Roland

Roland SP-404MKII Moodymann Edition: 600 Unit Drop

Roland SP-404MKII KDJ Records Edition: Roland's SP-404MKII KDJ Records Edition features 10 banks of exclusive Moodymann stems from unreleased tracks. Read more.

Tom Rander

— 3 min read
Roland SP-404MKII Moodymann Edition: 600 Unit Drop
Roland SP-404MKII Moodymann Edition: 600 Unit Drop

Estimated reading time: 2 min

Detroit house icon brings exclusive stems to hardware

Roland's SP-404MKII KDJ Records Limited Edition ships with ten banks of deconstructed Moodymann material—six unreleased tracks and four catalog cuts in stem form—turning Kenny Dixon Jr.'s 30-year Detroit archive into a hands-on sequencing toolkit. Limited to 600 units at $599.99, the sampler pairs a custom KDJ Records faceplate with bundled vinyl edits and a curated mixtape, positioning the release as both commemorative object and studio instrument.

The preloaded sessions expose drum, bass, and melodic layers from rare and modern KDJ catalogue, routed across the SP-404MKII's 160-sample-per-project architecture and 32-voice engine. (Original source) Users can resequence patterns, apply the unit's Lo-fi, Cassette Simulator, and DJFX Looper effects, and resample through its Skip Back buffer, which captures up to several dozen seconds of live input. The package extends Roland's trend of label-stamped editions into Detroit house territory, grafting archival curation onto a sampler already standard in beat-scene and live-performance rigs.

Custom KDJ edition adds 10 preloaded sample banks

The deconstructed songwriting sessions inside each bank expose stems and patterns from both unreleased material and catalog cuts, letting users manipulate individual elements rather than locked loops. Roland's BPM-per-bank architecture allows tempo shifts across the ten projects without global resampling, a workflow borrowed from set-oriented DJ practice. The custom aluminium faceplate carries KDJ Records artwork alongside Moodymann's name, tying visual identity directly to the preloaded content.

The underlying MKII platform retains real-time time-stretching, auto-chop sample editing, and bus FX routing, while dedicated Vocoder, Auto-Pitch, and Guitar Amp FX blocks expand beyond the classic SP palette. USB-C handles both audio streaming and power, supplemented by six AA batteries or AC adaptor for portable sessions. A companion editor app for Mac and Windows enables pad assignment, waveform editing, and import of legacy SP-404SX/404A projects, bridging the Detroit hardware lineage into modern file management.

Limited 600-unit run bridges archive and performance tool

The 600-unit production ceiling positions the KDJ edition squarely between functional instrument and archival artifact. Rather than flooding dealer shelves, Roland is channeling the model through a scarcity bottleneck that underscores the label milestone and Moodymann's curator role. Physically, the unit measures roughly 7″ × 10.8″ × 2.8″ and weighs around 2.4 lb, preserving the portability that has kept the SP lineage stage-ready since the early 2000s. (Roland SP-404 MkII KDJ Records Edition - Perfect Circuit) MIDI I/O, mic/line/guitar inputs, dual line outputs, and headphone routing remain intact, ensuring drop-in compatibility with existing setups.

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How we reported this

We reviewed the original coverage from MixmagTech and cross-checked key details against the sources above. If something is unclear or changes after publication, we’ll update this post.

About the author

Tom Rander — is a journalist and electronic music specialist who has spent years documenting the intersection of club culture and technical innovation. With a background rooted in both the booth and the press room, Tom founded Rander.io to provide a more rigorous, expertise-driven alternative to mainstream music blogs.

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