Samplers have always been a fascinating type of gear. Though early examples of audio sampling in music-making date back many decades, nobody could predict how significant they would become in music production more than half a century later.
Since their introduction, BOSS/Roland’s SP series has always been a fan favorite. They’re sleek, offer a great feature set, are designed to be used on-the-go, and couldn’t be more reliable. So let’s dive into the history of the BOSS/Roland SP series to see how it has evolved over the years as times, tastes, and music production demands have changed.
The Birth of Sampling
To better understand why sampling is where it is today, let’s briefly examine how the technology was born and how it’s changed over the years. Using tape machines, the concept of sampling started coming into practice in the 1950s. Over the following two decades, the idea proved it had “legs” and became much more sophisticated and nuanced.
Early on in the development of commercial electronic musical instruments, devices like the Mellotron—a keyboard that used pre-recorded tapes—became popular; the Mellotron was used by bands like Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, the Beatles, and countless others.
Another of the first commercial samplers was 1970s Computer Music Melodian. 1983 saw the release of the Fairlight CMI, famously used by Peter Gabriel on his incredibly successful So album in 1986. The CMI was also foundational to Kate Bush's music—allowing her to create the bizarre, dense orchestrations for which she has come to be known. The New England Digital Synclavier played a similar role in Frank Zappa's music, with Zappa sampling the sounds of orchestral musicians to produce works like the intricate Civilization Phaze III and Jazz from Hell.
Soon, as the core technologies became more affordable and powerful, less expensive samplers came onto the scene—the E-mu Emulator, countless offerings from Ensoniq, and later, familiar devices like the E-mu SP-1200, the Akai MPC, and more. With the rise of hip-hop music in the 1980s, sampling started becoming a legitimate part of the music production process, and with it the technology demands to keep up became more important. In 1986, a New York group called The Beastie Boys released their breakthrough License to Ill, a record that featured extensive sampling: a definitive record in its genre.
Around this time, the Roland/BOSS company (like many others) identified an opportunity in the music production market: the need for performance-based beat-making tools. What started with their S and W series blossomed into the SP lineup of products. One of the commonalities good music gear has is the ability to provide a streamlined workflow. That was a focal point in their design, as well as portability, distinct sound capabilities, and unique editing potential.
The SP Series is Born
Roland’s SP series was initially developed as a simple, portable, grid-patterned sampler that ran on batteries under the BOSS subsidiary. As the technology grew more sophisticated, they evolved into full-fledged sampling workstations under the Roland brand, which had absorbed the synthesizer division of BOSS.
They caught fire with the beatmaking community, becoming highly-regarded music production devices. Quite a few iterations have been released, so let’s take a look at how the SP line has matured over the years. The SP series introduced numbered pads that replaced the keyboard layout of the S and W series. This design added sample triggering and better effects control.
SP Series Evolution
Roland was dabbling in the sampling market for years before the advent of the SP series with their S and W product lineup. These keyboard samplers were affordable and offered professional-grade features like waveform editing and CRT monitor support. But it wasn’t until the SP series was released in the late 1990s that their samplers came into their own.
The SP series has seen multiple models released over the years, none more popular than the 404 and its variations, the 404SX and 404MKII. Though the first SP-404 model came out in 2005, the 404 and its offshoots quickly became a preferred beat-making tool for studio and live work. They offer a distinct sound, easy workflow, resampling capabilities, and effects that fit in perfectly with what beatmakers were looking for.
There are a lot of models in the SP line, so let’s go through each one chronologically to better understand how the series has evolved and how its features have changed to suit to the current marketplace with each release.
SP-202
The SP-202 was the first model in the series. Released in 1998, it was originally intended to be a looping sampler for DJs. It caught on quickly in the lo-fi hip-hop community due to its gritty, 16-bit sampling. Controls were simple, with high/low pass filtering for EQ and parameters over timing, delay, pitch, and ring modulation.
SP-808 + SP-808EX
Also released in 1998, the SP-808 was a significant step forward. Sampler elements were still there, but it also offered multitrack and synthesizer capabilities. It also brought the concept of resampling to the SP line. Roland’s unique D-Beam controller allowed for touchless effects control, and the synth engine was modeled some of Roland’s popular analog and virtual analog synths.
Next came the SP-808EX at the turn of the millennium. It was a significant step forward. Aesthetically, it sported the translucent design of technology at the time, and with 250MB of memory on board, it provided more storage space than its predecessor. Some features were taken from Roland’s VS/EX recorder line, and the onboard effects, like a microphone simulator and voice transformer, were tailored for vocals.
SP-303
Still popular on the resale market, the SP-303, released under the BOSS brand, came to market in 2001. It was a return to the smaller form factor of the 202 and was its first true successor. The sequencing and effects were significantly improved.
The SP-303 was a true sampler, intended to provide playback at the original speed instead of manipulating it with pitch adjustments. But it still had useful effects like compression, reverb, and vinyl simulation. Its resampling appealed to users, allowing users to sample external sounds or to capture their recordings internally for further manipulation.
SP-505
With 2002’s SP-505, the ideas behind the series took an interesting turn. It’s a full groove sampling workstation with an LCD screen for visual editing and the ability to adjust triggers, level, and tempo.
The sequencer is more advanced, with useful quantization options. All of the effects from the SP-303 are included, as well as unique processing like ring modulation, chromatic pitch shifting, and Radio Tuning (which is awesome).
SP-606
As MPCs started to gain traction in the music production community, Roland decided to incorporate elements of it into the SP series—and the 606 was the perfect platform. 16 velocity-sensitive pads allow for in-depth sampling, editing, and arrangement.
It also has USB and MIDI connectivity to interface with a computer. Released in 2004, it came out at the perfect time when digital audio technology was starting to come into its own.
SP-404
Released in 2005, this model has attained somewhat of a legendary status in the beatmaking world. With a good amount of data storage, it’s able to retain full tracks instead of just pieces. The effects suite is versatile, and beats can be constructed through the sequencer or by resampling.
Due to a removable faceplate, customizing the 404 became popular in the user community.
SP-555
The 555 was the first SP series model that offers what can still be considered modern features. It was great for live performance, but excelled in the studio. There’s an onboard preamp and a Super Filter EQ control point.
Like the 606, it has 16 MPC-like velocity pads and advanced looping capability. The unique Roll button retriggers a pad at a defined interval, and the D-Beam controls the drum roll speed, which makes this model great for live performance.
SP-404SX + SP-404A
This 2009 model was an upgrade to the original 404. It’s faster, mostly due to it using an SD flash memory card versus the compact flash card used in the original model. The onboard effects are modified from a high-end synthesizer and adapted for the medium.
It was streamlined for live performance and is still popular due to its desirable sound qualities and ease of use. In 2014, the 404SX was updated to match Roland’s line of AIRA models—now sporting a green and black aesthetic. The 404A can do everything the 404SX can, with added MIDI mapping designed to integrate with the company’s popular TR-8 drum machine.
SP-404MKII
The best is always saved or last—and truly, the SP-404 MKII is the most recent and advanced release. So let’s dive in with a little more depth. Coming to market in 2021, the 404MKII ushered in a new era for the line. Roland listened to what their users were saying and incorporated feature requests into it.
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It has 17 velocity-sensitive pads, an easy-to-read OLED display, and a streamlined design. There are 37 effects, including a mic/guitar input and guitar amp simulator. It can capture audio or stream it to a mobile device through USB-C.
There is tempo sync, an onboard sound library, sequencer, and it has robust I/O that includes 1/4" line in and out, mic or guitar input, headphone output, and MIDI I/O. Workflow improvements include controls over the pitch, time, and envelope, as well as auto-chopping.
All of these factors together help it stand its ground against any of the other samplers and MPCs on the market. It’s designed to be used on the go, and can run on AA batteries! This means that producers and beatmakers have it at the ready when inspiration strikes—wherever they happen to be.
SP Series Legacy
The SP series has evolved quite a bit over the 25 years since the SP-202 was first released in 1998. With so many different types of music production tools available, Roland’s SP line still stands as a go-to tool that’s intuitive and easy to use for music producers and musicians all over the globe, especially when it comes to independent music creators.
The 404 model has been particularly popular and was one of the main reasons lo-fi and instrumental hip-hop music came to be. With modern features like expanded flash memory, Skip Back sampling, and an OLED screen that’s easy to see it’s a favorite for live performance and studio work alike.
The SP series has come a long way over the years, from an experimental BOSS innovation to a flagship product in Roland’s lineup. Though there have been many variations and facelifts along the way, the SP series has matured into a seriously powerful, innovative, and expressive means of producing forward-thinking music.
It has retained appeal because of its smaller form factor, ease of use, and portability. Most samplers are complicated machines with a steep learning curve. While the SP series offers a lot of functionality, each box is designed in a logical way that allows users to start getting creative immediately, without needing to spend months digging through a user manual.
These instruments' appeal has only increased over the last quarter century. Considering how the SP series has evolved over the years, it will be exciting to see where Roland takes it next. One thing is clear: user demand for instruments like these is at an all-time high.
Brandon Stoner is a lifelong musician and audio engineer who owns more guitars than anyone needs. As a lover of all things writing and music technology, he crafts every piece with his dog Max on his lap.
