PIONEER DJ Toraiz Squid £519/$599
Pioneer DJ already dominates the DJ booth with its range of CDJ players and DJM mixers and in 2016, the company turned its attention to a more musical range of devices aimed at live electronic-music performance and studio use – the Toraiz range. Launching with the SP-16 sampler and AS-1 synth, Pioneer DJ has now unveiled its most unique device to date, a multi-track sequencer capable of controlling 16 instruments.
Joining an ever-expanding world of DAW-less jamming, live electronic-music performance and an eagerness for producers to close the laptop, the Squid fills a similar space to performance sequencers such as Arturia’s BeatStep Pro.
Opening the box, you’re greeted by a familiar-looking layout of pads and controls on the surface, but unlike other hardware sequencers, the Squid packs in many more features and creative control options. Let’s be clear here though, the Squid doesn’t make any noise. In a world where new hardware synths, modules and plug-ins are being
