Pioneer entering the groovebox/sequencer game

[Dubba Dutchdj]

 

 

Production wise I only dabble, so I wouldn't be surprised if theres a ton of reasons why this thing aint gonna cut the mustard. But personally speaking Im interested in anything that makes live production a user friendly experience, considering the target market there should be enfaces towards that as well as handy live performance features.

Blatantly gonna be overpriced but with Dave Smith filters, no computer, pioneer build and sound my interest is peaked.

 

Ps - As a tech fan boy I really like Pioneer Dj under there new ownership, long gone are the days where there dj line resembled unimaginative bulky hi fi kit. Even if your not interested in there products, Pio's bulging product line is getting more rounded by the month, the ripple effect across the industry is jus the kick up arse competing manufacturers need to make us more interesting competitively priced gadgets.

[DJ Rock Well]

Alledgedly coming out at £1279. I'm really curious to know wether this is going to be an alternative to things like the last hardware MPCs or just a dumbed down bunch of buttons to push during a DJ set. Which it is really affects the value of it's price point.

[Dubba Dutchdj]

wether this is going to be an alternative to things like the last hardware MPCs or just a dumbed down bunch of buttons to push during a DJ set.

 

 

Considering Pio have the existing DSP tech in other hardware you'd think it would be a no brainer for them to add the necessary effects to make this a one stop production box. On the flip side I really wouldn't be surprised if this is jus geared towards straight up EDM production. Looks interesting anyway

[Guest Symatic]

all the stuff with screens on it makes me wish there was some sort of standardized screen or tablet size and geometry that meant you could have devices that all had a kind of caddy or bay that accepted the standard tablet device and used it as the brain and screen of the hardware. it seems like we're making an awful lot of screens to do the same stuff on different devices.

 

a tablet computer can replace an entire studio of the past, computer-wise, but having a tactile interface is what's important, but why keep building more screens and computers?

 

mind you , this would probably mean a very bland future, apple-tastic

[Dubba Dutchdj]

Yeah I've had similar thoughts with dj gear. Be cool to have an app for your phone or tablet that you could display waveforms and browser.

[Mutis Mayfield]

all the stuff with screens on it makes me wish there was some sort of standardized screen or tablet size and geometry that meant you could have devices that all had a kind of caddy or bay that accepted the standard tablet device and used it as the brain and screen of the hardware. it seems like we're making an awful lot of screens to do the same stuff on different devices.

 

a tablet computer can replace an entire studio of the past, computer-wise, but having a tactile interface is what's important, but why keep building more screens and computers?

 

mind you , this would probably mean a very bland future, apple-tastic

Like docks?

[danswift]

Real instruments, Hardware samplers,turntables and a mixing desk then it can be mastered to any format you like.. thats always been the best

approach for me,personally I couldnt use a computer in any shape or form to make music with ..dont get me wrong I have tried and I totally appreciate the fact many musicians make very good music that way,but I just cant do it and I doubt id ever change ..it does sound like it could be a great idea from Pioneer though from the video tbh and the layout looks really cool like an mpc mixed with a 808 for step sequencing ,and the filters look good fun also....oh shit !whats the retail price lol

[Guest Symatic]

kinda like docks yeah ^^^^

 

but rather than having a dock that only fits one device (like the ipad-mini dock you can get that is a beefy audio interface also) they should be standardized sizes and connections so you can just bang a computerized screen of whatever brand in there and get on with your creativity

 

instead we're going down the path of millions of different standards all by differnt manufacturers that will all end up junked in 10 years....

[Mutis Mayfield]

I wasn't sure if I understand you

 

The thing is with new ipad pro mini model apple released a new lighting to usb adaptor (like the old camera connection kit) but with a nice add: battery charge. See details at...

 

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2016/03/tested-apple-finally-lets-you-charge-and-use-usb-on-ipad/

 

The point is any lighting iOS device (from ipad mini 1/ ipad 4/ iphone 5 and above) could use any class compliant soundcard/controller from akai eie (red one) or novation audiohub to make your own setup. This include NI audio6/10 and every cappable gear suitabel for an update (maybe F1 or D2) on and on. Then it is only a matter of taste, if you are brave to try or if you prefer standalone units like the pioneer one.

[Guest petesasqwax]

Real instruments, Hardware samplers,turntables and a mixing desk then it can be mastered to any format you like.. thats always been the best

approach for me,personally I couldnt use a computer in any shape or form to make music with ..dont get me wrong I have tried and I totally appreciate the fact many musicians make very good music that way,but I just cant do it and I doubt id ever change ..it does sound like it could be a great idea from Pioneer though from the video tbh and the layout looks really cool like an mpc mixed with a 808 for step sequencing ,and the filters look good fun also....oh shit !whats the retail price lol

See, I'm kind of moving towards this angle these days too. Not completely, because I love working within Ableton and, since I don't have space for a drumkit nor the time to learn how to drum properly, am reliant upon playing drums via a USB controller (big shout to NI for Kontakt and Battery!), but I feel like I've gone as far as I can with in-the-box VST instruments and want to introduce the human element of playing live bass, live analogue synth and using guitar pedals for effects instead of using virtual ones. For £1279 you could get a fucking AWESOME setup for producing with real instruments... I got my PC, Minibrute, soundcard (sore point), bass, effects pedals etc. for that and if I had that sort of money to be buying more equipment I'd be tempted to go even further down the analogue route.

 

The one thing I love about music - and the thing I find hardest to replicate using virtual gear - is the "happy accident" stuff. You can call it "the human element" or whatever, too - the essence of random - where shit isn't on rails, but instead is free to go off into elements which don't cling to a grid (and I'm not saying just turn off the quantize )

 

Just my 2p

 

[Jam Burglar]

 

Real instruments, Hardware samplers,turntables and a mixing desk then it can be mastered to any format you like.. thats always been the best

approach for me,personally I couldnt use a computer in any shape or form to make music with ..dont get me wrong I have tried and I totally appreciate the fact many musicians make very good music that way,but I just cant do it and I doubt id ever change ..it does sound like it could be a great idea from Pioneer though from the video tbh and the layout looks really cool like an mpc mixed with a 808 for step sequencing ,and the filters look good fun also....oh shit !whats the retail price lol

See, I'm kind of moving towards this angle these days too. Not completely, because I love working within Ableton and, since I don't have space for a drumkit nor the time to learn how to drum properly, am reliant upon playing drums via a USB controller (big shout to NI for Kontakt and Battery!), but I feel like I've gone as far as I can with in-the-box VST instruments and want to introduce the human element of playing live bass, live analogue synth and using guitar pedals for effects instead of using virtual ones. For £1279 you could get a fucking AWESOME setup for producing with real instruments... I got my PC, Minibrute, soundcard (sore point), bass, effects pedals etc. for that and if I had that sort of money to be buying more equipment I'd be tempted to go even further down the analogue route.

 

The one thing I love about music - and the thing I find hardest to replicate using virtual gear - is the "happy accident" stuff. You can call it "the human element" or whatever, too - the essence of random - where shit isn't on rails, but instead is free to go off into elements which don't cling to a grid (and I'm not saying just turn off the quantize )

 

Just my 2p

 

 

 

I agree with the "happy accident" approach. It's really how scratching started anyway. The more gear I get, the more I get convinced that it's the nuances or "rules" of that particular piece of gear that make it fun.

 

Just picked up an Oberheim DX and it's super fun and easy to make beats with. I know I can get certain things out of it that I can't get with an MPC and vice versa. For example, with an MPC, I usually turn quantize and swing off to make drum loops. Every sample is going to fall where your hand tells it to. If I hit 2 high hats in about the same place I'll get doubled highhats. What you play is what you get. The Oberhiem, on the other hand, is fully set up for grid use. You can try to bang out beats freehand but the buttons are not all that great for that. But with that grid mentality in mind, if you hit two hi-hats in the same space, it will only register one, this makes off the cuff beat making a lot easier on the Oberheim than an MPC. You just run the loop and add the drum parts one after another. Even if you bang out the beat super sloppy when you're recording, everything get's snapped in and swing added on the next pass. So, it becomes really easy to lay down beats live, tweak them live, build on them, etc., and everything falls into place It's also got unique swing characteristics, pitch adjustments, etc.

 

Anyway, there are all these parameters set by the hardware and it's fun to be able to use those, and then push them to their limits to see what happens. The MPC has its own little set of rules. If you have a reverb tail on your sample it doesn't get cut off when the sequence loops or goes into another sequence. With a computer (at least the programs I've used) the loop is really just contained to your wave file so to get the same effect you'd get on an MPC every time you loop you have to start a new event (otherwise, that reverb tail or whatever gets cut off at the loop point). The Yamaha DX7 I picked up has its own operating nuances, as does the Controller 1, as does every guitar pedal I have, or rackmount effects unit, etc. etc. I like all that stuff because you tend to stumble on new things based on the rule-based operation of the equipment.

 

The computer, to me, is just like "meh". It's just wide open and meticulous to me. It's not helping me, and it's not restraining me, so I don't really feel like I'm involved with it. I use it to edit/chop wavs, and multi-track/mix and that's about it. I rarely use any built-in effects because (a) they don't seem to come off as cool and (b) I like to hear the effect in real time when I'm recording (maybe computers do that now, I don't know). I'm still fully old school in my DJ setup though so maybe I'd use the computer more if my sound sources stemmed from the computer. Currently all the sounds are coming off records, outboard gear, effects pedals, etc. and the computer is just recording it.

[DJ Rock Well]

Glad to here you got that DX in the end JB!

[DJ Rock Well]