For discussion about setting up your studio and advice on the gear and equipment within it.
By Jamon Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:38 pm
I hope the hardware doesn't ship October. Look at the Virtual, the first buyers are beta testers. It'll be the same with the hardware, but way more money involved. Don't rush this. If things go as they have, I'll get a Beat Thang at my door, and instantly recognize some major problem they could've fixed easily. But it'll be hardware. No second chances.

Even major names in the audio hardware market do this. You need to select your beta testers better, and spend more time polishing the product.
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By saintjoe Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:48 am
Jamon wrote:I hope the hardware doesn't ship October. Look at the Virtual, the first buyers are beta testers. It'll be the same with the hardware, but way more money involved. Don't rush this. If things go as they have, I'll get a Beat Thang at my door, and instantly recognize some major problem they could've fixed easily. But it'll be hardware. No second chances.

Even major names in the audio hardware market do this. You need to select your beta testers better, and spend more time polishing the product.



dude...anything you get will never be everything you want, it will always take more work, period.

just because it doesn't do everything you want, doesn't make it any less useful. Like you said, major vendors do it all the time, doesn't make their hardware any less usable...just not everything it could be.

because guess what...even if you and I beta test...there will be stuff we miss as well, just based on how we work.

I'm ready for it, i'm giving my suggestions on the software hoping it makes it way into the hardware
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By dj e.d.e Sat Aug 22, 2009 4:03 am
do the people who listen to that music that comes off that come with it too?

i got toy's for my kids that have better colors then that .
By Jamon Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:02 am
I'm not talking features, or workflow, most of that is software, and once someone unlocks that beast anyone can program it however they want. Then it can do exactly what you want.

But the hardware might be flawed, which will greatly limit what can be done with the software. We are kept in the dark about the details, so none of us know what to really expect.

You don't seem to care, and most of the others don't either, because you're all blinded by the glitz. That might make the Kangz a lot of money, but it won't give us better tools.

"The functions are great but it's THA SOUNDS that got them geeked about it!"

Am I the only one who doesn't care at all about the sounds? Why would I want to pay $1k for a box that plays premade beats? I could copy them to a MP3 player and do it on the cheap.

It's the tool that matters, and so far it's basic, buggy, and incomplete. That may change someday, but this stuff takes time. The coders can't be expected to bake that in a month.

This is what the Thang is all about now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iuetNfOaUU

Why should anyone judge a sampler/sequencer based on how it sounds? They have no sounds. It's not a guitar, it's a hammer. You need your own plans and nails to build your house.

This is the kind of stuff that makes me think there could be flaws in the hardware design. It might be perfect, blowing the MPC away in all regards, but it's difficult to know with no facts.

They should expose more for the "techs". Show more behind the scenes of the details, not just flashing lights and famous people saying it's "off the hook" without even trying it.

Aren't there other people out there interested in this machine for more than just premade sounds and basic boom clap recording adding some FX here and there?

If there are, they must feel left out. The Beat Thang marketing is so targeted it excludes everyone who isn't thick into hip-hop culture. Is that enough people to sustain a business?
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By inflict3 Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:43 am
saintjoe wrote:
Jamon wrote:I hope the hardware doesn't ship October. Look at the Virtual, the first buyers are beta testers. It'll be the same with the hardware, but way more money involved. Don't rush this. If things go as they have, I'll get a Beat Thang at my door, and instantly recognize some major problem they could've fixed easily. But it'll be hardware. No second chances.

Even major names in the audio hardware market do this. You need to select your beta testers better, and spend more time polishing the product.



dude...anything you get will never be everything you want, it will always take more work, period.

just because it doesn't do everything you want, doesn't make it any less useful. Like you said, major vendors do it all the time, doesn't make their hardware any less usable...just not everything it could be.

because guess what...even if you and I beta test...there will be stuff we miss as well, just based on how we work.

I'm ready for it, i'm giving my suggestions on the software hoping it makes it way into the hardware


but saint joe, if you and i were beta testers we wouldnt miss anything, i mean i got bugged the fu#k out right from the start, and you confirmed,, I think we were born to test, im just at a stoping point till the update then i'll be back
By Automageddon Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:31 am
Jamon wrote:If there are, they must feel left out. The Beat Thang marketing is so targeted it excludes everyone who isn't thick into hip-hop culture. Is that enough people to sustain a business?


I agree 100%. I couldn't care less about hip hop, yet I'm really curious to try the virtual, so my biggest fear is that it will be so hip hop oriented that I will have to replace all the sounds before trying it out.
Plus I still don't like the fact that they are not saying anything about the full specification of the hardware or virtual either.
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By saintjoe Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:33 am
Jamon wrote:
You don't seem to care, and most of the others don't either, because you're all blinded by the glitz. That might make the Kangz a lot of money, but it won't give us better tools.


If there are, they must feel left out. The Beat Thang marketing is so targeted it excludes everyone who isn't thick into hip-hop culture. Is that enough people to sustain a business?


dude, you're buggin lol. How many products do you actually get the FULL tech specs and details on before it's even out? None. I don't care what you talkin...I'm not "blinded by all the glitz" I'm blinded by the tech specs they gave for the unit and want to see it delivered...

I don't care about "hip hop culture" lol...I just want a dope machine man...just because I'm not over here buggin out, pissin my pants and callin a piece of hardware wack that I haven't touch doesn't make me any less tech than you, or blinded

people always want to know more...even when the companies put out as much info as possible, guess what? You're still gonna wanna wait and hear from people who've actually used it, that's just how it goes.

akai put out tons of "tech specs" and "tech demos" for their units...but that did nothing for me, I look at the details of what it says it can do, and I bought the machine that looked like it would work for me, not from using it either...just based on my setup and what I knew I wanted to add to it.

the 4k had/has many "flaws" that many people run into, but for me and the way I work, none of them bothered me or hindered my creativity, many of them I never came across.

so you're saying it's is wack, but not the software because that can be worked out...even though you never touched the hardware? What is your conclusion based on? Only thing you've had contact with is the software....

All we can go off of right now is what the tech specs say, most of the issue is going to be with the software and how the operating system works...I don't see what really could be wrong with the hardware....it's the os that will determine the functions, that's why I'm reporting each and every little bug i find and every feature I'd like to see...if they add it to the software then it will basically be in the os of the hardware.
Last edited by saintjoe on Sat Aug 22, 2009 9:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By saintjoe Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:45 am
Jamon wrote:
This is what the Thang is all about now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iuetNfOaUU

Why should anyone judge a sampler/sequencer based on how it sounds? They have no sounds. It's not a guitar, it's a hammer. You need your own plans and nails to build your house.



lol dude you really buggin lol. Everyone is not going to use the machine the same way, I would think you'd know that by now. Many people buy drum machines or "beat machines" for the specific reason of playing over them. Maybe they could care less about the sampler...maybe they just need some beats and patterns to back them? That's the thing I'm saying man, we all work different so different things will stand out and different things will bug each of us.

It's not "just a sampler or sequencer" so yes, there will be some people who judge it based entirely on the sounds and patterns, that's their thing. I know I will be sampling with with, putting my own sounds in it, and using/tweaking the sounds it comes with.

I've already started bringing my own library in, I haven't touched the premade beats after first getting it just to get a demo of the sounds in the unit. I could care less about the beats in there.

sure there are features I'd like to see added, and I've let them know that...but I'm still able to use the software as it is.

so now you're judging the hardware based on the way one person is using the software? ???
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By saintjoe Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:51 am
inflict3 wrote:
but saint joe, if you and i were beta testers we wouldnt miss anything, i mean i got bugged the fu#k out right from the start, and you confirmed,, I think we were born to test, im just at a stoping point till the update then i'll be back


we wouldn't miss the things that hinder our specific workflow...just so happens we have some similar things we do..but we aren't everyone and we would no doubt miss something that other people may want, need, or use.

that's just how it is man, everyone uses things differently...

for example, the pitching of samples and such while making your track..it never crossed my mind until you asked me...because I never work that way lol...so that is something I would have missed for sure...but not you, because you do it all the time

that's all i'm saying.

sure we'd catch a lot of things that are common, but we'd also miss some other "common" things that we may not do or use.

pitching of samples during beatmaking proved to be a common function for many users after you brought it up, however personally it was not even on my radar...

that's just one example I'm saying...

we could beta test all day, and I think we'd do a great job, but I still t hink the real test will come when it hits the masses and various people begin to use it day to day and finding things that the want, need, and must have in the unit...that's when it starts growing and reaching it's full potential.

that's just my opinion on any piece of gear not just this "thang"
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By saintjoe Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:13 am
fobedafied wrote:so.... is buying a piece of gear the day it drops the wisest decision one could make?!?!? ??? :mrgreen:



hahaha, depends on the person.

sometimes it's coo, sometimes it isn't...

long as they don't start doing like akai and releasing fixes as a new machine we'll be good

if they do that then lol....
By jpeg Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:34 pm
Automageddon wrote:
Jamon wrote:If there are, they must feel left out. The Beat Thang marketing is so targeted it excludes everyone who isn't thick into hip-hop culture. Is that enough people to sustain a business?


I agree 100%. I couldn't care less about hip hop, yet I'm really curious to try the virtual, so my biggest fear is that it will be so hip hop oriented that I will have to replace all the sounds before trying it out.
Plus I still don't like the fact that they are not saying anything about the full specification of the hardware or virtual either.



so waht most of the other shit out b4 now was for techo or house heads all that mc505, roland stuff and the yamaha rs, su-700 none of the units was designed with hip hop heads in mind but dude was creative took the machine and molded into they style.

but if hip hop heads make something for the culture its a problem? if u dont like it cop something else done primarily it was made with hip hop in mind but im sure u can coax other sounds out of it.

funny how peeps is unaccpeting of hip hop heads making instruments for there culture and music but when the shoe is on the other foot we'll accept all of these stiff white dudes that listen to house, techno and all that shit making instruments but with no complaints alot of the sounds that come with machines are some bullshit electro sounds but we take it and learn to flip it intosomething we can use.
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By saintjoe Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:54 pm
jpeg wrote:
Automageddon wrote:
Jamon wrote:If there are, they must feel left out. The Beat Thang marketing is so targeted it excludes everyone who isn't thick into hip-hop culture. Is that enough people to sustain a business?


I agree 100%. I couldn't care less about hip hop, yet I'm really curious to try the virtual, so my biggest fear is that it will be so hip hop oriented that I will have to replace all the sounds before trying it out.
Plus I still don't like the fact that they are not saying anything about the full specification of the hardware or virtual either.



so waht most of the other **** out b4 now was for techo or house heads all that mc505, roland stuff and the yamaha rs, su-700 none of the units was designed with hip hop heads in mind but dude was creative took the machine and molded into they style.

but if hip hop heads make something for the culture its a problem? if u dont like it cop something else done primarily it was made with hip hop in mind but im sure u can coax other sounds out of it.

funny how peeps is unaccpeting of hip hop heads making instruments for there culture and music but when the shoe is on the other foot we'll accept all of these stiff white dudes that listen to house, techno and all that **** making instruments but with no complaints alot of the sounds that come with machines are some **** electro sounds but we take it and learn to flip it intosomething we can use.


real talk man...peeps throwin around stuff like "hip hop culture" and junk...

one does not need to be all caught up in hip hop culture to like this machine, but even if it is aimed at and optimized for hip hop music with the sounds in it, so what? It's a sampler lol...and I'm sure if you make a house beat with it dudes aint gonna be like "man, those are hip hop sounds dude" lol.

All that don't matter to me man.

I've been a fan since I saw them at namm, because it was dudes just like me, not simply because they are black, but because they are producers, beat makers, and musicians...that got together and created their own indy company and put together a product...something that we all could use...a new sampler/sequencer with features we've wanted and some we hadn't thought of.

that would be like any of us getting together and making our dream machine, I'm sure there would be others that would benifit. They didn't just make it cuz it's a hot market or whatever, they made it because they wanted something they could use themselves.

it's major to me, if that makes me a fanboy so be it lol.

I am, and I want to see their company explode

real talk yo.
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By LvngDead Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:18 pm
If you have faith in the company that's making the product, sure it's cool to buy it the first day.

A roger linn machine, or a high end Roland drum machine. I have good feelings about the beat thang. Seems like it will be really high quality.
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By dj e.d.e Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:14 pm
I bought the machine that looked like it would work for me, not from using it either...just based on my setup and what I knew I wanted to add to it.
exllent point...reallness