Great choice. It’s refreshingly simple to use once you know your way around, and sounds amazing.
That alone will get you around one of the biggest SP limitations… the basic sequencing. Anything that isn’t a simple 4-bar track (i.e. with uneven track lengths, probability, scale etc) sequence it from one of the DT’s 8 midi tracks to individual SP tracks. Super powerful.
I was doing this with extra tracks on the A4 but I think I’ll be adding a DN for the extra midi, fx ins (fed by sub 1 outs on the SP) and of course, all the synthesis awesomeness inherent in FM.
Shockingly simple and yet something I’d have probably never considered or done unless someone pointed it out. I’ve only used the DT completely on its own or going in the DAW. I’ll absolutely have to try that later on, but want to devote myself to SP-16 ‘as is’ until I hit a limitation. TY!
There are other workarounds in the SP itself to get around the 4 bar limitation that you can ask me about if it becomes an issue.
For me, I’m just so spoiled by things like trig conditions and probability (and fill mode!) in Elektrons that I want every important piece of equipment I write on to have it.
Here’s a basic example… I have a DFAM part that was made by the A4 advancing the steps with random probability, so it never repeats. But if I sample that as a loop into the SP it will have to repeat in 4 even bars or less. BUT… if I have an Elektron note event trigger it every 58 or 60 steps instead of 64 steps, boom. Never lands on the same beat twice (or not for a long time haha)
I don’t think the limitations of the sequencer are all that difficult to get around, if you apply resampling and then launch whatever you recorded as free running loops anyway. It’s a Pioneer sampler, so think like a DJ with a composer’s edge, and you’ll find ways around it.
Loops themselves can launch quantized on top of whatever the sequencer is doing, so as long as you think outside the grid, you can do quite experimental stuff with it. One of the main reasons I don’t use the Toraiz all that much, is because this approach does call for memory as well as sample time, of which the Toraiz has limited amounts. Not crippling, but my epic Blackbox improvisation sessions won’t work in this context
Honestly, though, if Pioneer implemented streaming in this beast, it’s possible I might’ve made the SP-16 my primary weapon of choice. The output from this thing is the beast I’ve heard yet from a sampler.
Great decisions SP16 is for me sonically one of the best sounding samplers.
I have multiple setups and one of which is the SP16 with iPad (various synths) and Audiolayer (multisampler).
OT MKII (1.40) midi trig mode with SP16 another great combo
Congrats and welcome
Got my unit! Everything seemed perfect for the first 20 min or so, but I think one of the encoders is bad. It’s the one on the far right that’s supposed to be for things like master volume and mix levels. At first, I thought it was just that some of the FX didn’t allow for mix level (it wasn’t changing the value), but I’m having a hard time adjusting other values with it as well. It only occasionally works.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to send it back to Amazon for an exchange, but does anyone know if there’s any sort of test mode you can boot into? I was hoping there might be something like that to confirm, but I’m not finding anything online.
EDIT: Hrm… well, now it’s working? It’d barely change values at all before, but I was pulling on the knob to see if I could remove it (possibly use contact cleaner or something) and it magically started working. I don’t think it it has a bad solder joint? It’d probably be much more inconsistent overall. I’m starting to feel like the unit has just been sitting unused for so long that something was a bit gunked in it and had to be worked (renewed) for a few minutes? The encoder feels the same as all of the others… same tension, same small amount of play. Mine has a build date of July 2016, so it’s been sitting in the box almost 5 years now.
I’ll keep an eye on it, but not sure if I should exchange it or not now. Normally, I would, because I’d be confident in getting a newer unit, but I think all of them are probably this age. Not sure that exchanging it is the right move or not. I guess I have a couple of weeks to figure it out?
EDIT #2: Just venting… my OCD was getting the best of me, so I thought why not try to exchange it. Well, Amazon won’t let me! They told me to go talk to Pioneer Customer Service. They won’t accept the device without an RMA # from Pioneer. I asked to speak to a manager and was told the same thing. I buy loads of stuff from Amazon for years now and almost never return or exchange anything. I think 2-3 items in 10+ years. The first time I try to exchange something expensive I basically get told to go pound sand. This would not have happened had I purchased from Sweetwater or another reputable seller. Lesson learned and probably the last major purchase done with Amazon if at all possible.
EDIT #3: Thank you to user @d2ba above who shared a link to the service manual for this unit. Pioneer did an amazing job with it, so kudos to them! There is a pretty comprehensive test mode if needed which does cover the encoders. The #6 one which originally wasn’t working has been fine so far and increments up/down in values of ‘1’ as it should. Pointing out the manual to anyone else that might need it. Searching the internet didn’t easily turn up anything when I went that route previously.
I hear you, frustrating! But don’t let that get in the way of enjoying your new SP16! Get a little thumb drive (USB), load your favourite samples onto it, then plug it into your SP16 and you’re good to go (+ you’ve just expanded your sample storage on your SP16 by whatever size your USB drive is…128GB in my case :)).
I really like the SP16, especially for live action. It does sound really good and is lots of fun to use once you get into it. Congratulations on the purchase!
Ty! I’ve settled down… just super annoying. I could always outright demand to return it instead of exchange, but I’m going to give it a couple weeks and see if the encoder gives me any issues. It’ll get some use this weekend for sure! I picked up a 128GB thumb drive as well! In the process of copying over a bunch of samples and single cycle waveforms right now!
From the brief time I’ve had playing with the unit everybody is right… it really does sound fantastic. The overdrive is very nice and will probably largely negate me needing to pair it with the Analog Heat just to boost/warm the signal unless I want distortion and resample. It’s lovely!
I haven’t tried it myself, but I’m sure you can run external gear through the input and use the two FX slots as there’s a ‘thru’ option for tracks (can be either ‘sample’ or ‘thru’).
You can assign a sample slot to line in and play external gear through it. If you have the filter on the master than it hits the line in as well. And than you have the two effects slots and an LFO to use on that slot as well.
Pro tip: Lo-Fi on this thing is the best. Try assigning the sample&hold LFO (tempo synced and free running) to bit rate or frequency… run that thru delay in FX2 or outboard ping pong delay. Hours of fun.
I’ve searched, but I can’t find anything for the following. Hoping there’s some solutions or workarounds.
Is there a way to quickly clear all settings (sample, env, fx, etc) for a pad? I know the shortcut to delete all of the triggers, but I’d like to reset all of the parameters for a pad in one go.
Can you set the machine to start with a default (empty) project instead of the last one used?
Can you quickly reset/clear the entire project you’re working on?
Anyone have a chance to try this out? Really perplexed as to why this is happening…even tried some new waves with the waveform generator softcore/hardcore. Same results. Sine waves are particularly bad, only being clean at 0 , +12
Heres a link to an example. Its playing a sine at 0, then +3, +7, and +12. Notice how only 0 and +12 are clean, the rest have a buzzing. This sine was generated using softcore.
Hi guys, I have a SP-16 for while now but still can’t get samples at 44.1 to work on it, any toll (app) you guys recommend with which settings to get this thing to work? I have tons of samples that work, but can’t get new ones to work, Ive used audacity, Logic Pro on Mac OS X and it shows 44.1 but it won’t play (these are originals in 48hz)
so has anybody tried to communicate with the new management/owners of the toraiz’s development…? are they responding any better than pioneer did or are they harder to get info out of etc…?
I recently read a post on the pioneer dj forums regarding open source with the toraiz, and the pioneer forum rep basically said it probably wouldn’t happen due to their proprietary code for time stretching , amongst others. Basically it would open up a large can of worms.
He also mentioned that the dev team said they had nothing to say. Nothing about doing future updates or not doing future updates. Seems like we are in limbo
It’s the one on the far right that’s supposed to be for things like master volume and mix levels. At first, I thought it was just that some of the FX didn’t allow for mix level (it wasn’t changing the value), but I’m having a hard time adjusting other values with it as well. It only occasionally works.