCH/SPEED, then ROLL. (Groove)
• Knobs turned on that screen change the sample's groove; set Humanize and Groove to Off if the sample sounds rhythmically off. (Groove)
• To get back: press ROLL again (not documented, Claude's assumption), or EXIT and then PITCH/SPEED again.

Details

On the Groove screen the knobs are CTRL 1 Humanize (Off, Low, Mid, High), CTRL 2 Rate (1–15; sound quality may suffer if it is too high) and CTRL 3 Groove (Off, 8<, 8<<, 8>, 8>>, 16<, 16<<, 16>, 16>>). The templates play in sync with the sample's tempo, so the sample's BPM must be right, and they assume 4/4.

The manual only documents ROLL as the way into the Groove screen; that pressing it again flips back is Claude's assumption.

Correction from the manual: the session gave PITCH as -12 to +12. That's with VINYL MODE "No"; with VINYL MODE "Yes" the range is -12.00 to +7.00 (and FINE is -0.49 to +0.50 instead of -1.00 to +1.00).

Still to try / open questions

• Does pressing ROLL a second time return from the Groove screen to pitch/speed?
• Check whether Humanize/Groove were changed on the sample by accident.

Question

Can I just dump a bunch of songs in the IMPORT folder and then chop them?

Key takeaways

• Songs must be WAV, AIFF or MP3 and at most 16 minutes (about 185 MB) each. (Main specifications)
• Copying to IMPORT does nothing by itself: import each song to a pad with SHIFT + pad 14 > IMPORT from SD-CARD > SAMPLE, press a pad, pick the file with VALUE. (IMPORT SAMPLE)
• On the file list, SHIFT + turn VALUE selects several files, SUB PAD previews, and imports run in the background. (IMPORT SAMPLE)
• Chop a song a section at a time: narrow START/END to one part, mark and ASSIGN TO PAD, then move START/END to the next part. The song pad stays intact.
• Don't TRUNCATE the song pad unless you are sure; it permanently deletes everything outside the start and end points. (Processing a sample)

Details

Getting them in. Put the files in F:\IMPORT\, ideally in a subfolder or two with short names, since you browse them on the small screen. On the unit press an empty pad (blinking yellow) and choose the song. Hold MARK and turn VALUE to scroll the list quickly.

Chopping a whole song. Each song lands on one pad. The marker screen maps slices to pads 1–16, and AUTO MARK TIME DIVISION goes up to 16, so Claude inferred a limit of 16 slices per sample (the manual doesn't state one). Hence: chop a section, assign the slices to empty pads, then reuse the song pad for the next section.

Things to watch

• FLAC, M4A and OGG won't import; convert them to 48 kHz 16-bit WAV first.
• Full songs take a lot of internal storage (the manual's 16 minutes ≈ 185 MB works out to roughly 11–12 MB per minute), so delete the song pads once the chops are made.
• For BPM SYNC on the chops, turn on SYSTEM > "BPM Auto Dtct" before importing, or set the tempo by hand afterwards.

Still to try / open questions

• Is there really a 16-marker limit per sample? Try adding a 17th marker.

Question

How can I chop samples, and what other important things should I know when working with samples? (Asked together with the USB-C recording question.)

Key takeaways

• Trim first: START/END, then CTRL 1 moves the start point and CTRL 3 the end point; with RESAMPLE lit, points snap to zero crossings. (START/END)
• VALUE on the START/END screen offers TRUNCATE, NORMALIZE and EMPHASIS; they rewrite the sample and cannot be undone. (Processing a sample)
• Markers: select the pad, then SHIFT + START/END. Place them by eye (CTRL 1 + MARK), by ear (play pad 1, tap pads 2–16), or with VALUE > AUTO MARK (TIME DIVISION 2–16, LEVEL 1–10, TRANSIENT HARD/MID/SOFT). (MARK)
• VALUE > ASSIGN TO PAD sends the slices to pads: turn VALUE for the first pad, MARK confirms the layout, VALUE assigns. Pads that light red will be overwritten. (CHOP)
• SHIFT + PITCH/SPEED opens ENVELOPE (ATTACK, HOLD, RELEASE). (ENVELOPE)
• SHIFT + pad 8 sets MUTE GROUPs, so slices of one loop don't overlap. (MUTE GROUP)

Details

Marker screen controls (SHIFT + START/END): CTRL 1 moves the cursor, MARK adds a marker there, CTRL 3 selects a marker, CTRL 2 moves it, DEL deletes it. Pads 1–16 preview the audio at each marker. AUTO MARK: TIME DIVISION suits loops trimmed to exact bars, TRANSIENT suits drum breaks.

ASSIGN TO PAD: you can switch bank before pressing MARK, and CTRL 3 toggles GATE for the slices. Empty pads blink yellow, a chosen empty pad lights green, pads that already hold a sample light dark orange and turn red when chosen (they will be overwritten).

Other things worth knowing

• Per-pad play modes: GATE (plays only while held), LOOP, REVERSE, and one-shot (hold VALUE and press GATE). Loops usually want LOOP and BPM SYNC on; chops usually want GATE off (Claude's advice).
• Group edits: hold REMAIN while changing a parameter on the pitch/speed or envelope screen to change it for the whole bank; hold COPY to change it for the mute group.
• A short RELEASE hides clicks at slice ends (Claude's advice).
• Groove (PITCH/SPEED then ROLL) adds swing to a loop; it needs a correct sample BPM and 4/4 material.
• SYSTEM > "BPM Auto Dtct" ON detects the tempo on import, using "BPM Detect Rng".
• Hold REMAIN to see a pad's parameters; SHIFT + pad 6 (INIT PARAM) resets them.
• Samples are stored as 16-bit, 48 kHz, up to 16 minutes each.

Still to try / open questions

• Compare AUTO MARK TRANSIENT HARD / MID / SOFT on a drum break.

Question

Check C:\Users\sebel\Music\bandcamp: some of the folders weren't accepted by the SP-404. (Follow-up: the Gost Zvuk album says "Unsupported FILE".)

Key takeaways

• "Unsupported FILE" means the file type isn't supported; the manual says to check the file extension, format and folder directory. (Error messages)
• SYSTEM > FileSystem "Latin1" can't recognise files with double-byte characters in their names; "Multi-Byte" can (they display garbled). Changing it needs a restart. (SYSTEM)
• Every Gost Zvuk filename has an en dash (–) and four have Cyrillic titles, while its MP3s are otherwise built like albums that work; the names are the likely cause (not yet confirmed).
• A renamed copy with short ASCII names (F:\IMPORT\GOST ZVUK 10Y\, 33 tracks) was put on the card for testing; originals untouched.
• Four albums (three Nick Klein, Turning Torso) are 24-bit WAV with a WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE header; the manual doesn't say whether that imports, so they are the next suspects.
• Leave cover art (JPG/PNG) off the card, and keep file and folder names short for the small screen.

Details

All 114 audio files in the folder are in formats the manual lists (63 WAV, 51 MP3) and none is over 16 minutes, so nothing was outright unsupported by type.

Suspect 1: names. The Gost Zvuk - GOST ZVUK 10 YEARS MP3s match the other MP3 albums (same encoder, 320 kbps, 44.1 kHz, same tag version, same cover-art size); only the filenames differ. "El Polo Opuesto Eres Tú" (DJ Sangre) and "Peña Adobe" (Nick Klein) have accented letters, which may or may not matter. Whether an en dash or Cyrillic counts as a "double-byte character" for the Latin1 setting is Claude's inference.

Suspect 2: 24-bit extensible WAVs. Nick Klein - Lowered Flaming Coffin, No Shortage Of Rope, The Lonesome Dealer, and Turning Torso - Apex are 24-bit with the extensible header; the other WAV folders are plain 16-bit. The fix, if they fail, is a converted copy as plain 16-bit 48 kHz WAV.

Clean folders: DJ Manny, DJ SPEEDSICK, Duma, Fuuka ASMR, MHV, Nick Klein - I'd Rather Sit Alone, Smurphy and nondi_ (plain 16-bit WAV or 320 kbps MP3 with ASCII names); DJ Sangre apart from one accented title. Filenames run up to 134 characters with artist and album repeated.

What was done. The 33 tracks were copied to C:\Users\sebel\Music\sp404-import\GOST ZVUK 10Y\ with short ASCII names (Cyrillic transliterated, e.g. 20 Yasen - Ukhodish Ty.mp3), audio untouched, cover image left out (320 MB). The WSL mount of F: didn't take effect, so the folder was copied to F:\IMPORT\GOST ZVUK 10Y\ through Windows; file count and sizes matched. The old Gost Zvuk - GOST ZVUK 10 YEARS folder was left in IMPORT. The card also showed a BKUP folder next to IMPORT and EXPORT (about 55 GB free).

The alternative to renaming is SYSTEM > FileSystem = "Multi-Byte" (restart needed), but renamed copies are easier to browse.

Still to try / open questions

• Import a track from GOST ZVUK 10Y on the unit. If it works, the filenames were the problem; if it still says "Unsupported FILE", convert to 48 kHz 16-bit WAV.
• Do the 24-bit WAV albums import?
• Delete the old Gost Zvuk folder from the card once the renamed one works.

Question

How can I record a sample of a reggaeton song in sync with the BPM of the SP-404MKII?

Key takeaways

• Before recording, set the sample tempo with CTRL 1 in sampling standby (or REC BPM on the RECORD SETTING screen), so the new sample starts with correct tempo data. (Sampling)
• Trim the loop to exact bars with START/END: CTRL 1 moves the start point, CTRL 3 the end point. (START/END)
• The sample's tempo lives on the PITCH/SPEED screen under BPM SET (AUTO, MANU, MANU-F), not on the START/END screen. (Setting the tempo data in a sample)
• Press BPM SYNC to make the sample follow the bank or project tempo; SHIFT + BPM SYNC does every sample in the bank. (BPM SYNC)
• Set the base tempo with SHIFT + pad 11 (TEMPO SEL): CTRL 1 picks PROJECT or BANK, VALUE sets the BPM, or tap SUB PAD. (Setting the tempo for a bank or project)
• Alternative: warp the song in Ableton Live, export an exact 4-bar WAV at a known tempo and import that instead of recording.

Details

Claude answered this from memory, without the manuals (the docs/ mirror was set up the next day). The backfill checked it against the reference manual and corrected it as follows.

Corrections from the manual

• The session said "the SP doesn't sync while it records". The manual has you set the sample tempo before sampling: CTRL 1 in standby (REC BPM, 40.0–200.0), with END SNAP available to put the end point on a beat. The unit can also follow a DAW's MIDI clock and start/stop messages.
• The session said to check the calculated BPM "in the START/END edit screen" and that the SP "works out the sample's BPM from its length". In the manual the tempo is set on the PITCH/SPEED screen under BPM SET. Only the AUTO range "SX (Length)" detects tempo from the sample length (suited to samples up to about 10 seconds); the 100-199 / 80-159 / 70-139 / 50-99 ranges analyse the whole sample. MANU / MANU-F set it by hand.
• "Press BPM SYNC and tap the pad so it lights": the manual simply says to press BPM SYNC (for the selected sample).

The workflow, as corrected

1. Get the audio in: LINE IN from a phone or computer, or USB-C from the PC (set "Speakers SP-404MKII-G" as the Windows default output and press EXT SOURCE).
2. Press REC; empty pads blink red. Set the tempo with CTRL 1 and the input level with CTRL 3. Press a blinking pad, then REC to start; press the pad or REC again to stop.
3. Trim to exactly 1, 2 or 4 bars with START/END.
4. Check or set the tempo: PITCH/SPEED, select the pad, turn VALUE to BPM SET. Reggaeton usually sits around 85–100 BPM; if it reads half or double, use an AUTO range that contains the real tempo, or MANU.
5. Press BPM SYNC for the pad, and LOOP if it should cycle by itself.
6. Set the project tempo with SHIFT + pad 11.

Claude also suggested staying within about ±10 BPM of the original tempo because big stretches sound grainy; that figure is not from the manual.

Still to try / open questions

• Try the AUTO tempo ranges on a trimmed reggaeton loop and compare with MANU.
• How far can a loop be stretched before it sounds bad? (The ±10 BPM figure is a rule of thumb, not a manual value.)

Question

Copy the samples from the Ableton Factory Pack "Latin Percussion" (C:\Users\sebel\Documents\Ableton\Factory Packs\Latin Percussion) onto the SP-404MKII's SD card so I can use them on the unit.

Key takeaways

• The unit imports only WAV, AIFF and MP3 (FLAC and M4A only through the SP-404MK2 App). (Main specifications)
• The pack's 345 .aif files in Samples/Combined are encrypted Ableton files: ffprobe could not read any of them, so the SP can't either. The 629 .ogg files are low-quality browser previews.
• To get usable audio, export it from Live: File > Export Audio/Video as WAV, or Freeze and Flatten / Consolidate (Ctrl+J) clips on an audio track.
• Files only need to be in the card's IMPORT folder; they then still have to be imported on the unit with SHIFT + pad 14 (IMPORT/EXPORT). (Importing samples (IMPORT SAMPLE))

Details

Nothing was copied in this session, for two reasons.

The pack's samples are in Ableton's protected format. All 345 samples in Samples/Combined (872 MB) are named .aif but are encrypted files that only Live can read. ffprobe rejected every one, so copying them would have put unusable files on the card. The only other audio in the pack is 629 .ogg files, Ableton's browser previews, which are low quality and in a format the unit doesn't import anyway.

The way around it is to have Live write out plain audio:

• Whole kits or loops: put the sounds on a track and use File > Export Audio/Video (WAV, 16-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz).
• Individual hits: drag them onto an audio track, then Freeze and Flatten the track, or Consolidate each clip (Ctrl+J). Claude believed both write normal audio files into the project's Samples/Processed folder but didn't check.

The SD card wasn't visible. At the time only C: and E: were mounted in WSL. The card has to be mounted first (see CLAUDE.md).

Once exported, the WAVs would go into the card's IMPORT folder, organised by instrument (Bells, Bongo, Conga, Shaker, Timbales…), and be loaded on the unit with SHIFT + pad 14 > IMPORT from SD-CARD > SAMPLE.

Still to try / open questions

• Export the Latin Percussion kits from Live as 48 kHz 16-bit WAV and copy them to F:\IMPORT\.
• Check whether Freeze and Flatten / Consolidate really writes plain audio into Samples/Processed.