Roland SPD-SX Sampling Pad: The Industry Standard for Live Sample Triggering

The Roland SPD-SX Sampling Pad is a powerful and intuitive tool designed for triggering custom samples, loops, and even full backing tracks in both live performance and studio environments. It has established itself as an industry standard due to its blend of rugged reliability, expressive playability, and efficient workflow for sample management and triggering.

Advanced Triggering and Expressive Pads

The SPD-SX features nine highly sensitive, velocity-sensitive rubber pads (eight main pads and one top-center pad) that offer exceptional response and dynamic control. These pads are equipped with Roland's advanced triggering technology, ensuring precise and accurate triggering with excellent isolation between pads, virtually eliminating unwanted crosstalk. This allows for nuanced and dynamic performances, from subtle ghost notes to powerful accents.

Each pad includes a dedicated LED indicator that illuminates to show its status (e.g., playing, idle) and can also visually indicate audio level activity, which is crucial for monitoring on dark stages.

For expanded setups, the SPD-SX includes two external dual-trigger inputs, allowing drummers to connect up to four additional pads (using Y-cables), kick triggers, or acoustic drum triggers, significantly extending the playing surface and integration possibilities. A dedicated hi-hat control input enables the connection of a Roland hi-hat control pedal (e.g., FD-8, VH-11), facilitating a compact electronic drum kit setup with realistic open/closed hi-hat articulation.

Intuitive Sampling and Powerful Effects Engine

A standout feature of the SPD-SX is its innovative Multi-Pad Sampling function. This intuitive feature allows users to sample audio directly into the unit in real-time. By simply striking each pad at the desired start and end points while audio streams in from an external source, the sample is automatically truncated, optimized, and assigned to the pad, significantly speeding up the workflow for creating multi-sampled phrases and pad maps. The unit also offers onboard editing tools for samples, including trim, normalize, pitch, reverse, and more.

The SPD-SX is equipped with three powerful multi-effects engines:

• Master Effect (21 types): Applies to the overall output, with dedicated real-time control knobs (Filter, Delay, Short Looper, User-assignable) for dynamic live manipulation.

• Kit Effects (2 units, 20 types each): Assignable per kit, allowing for specific processing on individual sounds within a kit, providing deep sound-sculpting capabilities.

Generous Storage and Comprehensive Connectivity

The SPD-SX comes with 4 GB of internal memory, providing approximately 360 minutes (6 hours) of mono sampling time at 16-bit/44.1 kHz, which is ample for most applications. A Special Edition (Red Finish) version of the SPD-SX is also available with an expanded 16 GB internal memory, offering up to 50 hours of mono sample storage (or 25 hours of stereo) and up to 10,000 files, ideal for users with vast sample libraries.

Connectivity is comprehensive and designed for seamless integration into any live or studio setup:

• USB Ports: Features a USB MEMORY connector for backing up data and importing/exporting samples via USB flash drive, and a USB COMPUTER connector for direct integration with computers, supporting USB-MIDI, USB-AUDIO, and USB Mass Storage Class.

• Audio I/O: Stereo 1/4-inch OUTPUT Jacks (L/MONO, R), assignable SUB OUT Jacks (L/MONO, R), a stereo 1/4-inch PHONES Jack, and stereo 1/4-inch AUDIO IN Jacks (L/MONO, R) with LINE-MIC GAIN control.

• MIDI I/O: Traditional 5-pin DIN MIDI IN and OUT ports.

• Footswitch Control: A 1/4-inch TRS FOOT SW jack for an optional footswitch to control various functions hands-free (e.g., kit change, effect on/off).

The Roland SPD-SX Sampling Pad is a robust, highly functional, and user-friendly instrument, making it an indispensable tool for modern musicians who need reliable and creative control over their samples in any performance or production environment.