Convince Me to Keep My DT in Light of the Toraiz SP-16

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#22

If you’re going to keep both, might I suggest also using the 8 DT midi tracks to sequence 8 channels of the SP-16? That way you get the best of both worlds.

I have a DT coming today for just that…

On the DT will be mono percussion and noise samples, sequenced internally.

On the SP will be all stereo samples/loops made from other gear, triggered by the DT midi tracks (to get different track lengths, probability etc) for tracks 1-8.
Then tracks 9-12 will be one shots (manually triggered or sequenced in the SP) and 13-16 will be long non-rythmic loops set to loop indefinitely until muted.

I know mine is a very specific use case, but the features of the two combined basically make a sampling groovebox dream machine.

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#23

question, when people speak of the SP16 as a great performance tool are they speaking of any particular features other than the filters and the external outputs on the machine?

#24

There’s that touch strip thingy too

#25

couldn’t be what all the fuss is over though :slight_smile: but seems like alot of people get it for performance over production I’m just now noticing, thought I researched it well but just wondering if there is something I’d missed

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#26

DJ Link over ethernet is a pretty big thing that really simplifies the DJ/Producer gap in the market. At least I think it is, never actually used one but the DJ Link on CDJ’s is solid.

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#27

Nailed it. DJ Link is huge if youve already bought into the Pioneer DJ ecosystem.

But I also legitimately like it better than the DT for making sketches of tracks. The arrangement/song mode and the way it exports audio files is big for me too. The fancy shit on the DT sequencer is mostly unused by me.

Also it has slicing and better sample editing. No dumb software for transferring samples and files…

I do legitimately like it better than the DT for making music too.

I don’t hate the DT but the SP-16 just fits what I do much better.

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#28

Two reasons I eventually sold my SP-16 (which I did like last week or so) -

No longass loops. 64 seconds won’t cut it for me. I’m a 128-bar-at-least kind of fellow.

All tracks follow the same step count and time division. I’m all over the place when it comes to this stuff, and even think the Elektron sequencer is limited in this regard.

Also, bonus reason - as lovely as it sounds, it has that polished DJ funk in its soul, which in the end I realised I wasn’t after.

But it really was a damn fine piece of kit overall. And certainly a template for a killer sampler. I mean, Pioneer got all the basics right and much of the cream on top as well.

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#29

can’t beat a better fit

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#30

It is a sleeper for sure. I totally get why some people won’t like it. But for 4/4 dance music and DJs its pretty damn creamy :sunglasses:

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#31

One thing to note on the SP-16. It does not play back 48kHZ samples

https://faq.pioneerdj.com/product.php?c=686&lang=en&p=TORAIZ-SP-16&t=faq

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#32

I’m on a bit of a cooling off session with Elektron gear at the moment. I love p-locks but rarely find myself doing anything with these boxes other than drums, which they are admittedly excellent at. I don’t think I’ve ever written a song with one - I like them as sketchpads, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But something like the SP-16 or an MPC is a different ballgame to say, a DT.

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#33

hmm that’s interesting so is it compatible with the MPC’s recent usb update?

#34

I sample stuff straight off YouTube fro my phone right into samplers. Im not interested in super high quality audio at all lol.

But I understand that is important to some people and a great note for the thread.

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#35

the sequencer magic of the DT could definitely be applied to some dance music, even if it’s just for hi hat variations. i would keep it for that reason alone.

the other thing is that you could run the output of your setup, THRU it… the DT has a way of shaping your sound that you may enjoy. maybe not. worth trying. might have fun with that setup.

if not, so it goes.

best of luck on your decision.

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#36

I’d say that if you like or love the Toraiz audio character and don’t mind the square sequencer structure (perhaps even prefer it), the SP-16 is best in class for what it does.

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#37

I’d sell it

In your daw make multiple takes of a loop and randomly chop between them on the sp16 to make up for lack of probability. Basically use midi fx in your daw to create varied patterns then just jam them in the sp16.

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#38

Yea, at the moment I’m experimenting with using the DT as a tool to feed or process the SP-16. I’m in no rush to sell it.

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#39

I’m pretty brutal with selling stuff. If it’s not being used to its fullest it goes. Partly because I can’t afford something new until I sell something but also because I get annoyed at myself for not making use of something to it’s max potential.

Almost bought the sp16 many times for similar reasons as yourself. Does seem the best machine for that setup

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#40

“Polished DJ Funk in its soul”

Can you elaborate please?

#41

In my personal experience, when you put your samples in whatever sampler you use, they don’t sound great. You need to find the magic by learning the filters, amp, volume response, fx, whatnot.

When you put samples into the Toraiz, they sound great at once. You do nothing. They sound great. Even the ones that maybe weren’t awesome to begin with, like say stuff recorded with bad gain staging or whatnot, come out in a great way.

And they sound DJ, club floor great.

So if you’re into that, and also like that a sampler just knows what you want and takes care of the basic hygiene for you so that you can get to work in the details rather than just figuring out how to make something sound decent, the SP-16 is the one.

Elektron stuff is the opposite. You put more than one sample into one of their samplers, it’s like “Dear lord, what now?” For me, at least :slight_smile: of course, they sound fantastic, but if you don’t know them, even getting the basic sound right can be a challenge.

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