Pioneer Toraiz SP-16

The Lounge Other Gear
#41

I’m actually stoked on this. I’m a live electronic + DJ artist. Right now I play with CDJs and Octatrack + A4. I manually beat match my Octatrack to the CDJs by using a click from the Cue output on the Octa into the DJ mixer. A pain in the butt. Being able to sync to the Pioneer tempo information is HUGE for me. I’ve wanted a little box to be able to do that for ages.

Sure, I’d prefer something small & less expensive similar to the Roland SBX-1, but I’ll take what I can get.

As far as pricing, this is Pioneer. They ARE the DJ market, so they can charge what they want. (Try getting a dealer or artist discount. Big-name festival DJ’s I know are barely able to get 10% off of their decks.) Now that they’re moving into production/live territory, they’re probably going to have to be more competitively priced. But for now, $1500 isn’t that bad given that Pioneer typically have good build quality (except for those bloody hot cue and cue buttons, I don’t know how many clubs I’ve spun at where their decks have busted buttons) and a solid track record. This company isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and they will probably have damn good QA as far as reliable software.

I’m not selling my Octatrack anytime soon, but I’ll be first in line to buy an SP-16 when it’s released. I can totally see using it with CDJs + A4 to great effect.

1 Like
#42

Out of interest… how you use it?
How would you insert it into your work flow?

#43

Any info/pic on the dasz unit? Could only find a YouTube teaser that showed/told nothing at all… [/quote]
I was curious too and went looking.
From their FB page it says “standalone synth and sequencer and more.” From the pic it seems to have 4 indi outs. Don’t think it’s a sampler…but I’d like to be wrong. Support the little guys!

EDIT: the Pioneer looks nice though. Ive been interested in a stand alone sampler. Still waiting to see if anything to that rumoured Roland…[/quote]
Yeah I was one of those dudes getting excited about the ‘leaked’ roland for Namm. Would love to see them bring something current out in Sampler/Sequencer/grooveb0x format… They already have all the tech in v-synth/sp/mv, be great to see them throw it all together in a box with a current/forward thinking OS/UI… [/quote]
Yep they got all the ingredients but do you actually think Roland will put together a product that ISN"T some how critically hampered? Rather naive considering their track record in the last 10 yrs, imo,

#44

I like what Roland has done with the Eurorack Aira modules. They give you an customizer app for reprogramming the signal path of a compatible module. You get 31 virtual sub modules to work with.

It’s like each Aira module is a mini-Nord modular, with a modern touchscreen device for patching instead of just a computer.

#45

Any info/pic on the dasz unit? Could only find a YouTube teaser that showed/told nothing at all… [/quote]
I was curious too and went looking.
From their FB page it says “standalone synth and sequencer and more.” From the pic it seems to have 4 indi outs. Don’t think it’s a sampler…but I’d like to be wrong. Support the little guys!

EDIT: the Pioneer looks nice though. Ive been interested in a stand alone sampler. Still waiting to see if anything to that rumoured Roland…[/quote]
Yeah I was one of those dudes getting excited about the ‘leaked’ roland for Namm. Would love to see them bring something current out in Sampler/Sequencer/grooveb0x format… They already have all the tech in v-synth/sp/mv, be great to see them throw it all together in a box with a current/forward thinking OS/UI… [/quote]
Yep they got all the ingredients but do you actually think Roland will put together a product that ISN"T some how critically hampered? Rather naive considering their track record in the last 10 yrs, imo,[/quote]
I’m convinced that there is a guy at Roland HQ who’s one and only job is to cripple products.

  • TR8? You can only have 16 patterns.
  • System1? Patch storage? Make it 8
  • MX1? No more then 6 analogue inputs.

… I could go on…

1 Like
#46

Any info/pic on the dasz unit? Could only find a YouTube teaser that showed/told nothing at all… [/quote]
I was curious too and went looking.
From their FB page it says “standalone synth and sequencer and more.” From the pic it seems to have 4 indi outs. Don’t think it’s a sampler…but I’d like to be wrong. Support the little guys!

EDIT: the Pioneer looks nice though. Ive been interested in a stand alone sampler. Still waiting to see if anything to that rumoured Roland…[/quote]
Yeah I was one of those dudes getting excited about the ‘leaked’ roland for Namm. Would love to see them bring something current out in Sampler/Sequencer/grooveb0x format… They already have all the tech in v-synth/sp/mv, be great to see them throw it all together in a box with a current/forward thinking OS/UI… [/quote]
Yep they got all the ingredients but do you actually think Roland will put together a product that ISN"T some how critically hampered? Rather naive considering their track record in the last 10 yrs, imo,[/quote]
God knows?! I’m not holding my breath. I didn’t think Pioneer would do it tho so stranger things have happened :wink: Heard people say rc505 and the system 1 synth are good. The plug out VSTs are great. Boutiques have sounded good but sucked for midi/ui. Haven’t checked the JDXA out. Heard some people say some of their modular stuff is good. It wouldn’t be completely unimaginable for them to nail a new (ugly as sin to look at) box…

#47

Any info/pic on the dasz unit? Could only find a YouTube teaser that showed/told nothing at all… [/quote]
I was curious too and went looking.
From their FB page it says “standalone synth and sequencer and more.” From the pic it seems to have 4 indi outs. Don’t think it’s a sampler…but I’d like to be wrong. Support the little guys!

EDIT: the Pioneer looks nice though. Ive been interested in a stand alone sampler. Still waiting to see if anything to that rumoured Roland…[/quote]
Yeah I was one of those dudes getting excited about the ‘leaked’ roland for Namm. Would love to see them bring something current out in Sampler/Sequencer/grooveb0x format… They already have all the tech in v-synth/sp/mv, be great to see them throw it all together in a box with a current/forward thinking OS/UI… [/quote]
Yep they got all the ingredients but do you actually think Roland will put together a product that ISN"T some how critically hampered? Rather naive considering their track record in the last 10 yrs, imo,[/quote]
I’m convinced that there is a guy at Roland HQ who’s one and only job is to cripple products.

  • TR8? You can only have 16 patterns.
  • System1? Patch storage? Make it 8
  • MX1? No more then 6 analogue inputs.

… I could go on…[/quote]
Kinda like korg tho. New electribe zero memory. Volca sample hogs 8 midi channels. Minilogue no arpeggio latch/sequence transpose. Etc etc. Always something key for me missing! Admittedly Roland manage to take it to the next level tho… That 8 patch storage on system1 is ridiculous :confused: I’d never read about that before… Jeez.

#48

I may have made that up, who knows? Thought that was what I read when it was announced.

#49

According to CDM there is a some sort of song/playlist mode with the Toraiz (attrocious name by the way) but this could be very interesting to see how/when this is implemented.

"You get basic pattern and sequencer options. The four buttons at bottom right let you chain up to four 16-step sequences together, or trigger them individually. Hit “PATTERN,” and the sixteen x0x buttons on the bottom let you trigger patterns. There’s also a song/playlist mode coming, though we couldn’t yet see that screen."

As for the other companies, a user on gearslutz mentioned before the last NAMM that Roland defo have a new standalone sampler coming. Akai surely must be up to something in a similar vein, but as mentioned above there’s ALWAYS compromise, and I’m continually dumfounded how these companies haven’t got this right.

Hopefully there’s more details from Pioneer asap, along with decent product demos showcasing what toraiz is all about.

1 Like
#50

For anyone who didn’t see: http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2016/04/09/pioneer-dj-dave-smith-toraiz-sp-16-sampler-at-musikmesse-2016/

#51

They must have kept him out of the Malekko System 500 meetings.
Those things are amazing.
Still though, he must be at most meetings.
I think he works for multiple companies, like a consultant.
This pioneer sampler thing though.
I want to like it just as much as anyone, I want to see the potential.
It would have been interesting if Pioneer was the answer to sampling.
SIKE!
Funny how Dave Smith says “It would be much bigger,” if it had analog filters on every pad.
I’d love to see him watch somebody use a RYTM.
I bet he’s still butthurt over the RYTM release at Namm where Dataline got noise complaints.

1 Like
#52

Hard to say without actually practicing, but programming mostly-sequenced songs to then sync to the CDJ’s and change up patterns on the fly most likely. Also, using it as a master clock for other gear like A4, TR-8, etc.

#53

They must have kept him out of the Malekko System 500 meetings.
Those things are amazing.
Still though, he must be at most meetings.
I think he works for multiple companies, like a consultant.
This pioneer sampler thing though.
I want to like it just as much as anyone, I want to see the potential.
It would have been interesting if Pioneer was the answer to sampling.
SIKE!
Funny how Dave Smith says “It would be much bigger,” if it had analog filters on every pad.
I’d love to see him watch somebody use a RYTM.
I bet he’s still butthurt over the RYTM release at Namm where Dataline got noise complaints.

[/quote]
Quite difficult to cripple a modular modual, where as with the stroke of a key ,a whole section of an os can be deleted or fcked up.

No single company has a hold on it though, you only have to look at “NON P-LOCKABLE ARP” on the A4/K when it was on the Octa.

The Toyraz would be much bigger if it had 18 cem filter chips and associated circuitry.

#54

One aspect of Toraiz SP-16 that I think is interesting is its loading data off of USB stick and ProDJLink. What this means is that all your sequences, samples, etc come with you and are easily transported between machines. You show up to a club, or a studio, or whatever, drop in your USB stick, and blam, everything is there. You can’t do that with other hardware sequencers or synths with the same ease and speed that Pioneer has enabled. That’s pretty massive IMO.

#55

Agreed it’s a step forward and probably be the norm eventually. Not that big a deal in practise tho, just a little more convenient than memory cards on OT/Roland Sp404 etc. Ie. no need for memory card reader attached to computer.

#56

fun fact… its spelled “psych”… as in “psych out”
and knowing is half the battle!

#57

fun fact… its spelled “psych”… as in “psych out”
and knowing is half the battle![/quote]
Proper spelling of slang just seems wrong to me.

2 Likes
#58

fun fact… its spelled “psych”… as in “psych out”
and knowing is half the battle![/quote]
Proper spelling of slang just seems wrong to me.[/quote]
i wasnt sure how many people knew it was an actual word (or prefix) rather than some nonsense term

#59

fun fact… its spelled “psych”… as in “psych out”
and knowing is half the battle![/quote]
Proper spelling of slang just seems wrong to me.[/quote]
i wasnt sure how many people knew it was an actual word (or prefix) rather than some nonsense term[/quote]

I did not know that! Thank you for sharing =)

#60

I love the idea of analog filters on a sampler as much as anyone else…but don’t think implementing in this way is totally necessary.

On the Rytm it is great as individual filters can be used to perform and design sounds. But simply on the master? Meh. One could buy a stereo analog filter processor to do that and would be more versatile. Seems like a luxury that isn’t wholly necessary since digital filters can sound good too and the internal digital filters on the Toriaz will probably be used mostly to process individual tracks individually anyway.

For example, I’ve never thought…that my OT really needs a stereo analog filter after the master Out.