Re: Roland sp-808

[N <ntrembat@OCF.Berkeley.EDU>]

I'd considered getting one, but...  Do a side by side with a sampler that
doesn't have data compression.

It depends totally on what you want to do with it.  I thought it was more
fun than the Ensoniq ASR-X (whose prices will soon drop) and Akai MPC2000,
but its pads are not velocity sensitive and it uses Zip disks (expensive. 
The SCSI option allows b-up only to Zip, and possible Jaz) and cannot
import other sample formats (Akai, WAV, etc.), though you can sample
directly off CD's/your computer with the SCSI option (inlucdes digital
i/o). 

I felt if you could run it off a battery pack, it would make a cool
scratch pad.  Try www.SoundonSound.com, in Japan, if you're sure you want
it, or buy locally if you're thinking of returning it.

N

On Fri, 14 Aug 1998, Dan Gebben wrote:

> Anyone picked up the Roland sp-808 yet?  I have been trying to find a
> review of the thing (not written by Roland), and have had no luck.  My
> own tinkering with the sp-808 in shops has not turned up any negatives
> yet.  However, I am not much more than a novice in this area.  Anyone
> with any info please respond.  Can't believe Roland may have designed
> something that is not going to come up short somewhere down the line.
> 
> Dano
> 
>