SP-404MKII notes

Journal ·

Recording a reggaeton loop in sync with the project BPM

Record the loop with the right REC BPM, trim it to whole bars, give the sample its tempo in BPM SET, then turn on BPM SYNC so it follows the project tempo.

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.)