Monthly Archives: April 2019

Meet the SQUID: Pioneer’s new multitrack sequencer

From Pioneer US HQ in TORRANCE, CA, April 24, 2019:

Take control of your workflow and make new styles of music with the SQUIDTM. Named for the blend of functionality and creative stimulation it offers, the SQUID (SeQUencer Inspirational Device) is a brand-new multitrack sequencer in Pioneer’s TORAIZTM series of musical instruments and production gear. Connect all your instruments to use the SQUID as the heartbeat of your studio and live setup, and get hands-on with innovative features never seen before on this kind of equipment.

It’s easy to start making unique sequence patterns and phrases as soon as you hook the SQUID up to your instruments. The layout of the controls is optimized so you can effortlessly bring your ideas to life whenever inspiration strikes, and the workflow is perfect for on-the-fly music production. All this means you can spend less time looking at the unit’s display and more time creating music.

With the first Groove Bend feature ever seen on a production tool,1you can really feel the groove and generate original rhythms in real time by simply moving the spring-loaded slider to change the trigger timing. UseRunning Direction to create different phrases by changing the playback direction of sequence patterns you’ve programmed on the 16 pads and fluctuate the playback speed of sequenceswhenever you want using Speed Modulation.All of these features contribute to a fresh, nonlinear way of making music that breeds creativity and helps you stumble across things that sound great.

When you’ve created a phrase you love, you can use the SQUID Manager to back it up, along with all your projects. SQUID Manager is a free dedicated application that enables you to quickly import/export sequence patternsbetween the SQUID and a PC/Mac.

Reaching out into your setup, the SQUID simultaneously controls up to 16 instruments with its master pulse. It keeps everything in sync, from your DAW to hardware instruments such as the TORAIZ AS-1 monophonic analog synthesizer and the TORAIZ SP-16 professional sampler. You can even run modular synths and vintage drum machines/synths seamlessly alongside your other kit.

The SQUID fits perfectly into any studio or live music environment and helps you turn your ideas into music. It’s the third product in the TORAIZ series, which offers inspiring tools with unique features you can easily use to create new sounds.

The TORAIZ SQUID will be available from end of April at an MAP of $599.

Watch the SQUID introduction video or, for a detailed look at each unique feature, watch our walk-through video. Find out more about the SQUID he­­re.

Download Information

To use SQUID Manager, you’ll need to update to the latest firmware (ver. 1.10).

Download link:http://bit.ly/2vblHDm

KEY FEATURES OF THE TORAIZ SQUID

  1. Step Edit section for intuitively creating sequence patterns

Have fun creating phrases by tapping the 16 multicolored LED rubber pads. Set step parameters and play in real time as if the pads were keys on a keyboard, combining various sequence functions such as Interpolation and Harmonizer to help build your sounds.

  • 16 multicolored LED pads for enabling various features

Instantly switch between features using the SQUID’s 16 multicolored LED rubber pads, which are linked to independent modes. Use Trigger mode to step-record sequence patterns, and transpose your patterns on the fly with Transpose mode. Scale mode enables you to play scales with the 16 pads as if you were playing a keyboard and you can add nuanced expression to your performances by varying the strength of your keystrokes, thanks to the high-precision velocity detection. Using Scale mode, you can also record dynamic performances in real time.

  • Interpolation:instantly make a phrase

Use Interpolation to arrange phrases. Set each parameter (Pitch, Gate, and Velocity) for the beginning, middle, and the end of the steps, and the SQUID automatically interpolates (supplements) parameters for the steps in between them. Without needing to set the parameters of each step individually, you can quickly set the pitch and dynamics of the sound and create a phrase while the idea is fresh in your mind.

  • Harmonizer: intuitively create evolving phrases

If you want inspiration for chords, Harmonizer enables you to play them easily by hitting the Harmonizer buttons with the Pitch value set on each step parameter as the root note. Up to six chords can be assigned to the Harmonizer buttons. You can record chord compositions into steps and record real-time performances with the Harmonizer buttons, so you can intuitively create evolving phrases.

  1. Phrase arrangement section for rearranging sequence patterns in real time

Use Running Direction, Speed Modulation, and Groove Bend to further rearrange phrases you’ve created in the Step Edit section. Each feature has an optimized user interface so you can intuitively try out ideas as they spring to mind.

  • Speed Modulation: create unique grooves by fluctuating playback speed of sequence patterns

Periodically increase and decrease the playback speed of a sequence to create unique grooves. You can switch between six waveform shapes, such as triangle and sawtooth, and adjust the rate and amount.

  • Running Direction: easily create new phrases

You can easily create multiple new phrases from one sequence pattern by changing its playback direction on the 16 pads. Try the Zigzag or Clockwise directions, which take advantage of the SQUID’s 4 x 4 pads – a unique feature never seen on a general sequencer before. By combining Reverse, Switch Back, and Flip with the six different Running Directions, you can try out 48 different playback directions and create a variety of different phrases.

  • Groove Bend: change trigger timing in real time

In addition toSwing,which automatically delays trigger timing to create grooves, the SQUID features GrooveBend – the first-ever function on a sequencer to change trigger timing in real time via a slider. This enables you to create grooves as if you’re playing a musical instrument by simply moving the spring-loaded slider.

  1. Time Warp: save your “happy accidents”

Never lose the phrases you make incidentally when you’re trying things out. Use Time Warp to audition the previous phrase you created and save it as a new sequence pattern if you like it. There’s no need to stress over the workflow of practicing and recording take after take. Instead, feel free to just play around until you hear something you love, then capture it for use in a track or performance.

  1. Multiple inputs/outputs: sync with various instruments

In addition to a USB B terminal and Midi terminals for your DAW and hardware synthesizers, you can sync and play with modular synthesizers using the two sets of CV/GATE outputs and CLOCK input/output terminals. DIN SYNC input/output terminals enable syncing with vintage synthesizers and drum machines. Various signals including notes and clocks are mutually converted inside the SQUID automatically, so you can easily expand your creative scope just by adding the SQUID to your current setup.

  1. Import/export sequence patterns via PC/Mac

Using the SQUID’s dedicated SQUID Manager, you can quickly import and export sequence patterns between the SQUID and your PC/Mac. Easily import a sequence pattern created on your DAW to the SQUID, intuitively arrange it using the sequencer’s features, and return it to your DAW. Use SQUID Manager to back up the projects you create on the SQUID by saving them to your PC/Mac.

1 First slider-operated trigger timing feature in the music production category (according to research conducted by Pioneer DJ Corporation, as of April 18,2019).

 

TORAIZ SQUID Specifications

Maximum number of tracks 16 tracks
Maximum number of patterns per track 64 patterns
Maximum number of steps per track 64 steps
Step resolution Quarter note, Eighth note, Sixteenth note, Twenty-fourth note, Thirty-second note
Maximum number of notes per step (polyphony) 8 notes
Maximum number of projects 128 projects
Input / Output Terminals MIDI MIDI IN
MIDI OUT 1

MIDI THRU / OUT 2

USB USB (Type B)
CV / GATE CV OUT 1, CV OUT 2 (V/Oct, Hz/V)

GATE OUT 1, GATE OUT 2 (V-Trigger, S-Trigger)

CLOCK CLOCK IN (step, 1, 2, 4, 24, 48ppqn, Gate)

CLOCK OUT (1, 2, 4, 24, 48ppqn)

DIN SYNC DIN SYNC IN / OUT 2 (24, 48ppqn)

DIN SYNC OUT 1 (24, 48ppqn)

Maximum dimensions (W x D x H) 374.8 × 223.9 × 72.1 mm / 14.8” x 8.8” x 2.8”
Weight 1.9 kg / 4.2 lb
Accessories AC adaptor, Power cord, Quick Start Guide

 

SQUID Manager Requirements

Mac macOS Mojave 10.14 (Updated to the latest version)

macOS High Sierra 10.13 (Updated to the latest version)
macOS Sierra 10.12 (Updated to the latest version)

Windows Windows® 10, 8.1, 7 (The latest service pack)
CPU Intel® processor Core™ i7, i5, i3
Memory 4GB or more

* Disclaimer: specifications and price are subject to change.

* TORAIZ is a registered trademark or trademark of Pioneer DJ Corporation, Japan and United States, and other countries.

* SQUID is a trademark of Pioneer DJ Corporation, Japan and United States, and other countries.

* Mac, OS X and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

*Windows is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

* Intel and Intel Core are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

* The names of companies, product names, and technology names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

The REAL job of DJing

By DJ Rachel Lynch

With technology at the forefront of our industry, the term “button-pusher” DJ has become quite the buzzword. While some may feel that technology has cheapened the art of being a DJ, I say being a button pusher has little to do with using the sync button or available technology. What separates a button-pusher DJ from a great DJ is understanding the “why” behind pushing play.

Music is an extremely personal and powerful thing. It is how we communicate, reminisce, pay tribute, cope, grieve, show love, have fun and connect with others. Humans are naturally social creatures, and our purpose as a DJ is to create meaningful interactions that link these experiences. Truthfully, our job has more to do with being a social scientist than being a DJ. Fundamentally, we aren’t in the business of music; we are in the business of people. This is true for sales, marketing, and our dancefloor.

In our search to become a “great DJ,” we often focus on gear, technology, scratching, and software. However, hype dancefloors and amazing parties are not created by just dropping bangers, mixing by ear or infusing technical scratch patterns into our sets. They are created by intelligently and consciously using tempo, volume, timing, mood, and social science to entice the audience.

The goal? Create a shared experience: Understanding why and how people are influenced by sound is what is going to set you apart from the button pushers. A successful event is not just about what you played; it’s about why you played it. The purpose of this piece is to encourage DJs to be more conscious of their music soundscapes and changeup predicable formula driven sets.

It has been scientifically proven that music can change how fast we walk, influence what we buy or drink, dictate how long we hang around, alter our general attitude, and how we interact in groups. When a DJ is conscious of how their soundscape is affecting the emotional and physical actions of their audience they have tapped into the social science of being a DJ. Some may call it “reading a crowd,” but it is much deeper than that. You may look at the audience and gauge what to play based on their age, gender, or common stereotypes, but this is only scratching the surface to creating a compelling set.

A skill I developed to be more influential with music is to focus less on recipe based elements of mixing like BPM, key signature, and genre and focus more on creating anticipation with the mood and overall vibe of my track selection. A song might technically fit the current style being played or blend well with the BPM and key signature, but the spirit can be entirely off base and trash the dancefloor.

Experienced DJs will not just stick to technically compatible songs in their sets but will rather focus on influencing what the audience will do and feel. Does this song sound aggressive? Soulful? Happy? Romantic? Sad? Sexual? Is this making it easier to socialize? Will people feel energized by hearing this?

This strategy is about creating thoughtful arcs of energy. I have found greater success in pushing and pulling my audience by motivating with mood instead of being locked into recipe-like based elements such as BPM, key signature, and genre. I’m not dismissing these fundamentals but rather permitting myself to deviate from technically based sets to be more unique and creative.

Being a button pusher DJ is not defined with or without the use of the sync button. It’s about the ability to adapt, observe and yes, understand the social psychology of your audience. Ultimately this is why great DJs will not be replaced by streaming apps or “intelligent” automix programs anytime soon. There are too many considerations that artificial intelligence isn’t capable of processing.

Good DJs are experts of empathy. The next time you play, do so with purpose, intent, and temptation.

Fun, creative, and ambitious, DJ Rachel is making her mark as one of the top mobile DJs in the tri-state area. Her diversity as a DJ allows her to play at events that include MetLife Stadium (for the New York Jets) and serve as opening act for George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic and Gloria Gaynor. For more info visit: facebook.com/DJRachelRLynch

Drip, Drip, Drip…

By Eric Wenning

I hoping I have your attention now, considering that my title sounds like the chorus of a Trap Song!

Do you have a proper Email Drip Delay Sequence setup for your follow ups? Did you just scratch your head, asking “What is an Email Drip Delay Sequence?”

I thought you’d never ask!

An Email Drip Delay Sequence is an automated series of emails sent out over a series of specific days to help gradually build rapport with your leads. For example, after speaking with a lead, you would enter their info into an email sequence that will automatically follow up with them on the days you select, for example on days 3, 5, 7, etc.

You get the idea.

This is crucial nowadays with Millennials loving to email and text, and allows you to build trust by providing a steady drip of information to guide them towards choosing your company — without doing any work, other than your initial setup of the sequence!

As I teach my students all the time: You have to be creative with your copy to gain their attention. Even more importantly is the subject line! Most DJs have no clue how to use something as simple as a compelling subject line to get a better open rate.

Here are a few examples to help you: 

  • Adding Custom Symbols, First Names and Hashtags
  • Adding Emojis to your Subject Line
  • Adding ‘Blank Space’ before your Subject Line provides an indent
  • [Adding Brackets]
  • Ask a Question?

Just think how many junk emails you get in one day. More than you can count right? You need to make your emails stand out from everything else. Get creative; give crazy weird stats to pique curiosity; engage with them to build report.

“Did you know 67% of Brides forget Deodorant on their Wedding Day?” See, now I have you curious wondering if that many Brides actually are “un-Sure.”

If you want to increase your closing ratio, set up an email drip delay and execute better subject lines to get your prospects to open your emails and engage with you more.

P.S. 89% of people that read a 400-word article only retain 150 words!

In addition to his highly successful multi-op business in Pittsburgh, PA, Eric has degrees in Graphic Design and Marketing and also owns a full ad agency that specializes in Social Media Advertising for many different types of companies. For more info or to contact Eric visit www.wenningmethod.com

Never Let Them See You Sweat

By Mike Walter

There was a very popular ad campaign for Dry Idea when I was a kid.  If you’re my age or older you probably remember it.  It featured a number of people from various professions talking about the “nevers” in their career and they always ended with: “never let ‘em see you sweat.”  One, for example, was a stand-up comic who said the nevers in comedy were, “never follow a better comedian, never give a heckler the last word and, no matter how bad a joke bombs, never let ‘em see you sweat.” I grew up with that as a mantra and it’s stuck with me to this day.

I thought about that message twice in the same day recently.  Alex Trebek, he of Jeopardy fame, made a video to get the word out that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.  Trebek, who any public speaker has to admire for his polish, professionalism, and incredible pronunciation skills, produced a video that is equal parts uplifting and humorous.  He declares that he believes he will beat cancer, finishing with the idea that he has to, because he still has three years left on his contract.  It reminded me of the old Henny Youngman line about his doctor giving him six months to live but when he couldn’t pay his medical bill he gave him six more months (ba dum bum).  Trebek, no doubt, is reeling inside from the news.  At 78, he should have many years in front of him, but who knows now.  Pancreatic cancer is a tough one.  But instead of looking scared or forlorn, the video shows him focused and determined. He is the quintessential professional, as he’s been his entire career, and no matter what deodorant he uses (do they even make Dry Idea anymore?) he has channeled that decades-old ad campaign.

The same day Trebek made his announcement, R Kelly was interviewed on CBS by Gayle King.    The interview didn’t reveal anything new (Kelly vehemently denies the allegations that are so thoroughly laid out in the documentary Surviving R Kelly) but the interview made news for King’s grace under pressure.  Indeed, there is one image (that became an instant meme) of Kelly standing up and screaming while King sits in her chair calmly, not even looking at him.  If you look up “grace under pressure,” you should see that picture.

How does one maintain such poise? How does someone faced with the worse possible diagnosis make a video that is so uplifting?

Surely, experience is a factor. It’s doubtful that Trebek or King could have been so controlled in their first few years of broadcasting. Preparation has something to do with it as well.  We don’t know how long Trebek prepared for his video.  He might have taken days to get all the sobbing out before he hit record. And, no doubt, King knew that Kelly may explode when confronted with the disgusting allegations from the documentary, so she was ready for it.

However they did it, as a fellow public speaker, I admired both moments.  Things happen at my events that pale in comparison to what Trebek and King were dealing with, yet I often get flustered.  I often react one way and then moments later think of a better way to handle things.  How can I channel both of these professionals the next time I’m faced with something like a wedding cake toppling over or two bridesmaids getting into a fight on the dance floor?  I want to be as polished and smooth and I believe that awareness is a big factor.  Knowing how high the bar is set helps one jump higher.

I was in my teens when I first heard the catch phrase: “Never let ‘em see you sweat.”  It comes up often in any performance job because things happen spontaneously.  We can only hope to handle them as well as Alex Trebek and Gayle King did on that same day in early March of 2019.  We should set our sights at being as unflappable as they both appeared, hopefully we can get close to it.  That’s my goal anyway.

Do DJs Own Their Mixes?

By Tony Fernandez

It’s a Tuesday, you and a group of DJ colleagues are over the house in the man cave or she-shed doing what DJs do: talking shop, talking music and getting on the set,  goofing off and working out mixes. Let’s say you do some dazzling, death defying mix that makes every DJ in the room go “OOOOH”!!!  Dope selection. Dope segue.  Executed to perfection. It was a good night.

Fast forward to two weeks later, your gig is done, it’s early, you stop off to go check out one of your buddies who’s spinning not too far away and… you hear the SAME mix you did.

The way I see it, there are two ways you can react to this…

1) Wow! That’s cool!  Mix sounds great on a large system and people are digging the vibe on the dance floor.  Glad to see it works in action!

Or…

2) That lousy mother trucker stole my idea! What a Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins!!!

I can barely put into words how low, vile, despicable, lazy and downright uncouth it is to take other people’s work and pass it off as your own.  It’s stealing, no question.  Just because there is nothing tangible being taken, doesn’t mean it isn’t stealing. The disgust factor in DJ world is exponentially higher because not only are you taking something that you didn’t create; you’re passing it off as if you created it.  What a philistine.

Now while I wholeheartedly agree that it is verboten to take another DJ’s “work” and pass it off as your own, do DJs “own” or have the right to claim dominion over a mix/segue? To be succinct: No. DJs do not have ownership over a blend they create. No matter how original. It is of my opinion that the concept of “I own that mix” / “that’s my mix” borders on lunacy.

To put a finer point on it, I am referring to mixes, as in mixing from one song into another.  Routines that DJs and turntablists create for shows and competitions are completely different.  I do believe those routines are intrinsically attached to the DJ performing them. Jazzy Jeff, AM, A-Track, Q-bert, etc. — these DJs have an associated  sound and style.  They have taken certain records and incorporated them in such a manor that those mixes have been linked to them.  I get that. I’m on board with that.  BUT DJs saying “That’s my mix”… not so much.

Do you really think you’re the ONLY DJ on the face of the planet to figure out Song A goes with Song B REALLY well?  While someone has to be the first to figure it out, do you think that someone is you? Let’s say it is you, you’re the first. Now what?  You can’t copyright it, nor can you trademark it.  So what exactly is “yours?”  It’s a mix.

I’m not trying to kill any creative vibe.  Nor am I trying to give a pass to those DJs who’s idea of being creative is looking up some DJ’s set from SoundCloud and copying it verbatim. To those DJs who can’t come up with original concepts, I’ve got three words for you: practice, practice, practice. To those DJs who are pushing the envelope and coming up with innovative ways to present music to the masses, please continue doing what you do. You’re an inspiration.

To those DJs who fall under the category of ‘even a blind squirrel finds a nut’ take a step back, calm down and look at the big picture. Be fluid.  Be open-minded.  That dope mix you tripped across is going to be viable for maybe 4-6 weeks.  If you’re doing your job right, you are CONSTANTLY looking for dope tracks that work every week.  So don’t get hung up on one mix or ‘this is my idea.’  What works this week for this event is not guaranteed to work for the next one.

Come down off the pedestal. Besides, if other DJs are “taking” ideas from you, you’re doing something right!

Keep ‘em spinning.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on Facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com