As you were good people (esp Prints) ā¦ but, just a little less 
The samples can loop, which I think is all you really need. The amp envelope is nice, but itās more suited for percussion, and thereās no way to route it to any effect parameters. LFOs are supposed to be on the horizon; it thereās a single shot mode, and itās assignable to effect parameters, thatād be the ticket right there for creating synth sounds using the digital filter. As it is now, youāre still able to P-lock the filter parameters, so itās doable with some work.
Soā¦ Yesterday I had some time off from work, and went to the musicstore I always go toā¦ Dangerous! And there it was, that big thing called Toraiz. I had the opportunity to try it out. First impressionā¦ Its definatly how easy it is to use it. Everything is logic, hardly no manual needed, also how clear the sound is on my own headphone. The hardware is quality build and the pads feel nice. The touch screen is very responsive.
And there it isā¦ I bought it. I think its still expensive but hey, you have to take the plunge every now and then. Currently I am recreating my live set that I was intended to do on my octatrack. Its definatly easy to do that if you have already prepared loops. With the computer aside you can just make folders on the toraiz and put all samples in and your ready to go. If there is a wrong loop, just put the usb back in and change the sample, reload it and your done. The slicemode is nice (and funny) and I like the multiple outputs. Routed them to the octatrack where I can do some effect things and transitions. The future of the Toraiz is promising with more effects and better midi and sampling functions then this thing will be a beast. For now I think if you do a lot with realtime sampling (mangling) the octatrack is your way to go. For livesets and sample playback the Toraiz is easier and faster to use.
That was my really short review after one evening
You nailed my impression of the Toraiz - itās more aimed at the maschine/traktor/ableton push DJ user who likes to take prepared stems but remix them live, with improvisation, than it is at a complex OT mangler eclectic user.
Iāve never even thought the OT was ideal for that DJ purpose, though it can be used that way.
I donāt think that sums it up because I donāt consider myself a āmaschine/traktor/ableton push DJ user who likes to take prepared stems but remix them live, with improvisation,ā but I get what youāre saying.
What I noticed last night, is that the workflow is actually very similar to the DSI Tempestās workflow except improved. Itās really nice having all 16 pads layed out like on an MPC along with the 16 lit buttons used for the step sequencer.
Can the Toraiz be used as a midi sequencer, if so how good is it?
No, not yet. Midi out control is planned for the OS update after the next.
Have they actually specified external midi āsequencingā? I could only findā midi outā in any talk of updates when I dug around, which could mean bare bones āuse the padsā kind of thing? Guess I missed it somewhere?
Correct, they havenāt been explicit about whatās in store regarding midi out updates.
It could be an amazing midi sequencer with that beautiful screen, then competing directly against the OT.
Yeah, weāll see what direction they go. Iām eager to see more effects soon. I want tons of fun effects to mess around with; especially, a compressor.
Iām not that either, never did dj gigs, always live hardware things. But the toraiz is something in the middle. Yes you can do live remix things and songwriting on the toraiz is possible however, at this moment in the current version its leaning towards the dj/remix side. If there will be more effects and i hope there will be more sample mangling possibillities (not confirmd) so you can deform a sound completely like the OT does it will be a contender of the OT. Iā m not gonna sell my OT, but Iām using it now next to the Toraiz and man thats a hell of a combo!
Ive noticed some more things, one thing, when you use the multiple outputs you cant use the effect sends (currently only delay and reverb) thats a pity but I understand why they do that, you dont have a master thenā¦ I like to see in future updates that in slicemode you can make your own slice grid (or change the slice position) and offcourse if its aimd on djās I like to see all rmx effectsā¦
Pioneer will likely sell more Toraiz if they take it in an innovative direction to complement the OT rather than usurp it with me-too functionality.
OT owners are an established market who have demonstrated theyāll pay for good gear and who might like a sampling partner for their OT that offers extra functions rather than duplication.
Iām more likely to buy a Toraiz on that basis rather than to replace my OT.
Oh no. Now Iām seriously interested. Just playing the Tempest as an instrument was always a seriously enjoyable experience.
I like that the Toraiz has four scenes (or banks) buttons that quickly change up all the samples for all 16 pads and all the patterns for the 16 pattern step buttons. Itās a workflow thatās definitely geared more towards performance. The Toraiz feels very basic right now, but I like these core qualities so far.
I agree with you about to complement instead of duplicate the OT. the toraiz has that amazing touchscreen, I think they can do a lot with that. We will seeā¦
Iām more of a composer, less of a performer. I donāt need all that many features to get something done, tho. If the workflow is solid, thatās more important.
Just wanted to post a bit of an update. I ended up returning my Toraiz. I liked it a lot, but there were a few reasons for my decision. First off, I can always get one again at any time. Second, after hooking up my Squarp Pyramid to my Roland SP-404, I feel like I can do a lot of what I needed from a sampler with a slimmer setup (actually, feel dumb for not doing this sooner). Lastly, it freed up some $ for me to grab a Hypersynth Xenophone that was for sale locally. Iāve always wanted this synth; it seemed like destiny for it to be mine, and Iām quite pleased with my decision. Definitely will keep an eye on the Toraiz though, and thereās a good chance Iāll end up with one again in the future.
