I'm Adam Marcello.
I'm a professional drummer and
musical director.
As a Roland artist, I've used the
sample pad extensively as
part of major productions with Katy
Perry and many others.
In this video, I'm going to explore
the SPD-SX PRO sample
pad, unpack its features,
and show you what it can do.
The SPD-SX PRO is the flagship
model in the Roland sample pad
series. It builds upon the
capability and features of the
original SPD-SX
and can do everything that the
original can do plus more.
If you're not yet familiar with the
concept of the sample pad or
with the original SPD-SX,
check the link above and in the
description to watch the SPD-SX
overview video first.
The Roland sample pad has been a
production tool for live musicians
since 2003, beginning
with the SPD-S.
The SPD-SX followed and has
become a familiar feature on live
stages, providing audio playback
control that can be performed by
drumstick hits, combined
with premium quality and reliability
and an uncomplicated user interface,
all within one unit.
The SPD-SX PRO takes
on board decades of user feedback
and extensive road testing
from the SPD-S and SPD-SX.
And that feedback has been used to
develop the top tier of sample
pad for the most demanding gigs
built for the rigors of touring.
Let's get into the SPD-SX PRO and
take a look at some of the features.
First of all, the SPD-SX PRO
takes all the existing features of
the SPD-SX on board.
Anything that you can do with the
original is available here on the
SPD-SX PRO.
So what's different about this one?
The SPD-SX PRO has some obvious
features, such as the LED
lights, a 4.3 inch color
screen, more audio
outputs, additional trigger inputs,
and hi-hat and expression pedal
control.
But under the surface, there are
features that are not so obvious,
such as a 32 GB memory,
48 kHz audio playback,
increased pad sensitivity without
crosstalk, and a dedicated
application for setup.
We're going to look at each of these
in detail.
The SPD-SX PRO features a
large color display to aid easy
navigation through menus and provide
clear information during
performances.
The user interface will be familiar
to anyone that knows the SPD-SX
already, but uses
a simple system of function buttons
and tabs and a jog dial
to make navigation even easier,
which is great for pressured live
stage situations.
You'll also notice that the buttons
are all backlit, so you'll be able
to see them clearly on dark stages.
The display will show you real time
info such as sample and sub-sample
WAV name and
progress of sample length playback.
This is particularly useful when
playing longer loops or backing
tracks.
The SPD-SX PRO has nine
durable pads. Pads one
through three, the top three pads,
have a revised sensor structure,
making them more sensitive, even
when hitting the pad at a flat
or mounting angle.
All pads on the SPD-SX PRO
actually have a greater degree of
sensitivity, but at the same time
increased crosstalk protection
to prevent the hitting of one pad
from triggering another.
In order to expand your pad playing
surfaces, the SPD-SX PRO
has the ability to add up to eight
external mono single zone
triggers or four stereo
triggers for dual head and rim
sounds.
The SPD-SX PRO also
has the ability to connect hi-hats
such as the VH-10 so
that you can play hi-hat sounds with
open and closed pedal expression
and even create a mini kit setup.
The external dual trigger inputs
allow up to 19 different playing
surfaces to be employed.
The same input allows an expression
pedal, such as a BOSS EV-30,
to be connected for real time effect
expression as you play.
Both of these can add a greater
level of creative expression to your
performances.
Gaffer tape on the SPD-SX has
been a common sight, but you may
never need to use tape again because
of the very obvious LED pad
lights.
Many stages can be very dark
and this feature allows all pads
to be seen clearly in any situation.
We have vertical pad dividing lights
and horizontal pad lights too.
The color of each individual light
is fully customizable, so you
can assign any light to be one
of ten preset colors or even
play around with creating your own
custom colors.
You can even rename colors.
For example, naming an instrument
groups such as kicks, snares,
backing tracks, clicks and so
on.
You can also change the function of
the horizontal pad lights between
fully on all of the time,
on only when the pad is hit,
or to flash dynamically with
the WAV assigned to it.
Let's talk about the audio component
of the pad.
The SPD-SX PRO supports
WAV files and 48 kHz
16-bit sample audio playback
with automatic conversion from
any WAV, MP3, or
AIFF file format
upon load into the pad.
The SPD-SX PRO has an enormous
32 GB memory.
This allows up to a total of
approximately 44 hours
of stereo audio and 48 kHz
to be stored inside.
That's enough storage for an entire
back catalog of material
or audio from multiple gigs
to be kept in a single pad.
Quick access to a wide variety
of current powerful sounds is
essential for any hybrid drummer
and indeed any performer.
The SPD-SX PRO is pre-loaded
with 1550
high quality samples and sounds.
Additional sample content is also
available via Roland Cloud.
Up to 200 kits are available
within the SPD-SX PRO at
any one time, over double
the number available in the original
SPD-SX.
43 preset kits are
pre-made and installed to show you
what the SPD-SX PRO can do
and to inspire creation of your own
kit patches and all of the preset
sounds and kits can be overwritten
with your own.
It's also worth noting the load time
of kits in the SPD-SX PRO.
The processing power of the pad is
lightning fast, so transitioning
from one kit to another and loading
up your samples so that they're
ready to play takes no time at all.
With over 200 kits in the SPD-SX
PRO recalling the right kit
at the right time in the set is
essential.
The setlist function allows you to
create up to 32 setlists,
and within each setlist you
can sequence up to 32 kits.
Setlist allows you to specify
the order of kits as you scroll
through them.
Within the 32 different setlists,
you could have variations for
different performances or even a
few setlists for different bands or
gigs using
pad or footswitch control.
You can also assign pads
on the SPD-SX PRO
or external pads to scroll up
or down through the kits.
In addition to higher quality audio
format, the SPD-SX PRO
has expanded the audio output
options.
We have two channel balanced stereo
master outputs designated
left and right.
We also have four mono individual
audio outputs.
Any of these outputs in the SPD-SX
PRO are fully assignable so
that any pad can be sent to
any output of choice, giving
complete flexibility for mixing.
For example, tracks can be sent
on one channel while other pads
and external kick and snare triggers
and other external pads can all
be sent to the mixer independently.
Setting up a sample pad can take
time and careful attention to detail
of settings.
Doing this within the pad itself is
possible, but doing this via
a computer makes the process more
simple. The SPD-SX PRO
comes with a dedicated app for Mac
and PC available from Roland
Cloud.
When you connect the sample pad to a
computer with a USB cable,
it's possible to completely set up
all of your kits.
Your audio sample can be imported
and assigned to pads, but all
settings within the SPD-SX PRO
can be set remotely with the app.
The SPD-SX PRO has four
effects engines and sidechain
capability.
Effects can inspire creativity
and give greater sound
individualization for dynamic
performances.
Master effects can be assigned to
any audio coming from the
SPD-SX PRO and expression can
be controlled by a foot controller,
while up to four effects and
sidechain can be assigned to any
pad or external trigger input
within each individual kit.
With full audio routing options
and master effect expression by
foot controller possible, the
effects potential with the SPD-SX
PRO is almost limitless.
The SPD-SX PRO allows
the FX tail to continue
when selecting another kit.
This is particularly useful when
moving from one song to another
during a performance when you need
the effect to ring out while already
moving to the next kit, ready for
the next song in the set.
The SPD-SX PRO takes
performance possibilities to a new
level with its onboard 16-step
pad sequencer function.
This is perfect for playing
different combinations of samples,
all from one pad.
Anything from two steps up
to a total of 16 steps
can be assigned to a pad within each
kit.
This feature allows you to
coordinate playback of different
WAV files and your chosen
sequence, negating the need to
manually memorize what sounds
are on which pad in order to play
them.
Once programed, hitting
one pad can playback your chosen
sequence.
It's a feature that will give you
more confidence and control and
can further enhance the level of
production of your audio playback
within a live show.
When dealing with samples, there's
often a need to adjust them quickly
at the demand of sound engineers or
musical directors and bandleaders.
The SPD-SX PRO has intuitive
and comprehensive sample editing
capability.
On the control panel of the SPD-SX
PRO, there are pad volume
and pad pitch controls, making
it possible to adjust individual
samples assigned to a pad in real
time in a quick and easy way.
The SPD-SX PRO also has
an onboard transient editor.
This is particularly useful for
adjusting the attack and the amount
of release or tail an individual
sample has. The
same control dials on the control
panel can be set to adjust sample
transient release and attack by
a single button press, while
deeper transient editing and EQ
of a sample is also possible
within the pad edit menu.
Use of pad link function on previous
sample pads has been a very useful
feature.
For example, when combining backing
tracks and a separate click track so
that they both start at exactly the
same time from just one pad
strike.
The SPD-SX PRO takes this
significantly further with the
ability to pad link any combination
of pads and external triggers.
This can be used in conjunction with
mute groups, which is the silencing
of a previous pad as you strike the
next, so that only one pad
is playing at a time.
Full pad link combination with mute
group integration creates unlimited
track, loop, and audio combinations
within each individual kit, bringing
you unparalleled flexibility to
your performances.
The original SPD-SX has
the ability to adjust sample
playback across a series of
templates, including Single,
Phrase, and Loop.
Single is perfect for playing basic
percussion sounds such as drum
hits, claps, and one-shots.
Phrase will play an audio file once
all the way through and will stop
when it comes to the end.
While Loop will play the audio file
from start to finish and then
seamlessly loop the audio
again repeatedly.
This capability is also true of
the SPD-SX PRO.
However, an alternate function
specific to MAIN and SUB
sample layers on a single pad
is also available.
For any pad that you assign two
sounds, it's possible to alternate
between the two sounds on each
hit.
This can make for really
interesting, dynamic performances
of percussion and melodic sounds.
The onboard click with the SPD-SX
PRO is a comprehensive tool for
staying in time during performances.
The internal click can be fully
edited for sound and note value,
but you can also assign your own
sample as the click sound.
You can even make your own WAV click
track in a DAW imported
into the pad and set that to be your
click.
The click can be set to alternate as
on off with each stick hit,
to sound one time,
or to re-trigger each time you hit
it.
You can start the click by hitting a
pad or external trigger
pad, and you can link the click with
other pads so that they start
together, such as a backing track.
Staying in time on the gig has never
been easier.
Now it's on you to keep in time.
So that's an intro to The SPD-SX
PRO and what it can do.
Everything we've shown here today is
just a basic overview.
There's so much capability with the
SPD-SX PRO and you can go very
deep with it, so much so that
we can't cover it all in a single
video.
But I hope I've been able to give
you a sense of how you can use the
SPD-SX PRO in your work
and performances.
If what you've seen here today has
been useful for you, why not hit the
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