Pioneer DJ Intros TORAIZ SQUID 16-Track Hardware Sequencer

Pioneer DJ has introduced the TORAIZ SQUID – a new 16-track hardware sequencer.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“The SQUID will control your workflow and give you the chance to develop new styles of music as you create unique sequence patterns and phrases at the touch of a button.

Connect, sync and simultaneously control up to 16 instruments via its multiple input/outputs. The terminals are compatible with various equipment, from your DAW and hardware instruments to modular synths, vintage synthesizers and drum machines.

Perfect for on-the-fly music production, the layout and controls are effortless to navigate so your ideas will come to life the moment inspiration strikes. This production tool enables you to randomize sounds, sequences, and drums – all in key. Access endless polyrhythmic-looping options and instantly change the playback direction and speeds.

With the world-first Groove Bend feature, you’ll really feel the groove as you generate original rhythms in real time. And by controlling everything in one place, you can focus on developing phrases.”

Connectivity options include USB/DIN MIDI, CV Gate, analog clock sync in/out & DIN Sync.

TORAIZ SQUID Video Demo:

SQUID is expected to be available by the end of April 2019, with a street price of about $599. See the Pioneer DJ site for more info.

40 thoughts on “Pioneer DJ Intros TORAIZ SQUID 16-Track Hardware Sequencer

  1. emergency meeting in hamamatsu: “this should have been our missing aira sequencer!”
    i´m not interested due to the lack of internal sounds. force workflow is better also.
    rip pyramid.

    1. Yup, when I saw Pioneer I assumed it would be over $1000 but $600 is interesting and you know it will have good build quality/after sales support.

  2. Damn, I use a digitakt right now mostly for sequencing multiple synths via midi. This seems much more live friendly and the price point looks OK too. Very curious to see the software integration. If I can easily arrange sequences on my DAW and then drag and drop for performing live with SQUID, I think this might be a serious contender. I’m interesting in learning more for sure.

    1. i disagree about the price. for $100 more, you can get a fully featured sampler that sequences half as much gear (digitakt), or the squarp which sequences 5000+ steps on 64 tracks. a big company like pioneer should be able to bring this in for $399.

      that said this does look easier to wrap one’s head around than the squarp.

          1. Not everyone needs a sampler though? For those that have on Octatrack you wouldn’t necessarily bother with a Digitakt unless you needed a sequencer. As a sequencer this is far better.

  3. Damn this looks beautiful! I love it already! Even though I’m an SP16 owner. Don’t get me wrong the SP16 is my favorite sampler BUT it still needs lots of features to be as good as it could be. The workflow is easy and quick though some basic things still missing. Anyway I’m sure they won’t repeat this mistake with the squid, will they?

    Dear Pioneer,

    in case you’re unaware: your reputation depends on what you do with the SP16. Give it a big fat update, fix your reputation in the musician’s community and you’ll sell more of any musical product in the future.

    1. Yeah, the Toriaz was like the easiest and funnest sampler I’ve ever had. =Had the simplicity of an SP 404 but some feature that took it closer to an MPC. But it was dead in the middle and lacked those things to make it an all out great sampler. To this day i think about getting another with an MPC live on my desk.

    2. This has many of the things that aren’t in the SP-16. Nice that they sold the SP-16 as a crowd funding source to this product. Except you don’t get this product. Eh, I’ll bet this has gobs of holes in it too. The SP-16 has such a limited MIDI implementation. MIDI is it’s worst attribute. So far all we see is the nice marketing. I’ll be watching from the sidelines. Saying a product will be the master controller to your entire set, is crazy. Let’s see if they can make the SP-16 follow this midi sync. But I’m just bitter. Maybe this one is the chosen one.

    1. TORAIZ /TOR-ASS/ preposition – not having the ability to sync to CDJ’s, also lacks ability to program on unit A at home and play out with unit B at the club.

  4. After a closer look on their site etc I’m gonna change this from interesting to essential. If the OS is stable and bug-free this could become the SL-1200 of MIDI that so many of us have dreamed of. Having gone through the manual I see nothing I’d want to change right now, and that’s saying a lot.

    It’ll be really interesting to see the different combos people make with this. A lot of people will just pair it with Reason or Ableton, or Omnisphere. Others will hook it up with their favorite ROMplers, though some might stagger under a heavy MIDI load. I can see this in everything from minimal acid/industrial to film scoring.

    1. Film scoring? With 4 bar patterns? It is yet question if it could record midi notes from midi in. SP-16 cannot and initial research of user manual of this thing tells me that we have the same story here. If you need good midi sequencer, look for Pyramid.

      1. According to the manual it looks like you can have 64 step patterns with basic track division but I don’t see anything about pattern changes or a song mode.

      2. hey but on page 132

        heading: Rec Channel

        Setting value: Disable, MIDI Ch.All*, MIDI Ch.1 to MIDI Ch.16, USB Ch.All, USB Ch.1 to USB Ch.16.
        Set the terminal and the channel receiving MIDI messages.
        • Disable: MIDI messages are not received
        • MIDI Ch: Set the channel receiving with the [MIDI IN] terminal. • USB Ch: Set the channel receiving with the [USB] terminal.

        strongly implies it can record midi from USB and 5 pin DIN

  5. Obviously inspired by the Medusa.. But it looks cool and more like honoring the idea instead of cloning it

    Price is right, im interested

    Now just need that money money money…. Monaaaay

  6. As a owner of the Toraiz I have to agree with all the complaints regarding a needed update for the Toraiz.
    I also think Pioneer could easily fix their reputation in the musician’s community with a major 2.0 update, featuring
    most the needed features this machine deserves to be be a professional sampler.

    The TORAIZ SQUID 16-Track looks interesting, but right now I don´t feel like I would want to support Pioneer with
    buying any of their new products.

    Otherwise the release of the SQUID makes me hope a bit more that there will be a major update for the Toraiz soon, Fingers crossed 😉

  7. Genuine wow at some of these novel features. Speed modulation and ‘groove bend’ bits… that you can capture? Wow. Interpolation of pitch/vel/cc with up to 5 anchors for interpolation? Wow. Time warp? Wow.

    As Digitakt owner, there’s a lot to love here as a straight up MIDI sequencer. DT MIDI still wins out on some things (higher PPQ for microtiming, trig conditions, more CCs per track, MIDI LFO… all come to mind) but damn.

    1. It took way way way too fucking long for people to take the groovebox idea seriously… This device in particular signals the time has finally come… But yeh.. 20 years since RM1X??

      cmon man….

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