Pioneer DJ TORAIZ SQUID Sequencer Review

When being creative in the studio, momentum is key. Once you have an idea you want to run with it as uninterruptedly as possible. Even small things like reconnecting cables, setting input parameters, or other minor nuisances can push you off-kilter.

Ideally, you want to respect the momentum, get entranced, and stay with the pace.

In theory, having one device that takes care of controlling all your gear is an ideal solution. 

There are quite a few well-known devices on the market that promise to do that. One of these is the Toraiz Squid, which is somewhat flying under the radar in the ranks of all-in-one MIDI controllers.

Toraiz is Pioneer DJ’s performance area brand. It previously released two products – the AS-1 analog mono synth based on the renowned 303, and the SP-16 sampler.

Their third product is the all-encompassing multitrack sequencer called the Squid.

Note that it is a controller, so it does not make any sound by itself. As the name suggests, this piece of hardware aims to give you a few sets of extra hands.

Its main purpose is to act as the heart of your DJ or audio production setup by allowing you to control pretty much everything you need from one place – hardware synths, drum machines, and your DAW.

It can also be used standalone, without a computer.

All that may sound like quite a task to tackle, especially if you have an extensive studio setup. However, the Toraiz Squid claims to be uniquely engineered to rise to the challenge. Does it live up to the claims?

Is the Toraiz Squid any good? (in short)

The Toraiz Squid is a hardware sequencer and a software controller all in one. It really does excel at giving you comprehensive control of your DAW and devices, but most importantly, it acts as an inspiration machine. 

Toraiz Squid: First Impressions

The Toraiz Squid is pretty chunky, but its size isn’t overbearing. The unit feels rock-solid, which is a great indicator that it can withstand rough use in live environments.

The buttons have a satisfying click to them, look durable, and they feel quality. The same goes for the encoders, which sport a smooth stepped action feel when turning. Everything feels quite hefty, in a robust way.

The 16 velocity-sensitive pads seem to be top-notch regarding feel and responsiveness. The two screens on the Toraiz Squid are pretty small, but they do the job well enough.

Considering the unit is marketed as the captain of a studio setup, larger screens would have been nice.

What is excellent, is the spring-loaded Groove Bend slider, which gives the unit an exclusive approach to getting haptic with your sequences.

As expected from Pioneer DJ, the Toraiz Squid feels solid and reliable, giving off a professional, solid vibe. Aesthetically the unit is pragmatic and with function in mind. It does not look like it’s out to reinvent the wheel.

The Skittle-inspired color palette of the control buttons could have been toned down a notch, but then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Tech Specs

Connectivity

At first glance, the Toraiz Squid looks reminiscent of a beat-making machine. The rear end of the device gives one more of idea of what it is capable of.

It features a regular USB, and three MIDI ports in total – one in, one out, and a THRU/OUT2.

Besides these, you also get two sets of CV/GATE outputs, a Clock IN/OUT, and two DIN SYNC ports – a decent amount of connectivity, including for old-school drum machine, or units such as the Korg Volca range.

However, the ins are not enough to tie in a whole studio by any means.

For connecting a larger amount of hardware, you will have to chain your devices. If you mainly work with computer-based synths, then that won’t be an issue.

Layout and Performance

As the topmost level of the Toraiz Squid navigation, you have the Projects. You can move between Sixteen tracks and a total of 128 Projects can be stored.

Every various instruments (synth, drum, bass) is assigned to a particular track. Each can house 64 of your created patterns.

Every pattern length makes up a set that includes your performance info and can gate output range from 1 to 64 steps. However, the patterns are limited to four bars.

The Toraiz Squid controller has three main sections from which you can operate. In the top region, you have your Global section that houses general controls, as well as an encoder to go through your menus.

You will also find a Time Warp button which gives you the ability to pull out stuff you played into your sequencer when jamming but didn’t save.

The Toraiz Squid keeps a backtrack of what you do so that you can dig through parts you liked while trying out ideas. That is an excellent feature, giving you the confidence to capture that spontaneous first-take magic every time.

On the left side, you will find the Phrase Arrangement section of the Toraiz Squid. That is where you set your modulations.

It features various ways of manipulating your takes, including Automation, Melodic Scales, Arpeggios, Speed Modulation, Speed Control, repetition of a sequence, its triggering probability, and Swing.

Swing has to be set up for each pad individually, or for your whole project, but can’t be applied to groups. The Groove Bend function is the x-factor of the device.

It lets you drag your tracks or push them forward in real time. All your time bends can be recorded as automation data.

This tool can add a lot of organic feel to your performance, which is an invaluable thing when it comes to making your tracks bop.

In essence, it acts as an LFO that is synced to the grid.

It makes the gap between man and machine a bit smaller, and that is a wonderful thing for getting your performance ideas to translate as organically as possible.

The Speed Modulation section is also notably unique, giving you extra control over your grooves by experimenting with the Wave Shapes, Mod Length, and Depth encoders to achieve intricate ways of rhythmic variation.

On the right side, you will find the main workspace of the Toraiz Squid – 16 velocities sensitive, backlit pads, as well as the Track and Pattern controls.

Around the pads are various additional controls such as a pattern selection, track selection, muting, an individual step editor, and a Chord/Scale function that can be applied to your existing patterns.

Additionally, you can divide your beats, or use the count multiplier to play around with the length of your patterns.

As any sequencer is worth its salt, the Toraiz Squid also has a Randomizer function to send things into the land of probabilities for when you want to spice things up.

On the lower side, you will find the Harmonizer. It can store up to six chords that will affect your sequence in real-time.

That is different from the Chord mode, which is responsible for storing progressions onto the pads.

In Action

The Toraiz Squid manipulates exclusively in MIDI. This means that you can have your synths sequenced, and you can manipulate the sounds without the original sequence getting changed.

All the manipulations can be layered one on top of each other, thus you can experiment to your heart’s content. If you take it too far, you can always revert to the original sequence by removing your layers.

Setting up the Toraiz Squid, you first need to hook up your equipment.

For a machine that promises to tie together your whole studio, the connectivity is not exactly abundant. Essentially, you can only plug in a few synths via the MIDI connections, and the pair of CV/gate in/outs.

If you want to make it work with more gear, you have to revert to chaining your sources together. However, you can get expansive via the USB port if you have a VST-based workflow.

In Track Mode, you can assign pads, their GATE outputs, Mono/Poly mode, Playback Speed modulation, and which channels they are running through.

Everything else, such as Arp, Length, and Scale settings are configured in the pattern mode of a given track. Getting into the flow of setting your pattern lengths is not super intuitive from the start. It takes a little getting used to understanding the motions.

Once you get into the flow, the unit is great for warping grooves into unchartered territories.

Considering the claims of the Toraiz Squid, on paper, it makes sense as the centerpiece of your equipment control. In reality, some cons do skew the ideal vision. One of the main issues is that there is no song mode in which one could rely on automatic sequence changes.

On top of that, the limit of 16 scenes per project could have you running out of space. Program changes are glued to a track, as are CC assignments.

That makes fast switches cumbersome, especially for many various instruments at the same time.

The last issue is that the tempo has to be set globally for each project. One project won’t be enough to house an entire live performance’s worth of data.

On the positive side, it is great for jamming and coming up with arrangements on the fly.

Happy accidents can also be dragged out into your DAW in MIDI form via the Toraiz Squid software manager. That makes the unit suitable for improvising and coming up with ideas, but not great for housing full live sets to rely on as a backbone.

Ideally, the Toraiz squid multi track sequencer seems to work in the studio, where you want to bind together modular and VST synths to build tracks.

For controlling more than a couple of hardware synths, it does not really cut the mark. As a creative inspiration machine in the studio, the unit is certainly fun to have.

However, many basic shift functions are not super intuitive, and they are not conveniently engineered to work in a fast-paced scenario.

Also, some issues have been reported regarding its clock being sluggish when synced to a DAW, but perhaps that may be fixed with future firmware updates.

In standalone mode that won’t pose a problem. Seemingly simple things such as saving a project, or changing the BPM require mode switches and are more than a click away.

Online opinions on the intuitiveness of the machine vary quite a bit, so that is something to keep in mind.

A lot depends on one’s workflow; you could find that it makes sense for you.

For coming up with ideas, it must be said that creative features such as Groove Bend and Speed Mod are fascinating to use. Whether these features outweigh the cons will really depend on your priorities.

Toraiz Squid: The Verdict

The Toraiz Squid multitrack sequencer costs a considerable amount of cash at around €600/£549, and thus it does not really qualify as a casual purchase for many. Its functionality excels at pretty specific things and it has a unique workflow.

If you haven’t ever used a sequencer, we would recommend trying the unit out for yourself before you consider a purchase.

Make sure you compare it to other units such as the Ableton Push or the NI Maschine. The Toraiz Squid’s capabilities will suit particular types of artists.

For those who gel with the device, it might do wonders, depending on one’s needs. All in all, it is not the intuitive all-rounder it is made out to be.

To be fair, the Toraiz Squid is very inspiring for manipulating grooves and coming up with ideas on the spot.

It will be excellent for the artists who know precisely what functionality gaps they want to fill with it. For a creativity boost regarding groove bend, the Toraiz Squid multitrack sequencer gets a thumbs up.

As a helm of your studio or live performances, not so much.

Toriaz Squid Unboxing

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