 Boss Dr. Sampler SP-303, with cords and adapter | |
| Electronic instrument | |
|---|---|
| Other names | SP-303, 303 |
| Classification |
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The Boss Dr. Sample SP-303 is a discontinued digital sampler from Boss, successor of the Boss SP-202 Dr. Sample. [1] The SP-303 was revamped and redesigned in 2005, and released as the SP-404, by Roland Corporation.
While the Dr. Sample SP-303 may lack some of the features seen on other hip hop production samplers such as the Ensoniq ASR-10, the Akai MPC, and later SP installments, it however has many other unique features that make up for that. Like the SP-202, the SP-303 utilizes 8 pads, 4 soundbanks, and an external mic.
The sampler provides up to three minutes and twelve seconds of sampling. The sample time can be expanded by the use of SmartMedia cards (8MB-64MB supported). The SP-303 features twenty-six internal effects that can be applied to samples and external sources as well. Some of these effects are Filter + Drive, Pitch, Delay, Vinyl Sim, Isolator, Reverb, and Tape Echo. Another notable feature is the built-in pattern sequencer, where loops and patterns can be programmed.
The following list is a correct order of each installment's release, as an attempt to help musicians avoid any confusion.
The SP-303 is often praised by various musicians for its unique sound qualities, specifically its pitch and compression effects. Frequent SP-303 and 404 user Dibiase said of the sampler, "The difference between the 303 and SP-404 is that the vinyl sound compression sounds way different in the 303. It has a grittier sound." [2] [3]
The sampler has often been used live and in the studio by artists such as Animal Collective, Panda Bear, [4] Four Tet, [5] Madlib [6] [7] and J Dilla. [8] Dilla famously used only the SP-303 and a 45 record player to create 29 of the 31 tracks from Donuts while hospitalized. [9] [10] Madlib produced most of the collaboration album Madvillainy , by using a Boss SP-303, a portable turntable, and a cassette deck. This including beats for "Strange Ways", "Raid", and "Rhinestone Cowboy", which were all produced in his hotel room in São Paulo. [11]
A groovebox is a self-contained electronic or digital musical instrument for the production of live, loop-based electronic music with a high degree of user control facilitating improvisation. The term "Groovebox" was originally used by Roland Corporation to refer to its MC-303, released in 1996. The term has since entered general use, and the concept dates back to the Movement Computer Systems Drum Computer in 1981.
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument that records and plays back samples. Samples may comprise elements such as rhythm, melody, speech, sound effects or longer portions of music.
The Roland MC-303 is the first of a series of musical instruments known as a groovebox. It combines a simple sound module with a sequencer to record and store notation, along with controls aimed at encouraging the musician to improvise the music while it is playing. Despite the number in its name and the attention it received at its launch, the MC-303 has more in common with other MC prefixed synthesizers, which contain built-in sequencers, than it does with the famous Roland TB-303. As the first Groovebox, the MC-303 was the first in a line of inexpensive products specifically targeted towards house DJs and amateur home musicians rather than professional producers. It was superseded by the Roland MC-505. It is the predecessor to the Roland JX-305, Roland D2, Roland MC-307, Roland EG-101, Roland MC-09, Roland MC-909, Roland MC-808, and most recently the Roland MC-707 in 2019, along with its more portable sibling, the Roland MC-101.
The Akai MPC is a series of music workstations produced by Akai from 1988 onwards. MPCs combine sampling and sequencing functions, allowing users to record portions of sound, modify them and play them back as sequences.
Otis Jackson Jr., known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. He is widely known for his collaborations with MF DOOM, J Dilla, and Freddie Gibbs. Madlib has described himself as a "DJ first, producer second, and MC last." His stage name is an acronym for "Mind Altering Demented Lessons In Beats".
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and "scratching" using record players and the creation of a rhythmic backing track, using a drum machine or sequencer, it is most commonly used to refer to recording the instrumental, non-lyrical and non-vocal aspects of hip hop.
Donuts is the second studio album by the American hip hop producer J Dilla, released on February 7, 2006, by Stones Throw Records. It was released on the day of his 32nd birthday, three days before his death.
Person Pitch is the third solo album by American recording artist Noah Lennox under his alias Panda Bear, released on March 20, 2007 by Paw Tracks. Departing stylistically from his prior work as both a member of Animal Collective and a solo artist, the album was recorded using the Boss SP-303 sampler, with instrumentation largely composed of manipulated samples and loops, accompanied by Lennox's layered vocals. He described it as a collection of "super dubby and old sounding" songs inspired by his then-recent marriage, fatherhood, and move to Portugal.
The Roland MS-1 digital sampler was a compact, 16-bit digital audio phrase sampler produced by Roland in 1994 as a straightforward, inexpensive, entry-level sampler. In 1998, the MS-1 was succeeded by the Boss SP-202 sampler.
The Roland SP-404 Sampling Workstation is a discontinued sampler made by Roland Corporation. Released in 2005, it is part of the SP family and successor to where Boss Corporation’s SP-505 sampler left off. The sampler was succeeded by the SP-555 in 2008, but was later given its own upgrade as the Roland SP-404SX Linear Wave Sampler in 2009. Another upgrade, the Roland SP-404A Linear Wave Sampler was released in 2017. A third upgrade, the SP-404MKII was released in 2021. The Roland SP-404 has played a huge role in influencing the sound of popular music genre Lo-Fi Beats.
The Roland SP-555 is a discontinued music sampler manufactured by Roland Corporation. The 555 is part of the SP family, which includes Boss’s popular SP-303 and Roland's SP-404 installments. The sampler was released in 2008.
Brian Ross Weitz, also known by his stage name Geologist, is a musician best known as a member of the experimental pop group Animal Collective. He provides electronic sound manipulations and samples for the band.
James Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, drummer, rapper, and songwriter. He emerged during the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, as a member of the group Slum Village. He was also a member of the Soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Donell McGary, known professionally as Dibiase, is an American alternative hip hop producer from Watts, Los Angeles, California. He is also a member of Project Blowed hip-hop shop.
Lofi hip hop is a form of downtempo music that combines elements of hip hop and chill-out music. It was popularized in the 2010s on YouTube.
The Roland SP-808 GrooveSampler and SP-808EX/E-Mix Studio are both discontinued workstations, which function as digital samplers, synthesizers, and music sequencers. The digital samplers are a part of the long line of both Roland Corporation's and Boss Corporation's Groove Gear, which includes the more popular and successful Boss SP-303 and Roland SP-404 versions.
The BOSS SP-505 Groove Sampling Workstation/SP-505 is a sampling workstation made by Boss Corporation, which is a division of Roland Corporation. The digital sampler is part of the SP family and was released in the year of 2002, as a follow-up to Roland’s SP-303 installment. Ironically, both the 303 and 505 installments were succeeded by the release of Roland's SP-404 in the year of 2005.
The Boss Dr. Sample SP-202 is a discontinued sampling workstation made by Boss Corporation, a division under Roland Corporation. Released in the year of 1998, it is the premier installment to the SP family, which includes Boss’s popular SP-303 and Roland's SP-404 installments. The sampler is also successor to Roland's MS-1 Digital Sampler.
The Roland SP-606 is a music sampler manufactured by Roland Corporation. It is part of the SP family, which includes Roland’s popular SP-303 and SP-404 installments. Released in the year of 2004, the sampler was soon succeeded in 2005 by the SP-404.
Abstract Orchestra are a British hip hop music group, created in 2011 by Rob Mitchell. The group is signed to independent record label ATA Records. Abstract Orchestra have released five studio albums, Dilla (2017), Madvillain Vol. 1 (2018), Madvillain Vol. 2 (2019), Fantastic 2020 Vol. 1 (2019) and Fantastic 2020 Vol. 2 (2019), and five singles, New Day (2017), Fancy Clown (2018), Air ft MF DOOM (2019), Pray (2020), Jealousy (2020). The "ensemble has become renowned for their distinct sound, which reinterprets some of the most famous hip-hop productions of all time into a unique blend of big band jazz and live hip-hop".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Just these little box machines, like the (Roland SP) 606 and the (Boss SP) 303. I like the 606, 'cause it has a gang of effects on it. I like an MPC too, but these are so easy to just turn on and use... I like to move quickly, and these little boxes are easy to use. I can be up in my hotel room in a different city, and just hook up beats right there. I don't like to spend more than 10 minutes at a time on a beat. I get bored and have to move on to the next thing.
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