Roland is celebrating 20 years of 404 beat culture and the 20th anniversary of its iconic and genre-breaking sampler, the SP-404 Sampling Workstation. For two decades, the SP-404 has been at the heart of underground beat culture, pushing sound in new directions with its gritty FX, signature workflow, and go-anywhere creativity. These boxes of sonic mayhem have fueled the imagination of a generation of global beatmakers, catalyzing a subculture of beat sessions, DIY tapes, and guerilla videos.
Launched in 2005, the SP-404 didn’t just introduce a new way to sample—it revolutionized an entire genre. Emerging at a time when underground hip-hop and electronic music scenes were flourishing in cities like Los Angeles, Tokyo, and London, the SP-404 became the go-to music creation tool for pioneering beatmakers. Visionaries like Dibia$e, Flying Lotus, and the late Ras G elevated the machine beyond a piece of hardware, transforming it into an extension of the artist’s creative mind.
Today, the SP-404’s legacy lives on through its successor, the SP-404MKII. To celebrate the sampler the week of April 4th—also known each year as “404 Day”—the world’s favorite portable sampler expands with powerful features that blur the lines between production and DJing. In collaboration with iconic audio software company Serato, the free Version 5 update provides built-in integration for Serato DJ Lite, Serato DJ Pro,* and Serato Studio, transforming the hardware into a pre-mapped controller ready for new directions in DJ sets, beatmaking, and song creation. The SP-404MKII connects directly with no drivers needed, merging its legendary hands-on workflow with the premier software tools in DJ and beat culture.
Further commemorating the SP-404’s 20th anniversary, Roland will take over several global events the week of 404 Day in many of the world’s most culturally vibrant cities that served as major creative hubs during the rise of 404 beat culture. The lineup spans five continents, with celebrations in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, Portland, Sacramento, Tokyo, Osaka, Kumamoto, Yokohama, Mumbai, Berlin, Rome, São Paulo, Melbourne, and more.
These 404 Day parties will showcase live performances, beat battles, artist panels, exclusive 404 Day merchandise giveaways, and more, bringing together the artists, DJs, producers, and beatmaker communities who have built careers and shaped movements around the SP-404.
Attendees of these in-person parties can also join 404 Day gear raffles for portable creative tools that pair perfectly with the SP-404MKII—like the AIRA Compact S-1 and J-6—plus Serato licenses, Roland Cloud access, and Melodics subscriptions.
Continuing in-person celebrations, several Roland Stores around the world will be hosting 404 Day events, including the Roland Store London and the Roland Store Tokyo. Activations include the launch of SP-404 1-2-1 in-store workshops, SP-404MKII demonstrations with the new Version 5 update, live performances, and more.
To further celebrate, music-lovers can dive deep into the history, evolution, and impact of the SP-404, told by the people who built and are actively shaping its future:
- Roland Engineering: SP-404 Past, Present, and Future – SP-404 Engineers Takeo Shirato & Kenji Yamada reflect on two decades of SP innovation and how the 404 became a beatmaking icon.
- Lo-Fi Education: SP-404 in the Classroom – Berklee’s Lightfoot & Michele Darling discuss the college’s first-ever SP-404MKII course, inspiring the next generation of beatmakers.
- 404 Day – To learn the full history and join this year’s celebration, visit Roland’s dedicated 404 Day pagehttps://www.roland.com/us/promos/roland_sp-404/ and Roland Articles for the Ultimate Guide: 404 Day 2025
*Connectivity with Serato DJ Pro* requires a paid upgrade from Serato.
