This thread inspired me to play with the SP. I got way into learning to use the arranger. I’m into this box for sure!
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Also Amazon. I bought mine new in the US around December 2019 for 725US. I was going on Amazon a lot and caught the price fluctuation at the right time.
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Said it before, but it’s a steal at those prices. I honestly believe at some point in the future, it’ll be a classic and in some ways, stand out MORE than its other “feature-rich” sampler/sequencer brothers of today.
Just my opinion. But it’s the one box I’ll never sell.
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I honestly think its just always been misunderstood. Pioneer was trying to make something that bridge the gap between production and performance (having not used a DJS 1000 I can’t speak to it as a production piece of gear but seems mostly performance oriented).
The other Toraiz products dont even have DJ Link–which for many is irrelevant but says a lot me about how they intended people to use it.
They also actually listened to consumers when they made the major updates and reduced the price.
It is absolutely a hidden gem and I agree a future classic. Really not joking I may buy a back up one and store it…
It has me turning in my Elektron fanboy card a bit…
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I think what’s dope about the SP is the step buttons are detached from the pads. So you can play the pads while changing sequences, or inputting one off trigs (steps).
Makes live performance easier.
I don’t think the MPCs can do that. I know they don’t have steps, but when your in the Next Seq screen, you can’t play the pads
I wonder if you can play a keyboard though connected to the MPC while in Next Seq or Mute mode
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These just popped up in my YouTube. I love House. And I really like Sneak so…no Pioneer marketing in these. Just Sneak making beats and smoking weed 
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Hi all, some experienced users maybe able to help me out… just discovered this device-I’ve been through a lot of gear since I got into all this stuff 2 years ago (on the back of 20 years of guitar playing) and have finally realised that I like to do it for fun, and generally with limitations and a few bits of kit. For me the biggest pluses are it being quick and accessible. I know I’m not going to make any mind blowing tracks!! Also I only have a work computer so use things standalone.
Having played around with all the main players in the grove box market circuits (the new ones), DK/DT/MC (not the OT though…!!), Akai force (though not MPCs), MC 101/707 I have ended up with the TR8S and a TD3 and using the trick of using a synth track and automating the pitch and decay to create bass and lead lines. It works for me and I like it-love the step sequencer, but feels maybe too limited; I love the faders though… Then I saw this-it has the step sequencer but also the pads and can play chromatically but also sample in etc.
Anyone who has one-is the workflow similar or more importantly as fast as the TR8S if you want it to be? I’d miss the faders I think as like to ‘Dub mix’ my jams but assume I can mute pads?? Anyone think this could be a super TR8S!?? (For an idea of how I use it check out Belibat on YouTube/IG-obv I don’t do it that well though) importantly can I start with 16 sounds set up and a blank sequence and jam something out?
They’re very different in workflow as well as function. If you’re into the synthesis part of the TR-8S, the SP-16 is a no go. Also, Roland’s stuff tend to sound great, so they got that clean, polished sound going for them as well, just like the Toraiz (though I think the Toraiz sounds better).
In workflow, people tell me the TR-8S is fast. I never got along with Roland, so I think much of their stuff is sluggish. For me, the SP-16 was lightning fast and I’ve never heard anyone say otherwise.
It’s not really limited. I mean, it has sixteen stereo tracks, each of them can be 64 seconds long in sample time, it has onboard fx and resampling, great pitch algoritms, parameter locks and stuff, and live looping. There’s not much you can’t do with it, if you’re being clever about its limitations.
If you’re into fast, polished and clean sounding stuff, and especially want to get pretty straight bangers done, this is the one.
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Thanks-that’s really helpful. I don’t delve in too deep to the sound design stuff in the Roland, and would prob only use the SP16 for one shot stuff but also hoping it will be more versatile in terms of bass and melodic stuff than the TR8S (which is obv not designed for that but does work out)
If the SP16 had the Roland faders I’d have had it in a heartbeat.
It’s not great for bass and melodic stuff. It’s a monophonic per track sampler with basic chromatic support and no multi sample support. So it’s more a one shot, looper kind of device.
I actually found that for anything harmonic, such as bass, leads or whatnot, the pitch algoritms don’t work all that well. The pads themselves lend themselves to play such things quite easily, but the results aren’t particularly satisfying, compared to say an MPC, Blackbox or Deluge.
Thanks for the insight… search might go on as sounds like the things that might be ‘missing’ for me in the Roland are possibly not here either.
I just want a really simply MPC maybe-one made for luddites!
Check out those Sneak videos. The SP and DJS are pretty simple but effective for what you’re looking for
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You ever considered the Blackbox?
No, not really - I might dive in a little deeper. It’s form factor never really appealed to me so avoided getting in to deep to exploring it. Folks do talk highly of it though which is always a good sign!
The Toraiz is like the control hub of a space ship. It’s sooo nice to work with something that has that surface and space. Blackbox is tiny in comparison (with most, actually). So that’s more like a micro computer and the Toraiz is like a big f*****g arcade machine for making music.
But having said that, I no longer have the Toraiz and I’ve written several EP:s on the Blackbox, and I remain committed to it.
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Oh this place…. Just seen a decent used deal (in the UK) and pulled the trigger on one-coming tomorrow. Little bit impulsive but hopefully at £650 I won’t lose out to much if I need to sell it. If it works I might well move on the TR8S but we’ll see…
I‘ll no doubt be back for some tips once it arrives!! Hopefully it hits the spot!!
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My SP-16 arrived today and I’ve had it out of the box for about 20 minutes. First impressions are that it looks and feels great, it’s built like a tank, the touchscreen looks good and is responsive, and the demo projects sound really good and demonstrate the inherent value of a proper “song mode”.
Good start, just need to update the firmware and get some of my own samples on there and start a project from scratch.
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If don’t like the way the SP-16 changes the pitch of a sample for sequencing bass or melodic parts, you can always record bassline or melodic loops into it directly. It handle loops pretty well.
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Probably not what you want to hear but it’s worth learning the MPC workflow. It’s super logical (sequences are composed of tracks and tracks control programs) and it’s a system which has been in use for decades so there’s plenty of info available. The lovely thing about the MPC workflow is that you can make it work however you want, there’s no one way of doing things. You find a way that works for you and make it your own.
Not the easiest things to sell. No one knows what they are. And anyone who searches for “Pioneer” is probably looking for a mixer or CDJ. I’ve seen “Toraiz” sit on CL for months. Just sayin…may just want to commit to a long term relationship with it 