In celebration of this year’s 404 Day, Roland have announced a worldwide programme of themed events, along with a free software update that brings Serato integration to their iconic SP-404 MkII portable sampler.
404 Day Events
To commemorate the SP-404’s 20th birthday, and in recognition of what has become known as 404 Day (04 April), Roland have announced that they will be taking over several themed events around the world. The events span five continents, with celebrations taking place in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, Portland, Sacramento, Tokyo, Osaka, Kumamoto, Yokohama, Mumbai, Berlin, Rome, São Paulo, Melbourne and more.
These 404 Day events will include live performances, beat battles, artist panels, exclusive 404 Day merchandise giveaways and more, and aim to bring together the artists, DJs, producers and beatmakers who have built careers and shaped movements around the SP-404. Attendees of the in-person parties will be able to join 404 Day gear raffles for portable creative tools that pair perfectly with the SP-404MKII, including the likes of the AIRA Compact S-1 and J-6, along with Serato licenses, Roland Cloud access and Melodics subscriptions. Roland Stores around the world will be hosting 404 Day events, including the Roland Store London and the Roland Store Tokyo.
SP-404 MkII v5
The latest iteration of the SP-404 has just received a Version 5 software update that’s been developed in collaboration with leading DJ technology company Serato. The free update kits the sampler out with built-in integration for Serato DJ Lite, Serato DJ Pro (requires a paid DJ Pro license from Serato) and Serato Studio, transforming the hardware into a pre-mapped controller that can be put to work on DJ sets, beatmaking and song creation.
Here’s a quick overview of what’s possible in Serato DJ and Serato Studio:
Roland SP-404 MkII for Serato DJ
- The new built-in integration with Serato DJ unlocks fresh live performance opportunities with Roland’s compact, customisable and iconic sampler.
- As the first DJ software to officially support the SP-404MKII, Serato DJ offers access to a portable performance machine without the complexity of a full DJ set up.
- Now with pre-mapped Serato controls, DJs can easily integrate their workflow and perform sets on the go with a versatile, portable DJ rig that has access to Serato Stems, looping, hot cues and much more.
- Enjoy smooth transitions, real-time mixing and looping, and access to both SP and Serato FX.
Roland SP-404 MkII for Serato Studio
- Roland and Serato’s integration advances the SP-404MKII hardware into a hands-on, pre-mapped controller and USB audio interface for Serato Studio with even deeper hardware integration.
- Producers now have the ability to route Serato Studio audio through the SP-404MKII’s onboard effects for real-time processing.
- Separate stems and trigger loops and one-shots directly in Serato Studio with the famed hardware’s 16 performance pads.
- With Roland’s iconic SP-404MKII, producers can utilise a portable recording studio on the go while tapping into Serato’s powerful software features.
More information can be found via the links below.
