Roland SP-404 (2005)

The SP-404 is Roland's 2005 successor to the SP-303, a compact sampler and effector that became one of the defining tools of sample-based hip-hop and live performance. Sound On Sound (2005, p.9) covered the launch and listed the essentials: standard CompactFlash storage, battery operation, 29 onboard effects, hi-fi and lo-fi sampling modes, and an integrated pattern sequencer, priced at £279. The same piece called it a potentially ideal portable sampler for DJs and musicians on the move.

The spec record for the original is thinner than you'd expect for a box this famous, so here is what's actually corroborated. Polyphony is 12 voices. There are 29 effects, including the BMP Looper, Subsonic, reverb, delay and the Voice Transformer. Sampling is realtime, with loop recording and sample-editing tools onboard. MIDI is input only - no MIDI out on this generation, a limitation later revisions addressed. The case is a metal-topped, plastic-based slab. MusicRadar called it a chunky beast built to survive stage use, and also conceded it doesn't reinvent the wheel but is a lot of fun. Storage is CompactFlash, and the unit runs on either a power supply or batteries.

Be careful with the numbers floating around online. The 48 kHz sample rate, 32-voice polyphony, 2,560-sample capacity, WAV/AIFF/MP3 import and USB audio interface features belong to the SP-404MKII of 2021, not this machine. The two get conflated constantly. Roland's own service documentation for the original says factory settings can't be restored from the unit alone. You need the SERVICE DATA & PROGRAM CD-ROM (#17041673) and a CompactFlash card of at least 32 MB to build an initialization card. Roland's confirmed-working card list from September 2005 covers 32 MB to 1 GB CompactFlash from Buffalo, Hagiwara, I-O Data and SanDisk. Beyond that, the record is thin: no confirmed bit depth or sample rate for the original, no weight, no launch MSRP, and no documented end-of-production year. The SP-404SX followed in 2009, and the MKII arrived in 2021.

Market Value

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ROLAND SP-404                                                   Nov 2026 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ High      $480                                    Latest            $270 │
│ Median    $376                                    Trend                — │
│ Low       $192                                    Volume          ~42/mo │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│   $500 ┤                                                                 │
│        │     .  . .     ..   . .  .      .  ...       .               .  │
│        │.    .      ....       ...    . .  ....  ..    . . .   .. . ... .│
│   $329 ┤. .     .    . .  . .    ..     .       . .   . . ..      .. . . │
│        │. .  ...  . . .  .  .    .  .    . ..  ..  .  ..   .  .. ..    . │
│        │     ..   .    .    .                 . .       .               .│
│        │   .        .  .                                                 │
│   $100 ┤                                                                 │
│        ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│    vol │▃ ▃▁ ▅▂▁▂ ▅ ▅▃▂█▁▂▁ ▄▁ ▃▁▅▂ ▁ ▁ ▂▃ ▂▃▂▆▁▃▁▂▁  ▃▂▃▁▁▅  ▁▂▄▁▃▁▁▃▂▄▂│
│        └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│         2026-05                      2026-06                      2026-08│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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