SP-1200 Reissue by the Original Designer

[Jam Burglar]

https://shop.rossum-electro.com/products/sp-1200

Lots of debate on the price of course and comparisons to the Isla 2400.

[Steve]

The price is crazy to me, but then it's $3,500 cheaper than the anniversary edition that was released not that long ago.

I like that things like this get released though.

[mfsop]

On 11/14/2021 at 7:43 AM, Steve said:

The price is crazy to me, but then it's $3,500 cheaper than the anniversary edition that was released not that long ago.

Well, at least you can you use memory cards. Imagine a 4 GB memory card vs. the 12 second sampling time of the past - that's only $1 per Megabyte! Pete Rock would have killed for that.

But wait, there's more: if you get a 64 GB memory card, that machine is an even bigger bargain. BUY! IT! NOW! :P

[arkei]

Must resist the inner gearslut of mine (that bitch is mad addicted to buying gear)...

[Jam Burglar]

I popped on it.  I've been wanting one for a long time but as the prices climbed I had pretty much written it off.  I was pretty psyched about the Isla 2400, but when that started to get mixed reviews I paused on that.  I don't do well with wide-open, complicated workflow.  In fact, limitations and simplicity seem to help me be more creative, which leads me back to real SP-1200.  Meanwhile, broken SP-1200s are selling on eBay for $4,000. 🙄 Rossum starts selling refurbed and upgraded SP-1200s for $7,500. 🙄Getting the reissue is somehow, compared to the other options, a good "deal".  I would have liked to wait around to see if the delivered units are everything they've been promising but I had visions of these selling out and then going super-crazy on the secondary market.  I figure I can sell it if I don't like it.

It also looks like once this run is done Rossum may develop a true, updated sampler with a lot more modern features.

[Jam Burglar]

2 hours ago, mfsop said:

Well, at least you can you use memory cards. Imagine a 4 GB memory card vs. the 12 second sampling time of the past - that's only $1 per Megabyte! Pete Rock would have killed for that.

But wait, there's more: if you get a 64 GB memory card, that machine is an even bigger bargain. BUY! IT! NOW! 😛

It's still only 20 second total.  Apparently the original system was designed to accommodate up to 20 seconds of sampling time but the memory was so expensive back in the day that they limited it to 10 seconds (4 blocks of 2.5 seconds).  The re-make basically unlocks the full potential of the original system.  It's still 2.5 seconds per block, but there are now 8 blocks.  So you still have to record at 45 RPM and then pitch down in most cases.  You just get twice the over-all sampling time.

[mfsop]

Good to know! I was mainly making fun without knowing a whole lot about it (as usual.. 😪) - well, I don't make beats and wouldn't buy it anyway, but I'm looking forward to any audio pHYLe$ you might post in the future.

[Jam Burglar]

2 hours ago, mfsop said:

Good to know! I was mainly making fun without knowing a whole lot about it (as usual.. 😪) - well, I don't make beats and wouldn't buy it anyway, but I'm looking forward to any audio pHYLe$ you might post in the future.

Haha, nice!  The funny thing is I'll still probably make more half-assed "scratch music" that doesn't need any drum machine at all.  

Honestly, I wish I could make beats on a computer but for some reason I've never been able to do it right.  I tried for years and just couldn't get results that satisfied me.  Especially drums.  I like these old stand-alone units where you can play with knobs and sliders.  More fun.  

[Mike-L]

https://www.islainstruments.com/product/s2400/

 

This S2400 is worth a look.  The sampling engine and filters of the SP1200 with modern work flow features (memory, USB, etc , etc) . At $1499 it seems epensive until you compare it to the reissue 😳

[Mike-L]

Just realised Jam mentioned the 2400 in the original post. 🤦‍♂️

[Jam Burglar]

7 hours ago, Mike-L said:

Just realised Jam mentioned the 2400 in the original post. 🤦‍♂️

Yep.  I had been hearing through the grape vine that various people who bought 2400s were having issues with them.  Then I watched a review (below) that seemed to confirm they have a ways to go with it. 

I have the same issues with a lot of modern gear.    It seems like they launch the product with all sorts of bugs and issues and then hope to be able to make it work right at some point in the future.  That seems crazy to me.  The worst is when you buy something, it works, then they update it and it stops working right.

Then again, maybe they'll get it all worked out and it will be dope.

 

 

[Jam Burglar]

Also, what's up with all these dance music guys caring about SP1200s?  I figured the only people interested in them would be hip hop producers.  

[Mike-L]

Interesting to know about the 2400 issues. I'm all desperate to get my hands on the new sp404 mkii which looks like its seriously gone beyond some of the weird limitations of the originals.

For the house guys - I think there were quite a few US house producers back in the late 80's using SPs & MPC60s. Not so much in Europe though.

 

[Mike-L]

although a quick google does suggest the french house guys were into the  SP too

[Mike-L]

https://www.attackmagazine.com/features/long-read/kenny-dope-gonzalez/

Kenny Dope talks about using the SP1200 in here

 

Quote

Speaking of samplers, I’ve heard people say you made ‘The Bomb’ on an SP1200, I’ve heard people say you did it all on an MPC. Which was it?

Nah, ‘The Bomb’ was done on an SP and an S950. The way I used to do my beats back then, all my rhythms and my drums were in the SP, but it didn’t hold long samples so all the long samples were in the S950 and I would trigger them from the drum machine. That’s how that record was made – and how a lot of records were made in that time period.

I guess that was pretty common in New York house and hip-hop at the time. I think people like Pete Rock and Q-Tip were using the same combination.

Absolutely. And there was a certain vibe to the two as well. Even today you can have unlimited amounts of sample time in a machine, but it’s a different vibe to those two machines.

So did you move on from the SP to MPCs?

I have everything. Before the SP1200 I used a drum machine called the RZ-1. It was a Casio.

I have one of them. They’re really good fun.

I used that because it’s what we could afford, but then when they bought me those two pieces [the SP1200 and S950], I used that for a long time. I never really used the MPC60 at all – I was never a 60 fan – but then when the 3000 came out there was a period where I was using both machines at one time, [the 3000 and SP1200] synced together. Then I got the 2000 and the 2500, I used the 5000 for a period and now I use the Renaissance or Maschine. Like I said, I go back to the 5000 and the 3000 and the 1200 whenever I want that feel, because there’s nothing like it. The converters in the 3000 are just knocking.

 

[Jam Burglar]

12 hours ago, Mike-L said:

Interesting to know about the 2400 issues. I'm all desperate to get my hands on the new sp404 mkii which looks like its seriously gone beyond some of the weird limitations of the originals.

For the house guys - I think there were quite a few US house producers back in the late 80's using SPs & MPC60s. Not so much in Europe though.

 

I really liked your integration of the MPC into DJ sets.  I started fooling around with a Behringer 808 clone, tying that into my looper.  Pretty fun.

[broma]

On 11/16/2021 at 10:54 PM, Mike-L said:

I'm all desperate to get my hands on the new sp404 mkii which looks like its seriously gone beyond some of the weird limitations of the originals.

Ah man, same here! I've got one pre ordered but it's currently not due until mid Feb next year from the place I ordered from.

[broma]

There's always this for $14: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRAPzyImf_/

Although from reading reviews it's super buggy. I got the desktop version probably last year now and it's basically unusable. Paid £20 for it too. I'm a mug.