DJ mode · SP-404MKII guide

10.1Intermediate

Turn the pads into two decks

DJ mode turns the 404 into a two-channel mixer. One sample sits on CH1, another on CH2, and you blend them by hand: match their tempos, nudge them into line, then fade from one to the other. While you’re in this mode the pads stop playing your bank and become the controls for those two decks.

Load a sample on each deck

Press D/I + E/J together. The mixer screen appears, with EXIT and MENU labelled along the bottom.
Press VALUE to open the menu.
Turn VALUE to CH1 SELECT and press it.
Press the pad that holds the sample you want. It plays so you can check it. If you hear nothing, the channel may be turned down, so raise CTRL 1 for CH1 or CTRL 2 for CH2.
Turn VALUE to ENTER and press it.
Go back to step 2 and do the same with CH2 SELECT.

Key combinations

D/I + E/J: Enters DJ mode.

Each deck gets two columns of pads: the left half of the grid is CH1 and the right half is CH2, laid out identically. The table below reads like the panel, with PAD 1 at the top left.

The pad layout in DJ mode

CH1	CH1	CH2	CH2
`PAD 1` `BEND+`	`PAD 2` `BPM+`	`PAD 3` `BEND+`	`PAD 4` `BPM+`
`PAD 5` `BEND-`	`PAD 6` `BPM-`	`PAD 7` `BEND-`	`PAD 8` `BPM-`
`PAD 9` Back to start	`PAD 10` `SYNC`	`PAD 11` Back to start	`PAD 12` `SYNC`
`PAD 13` Play/pause	`PAD 14` `CUE`	`PAD 15` Play/pause	`PAD 16` `CUE`

What each pad does

Control	CH1	CH2	What it does
Play/pause	`PAD 13`	`PAD 15`	Starts the deck, or pauses it.
Back to start	`PAD 9`	`PAD 11`	Sends the deck back to where its playback begins.
`CUE`	`PAD 14`	`PAD 16`	Routes the deck to your headphones so you can check it privately. See Preview in your headphones.
`SYNC`	`PAD 10`	`PAD 12`	`PAD 10` brings `CH1` to the tempo of `CH2`. `PAD 12` brings `CH2` to the tempo of `CH1`.
`BPM+`	`PAD 2`	`PAD 4`	Raises the deck’s tempo.
`BPM-`	`PAD 6`	`PAD 8`	Lowers the deck’s tempo.
`BEND+`	`PAD 1`	`PAD 3`	For as long as you hold it, pitch and speed rise together, as if you were pushing a turntable along.
`BEND-`	`PAD 5`	`PAD 7`	For as long as you hold it, pitch and speed drop together, as if you were holding a turntable back.

The knobs

CH1 LEVEL: How loud CH1 is.CTRL 1 knob
CH2 LEVEL: How loud CH2 is.CTRL 2 knob
X-FADE: The crossfader. It brings one channel in as it takes the other out, in either direction. Press START/END to put CTRL 3 in this role.CTRL 3 knob
CUE MIX: The headphone balance between what you’ve cued and what the audience hears. Press START/END to put CTRL 3 in this role. See Preview in your headphones.CTRL 3 knob

What else is in the menu

CH1 EDIT and CH2 EDIT trim the sample on that deck. See Trim a sample while it’s on a deck.
IMPORT SAMPLE pulls a sample from the SD card. See Grab a sample from the SD card mid-set.
CANCEL closes the menu.

Three system settings shape how DJ mode behaves. You’ll find them all in Every system setting.

Settings that shape DJ mode

DJ Mode TS type decides whether pitch follows speed when you change a deck’s tempo.
Bend Sens (DJ) sets how fast the BEND pads move the pitch.
Bend SYNC(DJ) decides whether outgoing MIDI clock follows your bends.

From the community

Introducing the Roland SP-404MKII Creative Sampler and Effector
RolandChannel
Roland’s own 13-minute tour of the hardware, sampling, bus effects, patterns and DJ mode. It dates from the 2021 launch, so there’s no TR-REC, looper or side chain yet.

【SP-404MKII】DJ MODE【How to Setup】
Roland ｜ローランド
DJ mode basics, adding markers, playing samples and rolls, ending with a demo. From Roland’s Japanese channel, so expect Japanese; the only captions are auto-generated Japanese ones.

ROLAND SP-404 MK2 Review // 9 tips & ideas to make the most of it // Tutorial for the SP-404 MKII
loopop
A 50-minute tutorial and review from launch, with nine ideas and a list of pros and cons near the end. It predates TR-REC, so treat its sequencing chapter as out of date.

The Roland SP-404 MK II DJ MODE Deep Dive tutorial guide
XNB
A 27-minute deep dive given over entirely to DJ mode, useful once you’ve got the basics.

SP-404 mk2 DJ Mode | Ultimate Beat Set Walk-Thru Tutorial
Verysickbeats
Uses the App to load beats and samples, then performs a beat set in DJ mode, with a transition tip. From 2022, before later DJ mode updates.

Roland SP-404 MkII Sampler ReviewDigital DJ Tips — Phil Morse looks at the 404 from a DJ’s side: building sets, pitch bend, sync and headphone cueing, and why the App makes set preparation easier.

10.2Intermediate

Mix, sync and roll the decks

Once both decks are loaded, the job is getting them to agree on tempo and then moving from one to the other. The steps below are one simple blend. The rest of this section covers the performance tricks, and the list at the end holds every DJ mode shortcut.

A simple blend from CH1 to CH2

Press PAD 13 to start CH1, and bring up CTRL 1.
Press PAD 12 so that CH2 takes on the tempo of CH1.
Press PAD 15 to start CH2, and bring up CTRL 2.
If the two drift apart, hold BEND+ or BEND- on CH2 (PAD 3 or PAD 7) to push or hold it back into line.
Press START/END if you need to, so that CTRL 3 is the crossfader, then turn it across to CH2.

Tempo

BPM+ and BPM- move a deck’s tempo and it stays moved, where the BEND pads only act while you hold them.
Hold DEL and press either BPM pad of a deck to put that deck’s tempo back to its default.
PITCH/SPEED changes how much of the BPM you can see. Each press moves on: whole numbers, then two decimal places, then one, then whole numbers again.
Using the BPM pads also changes how many digits appear, to suit the smallest unit in use.
Whether the pitch moves when the tempo does is up to DJ Mode TS type in Every system setting.

Rolls

Set the length of the repeat first: press SHIFT + ROLL to choose a ROLL SIZE of 1/4, 1/2, 1 or 2 measures. This shortcut doesn’t work while a roll is sounding.
Hold ROLL and press PAD 13 to roll CH1, or PAD 15 to roll CH2.
While a roll is playing, hold ROLL and press one of PAD 1–PAD 4 to change its length on the fly.
A roll won’t play if ROLL SIZE is longer than the sample itself, and patterns can’t be rolled at all.

Changing the roll length as it plays

Hold `ROLL` and press	Roll length
`PAD 1`	Quarter note, 1/4 of a measure
`PAD 2`	Half note, 1/2 of a measure
`PAD 3`	Whole note, 1 measure
`PAD 4`	Two whole notes, 2 measures

Reverse, mute and effects

BPM SYNC chooses which deck the REVERSE button acts on.
REVERSE plays that deck backwards at once, starting from wherever it has reached. This matches the 303 option of Reverse Type in Every system setting.
Press SHIFT + REVERSE + PAD 13 or SHIFT + REVERSE + PAD 15 to silence a deck while it plays.
Hold REMAIN and press a deck’s CUE pad to change which effects it goes through. Each press moves on: BUS-1, BUS-2, DRY, then back to BUS-1. See Turn an effect on from the keys.
MARK flips the screen between the EFX and MIXER views.

Volume curves

Curve	How output follows the knob
`FAST CUT`	Shoots up to most of full level at the very start of the knob’s travel, then climbs slowly to the maximum.
`LINEAR`	Rises evenly all the way.
`SQUARE`	Stays below `LINEAR` and curves upwards towards the top.
`CUBIC`	Stays lowest for longest, then rises steeply near the top.

The curve applies to CH1 LEVEL, CH2 LEVEL and X-FADE together. Hold RESAMPLE and press VALUE to step through the curves in the order shown, returning to FAST CUT after CUBIC.

Every DJ mode shortcut

PAD 13: Plays or pauses CH1.In DJ mode
PAD 15: Plays or pauses CH2.In DJ mode
PAD 9: Returns CH1 to its playback start.In DJ mode
PAD 11: Returns CH2 to its playback start.In DJ mode
PAD 14: Sends CH1 to CUE.In DJ mode
PAD 16: Sends CH2 to CUE.In DJ mode
PAD 10: Syncs CH1 to the tempo of CH2.In DJ mode
PAD 12: Syncs CH2 to the tempo of CH1.In DJ mode
PAD 2: Raises the tempo of CH1.In DJ mode
PAD 4: Raises the tempo of CH2.In DJ mode
PAD 6: Lowers the tempo of CH1.In DJ mode
PAD 8: Lowers the tempo of CH2.In DJ mode
DEL + PAD 2: Resets the tempo of CH1 to its default.In DJ mode
DEL + PAD 6: Resets the tempo of CH1 to its default.In DJ mode
DEL + PAD 4: Resets the tempo of CH2 to its default.In DJ mode
DEL + PAD 8: Resets the tempo of CH2 to its default.In DJ mode
PAD 1: Bends CH1 up while held.In DJ mode
PAD 3: Bends CH2 up while held.In DJ mode
PAD 5: Bends CH1 down while held.In DJ mode
PAD 7: Bends CH2 down while held.In DJ mode
Hold REMAIN + PAD 1: Bends CH1 up without changing the MIDI clock when Bend SYNC(DJ) is ON.In DJ mode
Hold REMAIN + PAD 3: Bends CH2 up without changing the MIDI clock when Bend SYNC(DJ) is ON.In DJ mode
Hold REMAIN + PAD 5: Bends CH1 down without changing the MIDI clock when Bend SYNC(DJ) is ON.In DJ mode
Hold REMAIN + PAD 7: Bends CH2 down without changing the MIDI clock when Bend SYNC(DJ) is ON.In DJ mode
Hold REMAIN + PAD 14: Steps CH1 through BUS-1, BUS-2 and DRY.In DJ mode
Hold REMAIN + PAD 16: Steps CH2 through BUS-1, BUS-2 and DRY.In DJ mode
ROLL + PAD 13: Rolls CH1.In DJ mode
ROLL + PAD 15: Rolls CH2.In DJ mode
SHIFT + ROLL: Sets ROLL SIZE to 1/4, 1/2, 1 or 2 measures, before you start a roll.In DJ mode
ROLL + PAD 1: Changes a playing roll to 1/4 of a measure.In DJ mode
ROLL + PAD 2: Changes a playing roll to 1/2 of a measure.In DJ mode
ROLL + PAD 3: Changes a playing roll to 1 measure.In DJ mode
ROLL + PAD 4: Changes a playing roll to 2 measures.In DJ mode
START/END: Switches CTRL 3 between CUE MIX and X-FADE.In DJ mode
PITCH/SPEED: Changes how many digits of the BPM are shown.In DJ mode
MARK: Switches between the EFX and MIXER views.In DJ mode
BPM SYNC: Chooses the deck that REVERSE controls.In DJ mode
REVERSE: Plays the chosen deck in reverse straight away from its current position.In DJ mode
SHIFT + REVERSE + PAD 13: Mutes CH1 while it plays.In DJ mode
SHIFT + REVERSE + PAD 15: Mutes CH2 while it plays.In DJ mode
RESAMPLE + VALUE: Steps through FAST CUT, LINEAR, SQUARE and CUBIC volume curves when you press the knob.In DJ mode
HOLD: Flips the pads between deck controls and pad mode.In DJ mode
PATTERN EDIT: Opens the pattern playback screen, once you’ve chosen a pattern.In DJ mode
SHIFT + PAD: Jumps straight to a deck’s start or to one of its markers.In DJ mode
SHIFT + REMAIN: Keeps SHIFT held down for you, so marker jumps are easier. Press EXIT to release it.In DJ mode
SHIFT + MARK: Drops a marker at the current position of the playing sample.In DJ mode
SHIFT + START/END: Opens the marker edit screen for the playing sample.In DJ mode
SHIFT + DEL + PAD: Deletes the marker on that pad.In DJ mode

From the community

SP-404 MK2: How To Use DJ Mode Like a Pro
Touch Base
Sets up bus effects and cueing for mixing two tracks, and is honest about DJ mode’s limitations.

10.3Intermediate

Play pads and patterns alongside the decks

A mix doesn’t have to be just two samples. Pad mode puts the usual sample layout back on the pads for a while, so you can fire off sounds over the decks, and DJ mode can also play a pattern you’ve made.

Play samples over the mix

In DJ mode, press HOLD. The screen shows PAD MODE for each deck, and the rest of DJ mode keeps working.
Press any of PAD 1–PAD 16 to play the sample on that pad.
Press HOLD again to get the deck controls back.

Play a pattern

Press PATTERN SELECT.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16 to choose the pattern.
Press PATTERN SELECT again.
Press PATTERN EDIT. It starts blinking and you see the pattern playback screen.
Press PAD 13 to start the pattern.
Mix it with CTRL 1–CTRL 3 and the pads, just as you would a sample.

10.4Intermediate

Jump to, add and edit markers on a deck

Markers set on a sample (Mark where to cut a sample) double as jump points in DJ mode. They let you restart a deck from any useful spot in a sample with one hit, and you can add and adjust them without stopping the music. Each deck can reach its start and up to seven markers.

Jump to a marker

Press PAD 13 or PAD 15 to start the deck.
Hold SHIFT and press a pad from the table below. Playback jumps there at once, even if the sample is already playing.

Which pad reaches which marker

CH1 pad	CH2 pad	Jumps to
`PAD 1`	`PAD 3`	Start of the sample
`PAD 2`	`PAD 4`	Marker 1
`PAD 5`	`PAD 7`	Marker 2
`PAD 6`	`PAD 8`	Marker 3
`PAD 9`	`PAD 11`	Marker 4
`PAD 10`	`PAD 12`	Marker 5
`PAD 13`	`PAD 15`	Marker 6
`PAD 14`	`PAD 16`	Marker 7

Add a marker on the fly

Start the sample.
When it reaches the spot you want, press SHIFT + MARK. You can add up to seven this way.

Edit markers

Press PAD 13 or PAD 15 to start the deck.
Press SHIFT + START/END. The marker edit screen opens.
Use CTRL 3 to pick a marker and CTRL 2 to move it, using the controls below.

On the marker edit screen

MARK: Adds a marker.On the DJ marker edit screen
CTRL 1: Moves the cursor.On the DJ marker edit screen
CTRL 2: Moves the marker.On the DJ marker edit screen
CTRL 3: Chooses which marker you’re working on.On the DJ marker edit screen
SHIFT + CTRLS: Zooms in or out around each point as you turn a knob.On the DJ marker edit screen
VALUE: Zooms around the point you last adjusted when turned. When pressed, lets you type a position: see below.On the DJ marker edit screen
SHIFT + VALUE: Changes the channel’s volume as you turn the knob.On the DJ marker edit screen
DEL + PAD: Deletes a marker, using PAD 1–PAD 8.On the DJ marker edit screen
RESAMPLE: Snaps the start, loop and end points to their nearest zero crossings while the button is lit.On the DJ marker edit screen
ROLL: Previews the few seconds before the end point while held.On the DJ marker edit screen
PAD 13: Plays or pauses.On the DJ marker edit screen
PAD 9: Returns to the playback start.On the DJ marker edit screen

Type in an exact position

Press VALUE.
Turn VALUE to the point you want to set.
Enter the digits with PAD 1–PAD 10. PAD 10 is zero.
Press VALUE to confirm.

A zero crossing is the moment the waveform passes through zero on its way from positive to negative or back. The same snap is available when you trim a sample in sample mode (Trim where a sample starts and stops).

Delete a marker without opening the edit screen

Hold SHIFT and DEL together.
Press the pad for the marker, using the table above. PAD 1 and PAD 3 don’t delete anything, because the start of a sample isn’t a marker.

From the community

Roland SP-404MKII V3.0 Update Overview
RolandChannel
Covers 3.0’s sequencer changes, one-shot playback, DJ mode cue points and quantising after recording, each with its own chapter.

10.5Intermediate

Trim a sample while it’s on a deck

If a sample on a deck starts too late or runs too long, you can fix it from inside DJ mode. The edit works the same way as trimming in sample mode (Trim where a sample starts and stops), so nothing here should feel new if you’ve done that before.

Open the editor

Press VALUE to open the menu.
Turn VALUE to CH1 EDIT or CH2 EDIT and press it. The sample edit screen appears.
Move the points using the controls below.

On the sample edit screen

CTRL 1: Moves the start point.On the DJ sample edit screen
CTRL 2: Moves the loop point, if the loop is switched on.On the DJ sample edit screen
CTRL 3: Moves the end point.On the DJ sample edit screen
SHIFT + CTRLS: Zooms in or out around each point as you turn a knob.On the DJ sample edit screen
VALUE: Zooms around the point you last adjusted when turned. When pressed, lets you type a position: see below.On the DJ sample edit screen
SHIFT + VALUE: Changes the channel’s volume as you turn the knob.On the DJ sample edit screen
DEL: Resets the start and end points. Confirm by turning VALUE to OK and pressing it.On the DJ sample edit screen
REMAIN: Turns on a limit that stops the start point crossing the loop or end point. With it off, the start point pushes them along.On the DJ sample edit screen
ROLL: Previews the few seconds before the end point while held.On the DJ sample edit screen

Type in an exact position

Press VALUE.
Turn VALUE to the point you want to set.
Enter the digits with PAD 1–PAD 10. PAD 10 is zero.
Press VALUE to confirm.

10.6Intermediate

Grab a sample from the SD card mid-set

You don’t have to leave DJ mode to bring in new material. This import puts a sample from the SD card on a pad, ready to load on a deck with CH1 SELECT or CH2 SELECT (Turn the pads into two decks). From system 4.06 a progress bar shows you how the import is going.

Import to a pad

Press D/I + E/J together to enter DJ mode, if you’re not already there.
Press VALUE to open the menu.
Turn VALUE to IMPORT SAMPLE and press it.
Turn VALUE to the sample you want and press it.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16 to choose where it’s saved.
Press VALUE. The import starts.

From the community

Roland SP-404MKII v4.04 Update Overview
RolandChannel
Roland’s longest update video, at half an hour: the looper, sound generator, groove, microscope editing and much more. Converting SP-404SX/A projects from an SD card starts at 23:45.

Roland SP-404 MkII Sampler ReviewDigital DJ Tips — Phil Morse looks at the 404 from a DJ’s side: building sets, pitch bend, sync and headphone cueing, and why the App makes set preparation easier.

10.7Intermediate

Preview in your headphones

Cueing lets you hear a sample before the audience does. Audio sent to CUE comes out of the PHONES jack only, and stays off the LINE OUT jacks and the USB port. Use it on stage to check the next sample before you bring it in, without anyone else noticing.

Use CUE mode

Press SHIFT + PAD 3. The screen shows Cue (Phones Monitor).
Turn CTRL 3 to balance your headphones. The C end gives you what’s been sent to CUE, and the M end gives you the main output: the same audio that goes to LINE OUT and USB.
Press EXIT to leave CUE mode.

Cue a deck in DJ mode

Press PAD 14 to send CH1 to CUE, or PAD 16 to send CH2.
If CTRL 3 isn’t on CUE MIX, press START/END to switch it from X-FADE.
Turn CTRL 3 to balance the C and M sides.

Key combinations

SHIFT + PAD 3: Switches to CUE mode, for balancing what you monitor in the PHONES jack.
CTRL 3: Balances the C (cued) and M (main output) sides in your headphones.In CUE mode
EXIT: Leaves CUE mode.In CUE mode

From the community

Roland SP-404 MkII Sampler ReviewDigital DJ Tips — Phil Morse looks at the 404 from a DJ’s side: building sets, pitch bend, sync and headphone cueing, and why the App makes set preparation easier.