Pioneer Toraiz SP-16

So I know the SP-16 has the analog filter which the DJS-1000 doesn’t have, but does the DJS have anything the SP-16 doesn’t? I’m considering getting one or the other.

Track mutes per pattern + you don’t have to menu dive for scales and slicing

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Tempo slider , which is fun when jamming . I use it a lot , makes it feel more expressive. I’ve been using my djs more like this lately and recording into my daw overdubbing parts with a heavy tape vibe on the master

Considering some type of looper pedal to experiment with this further

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Was thinking to pair this with my modular. Will the filter act on the line ins (you said so, but I read somewhere else that is not possible) ? Can I apply fx like in any other tracks? In my head it just works, but I havent found much info on thru tracks.

Yep. Filter on line in stuff and fx on thru tracks. Bring it😎

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I currently have an akai force, but man it is big… Just using it for drums, send clock to my modular and applying dj-like fx for transitions so maybe it is a bit overkill…

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when you compare the speed of the workflow with the mpc live are you doing the same actions or are you comparing the speed of the fact that the toraiz can’t do as many things and therefore is faster… I’m asking because I’m seeing allot of people say things like this but they are generally not comparing action for action and generally comparing an mpc to something that can’t do as much?

do you mean the MPC Live doesn’t allow you to adjust the tail length anymore?

gotta be honest when they made the Akai Force I didn’t know what the hell they were thinking and still don’t… they could have made a much better form factor for that one without even trying… who ever thought of that designed… tsk tsk

I hope the next model design comes from someone else entirely, the Akai Force looks reminds me of those oldReese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercials where two people bumped into each other and got their chocolate and peanut butter mixed up

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The tail doesn’t wrap to the start of the loop. So your loops aren’t seamless if you have a tail (reverb, delay, etc). Some don’t want the wrap. I do.

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In comparing the feel of making edits on the Pioneer vs the Live, I was thinking of doing things like trimming samples and tweaking a mix. Definitely not feature parity. Feature-wise, MPC all day. But browsing a sample library and putting a beat together that just sounds good, Pioneer.

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I’m using my MPC Live basically the same way as you plus capturing the occasional loop. If Akai made a mixer/mpc hybrid, I would jump in a second.

Kind of an OT from akai?
I guess the perfect “brain of a setup” will never exist… :laughing:

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So is anyone else running the Dave analog filter wide open on the main outs with little-to-no res, just for “analog coloration”? I’m experimenting with small amounts of the distortion too, sort of a super basic Analog Heat.

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I was thinking on getting Pioneer over MPC One at first but I understood that Pioneer is better to use with more or less prepared samples that you can combine on the fly while on live. Pioneer is more like an instrument for DJs rather than a music making machine.

Pioneer is more like an instrument for DJs.

I wouldn’t say that, SP16 is a sampler the way the Dr Rex work meaning sampler slice oriented. You can’t make sampler programs the way it is on the MPC with different layers by midi velocity. There’s is no Auto-Sampler which is very handy to auto-sample a VST or a Hardware Synth. But still, if you want a very organic behavior in the modulations, nothing is better at it as the original source (the VST or the Hardware Synth)

The SP16 is for DJS, and Producer. People who cares about the quality of the sound for the studio or the Live Performance who accept to have less features. Because they enjoy the overall sounding, they enjoy the filter, they enjoy the immediate workflow, they enjoy sampling and mangle inside, they enjoy the pads modes, they enjoy the ribbon, they enjoy the multiple outs with professional quality.

i wouldn’t say that for the MPC it’s a different beast with its pros and cons and they are just not the same as the SP16. And we can say that for every machine that’s why at some point you buy 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and so on… machine(s) for your home-studio.

I guess the perfect “brain of a setup” will never exist…

To me it would be maschine+, MPC Live or Octatrack to choose for in terms of a unique piece of gear as the brain of any setup (i would choose for the Octatrack i think because the elektron sequencer is just difficult to beat at so many levels, especially with its live flow)

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Still thinking about picking this up.

Am I right in saying that a mute cuts the audio and doesn’t let the sample play?
I know its something small but that would irritate the life out of me.
Is there a workaround?

Yes. Create patterns rather than rely on mutes. That’s my workaround.

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Sold all my Elektron gear but just got an SP-16 and this is a great thread :slight_smile:

SP-16 sounds great but it has so many small irritations, however I guess 1.60 is as far as it will go. Can’t believe DJS 1000 has per pattern mutes and shift-select of multiple items on the screen, that would be a great addition to the SP-16.

Missing such sampler basics - normalise, auto chop by transient - but i just LOVE that drive on the filter!

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I never understood why they couldn’t get the mutes right on the SP-16, how hard can it possibly be to port that function from the DJS…

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