NEW BEATKANGZ

This isn't religion, there is no place for blind faith in a product. The specs exist, the first units have already been fabricated. They may tweak some things, but it's mostly set. This isn't like other manufacturers with a history. You're not pre-ordering a revision of the MPC you already own. It's a brand new device you've never touched.

The pads are velocity sensitive, but how many levels? I've seen '16', but that's the number of layers you can set to trigger different sounds on the same pad, right? Or is it really only 16 levels of sensitivity? What type of sensor tech are they using? These answers change how the pads respond, which is the center focus of a drum machine.

But most people seem to just use full levels anyways, so who cares about velocity resolution? Okay, how long does it take to boot? They never show that in the videos. Is it 10 seconds? 15? 30? Maybe it's 60, how are we supposed to know? But that's not that big of a deal, it's just one of the things you'll deal with daily so would be nice to know.

Does it have a fan? If they're using a low-speed processor it doesn't have to, it might be passively-cooled. But maybe they're using something that requires active cooling. Maybe it has a CPU fan, or maybe that's why there's "grillz" on the front. Maybe those are vents for airflow. Maybe there are fans in there, or maybe not, who knows?

Why do they have dual SD slots? 16GB each? Why? Why not a single SDHC slot so we can do the max 32GB on one card? Or why not dual SDHC so it's 64GB easily? How do we update the OS? How much space is there available in the flash ROM for it? Is the battery a standard laptop battery? Which model? Is it replaceable or soldered-in?

Is the LCD display LED or CCFL backlit? LED will use less power, giving you more battery time. It also isn't hazardous waste like CCFL. My MPC has a LCD display like you'll find in a calculator or watch. You know how those work in sunlight, better. They get easier to see in the sun. That means I can take my MPC500 anywhere, park, train, hiking, roof, and I can still see it. If it gets dark out, I can flip on the LED backlight. But the Beat Thang uses TFT, like a laptop. How is it in the sunlight? It might wash out really easily so the second you step outside you can't see a thing. That makes the battery less useful since you can only use it indoors. Bet you didn't think of that did you?

It's all these little things that add up and determine whether the product experience is pleasant or irritating. They matter, and people should know before buying. We'll know the answers the minute they start shipping. That makes the first adopters test subjects, and that's fine if everyone understands the risks involved. But no one can say anything until then. All the people saying how they're sure it'll be great are basing their judgment on nothing but marketing hype, a few specifications on paper, and videos that don't show much.

No one knows if it'll be great or garbage. Don't have blind faith, that's irrational. This isn't a cult, the President of Beat Kangz is a regular person like you. Just because he answered your email, and Akai doesn't, has nothing to do with whether the hardware will be enjoyable for you to use or not. You can say he's a nice guy, and you like what the Kangz represent, but don't say the hardware is going to be good. We don't know. We should be asking more questions.

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Jamon wrote:No one knows if it'll be great or garbage. Don't have blind faith, that's irrational. This isn't a cult, the President of Beat Kangz is a regular person like you. Just because he answered your email, and Akai doesn't, has nothing to do with whether the hardware will be enjoyable for you to use or not. You can say he's a nice guy, and you like what the Kangz represent, but don't say the hardware is going to be good. We don't know. We should be asking more questions.

dog...for real, you sound mad weird right now...

I know he is regular person like me lol, what the heck are you talkin about man, I've talked to dude on the phone more than once, asking questions, seeing what's what...there is no "blind faith" here...only "blind pessimism" which I'm seeing from you

this last paragraph you should apply to yourself man, just like we look at the specs and think it will be good
you do the same thing and say it will be horrible then say we're having blind faith...please lol

you make no sense man, period, we all are only going off of what we've read, seen, or been shown.

we say we "think" it will be dope based on what we know and how it will fit in our setup, you make statements like "it's horrible, it's going to be wack, it's not ready" when you haven't touched it....

you talk out of both sides of your mouth man, in one breath you call us pretty much stupid for judging it based off of the knowledge we have, yet you're doing the same thing...

it's velocity sensitive, just like other machines...how sensitive...well velocity goes from 0-127 like anything else...the layers and velocity sensitivity are not the same thing, do you really need that explained to you? seriously? The layers are there and can be set to velocity switch if you want... how do the pads feel? I dunno I haven't touched them...

everyone uses full level? I don't, I use velocity and it's always something I seek out...guess what? the software responds to my velocity sensitive midi controller just fine, it plays what I play.

They've already stated it will support dual 32gb cards...

screen would be nice to know, fan...okay I'll give you that one...but wow...are those really the only reasons you can come up with to say it will be crap and say everyone is caught up in marketing hype lol.

peace dog....

I've never said it will be good or bad. I can't predict with so little data. Asking questions and analyzing the data we do have does not equate to faith. The point is that they're selling things no one can try, getting celebrities to put their name behind it on the spot, and getting people to advertise in forums like this. Now they are signing up resellers to sell this stuff, without ever even using it.

What I see is the hype coming first, the product last. Maybe that's because they've used it, and they know how amazing it already is. To them, it doesn't matter, because they've spent weeks exhausting every aspect of the machine. But we don't have that perspective. From our side, we see stores, catalogs, brochures, magazines, advertisements, and talk, but no actual product details.

Very strange .....Lol I guess I should point out that Jamon has pre ordered a machine already..... People trip me out.

You didn't know Jamon I'm actually an alien not a regular human. You didn't see my 8 legged baby?

Here are a couple notes.

1. No fan don't need it. Heat is a non issue.

2. 2 SD card slots 32gig in each. Copy....

3. Video LCD. Yeah more battery juice but way better looking and way more readable in low light.

4. The battery will be a hoss and can be upgraded. All LED's can be turned off with one touch of a button. The machine will have sleep too.

5. 30 sec boot time.....but. Sleep mode

6. Velocity reading 0-127 so 127 possible velocities and 16 velocity layers per pad.

Where are your Beats Jamon? Please post some as I think everyone in here would like to hear what such a technology experts beats sound like.

See we don't just make the machines. It starts and ends with MUSIC.
We not building a computer for geeks to chat about specs. We are building an instrument for "Beat Makers".

That's the problem with the MI industry and why started this..... So We could build what we as beat makers wanted to use, the way we wanted to use it.

**** the tech if it don't bang!!

Proof is in the pudding. My beats using thangz are on the net. More soon.

That's what I'm saying. See, if no one asks, they don't publish anything. Now we have some more data, and can get a better picture of what to expect.

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.

Amen!!! This dude gets it!
WE Kangz are rooted in hip hop so that's what we know. We love all kinds of music though my pops was a funk brother.... Our VP produced pink floyd and kiss but also signed jay z.

So yes thangz were designed for boom bap culture but.....

They come with: Strings (violin, cello, viola, Orch stabs) acoustic and electric bass, acoustic guitar, distorted guitar, flaminco chops, jazz guitar, tabla, cajon, timbale, djembe, ashiko, dumbeck, shakers, claps, vibes, twisted FX, synths, real brass....... On and on and on..... Trap sets, funk sets, over 50 different acoustic drum kits sampled high quality and some with crumby mic's for diff feels....

Now I didn't know tabla and shrooty box or violins were exclusive to hip hop. Lol

people who have the virtual know there are Latin kits, house, dub steb, rock, tribal......

And presets too. However we are tired of machines comming with 99 rock and techno presets and 2 for hip hop. We love all kinds of music but HIP HOP has earned it's right to have products geared toward it! It's the number one music in the world and it's impact cannot be denied. We are gonna give it the shine it's deserved.

Afrika Bambaataa hung with us for an hour studying the virtual before he got it and gave us a shout. He loved the tech but the music MADE HIM MOVE!

If we had showed him an empty software with just tech specs.... He would have only stayed 5 mins. That's great if u got your own sounds to use....how much did u spent to get them? But for all the sounds you got,,,,,you ain't got these.

DJ qberts booth was next to ours.... He didn't just see it for 2 mins either.

Them two loved it and actually messed with it...... But what do they know, one just invented hip hop and dance music and the other is just the most famouse scratch artist in the world.

awwwww damn.....30sec boot time.......

Jamon you are a weird bird.... Half way between a fan and a hater.....you a fater! Lol

My fantom takes a min. 5 if I got samples in it.

If you put it to sleep you can wake it in 5 secs. So it looks powered down but just sleeping.

And if you consider the load time of your program files on a mp then 30 ain't bad....

Im still waiting to see and use this machine in person.

Me personally... I think its gonna flop.
I doubt it will touch my MPC2500 + JJOS2.

But when will this machine be in stores?
Because as soon as I find out Im gonna sample something on a SD card and take it with me to demo. I demo samplers buy taking a sample then checking wat I can do with it at the store.

BEATKANGZ wrote:My fantom takes a min. 5 if I got samples in it.

If you put it to sleep you can wake it in 5 secs. So it looks powered down but just sleeping.

when I had my fantom set to auto load, same thing.

my mpc set with an auto load folder takes time as well...

I'd defintely like to see some instant on action lol...but I'll have to really hold the hardware and see, 30 seconds sounds long at the moment but if that's 30 seconds from nothing to making tracks with my own samples it's coo

I just want to see it and use it man lol let's go!

There's some truth to that, "proof is in the pudding", but that's proof of the recipe quality, the talent of the cook, not the usefulness of the tools. Give a master chef some knives and bowls from The Dollar Store and they can whip up something tasty. Give a thousand dollar appliance to someone with no skills and it doesn't mean what comes out will taste good.

I'm sure good music can be made with the Beat Thang, just as it can be made with a $10 tape-recorder from Radio Shack. It's just a question of whether or not the tools is right for us personally. We need data to make that decision. You're saying with all your marketing that, "If you're a hip-hop beatmaker, this is for you". So maybe they know.

For the other guys, they'll want all the tech specs so they can see if it fits their flow.

BEATKANGZ wrote:And if you consider the load time of your program files on a mp then 30 ain't bad....

Naw 30 seconds is long...

My 2500 boots in 10seconds and thats with my custom screen.