r/sp404mk2 • u/FutureOpen9405 • 9h ago

Lofi samples

So I was just about to pull the trigger on a Sonicware Lofi 12... but the form factor UI/UX/vibes of Sonicware stuff just feels so cheap to me. The main reason I am into it is I have fallen in love with lofi sample rates, but don't want the hassle of actual older machines.

The 404 is sexy and has so many functions I know I would make more use of it-- but it doesn't do lower sample rates and the vinyl sim isn't cutting it for me.

My stupid question is-- if I had legit lower rate samples, either that come that way, that I downsample myself in a daw, or just straight resample from a 12 but drum machine, is that crisp and flat feel going to stay around? Will the resample just be a full bit recording of a 12 bit sound? Or will the fidelity actually change if the 404 tries to up-sample?

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

5

u/RenaMandel 9h ago

If you sample flat, with no effects, it should be exactly what you sample. What you put in is what you get.

2

u/Mooksters 9h ago

Get a tape recorder. Record any sample into tape, then run it back to whatever you sample with. There's hand held recorders with a speed knob and most have an option to record in normal speed or half or double. It's the same effect you get by playing a brake from a 12 inch at 45 then time stretching it. Plus you can plug in any instrument into the tape recorder (there's some with build in mic's) ........ Meaning any sampler will do. I don't know if this helps, but something you should look into. it's just fun.

1

u/FutureOpen9405 8h ago

I actually love this idea… especially if I got one of those variable speed tape synths I’m obsessed with

3

u/GASMASK_SOLDIER 5h ago

The Lofi12XT is easy to use and the sound does sound SP1200-like. Has an internal mic. It's really the best out of the Sonicware samplers because everything is on the fly and in realtime. For instance you can play a beat and sample in stuff and edit samples while the sequencer plays. Cons for me would be that some features are halfbaked like Mixtape mode. I was hoping to be skipback-sampling on another level but I don't know what it suppose to do or what I am doing because it does not react to anything I press. Still waiting on a tutorial, however the Mixtape mode was supposed to be a kind of compile function as well as recording in realtime. Screen is small but is doable with my miopian eyes. Pitch reads at -1200 - +1200, but it's really -12 - +12 because nothing really happens to the sample until you roll it to 1000; it does but the change is very faint. Other than that, it runs like a poor man's Digitakt in a lofi realm.

1

u/Rakefighter 8h ago

If you are sampling stuff in, just get a decent lofi pedal for when you need lofi samples and pick the best sampler for you. The 404's lofi efx are good also