troubled decision: esx-1 or rolandsp-555

pierlo · Post by **pierlo** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:43 pm

Hey everybody, i just entered this forum!
I need your help to decide what's the one that fits my needs: the Korg Electribe SX-1 or Roland SP 555...

My goal is to get rid of the pc (i want to make music without my computer) and thus i need to be able to make full tracks on one of these. I like the sx1 more than the mx1 because i dont need a synth ( i also have a XioSynth) and i like sampling.

Now i know that the korg has a much better sequencer and the ability to do sample slicing (recycle-like) which is a pro since i dont make hiphop, rather breaks and glitchy idm ...

But i love the loop capture feature of the sp555 that is really promising in a liveset...
I can't decide! Any suggestion? maybe someone has tried both?

Please help!

djhuck · Post by **djhuck** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 5:11 pm

i have used both. i have a esx 1. my friend has the 555. mine is better for me and what i do. his is better for him and what he does.

my friend got his sampler to do phrase sampling. i got mine to work on tracks when i do not want to turn on the computer. if you are going to do a lot of phrase sampling i think the 555 is the way to go. if you want to make beats from scratch the esx is the way to go.

at the end of the day you have to decide what you want to do and how you work.
one thing you can do is order one from some online place that has a 45 day day trial.get the one you think you want and try it if it is not going to work out send it back and get the other

hope this helps
shane

plosive · Post by **plosive** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:22 am

check out youtube video examples of both, i always find that insightful before choosing gear

pierlo · Post by **pierlo** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:06 am

well yeah, i did watch a lot of youtube videos but they all suck ... not really representative or very descriptive of things i want to know...

for example: what about the sx1 fx section? from what i can see, the sp-555 has a way better fx choice and quality... am i wrong? in both live (like the memory preset recall) and production environments...

You see, it's clear that i prefer the sp-555 ... but its sequencer really scares me! am i wrong?

pierlo · Post by **pierlo** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 3:33 pm

No i was NOT wrong. I bought the sp 555 two days ago and i want to sell it already and get an esx-1 ...

Ruso · Post by **Ruso** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:29 am

wish I saw this earlier, I'd save you the trouble.

I bought an sp404 and brought it back too.

They both are pretty much trigger/loop samplers with shitty effects and lack live performance features..

Here's how I feel about the sp series. They are designed to be used as accents more then music machines. I can see getting a lot of use from one in a dj set or to trigger long vocal samples during a live PA. I do not think it's a very versatile tool to use live as a groovebox or even a sequencer for that matter. That's not to say you can't use it like one... just it's too much extra work and movements to get anything out of the thing. Not to mention I heard that the sp 404 drifts off midi sync. That's ridiculous.

Anyways get an ESX bro for making music and performing live it outdoes just about any sampler.

pierlo · Post by **pierlo** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:36 am

Ruso wrote:wish I saw this earlier, I'd save you the trouble.

I bought an sp404 and brought it back too.
[...]
Anyways get an ESX bro for making music and performing live it outdoes just about any sampler.

Ahah i wish that too! I hope I'll be able to sell this thing...
Anyway I think I'll get a used one for 480... is that a good price? What conditions can i expect to get? The guy says it's like new and used only in studio... is there anything i should ask him before buying? some weak point? (dont know, like some knobs known to break easily or so)

Thanks for your help!

pierlo · Post by **pierlo** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:58 am

so i'm about to get my esx-1 . Just a question: is the ESX-1 limited in that you can't have more than 9 samples loaded at once as drum parts? is this correct? (the 9 drum keys) ??? ouch, this would suck arse...

808state · Post by **808state** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 11:02 pm

Id go with what ruso says,

couldnt have said it better myself.

plosive · Post by **plosive** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:23 am

pierlo wrote: for example: what about the sx1 fx section? from what i can see, the sp-555 has a way better fx choice and quality... am i wrong? in both live (like the memory preset recall) and production environments...

..that's waaay off. they're entirely different types of machines. i refuse to even take the sp555 seriously. basically its a stripped down sp-808 - which is a crap loopstation from like 8 years ago. only way i find these things forgivable is if its in a dj setup.. and doesn't play any key roll outide of loop playback and basic phrase sampling.

forgot to come back and revisit this thread - figured you'd make the right decision after youtubing (and i strongly disagree with your earlier statement.. theres a ton of good demos of both bits of kit on youtube). :1 ah well shouldnt be hard to resell it off and get a proper bit of gear.

don't be fooled by the roland name.. most their modern gear is junk with very few exceptions.

pierlo wrote:so i'm about to get my esx-1 . Just a question: is the ESX-1 limited in that you can't have more than 9 samples loaded at once as drum parts? is this correct? (the 9 drum keys) ??? ouch, this would suck arse...

there are 14 sample spots on the esx, the first 11 can be used for one hits (with 10/11 having the ability to be tracked by keyboard and used as synths, etc) the last 3 are for time stretch/beat slicing of loops. u can use them for one hits or whatever u want to tho. 1-9 are intended for drum kit one hits but u can use them for whatever. and no, it doesn't suck (and thats what pattern banks are for). you sure you're looking into the right type of gear here? maybe you should get a budget end mpc instead like the mpc500. doesn't sound like you've done your research..

pierlo · Post by **pierlo** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:19 am

plosive wrote: don't be fooled by the roland name.. most their modern gear is junk with very few exceptions.

agree, one of these might be the sp606

plosive wrote: ...
1-9 are intended for drum kit one hits but u can use them for whatever. and no, it doesn't suck (and thats what pattern banks are for).

i just wanted to understand if i'm limited to using 9 (or 11, whatever) samples per pattern or per song or as long as the esx1 is turned on!!! can you clarify this?

plosive wrote: you sure you're looking into the right type of gear here? maybe you should get a budget end mpc instead like the mpc500. doesn't sound like you've done your research..

well i did do my research mate, but how can you tell as long as you don't put your greasy hands on these babies if it is the one for you?

anyway, akai is a NO-NO for me. ok the sequencer might be unbeatable, but all the rest seems not what i need. Fx are poor, not really live-oriented (even though i know someone's able to do that too...)

Diametro · Post by **Diametro** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:46 am

The ESX and SP-404 are very different machines ... what the 404 does, the ESX doesn't really ... Glad to have them both ... the 404 is more for easily capturing and playing back samples either as one-shots or lopps (you don't have to specify like on the tribes)

... I have the entire output of my synths and tribes going into the 404 ...

(BTW ... I just missed out on a "great" condition $200 MPC1000 this weekend ... Oh well ... No need for overkill YET ... )

Ruso · Post by **Ruso** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:57 pm

it's 9 one shot samples per pattern. It seems like it would be very small and not very versatile but you have to realize what these nine samples mean.

EACH one can be filtered, paned, arpeggiated, pitched up/down, you can tweak the length of the play back., On top of that each one can be automated via LFO.

You can change the sample start positions... so if you wanted to you could put ten drum sounds into one sample and modulate the sample start positions via motion sequences in step edit mode and have each slot play 10 different sounds at different times.

All these things make each one a textural and relatively complex part of the song. You could take a synth one shot and with motion sequences turn it into a synth part by pitching it up and down.

So no, it's not limited, it's designed to be used creatively and a lot of times I don't use all 9 drum parts.

Ruso · Post by **Ruso** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:59 pm

Forgot to mention, 480 for a used is not a good deal. Especially since used ones which were not handled well get the knob jitters which is a pretty big problem in the electribes.

pierlo · Post by **pierlo** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:25 pm

Ruso wrote:it's 9 one shot samples per pattern. It seems like it would be very small and not very versatile but you have to realize what these nine samples mean.

EACH one can be filtered, paned, arpeggiated, pitched up/down, you can tweak the length of the play back., On top of that each one can be automated via LFO.

You can change the sample start positions... so if you wanted to you could put ten drum sounds into one sample and modulate the sample start positions via motion sequences in step edit mode and have each slot play 10 different sounds at different times.

All these things make each one a textural and relatively complex part of the song. You could take a synth one shot and with motion sequences turn it into a synth part by pitching it up and down.

So no, it's not limited, it's designed to be used creatively and a lot of times I don't use all 9 drum parts.

dude, thanks for the clear answer, phew. now all my dreams will come true!!!

great i can't wait to get my esx... unfortunately korg italy is having massive delivery delays so i'll have to wait some more days... anyway i'm getting a new one for 650euro. It's 100 bux more than the average german price, but since i'm returning my sp-555 to the same shop i'll have to spend the returned money there... kinda sucks but it's ok.