Roland has announced its 404 Day 2026 celebrations, featuring a live event at the Roland Studio in Los Angeles, a Berklee College of Music activation and the release of SP-404MKII Version 5.50, which adds the long-requested Side Chain Compression feature.
Roland’s annual celebration of the SP-404 and its successor the SP-404MKII is back for 2026, and this year it comes with a packed schedule of global events, community activations and a free firmware update that beatmakers have been asking for.
The SP series has been a cornerstone of sample-based music for nearly two decades, shaping beat scenes across Los Angeles, Tokyo, London, Berlin, Melbourne and beyond. Producers including Dibia$e, Knxwledge, MNDSGN and the late Ras G have all pushed the sampler’s creative possibilities, building a global community that continues to grow.
Catch up on all the latest news here.
This year’s celebrations are anchored by two key events. The Roland Studio in Los Angeles will host a warehouse-style session on 404 Day featuring DIBIASE, Marques Murrey, Bravodomo, Tvkii and Low Key, with special guest Daru Jones (DARUTRONICS). The event streams live across the Roland Synth + Aira and Dibia$e Instagram channels, with performances available on YouTube afterwards.
On 3 April, Roland and Berklee College of Music, co-sponsored by Stones Throw Records, are hosting a 404 Day activation bringing together Berklee’s Electronic Production and Design community with industry mentors to explore beat culture and sampling in music education. Los Angeles-based rapper and producer Koreatown Oddity, a Stones Throw recording artist, makes a special appearance on the night.
Timed to coincide with 404 Day, Roland is releasing SP-404MKII Version 5.50 on 2 April at 5pm PDT (11:00 AM AEDT 3 April). The free update adds Side Chain Compression, one of the most requested features from the SP-404MKII community, bringing pumping, rhythmic movement and expanded control to the instrument’s performance and production capabilities.
Beyond the headline events, April will see 404 celebrations running across the globe from Tokyo to Brooklyn throughout the month. Boston-based producer and Berklee educator David Bellow, aka Lightfoot, has also put together a curated collection of lesser-known SP gems on the Roland Articles platform for anyone wanting to dig deeper into the instrument’s history.
More information and a full list of worldwide events here.
