but are they onboard samples, or is there user sample import capability?
From the sonic state video I donāt think you can import samples (yet).
The jam at the end of that video sounded pretty good too.
thanks
True story, but the sh-4d is what I wanted when I bought my sh-32 back in 2007. All the it lacked was a proper sequencer.
Even though a few things in it were janky (that filter cutoff dial, the ring mod), it was a great box. Layering patches using the spectrum waves onto the same midi channel was a recipe for the best pads Iāve ever made.
The sh-4d looks & sounds super promising.
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Thatās a hot take. Lemme guess, the Minifreak is the only new synth youāre interested in? Good news! It exists!
Sure, if youāve bought into Roland Cloud or own previous Roland boxes. Iāve been making music for about 15 years now, and this will be my first Roland anything, having exactly what I wanted - 101 and Juno sounds in one box, with some bonus features I find extremely appealing (wavetables, drums, FX, etc).
As someone who is trying to put together a small live setup, again, this box seems like it could be a dream. MPC + 4d = everything I need at once, without having to lug around a bunch of pedals and a mixer, or use the MPCās internal FX, which I donāt care for. I may get it, find out I hate it, and sell it, but on paper itās everything I wanted to complement my MPC.
I donāt really need to modulate every parameter, nor do I use midi CCs very often - so while some people will find the relatively limited CC control problematic, for me itās a non-issue.
What do you have in mind? I think Roland has been making some interesting, albeit safe, devices lately. Itās clear to me theyāre mostly targeting people newer to the hobby or who lack Roland products in the last couple years.
See point 1 and 2.
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Ah, that explains why my music is so crappy with the Elektrons. So if I buy this Roland SH-4D, my music will finally be professional?
The 707 sequencer is a joy, the concept of clips where the note sequences are per-track rather than one big global pattern - itās liberating. Each time I switch between the 707 and some other gear I realize what a brilliant approach it is, and how clumsy other sequencers feel.
For sound design itās a menu diving nightmare, but I think that much is obvious
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Just to be clear (is it?) : the SH-4d IS NOT a Groovebox.
Hear it for yourself. 
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481 ātonesā I donāt think of them like samples, as some look to be more like waveforms for a more drum synthesis approach when youāll shape the pitch and filter to achieve the sound, a little bit like the Syntakt but probably not as deep.
But if you want to layer up some 606 hats and 909 kicks, they are also in the list of tones
I doubt weāll see sample import - as itāll eat into 101/707 territory or TR8S/TR6S
Itās not a groovebox as our product marketing team had a really long meeting, took a ton of coke, and told us not to call it that
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Can you please specify why?
I view it as them iterating on the interface while sticking to the same, proven sound engine. Elektron by contrast seems to be iterating (or re-inventing) their sound engines while keeping their core sequencer and workflow (the exception being the Syntakt which did re-use things from other boxes). Iām not judging either approach. Mostly Iām trying to highlight that iterating on the interface is a good thing and not as easy as it seems. It can certainly constitute something new even if itās just one particular combination of the same old features.
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You either get Soundfont files (.sf2) which you need something like JuicySF to play or the free NI Kontakt player for the UI/controls. So you donāt have to be paid up on NI, but you do have to install some stuff.
And now, back to your regularly scheduled programā¦
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It sounds bad in a good, charming way I guess. Like sort of general midi equivalent of basic ass sounds.
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This seems kind of cool to pair up with a TR6s or 8s if you wanted a hardware setup.
Or you can open up 4 MIDI channels in your DAW, drop in the softube/TAL 101 and Juno, and another softsynth of your choice then a drum sampler of your choice and be good to go.
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All I mean is Roland has in the past produced machines(and I am sure in the future) that have way more control for people who like myself would want to put these things in a studio, and have total control over itā¦ I am not going to bash Zencore or ACB as this is where Roland has spent there R&D and itās not a bad thing or even not useful(if anything to give people more access to the āRolandā sound). They are a big company and when smaller company add more ācontrolā so that the synth can be used in more setting it in my opinion makes it more professionalā¦
Again professional has nothing to do with music makingā¦ look at them more as electoral engineering/synthesis projects and you may see what I am sayingā¦ but again itās just my opinionā¦
Agree with thisā¦ one would hope that they would release more āmachinesā ā¦but itās true itās a elektronās greatest hitās in one overbridge boxā¦
this vid gives fairly good idea how bad/good it sounds
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This is awesome, really shows off what it can do.