Projects and the SD card · SP-404MKII guide

11.1Basics

Switch between your 16 projects

The 404 keeps 16 projects, each with its own samples and patterns (How the 404 stores your work). Think of them as separate workspaces: one per track, set or sound palette. Recalling a project takes one button combination and one pad.

Recall a project

Press SHIFT + SUB PAD. The SELECT PROJECT screen appears.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16 for the project you want. It loads and you’re back on the top screen.

Key combinations

SHIFT + SUB PAD: Opens the SELECT PROJECT screen.

From the community

The Roland SP-404 MK II Deep Dive tutorial guide
XNB
Nearly two hours on projects, banks, patterns, playback modes and effects, with chapters to dip into. Uploaded just before 4.04, so there’s no looper or sound generator.

11.2IntermediateSystem 4.04+

Run a project straight from the SD card

You can work with a project that lives on the SD card without copying it to internal storage at all. That’s handy when your internal slots are spoken for, or when you want to try a project on the card before committing to an import.

What the card needs

The project folder must sit inside /EXPORT/PROJECT. This is where Save a project to an SD card puts them.
The folder must be named PROJECT_01 to PROJECT_16.

Load from the card

Press SHIFT + SUB PAD to open the project screen.
Press SUB PAD. A warning message appears.
Press VALUE to choose OK.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16. The matching project loads from the card: PAD 1 for PROJECT_01, up to PAD 16 for PROJECT_16.

Key combinations

SUB PAD: Switches to loading projects directly from the SD card, after a warning.On the SELECT PROJECT screen

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.

11.3Basics

Copy and delete projects

Copying a project is a quick safety net before you try something drastic: work on the copy, and the original stays as it was. Deleting clears out a project slot you’re finished with.

Copy a project

Press SHIFT + SUB PAD to open the SELECT PROJECT screen.
Press COPY. The COPY PROJECT screen appears.
Press the pad of the project to copy, then the pad of the slot to copy it to. Press EXIT if you change your mind.
Press VALUE or COPY. The copy is made.

Delete a project

Press SHIFT + SUB PAD to open the SELECT PROJECT screen.
Press DEL. The project deletion screen appears.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16 to choose the project. Press EXIT if you change your mind.
Press VALUE or DEL. The project’s data is deleted.

Key combinations

COPY: Opens the COPY PROJECT screen.On the SELECT PROJECT screen
DEL: Opens the project deletion screen.On the SELECT PROJECT screen

From the community

Beginner's guide to organising SP404-MK2 Projects!
SPVIDZ
A beginner’s guide to organising work across projects and banks, with three main methods plus mute groups and patterns.

11.4BasicsSystem 4.04+

Rename samples and projects

Names make a full project far easier to find your way around. You can edit them right on the 404, without a computer.

Edit a name

Hold REMAIN and turn VALUE to choose PROJECT to rename the project, or NAME to rename a sample.
Press VALUE. The name edit screen appears.
Edit the name with the controls below.
When you’re happy with it, put the cursor on OK and press VALUE.

Key combinations

Hold REMAIN + VALUE: Selects PROJECT or NAME as you turn the knob, ready for renaming.
VALUE: Chooses between entering characters and scrolling when turned, and confirms that choice when pressed.On the name edit screen
SHIFT + VALUE: Adds a space when turned clockwise, and deletes a character when turned anticlockwise.On the name edit screen

Name lengths

Item	Longest name
Sample	23 characters
Project	32 characters

From the community

11.5Basics

Bring audio in from an SD card

Importing is how sample packs and anything you’ve made on a computer reach the pads. You put the files on the card with your computer, slot the card into the 404, and choose which pad each one lands on. The 404 can import WAV, AIFF and MP3 files. The SP-404MK2 App accepts a wider range.

Where things live on the card

Folder	What it’s for
`IMPORT`	Audio files waiting to come into the 404. It can also hold project folders such as `PROJECT_01`.
`EXPORT/PROJECT`	Projects saved from the 404, in folders such as `PROJECT_01`.
`EXPORT/SAMPLE`	Samples saved from the 404, as audio files.
`PICTURE`, `PTN`, `SMPL`	The three folders inside every project folder. `PICTURE` holds BMP images for the Put your own image on the opening screen and Make your own screen saver.

The 404 needs the card laid out this way in order to find your files, so stick to these folder names.

Import a sample

On your computer, copy your samples into the IMPORT folder on the card.
Put the card in the SD card slot on the side of the 404.
Press SHIFT + PAD 14 from the top screen to open the IMPORT/EXPORT MENU screen. You can also get there by pressing SHIFT + PAD 13, then turning VALUE to IMPORT and pressing it.
Turn VALUE to IMPORT from SD-CARD and press it.
Turn VALUE to SAMPLE and press it.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16 to choose where the sample goes. Aim for a pad that’s blinking yellow, because that one is empty.
Turn VALUE to the sample and press it. It imports and lands on the pad.
If that pad already holds a sample, a confirmation appears. Turn VALUE to OK and press it to overwrite.

Reading the pad lights

Pad	What it tells you
Unlit, dark orange	This pad already holds a sample.
Blinking yellow	This pad is empty.
Blinking red	The import goes here, to an empty pad.
Lit red	The import goes here, replacing the sample on this pad.

Getting around the file list

Each file you land on with VALUE previews by itself. Press SUB PAD to hear the selected file too.
To look inside a folder, turn VALUE to it and press it.
To take several samples at once, hold SHIFT as you turn VALUE.
To race through a long list, hold MARK as you turn VALUE.
You can choose a playback method, GATE, LOOP or REVERSE, for the import. Do it once you’ve picked the destination pad.

Key combinations

SHIFT + PAD 14: Opens the IMPORT/EXPORT MENU screen.
SUB PAD: Previews the selected sample.In the sample import list
SHIFT + VALUE: Selects several samples as you turn the knob.In the sample import list
MARK + VALUE: Scrolls quickly through the list as you turn the knob.In the sample import list

From the community

SP404 mk2 44.1 - Importing and Exporting Samples
NearTao
The companion session on getting samples on and off the unit.

Sampson Sample Managerirpina — A community desktop tool that organises, converts and renames samples before they go on the card, with an SP-404MKII profile. Open source and young, so back up your library first.

11.6Basics

Save samples to an SD card

Exporting gets a sample off the 404, so you can use it in other software or pass it to another SP-404MKII. You can pick as many pads as you like in one go.

Export samples

Put the card in the SD card slot.
Press SHIFT + PAD 14 from the top screen to open IMPORT/EXPORT MENU. You can also press SHIFT + PAD 13 and choose IMPORT.
Turn VALUE to EXPORT to SD-CARD and press it.
Turn VALUE to SAMPLE and press it.
Press the pad of each sample to export, and it lights orange. Press a lit pad again to take it back out of the selection.
Press VALUE. The samples are saved to the EXPORT/SAMPLE folder on the card.

Reading the pad lights

Pad	What it tells you
Unlit, dark orange	This pad is empty.
Blinking orange	This pad holds a sample, but it’s not selected.
Lit orange	This pad’s sample will be exported.

From the community

11.7Intermediate

Bring a project in from another SP-404MKII

A project exported to a card can be loaded into another SP-404MKII, so this is how you move a whole workspace between units. It’s also the last step in adding a custom image to a project (Put your own image on the opening screen).

Import a project

Export the project to a card (Save a project to an SD card).
Put that card in the SD card slot.
Press SHIFT + PAD 14 from the top screen to open IMPORT/EXPORT MENU. You can also press SHIFT + PAD 13, then turn VALUE to IMPORT and press it.
Turn VALUE to IMPORT from SD-CARD and press it.
Turn VALUE to PROJECT and press it.
Press ROLL to see the exported project folders. The list starts on the IMPORT folder, and each press of ROLL swaps between IMPORT and EXPORT.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16 to choose a project number. Aim for a pad that’s blinking yellow, because that number is empty.
Turn VALUE to the project and press it. It imports.
If that number already holds a project, a confirmation appears. Turn VALUE to OK and press it to overwrite.

Reading the pad lights

Pad	What it tells you
Unlit, dark orange	This number already holds a project.
Blinking yellow	This number has no project.
Blinking red	The project is saved to this number.
Lit red	The project is saved to this number, replacing the project already there.

Key combinations

ROLL: Swaps the list between the IMPORT and EXPORT folders.In the project import list

From the community

SP404 mk2 44.2 - Importing and Exporting Projects
NearTao
How to import and export whole projects. Filmed before 4.04 added direct import from an SD card, which Roland’s 4.04 video covers.

11.8IntermediateSystem 4.04+

Bring in a project from an SP-404SX or SP-404A

Your work from an earlier 404 can carry over. The MKII converts the older project as it loads it. How you start depends on the card you’re using: a card formatted on the MKII, or the card you’ve been using in the older unit.

With a card formatted on the SP-404MKII

Copy the SP-404SX project folder from the older unit into the card’s IMPORT folder.
Put the card in the SD card slot.
Press SHIFT + PAD 14 to open the IMPORT/EXPORT MENU screen.
Turn VALUE to IMPORT from SD-CARD and press it.
Turn VALUE to PROJECT(SX) and press it.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16 to choose the project number.
Press VALUE to select the older project, which Roland’s manual names SP-404X (possibly a misprint of SP-404SX). The data converts, and the project loads.

With the card from the older unit

Put the card from your SP-404SX or SP-404A in the SD card slot.
Press SHIFT + PAD 14 to open the IMPORT/EXPORT MENU screen.
Turn VALUE to IMPORT from SD-CARD and press it.
Turn VALUE to PROJECT(SX) and press it. The message FOLD ERROR appears.
Press ROLL.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16 to choose the project number.
Press VALUE to select the older project, which Roland’s manual names SP-404X (possibly a misprint of SP-404SX). The data converts, and the project loads.

Key combinations

ROLL: Moves on from the message, so you can pick a project number.After FOLD ERROR appears

From the community

11.9Intermediate

Save a project to an SD card

Exporting a project packages it up on the card, ready for another SP-404MKII. An exported project can also be run directly from the card (Run a project straight from the SD card), and it’s the first step in adding your own images (Put your own image on the opening screen, Make your own screen saver).

Export projects

Put the card in the SD card slot.
Press SHIFT + PAD 14 from the top screen to open IMPORT/EXPORT MENU. You can also press SHIFT + PAD 13 and choose IMPORT.
Turn VALUE to EXPORT to SD-CARD and press it.
Turn VALUE to PROJECT and press it.
Press the pad of each project to export, and it lights orange. Press a lit pad again to take it back out of the selection.
Press VALUE. The projects are saved to the EXPORT/PROJECT folder on the card.

Reading the pad lights

Pad	What it tells you
Unlit, dark orange	No project at this number.
Blinking orange	This number holds a project, but it’s not selected.
Lit orange	This project will be exported.

From the community

11.10IntermediateSystem 4.04+

Export a pattern as stems

Multipad export renders what a pattern plays into separate audio files, one for each pad. Use it when you want the parts apart rather than mixed together, such as when you’re moving a beat over to a computer. To bounce a pattern back to a pad instead, see Turn a pattern into a sample.

Export the stems

With a card in the slot, press SHIFT + PAD 14 to open the IMPORT/EXPORT MENU screen.
Turn VALUE to EXPORT to SD-CARD and press it.
Turn VALUE to MULTIPAD and press it.
Press one of PAD 1–PAD 16 to choose the pattern, then press VALUE. One .WAV file per pad goes to the EXPORT folder on the card.

From the community

11.11Basics

Back up and restore your data

A backup is your insurance. It captures the data on the 404 so you can recover if something goes wrong, or move that data to another SP-404MKII. A card can hold up to 64 backups, as long as there’s enough capacity. Do it regularly.

Make a backup

Put the card in the SD card slot.
Press SHIFT + PAD 13 to open the UTILITY MENU screen.
Turn VALUE to BACKUP and press it. The UTILITY/BACKUP RESTORE screen appears.
Turn VALUE to BACKUP and press it.
Turn VALUE to a number from 01 to 64 and press it. The backup is saved to the card.
If that number is already taken, a confirmation appears. Turn VALUE to OK and press it to overwrite.

Restore a backup

Put the card with the backup in the SD card slot.
Press SHIFT + PAD 13 to open the UTILITY MENU screen.
Turn VALUE to BACKUP and press it. The UTILITY/BACKUP RESTORE screen appears.
Turn VALUE to RESTORE and press it.
Turn VALUE to the number you want, from 01 to 64, and press it. A confirmation appears.
Turn VALUE to OK and press it. The backup is restored.

From the community

SP404 mk2 44.4 - System Restore and Factory Reset
NearTao
Restoring from an SD card and resetting to factory state. Worth watching before you need it.

11.12BasicsSystem 5.50+

Prepare an SD card

The SD card is what you use to back up, restore, import and export. Before a card can do any of that, you need to format it on the 404 itself. The slot is on the side panel.

Which cards work

Ordinary commercially available SD cards: the 404 is compatible with SDHC and SDXC.
From system 5.50, Roland’s update history adds support for SDXC cards in exFAT format.
We can’t give you a largest card size, because Roland’s guides don’t state one. The 16 GB in the specifications (Specifications) is the unit’s internal storage, not a limit on cards.
Not every card type or brand will record or play back properly, so try a card out before you rely on it.

Format a card

Put the card in the SD card slot.
Press SHIFT + PAD 14 to open the IMPORT/EXPORT MENU screen.
Turn VALUE to FORMAT SD-CARD and press it. A confirmation appears. Press EXIT if you change your mind.
Turn VALUE to OK and press it. When it’s done, the screen shows Operation Completed!.

If the 404 complains about the card

Message	What to do
`Unsupported SD Card!`	The card is a type the 404 doesn’t accept as it stands. Format it.
`No SD CARD!`	Turn the power off, check the card is pushed fully in, and turn the power on again.
`SD CARD Protected!`	The card is write-protected. Slide the lock switch on its left side to unlock it.

For more on-screen messages, see When the screen shows an error. For how to lay out the card’s folders, see Bring audio in from an SD card.

11.13Intermediate

Return the 404 to its factory state

A factory reset is the last resort when something’s wrong, and a clean start when you want one. You choose how far it goes: settings only, or everything on the unit. It’s also the remedy to try if the 404 shows Storage Error!.

What you can reset

Choice	What happens
`ALL DATA`	Resets everything. Samples and patterns go back to the factory data.
`SYSTEM DATA`	Resets system and effect parameters only. Your samples and patterns stay as they are.

Run the reset

Press SHIFT + PAD 13 to open the UTILITY MENU screen.
Turn VALUE to FACTORY and press it. The UTILITY/FACTORY RESET screen appears.
Turn VALUE to ALL DATA or SYSTEM DATA and press it. A confirmation appears.
Turn VALUE to OK and press it. The screen shows Please Power OFF.
Turn the 404 off, then on again.

From the community

You don’t need an SD card for a factory reset, because the data is on the internal storage. You do need one beforehand, to back up any projects you want to keep. via NearTao on YouTube