@@RodneyD yep I know you worked on it if you can say that..that was the only flaw that machine had to me...but I could chop on it in a way I couldn’t on anything else...I messed my credit up buying it...but it served its purpose..it’s special to me despite the sequencer..you said nothing but facts tho...salute
@@RodneyD the industrial design was f;(:&,&n horrible. Had they put the guts in a better designed unit and gave a better name than Beat Thang. The shit would have sold like hot cakes and we would have been on a MK2 or MK3 version by now. “when keeping it real goes wrong”
I'm so glad you started this. I am a beatthang owner. Its a great quality machine that had exceptional customer service. I remember talking to them by phone to try and teach me how to use the machine. I hope they will have some news or an update on it soon. It is my mission to master beatthang!
Them niggas are suckers I bought what I thought was the VsT version and it was a standalone smh I wrote them and they didn’t help for shit but it’s all good.
That's a blast from the past! I bought the Beat Thang software and just imported the sounds in my Triton and MV8000. Man, I totally forgot about it was hardware gear, but TRUE...it came along at the wrong time, especially as someone like me who had already invested in hardware for years, and was starting to dive into vst-i and full computer based production.
I had one. I really liked it and would've liked it more but it crashed so much. When it worked it was great cause it was easy to understand but it was so buggy it made it frustrating. Sold mine on Ebay. Bought it new from Sweetwater for $699.
Good video on the background info on the beat Thang. I still have mine and my beef with it is the sequencer is buggy, the firmware updates never fixed all the OS bugs, the machine crashes and all data will be lost, it is just an overall failure due to the instability of the OS /Firmware, also the FX would glitch and lock up the machine where it isn't usable until a hard restart. That made me shelf my beat Thang but I never sold it because the sounds are dope the drums they put together for this machine are hard and just great.
I've recently watched quite a few of your videos and subscribed to your channel and I have to say every time you say WAH HAD HAPPENED WAS... I crack up! Lol! It never gets old. keep up the good work.
Wow, I do remember this when it was announced and I have to say I was apart of the crew who didn’t care too much for it neither as it seemed like something you buy from ToysRus as well. I heard knocking beats from the folks who owned one but I couldn’t see myself spending that type of money on something of this form. I’ve already invested my talents using Maschine indeed. Good video.
Wow.., haven’t heard about this box in a while! The Beat Thang definitely suffered from bad marketing. I used to have the Beat Thang Virtual years back. They also sold it as a VST. I think it cost me $50. They sold a ton of the Virtual versions. It was the hardware unit they had a hard time moving. A friend of mine bought the hardware version when they were selling dirt cheap, and well below what they initially sold for. That was one impressive machine. What happened is they were a small company. They jumped into a game already dominated by a few heavy “and well financed” players. The Beat Thang was actually some serious competition, and those companies were quick to use forums and video chat comments to bury this small company with their paid trolls. It’s a shame too because the Beat Thang really was a good product. They just lacked the marketing and financial resources to take on the competition.
I used beat thang virtual for years and I still love it. Didn't mind the generic name because that thang had over 3000 sounds and and was a sampling beast. People slept on this I'm telling you.
Yeah moving from this to the maschine was super easy and let's not forget with the virtual the best part was you could use your computer keys as drum pads!
I owned the Beat thang, and wanted to love it but it kept on crashing and the customer support was terrible, so I sent it back. The problem was they did not really have the money and experience to market and sell THE THANG, I feel for them because they were ahead of the time @ that time.
@@DyReckProductions just bought your fire beats fast video this morning because I won an auction on an MPC 500. Good stuff man, I love this video series and the one I bought.
he's right.. Price, Promo, and name.. thats wat hurt the machine.. i ignored the haters, and bought mines for $999.. machine is crazy! built like a tank.. the lights can be adjusted or turned off.. the pads feel great.. the sounds are on par with everything u hear today.. its crazy how everyone just jump on bandwagons, and hate things together based on another's opinion.. mostly everyone that hated on it never even held one.. im glad im one of the few that purchased it, and still use it today.. if i could change anything on it, i wouldve gave it more command buttons, and named it the BT1000.. but all in all, its a great machine, and can still bang out a great track without any other machines help today!
Appreciate you sir! I have it and still use it today. The "Beat Thang" may appear to be a toy but for the simple minded, let them not invest. I purchased mine, because it was made by us, for us. I have every other piece of musical gear and this is my favorite. This could have been the start of a line of wonderful products, from a company that was of us. I will never part with mine, its value is too high. Plus when combined with some of my other gear, "Nothing and No One" can BEAT my sound.
Oh I forgot, it samples at "16 or 24 Bit/44.1Khz" and I connect a 2 terabite hard drive with a total of 64 gigs of onboard storage via two SD Cards....
I have the beat thang virtual and some times i use it , however there is one feature that was not mentioned in the video and this feature is one the main reason i bought it and that was you could do different bar lengths on the different tracks, you wasnt traped in the box like on any other beat machine, Daw or software. I mainly use it to record samples online, another get feature that the virtual had at the time when it came out.
I still got and use mine. As a rompler, it's really nice. The thing is riddled with bugs. The effects are a joke and the sequencer is okay if you are quantizing at 16 beats. It's heavy as a cinder block, has a shit ton of decent sounds, and has a rechargeable battery. A great bedroom and toilet studio (LOL). It starts encountering stability issues when you attempt to sample live and edit samples.
This machine was way a head of it's time. It's a super charged ASR X. A lot of people slept on it. I be using this machine next to my MPC 2000 XL and the work flow is faster lest steps than a MPC and faster results...
I bought one in 2012-13 because they brought the price down. The only big problem was the crashing. I still have it and use it once in awhile. I will say it is easy to use and it's portable and built sturdy.
Physically it has a layout that looks more similar to a SP-505 over a MPC. As for the usability I heard the bugs were basically catastrophic and never properly addressed.
I was feeling this unit and it was ahead of its time with the features. Dallas Austin got involved and I thought he would be the kiss of death, apparently I was correct.
i actually loved the vst and actually have all the sounds from it in wav form for music production i still use every now and then cause the kits are nice
If they could've made the software stable it would've been unstoppable. It had a good sound, the sequencer was pretty good, and it had a rechargeable battery before a lot of major companies even thought to do so. People got caught up in the aesthetics because they're sheep and followers but at its core there was A LOT of potential. The early price killed it also, I don't know what it cost them to make it but if they could've cut the price point it would've been better. They also messed up going at the MPC, they should've went at the Roland SP's because it had all the features Roland wanted in the SP in a more portable and more powerful package.
@@DyReckProductions is there any way to reinstall the os on a BT that had an accidental factory reset? Mine will no longer even boot up completely anymore. I really need to find this os download. My BT is a beautiful glowing paper weight.
@@jaymakak Dang!..I remember looking for the os update..There hard to find..There's alot of websites that dont exist anymore that claimed they had them...Might have to just grind it out and keep searching the web...Maybe check some of the old youtube videos.. sometimes in the comment section someone might have a connection..Or some of the old youtubers that use to post Beat Thang vids might know something.
And every other great company basically stole from it after hating on it. A lot of the hate it got came from competitors on forums trying to dither down any intrest from it and back to their products. You'll see the same tactics being preformed to this day. The game is cold!🥶
On point assessment. Marketing really did a number on this as well as laptops and ableton coming of age. If this were out a year or so sooner w specs more resembling mpc, it would have scored big. I’d consider one for sure as it appears to share some dna w the zoom sampletrak
Great Video! I still use this wonderful workstation along with the open labs Miko lxd Gen 5. The beat thang is definitely very portable and ahead of it’s time and although I love my Mpc X, and live 2, the Beat Thang definitely still packs a powerful punch for such a small unit and it is also extremely sturdy and very well made like a beast. 🎼🎼🎼🎬🎤
Yeah things were all in the box as you said but that wasn't what happened with Beat Thang, The promotion and marketing like you also said because Maschine was killing it at this same time real talk...
Great machine. Basically the mpc live before the mpc live. Unfortunately the firmware had issues and they were updating it pretty regularly but internal issues within the company is what killed it. I have one I bought brand new from Sweetwater in mint condition. Mine never crashed but when syncing to anything it would drift and that was a huge part of my workflow at the time so i ultimately moved on to Maschine.
I own one, and if it didn't crash when using it to sequence my other gear through midi (which is the only time it really crashes for me after the last update), it would be my primary sequencer. As it stands now, I utilize it as very capable standalone. The pitch and mod wheels are something that should be on more samplers, and they are probably the primary reason I won't part with the BT. They just allow for such cool tweaks when setting up a track.
The beat thang was dope. I had one. The problem I had was the sequencer. It wouldn't stay in sync and the pitch modulation was flawed. The concept in my opinion could have been a true MPC killer. To bad they couldn't sustain and scale up though. Now I'm using the Roland MV-1.
Man, I forgot about this little “beat thang”. Like someone else posted, it reminds me the ASR X PRO. It’d be dope if you did a video on the ASR X PRO since we’re on the topic.
Interesting! I wasn't even sure it was real, because of the name. I had the same reaction you had in the video. I remember discussions on Future Producers (that was my site BTW! Not sure you were on that). Great video thank you 🙌🔥🔥🔥
Yeah, if it had a different name, this thing probably could be released today. Standalone and especially performance oriented standalone devices are back in a big way. Layout reminds me of the ASR-X
Sir I have the "Ensoniq ASR-X Pro (Red Model), EPS and ASR-10, and Emu MP-7", trust... They are nothing alike! Beat Thang is Everything, because it all can be brought inside of the unit itself and on the go. I produce in my car dude, with 16 sequencing tracks and all of the sampled sounds from my other gear. With the ability to bank up and/or down, the full 88 key range of a keyboard or piano. Straight Beast!!!
I remember this coming out when i was in college. I was impressed with the pitch wheel and the led lights but it was hella expensive. and not a trusted name like akai. I used to draw up layouts of Daws and come up with sketches of new controllers. its sad how these have declined and they making us pay for everything 10 times now. they should put a pitchwheel on an MpC that would be dope
I just scored one for $222canadian. The "B" pad on mine is a bit fucky. Loading kits and instruments takes a few seconds. But this is a great piece of gear. Use a midi-keyboard to really get the most out of the instruments. If there were a reissue of this I think it would blow a lot of modern gear out of the water Like the Modal Cycles or Roland MC 101.
@@DyReckProductions repackage with a different name. Hard plastic housing instead of the metal housing, Beat Thang is like 6lbs, it's as heavy as a Stratocaster. Maybe less factory presets, some of the drums are redundant. But free sound packs available online, like the Arturia Microfreak has. That would keep the price down. I can't believe these went for $1400!
Your killing me bruh😂😭😆 "Toy R Us or KB Toy store"..It did look like a toy I thought..👍👍👍👍Great video..I had the vst software using it with FL Studio but it would always crash..It had dope sounds though
@@ashleytvisualstv Been rhyming all my life and I'm new to the beat scene, but I was definitely familiar with the MPCs being in the studio. When I saw dude making a beat on RUclips, I really thought he took his kid's toy lol! That jawn look crazy, and it's still people on RUclips rocking out on them 🤣
@@DyReckProductions Mine never crash, although I never use any of my gear alone. I have everything and it has a special place in my studios (I have 4 seperate setups) and my heart...
The asrx influence is noticeable, especially the pads. If they didn't make it look like a space ship, and made the os stable, it could've become a classic. They were years ahead of the maschine with the vst integration. Also it was always promoted as a hip hop maschibe, nothing wrong with that but hey you can make any music you want with a sampler. Like in the beginning of underworld they used 4 mpcs instead of ableton. If you promote it as a hip hop beat maschibe, there is a whole lot of producers that automatically won't be interested in it.
I Remember they had the promo video and I said that it looked like a piece of junk AND DUDE HAD ME BLOCKED FROM MAKING COMMENTS!!!! 👀 WHERE YOU AT BEAT THANG 👀 WHERE YOU AT?
I so agree. Others say that it was an internal struggle in the company. I know that struggles like that happen in major company. Iv been a part of that kind of struggle. Your right truth is we as consumers don’t see that struggle. But to see the crap marketing bad names and what not that’s the issue. You had me rolling about some huggy bear pump naming. They pigeon hold them self to be a one trick pony. If they named it different and and made it cheaper I think it would of made it.
hey dyreck would it be a good decision to trade my mpc500 for a sampletrak? Im aware the sampletrak has less features than the mpc but Ive seen many videos and I feel that I connect with the workflow more than the sampletrak than the mpc. What your opinion?
The Sampletrak is like a poor mans SP 1200 cause the sound and kinda even the workflow..Its really hands on..The MPC has a much better sequencer..Better with sequencing different gear through midi..And just programing your tracks..The zoom has better effects..And some might prefer the hands on workflow..If I could I would try to get or keep both.. The MPC is better but sometimes bringing a new piece of gear in your arsenal is inspiring..Resale value of the MPC could be high in good condition..On ebay ive seen some for 700 or even 1k..But the zoom could be real fun lol..Its eaisier to sequence a whole song with drops and transitions on a MPC. And the MP is a beast if you mix it with a daw..I would try to keep both or stick with the MP but if you choose the zoom I feel u..its like a baby SP 1200.
I had the beat thang and it was ahead of it's time and in some ways STILL IS. It was a stand alone device with many cool features and a great layout. From talking to customer support and people who worked on it the beat thang simply didn't have the technical software support team$ Just like the Tempest drum machine it was created and then abandon financially to work out the kinks and general upkeep. Mine simply crashed over and over into it stopped working.😢 I did learn from this not to fall for the hype and research a product to make sure a device is going to have a group dedicated to working out the kinks. If a device has too many basic features that are not available upon release I wait.
Yes i wasnt buying nothing called no beat thang... I remember lookin at it when I was buying my first drum machine. It looked so cheap and the marketing just cheapened it more. I found a 2000XL for $300 eventually. Best purchase ever
It's always impressive when an independent company can make a full groovebox! (BTW - DELUGE!) Note "Bang" and "Blang" buttons! I considered buying for EDM use. As you said, something just seemed a bit "toy-ish" about it, and I never found a place to try it for long enough to decide.
Bro I really wanted this machine and yea I admit the Beat Kang Beat Thang name was hella sketchy but the features were worth it. Only bug was that it was only available in the US and not the UK. I watched all the vids and even sat through RZA making a beat. It deffo had great potential especially with the layout of the pads and the connnectivity to the computer via vst/software to continue creating. Where are they now? 😢
The failure of the Beat Thang due to and its design and layout can't be overstated enough. No one serious about making beats or sequencing wants to spend $1,400 on a machine that looks like a $250 Akai XR-20. It's not that it glows in the dark -- it's that it doesn't stop glowing. The MPC Live's pad's light up partially when played or played back. The Beat Thang also put a bunch of non square pads on, which make the unit look even more like a toy. I mean, this thing looks ridiculous. And beyond that, there's a reason producers prefer pads in a square configuration -- you're reaching a lot less for any pad you need.
I get what your saying now the screen broke and you want to know if u could see the hardware image virtually on the computer..I dont think so but the sounds and sequences you can make on the beat thang virtual is pretty much identical to using the hardware. So even with a broken screen you could probably use the hardware to control the vst virtual if u have it..As long as the buttons on the hardware are working though.
@@DyReckProductions You said you can control the vst virtual using hardware even if the screen is broken, can I just install the hardware on my computer? If so, where can I get the program?
@@레트로창고 Now for that you might have to do some web searching or ask someone in this comment section a couple people here still have and use the Beat Thang and Beat Thang virtual they might be able to send you a download...Here's a link to a guy thats real good with the beat thang he's showing a way to use it as a midi controller you might get some info on his page he has alot of Beat Thang stuff.... ruclips.net/video/PTXMm3TKDeY/видео.html And here's a site that claims they have a download for 10$ but you would have to do your research and check it out..... btvsolo.com/solo.
Here's a amazon link that might work......www.amazon.com/Solo-Review-Beat-Thang-Virtual/dp/B01HGH3IH6/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=beat+thang+virtual&qid=1624378066&sr=8-2
Got one in mint condition in the box turned it on once , bought it strictly as a collection piece . For $250 Wish they would just out of the blue drop a new operating system. Would be crazy. AKAI totally stole. It’s whole vibe for the live 😂😂
Did they really "steal" it or is the Live just the logical version of a standalone MPC/controller hybrid? What is similar about it and Beat Thang? The horizontal layout, I guess?
The pricing of this machine when it first came out was ridiculous that’s what hurt them the most I had one for while and they just couldn’t compete with that beast none as that MPC
I remember when the Beat Thang was being sold in Best Buy...That’s when Best Buy was trying to have a music department like the guitar center LOL... I had one and it kept crashing. So I had to return it due to Bad tech-support ....My Mpc Live was a better investment....✌🏾🧔🏾🎧
I had to have one when It came out bought BT Virtual , Loved it finally found a unit bought it just to have one found out it had a terrible operating system ... If you saved too much to the internal hard drive it would shut down permanently crash factor was HIGH!!!! mine crashed and now I cant find the operating system and it sits under my shelf till this day LOL... If you have any info on it please share.
This Name...I always liked technical Names with Numbers and Letters. If this where a fictional Groovebox in GTA San Andreas it might be funny though. The Software Version looks a lot better. Thanks, for your great Content! You always bring a smile to my Face.
I had a Beat Thang. I didn’t really like it. I was already using Maschine MK1 when I got it and was more used to that. Mine crashed and I sent it back to Sweetwater. But it felt like a quality piece of gear. They were $699 when I got mine brand new.
The software isn to slow and crashes sometimes. I have an exemplar and I like to play with it and sounds are good. I got a new software from a nerd. it runs a little better now. what i like to is that you have diverse light set ups and the pads (and her order). so its a rare kool sampler
The Beat Thang pad layout reminds me of an Ensoniq ASR X.
Very similar.
@Cire Soprano Oh ok.
ASR-X was my shitznit
@@RodneyD yep I know you worked on it if you can say that..that was the only flaw that machine had to me...but I could chop on it in a way I couldn’t on anything else...I messed my credit up buying it...but it served its purpose..it’s special to me despite the sequencer..you said nothing but facts tho...salute
@@southeastwilson... I got the ASR 10. Love it but it's difficult to find floppy disks
It's crazy that people cried for a portable stand alone sampler sequencer for a whole decade and this was available the whole time
Yeah man..its sad..I think it just comes down to them wanting it from certain companies.
@@RodneyD the industrial design was f;(:&,&n horrible. Had they put the guts in a better designed unit and gave a better name than Beat Thang. The shit would have sold like hot cakes and we would have been on a MK2 or MK3 version by now.
“when keeping it real goes wrong”
Yeah but Everything but the Beat Thang. Not only was the product buggy, but the people behind too!
I had one of these back in the day. It really was a beast in small package.
@@RodneyD folk didn't take fl serious until 9th won a grammy.
I'm so glad you started this. I am a beatthang owner. Its a great quality machine that had exceptional customer service. I remember talking to them by phone to try and teach me how to use the machine. I hope they will have some news or an update on it soon. It is my mission to master beatthang!
I feel you..It would be nice if they made an updated version.
friends dont let friends buy beat thangz....true story..
Lmao.
🤣🤣🤣 LLS
🎺😆😆😆
Them niggas are suckers I bought what I thought was the VsT version and it was a standalone smh I wrote them and they didn’t help for shit but it’s all good.
I'm at my desk 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
That's a blast from the past!
I bought the Beat Thang software and just imported the sounds in my Triton and MV8000.
Man, I totally forgot about it was hardware gear, but TRUE...it came along at the wrong time, especially as someone like me who had already invested in hardware for years, and was starting to dive into vst-i and full computer based production.
True.
I had one. I really liked it and would've liked it more but it crashed so much. When it worked it was great cause it was easy to understand but it was so buggy it made it frustrating. Sold mine on Ebay. Bought it new from Sweetwater for $699.
Oh ok.
It looks bloody awesome... love the lighting modes.
Lol.I feel u.
Good video on the background info on the beat Thang. I still have mine and my beef with it is the sequencer is buggy, the firmware updates never fixed all the OS bugs, the machine crashes and all data will be lost, it is just an overall failure due to the instability of the OS /Firmware, also the FX would glitch and lock up the machine where it isn't usable until a hard restart. That made me shelf my beat Thang but I never sold it because the sounds are dope the drums they put together for this machine are hard and just great.
Oh ok..if the firmware updates was on point..i would get one.
I've recently watched quite a few of your videos and subscribed to your channel and I have to say every time you say WAH HAD HAPPENED WAS... I crack up! Lol! It never gets old.
keep up the good work.
Lmao! thanks bro.
This channel is incredible! I'm just going through every video
Shit looks like a gamer keyboard😭
Ah man u funny Lol.
😂
Lmao Yo! You ain't even lying brother 🤣🤣
Just got into making hip hop (got an MPC in part thanks to these vids) and I'm loving these. Please keep 'em coming!
No doubt fam thanks.
i actually know the guy who put the sounds in this machine personally , hes a dope musician for bringing this to life yo ...
No doubt.
Wow, I do remember this when it was announced and I have to say I was apart of the crew who didn’t care too much for it neither as it seemed like something you buy from ToysRus as well. I heard knocking beats from the folks who owned one but I couldn’t see myself spending that type of money on something of this form. I’ve already invested my talents using Maschine indeed.
Good video.
Thanks fam.
Wow.., haven’t heard about this box in a while! The Beat Thang definitely suffered from bad marketing. I used to have the Beat Thang Virtual years back. They also sold it as a VST. I think it cost me $50. They sold a ton of the Virtual versions. It was the hardware unit they had a hard time moving. A friend of mine bought the hardware version when they were selling dirt cheap, and well below what they initially sold for. That was one impressive machine. What happened is they were a small company. They jumped into a game already dominated by a few heavy “and well financed” players. The Beat Thang was actually some serious competition, and those companies were quick to use forums and video chat comments to bury this small company with their paid trolls. It’s a shame too because the Beat Thang really was a good product. They just lacked the marketing and financial resources to take on the competition.
I always felt that companies would put fake trolls in comment forums cause sometimes the hate and the praise for some products did not seem right.
That's real I thought I was alone that notice the paid trolls tactics
I used beat thang virtual for years and I still love it. Didn't mind the generic name because that thang had over 3000 sounds and and was a sampling beast. People slept on this I'm telling you.
I feel you.
Yeah moving from this to the maschine was super easy and let's not forget with the virtual the best part was you could use your computer keys as drum pads!
@@yamezsr Yeah man.
I owned the Beat thang, and wanted to love it but it kept on crashing and the customer support was terrible, so I sent it back. The problem was they did not really have the money and experience to market and sell THE THANG, I feel for them because they were ahead of the time @ that time.
I feel u.
This thing is still appealing today honestly.
The name and marketing is just abhorent
Yup.
@@DyReckProductions just bought your fire beats fast video this morning because I won an auction on an MPC 500.
Good stuff man, I love this video series and the one I bought.
Just found this channel today and I'm IN man. Great content. Loved the MV8800 video, too.
Thanks fam.
I actually wanted one of these when they came out. I had a 1000 at the time and a lot of other equipment.
I feel u.
he's right.. Price, Promo, and name.. thats wat hurt the machine.. i ignored the haters, and bought mines for $999.. machine is crazy! built like a tank.. the lights can be adjusted or turned off.. the pads feel great.. the sounds are on par with everything u hear today.. its crazy how everyone just jump on bandwagons, and hate things together based on another's opinion.. mostly everyone that hated on it never even held one.. im glad im one of the few that purchased it, and still use it today.. if i could change anything on it, i wouldve gave it more command buttons, and named it the BT1000.. but all in all, its a great machine, and can still bang out a great track without any other machines help today!
But is the sequencer as good as the RS7000🧐
Appreciate you sir! I have it and still use it today. The "Beat Thang" may appear to be a toy but for the simple minded, let them not invest. I purchased mine, because it was made by us, for us. I have every other piece of musical gear and this is my favorite. This could have been the start of a line of wonderful products, from a company that was of us. I will never part with mine, its value is too high. Plus when combined with some of my other gear, "Nothing and No One" can BEAT my sound.
Note: Used is always a gamble, should have snagged one when the paint was fresh. No telling what the heck u will be getting now...
Oh I forgot, it samples at "16 or 24 Bit/44.1Khz" and I connect a 2 terabite hard drive with a total of 64 gigs of onboard storage via two SD Cards....
@@FPPBoy0629 Oh ok thats cool that its a big part of your production.
We had a winner by us 🥺
Wait this was a black owned company?
Fun and detailed walk back down memory lane. Thanks!
NO doubt fam.
I have the beat thang virtual and some times i use it , however there is one feature that was not mentioned in the video and this feature is one the main reason i bought it and that was you could do different bar lengths on the different tracks, you wasnt traped in the box like on any other beat machine, Daw or software. I mainly use it to record samples online, another get feature that the virtual had at the time when it came out.
Oh ok cool.
Sound like they were ahead of the game, now companies are doing features now. Thats a trip
Word.
man i love this series! thank you for making them
i still got my beat thang until this day
sometimes i use it with my
mpc live 2
or sometimes sample n chop up drums from the beat thang
My friend, Sir! Great Mind....
yep
I still got and use mine. As a rompler, it's really nice. The thing is riddled with bugs. The effects are a joke and the sequencer is okay if you are quantizing at 16 beats. It's heavy as a cinder block, has a shit ton of decent sounds, and has a rechargeable battery. A great bedroom and toilet studio (LOL). It starts encountering stability issues when you attempt to sample live and edit samples.
Oh ok cool..I know it had a ton of pretty dope sounds.
This machine was way a head of it's time. It's a super charged ASR X. A lot of people slept on it. I be using this machine next to my MPC 2000 XL and the work flow is faster lest steps than a MPC and faster results...
Oh ok I feel u.
Yo this is a great series of videos! Cool look at the world surrounding all these wild machines
Thanks fam.
I bought one in 2012-13 because they brought the price down. The only big problem was the crashing. I still have it and use it once in awhile. I will say it is easy to use and it's portable and built sturdy.
Yeah the crashing was an issue with them..If they fixed it I would definitely be on aboard.
Physically it has a layout that looks more similar to a SP-505 over a MPC. As for the usability I heard the bugs were basically catastrophic and never properly addressed.
Yeah if they fixed the bugs it would have been cool.
I was feeling this unit and it was ahead of its time with the features. Dallas Austin got involved and I thought he would be the kiss of death, apparently I was correct.
Lol.
This takes me back!! I had the beat thang virtual.
Oh ok nice.
i actually loved the vst and actually have all the sounds from it in wav form for music production i still use every now and then cause the kits are nice
Oh ok cool.
Boy do I remember this thing. Never had one of course but it was all a big thing back when I got my MPC 2500.
This video is hilarious...."what you gone name that sucka slim?" 😂😂😂😂
Lmao.
If they could've made the software stable it would've been unstoppable. It had a good sound, the sequencer was pretty good, and it had a rechargeable battery before a lot of major companies even thought to do so. People got caught up in the aesthetics because they're sheep and followers but at its core there was A LOT of potential. The early price killed it also, I don't know what it cost them to make it but if they could've cut the price point it would've been better. They also messed up going at the MPC, they should've went at the Roland SP's because it had all the features Roland wanted in the SP in a more portable and more powerful package.
And it's true, it crashed ALOT. If it was stable I'd still have one and I'd use it when I travel.
Yeah the price was too high..and they did take mad shots at the mpc 5000.
@@DyReckProductions is there any way to reinstall the os on a BT that had an accidental factory reset? Mine will no longer even boot up completely anymore. I really need to find this os download. My BT is a beautiful glowing paper weight.
@@jaymakak Dang!..I remember looking for the os update..There hard to find..There's alot of websites that dont exist anymore that claimed they had them...Might have to just grind it out and keep searching the web...Maybe check some of the old youtube videos.. sometimes in the comment section someone might have a connection..Or some of the old youtubers that use to post Beat Thang vids might know something.
@@DyReckProductions Thanks. I will keep on searching.
Used it a few times, the VST plug version. Used it with Cubase back in the day... circa 2013......it had some dope sounds.
Yeah the sounds were nice.
And every other great company basically stole from it after hating on it. A lot of the hate it got came from competitors on forums trying to dither down any intrest from it and back to their products. You'll see the same tactics being preformed to this day. The game is cold!🥶
Oh wow..thats crazy..I think it did get too much hate though.
yeah man it was strange how this became a running joke yet EVERYBODY stole from it.
Who stole from it? And what did they steal?
I see that you are a independent thinker and a genious my new friend! Black Company and Product...
On point assessment. Marketing really did a number on this as well as laptops and ableton coming of age. If this were out a year or so sooner w specs more resembling mpc, it would have scored big. I’d consider one for sure as it appears to share some dna w the zoom sampletrak
Yeah man.
I really wanted one of these when they dropped. Great hardware layout design. Never got one due to reading about the buggy software.
yeah..if they fixed that i would get one.
Great Video! I still use this wonderful workstation along with the open labs Miko lxd Gen 5. The beat thang is definitely very portable and ahead of it’s time and although I love my Mpc X, and live 2, the Beat Thang definitely still packs a powerful punch for such a small unit and it is also extremely sturdy and very well made like a beast. 🎼🎼🎼🎬🎤
I feel you..They had something special there if they kept up with the updates.
nice video ...do something on the ensoniq line
Thanks fam..No doubt.
Yeah things were all in the box as you said but that wasn't what happened with Beat Thang, The promotion and marketing like you also said because Maschine was killing it at this same time real talk...
I feel u.
I still have mines, I wish they would do a update to it. Crash like the software, Definitely made Mpc do a lot of improvements.
I feel u.
Selling it??
@@funfactswithmaxx I love a lot of sounds out of it. So I use it like a sound module.
I still have mine but its easier to use the Virtual versions with a controller keyboard.
This a unit where u snatch the sounds, throw them joints on a SD card and use in the MPC 😆😆😆😆 the sounds were🔥🔥🔥🔥
Lmao!
Thank you for this. Very interesting.
Thanks fam.
Great machine. Basically the mpc live before the mpc live. Unfortunately the firmware had issues and they were updating it pretty regularly but internal issues within the company is what killed it. I have one I bought brand new from Sweetwater in mint condition. Mine never crashed but when syncing to anything it would drift and that was a huge part of my workflow at the time so i ultimately moved on to Maschine.
Oh my God I just asked for this on a comment on one of your other videos and now it just popped up like some kinda switched on voodoo. Tbanks
I own one, and if it didn't crash when using it to sequence my other gear through midi (which is the only time it really crashes for me after the last update), it would be my primary sequencer.
As it stands now, I utilize it as very capable standalone. The pitch and mod wheels are something that should be on more samplers, and they are probably the primary reason I won't part with the BT. They just allow for such cool tweaks when setting up a track.
Oh ok cool..The pitch and mod wheel was dope.
I so wanted one hard to come by in the uk , ended up getting the mpc 500
No doubt.
The beat thang was dope. I had one. The problem I had was the sequencer. It wouldn't stay in sync and the pitch modulation was flawed. The concept in my opinion could have been a true MPC killer. To bad they couldn't sustain and scale up though. Now I'm using the Roland MV-1.
Oh ok cool.
Roland MV nice
Man, I forgot about this little “beat thang”. Like someone else posted, it reminds me the ASR X PRO. It’d be dope if you did a video on the ASR X PRO since we’re on the topic.
Its like they saw the yellow Kaossilator n they was like ‘but do it blue w pads, n more depth and interface’
Interesting! I wasn't even sure it was real, because of the name. I had the same reaction you had in the video. I remember discussions on Future Producers (that was my site BTW! Not sure you were on that). Great video thank you 🙌🔥🔥🔥
Thanks fam.
Yooo!!! I’ll never forget when I like 8 my moms took me to see rza debut the machine at guitar center! I remember wanting one lol
Oh ok cool.You got to see the Rza working on the Beat Thang.
lol i just remember seeing this thing in every xxl mag issue. seemed like an interesting alternative to the mpc
Yeah, if it had a different name, this thing probably could be released today. Standalone and especially performance oriented standalone devices are back in a big way. Layout reminds me of the ASR-X
Your right.
Sir I have the "Ensoniq ASR-X Pro (Red Model), EPS and ASR-10, and Emu MP-7", trust... They are nothing alike! Beat Thang is Everything, because it all can be brought inside of the unit itself and on the go. I produce in my car dude, with 16 sequencing tracks and all of the sampled sounds from my other gear. With the ability to bank up and/or down, the full 88 key range of a keyboard or piano. Straight Beast!!!
@@FPPBoy0629 I feel U!
I remember this coming out when i was in college. I was impressed with the pitch wheel and the led lights but it was hella expensive. and not a trusted name like akai. I used to draw up layouts of Daws and come up with sketches of new controllers. its sad how these have declined and they making us pay for everything 10 times now. they should put a pitchwheel on an MpC that would be dope
Pitchwheel..Now that would be nice..Your gonna give akai idea lol.
Dayum man, you pull up all the old gear. I remember this.
Lol yeah man.
I just scored one for $222canadian. The "B" pad on mine is a bit fucky. Loading kits and instruments takes a few seconds. But this is a great piece of gear. Use a midi-keyboard to really get the most out of the instruments. If there were a reissue of this I think it would blow a lot of modern gear out of the water Like the Modal Cycles or Roland MC 101.
I feel u..They should try and do a reissue..I think it would sell.
@@DyReckProductions repackage with a different name. Hard plastic housing instead of the metal housing, Beat Thang is like 6lbs, it's as heavy as a Stratocaster. Maybe less factory presets, some of the drums are redundant. But free sound packs available online, like the Arturia Microfreak has. That would keep the price down. I can't believe these went for $1400!
@@wighttoan Lol..Yup.
Your killing me bruh😂😭😆 "Toy R Us or KB Toy store"..It did look like a toy I thought..👍👍👍👍Great video..I had the vst software using it with FL Studio but it would always crash..It had dope sounds though
Yeah no doubt..Thanks fam.
Definitely wish more hardware makes used the octave layout for the pads like the Emu Command Stations.
Great job bro! I actually saw someone on RUclips still using it, and I actually thought it was a toy lol!
Lmao.
lol I almost bought this years ago lol
@@ashleytvisualstv lol!! Wooooow.. I mean, you got skills tho Ashley, so you would've made it work🙏🏾✊🏾💚
@@lindasson mannnnnnn I’m so glad I ain’t purchase this thing!!! 😂😂😂
@@ashleytvisualstv Been rhyming all my life and I'm new to the beat scene, but I was definitely familiar with the MPCs being in the studio. When I saw dude making a beat on RUclips, I really thought he took his kid's toy lol! That jawn look crazy, and it's still people on RUclips rocking out on them 🤣
I knew it was a flop when I saw them at the pawnshops for $150 to $ 100
That's crazy..if they fixed the crashing I dont think it would be a bad buy.
@@DyReckProductions Mine never crash, although I never use any of my gear alone. I have everything and it has a special place in my studios (I have 4 seperate setups) and my heart...
The asrx influence is noticeable, especially the pads. If they didn't make it look like a space ship, and made the os stable, it could've become a classic. They were years ahead of the maschine with the vst integration. Also it was always promoted as a hip hop maschibe, nothing wrong with that but hey you can make any music you want with a sampler. Like in the beginning of underworld they used 4 mpcs instead of ableton. If you promote it as a hip hop beat maschibe, there is a whole lot of producers that automatically won't be interested in it.
Eh, it also would have definitely benefitted from more computing power. The sample loading times are unacceptable.
Yup asrx loooking
Y’all can’t tell me that wasn’t Curtiss King on the promo with Jermaine Dupri. 😂😂😂
Lmao..U funny they do look alike lol.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
I Remember they had the promo video and I said that it looked like a piece of junk AND DUDE HAD ME BLOCKED FROM MAKING COMMENTS!!!! 👀 WHERE YOU AT BEAT THANG 👀 WHERE YOU AT?
Lol.
They were a bunch of cocky jerks.
yo .... I asked a question and dude said he was going to put a hex on me ...lol they were mad childish yo
@@KingGh0st_o dude got banned from Harmony Central for calling me a racial slur.
@@suitandtieguy yeah they really were out here wildin on people
I so agree. Others say that it was an internal struggle in the company. I know that struggles like that happen in major company. Iv been a part of that kind of struggle. Your right truth is we as consumers don’t see that struggle. But to see the crap marketing bad names and what not that’s the issue. You had me rolling about some huggy bear pump naming. They pigeon hold them self to be a one trick pony. If they named it different and and made it cheaper I think it would of made it.
Sgt. Slaughter!!..I feel u fam.
hey dyreck would it be a good decision to trade my mpc500 for a sampletrak? Im aware the sampletrak has less features than the mpc but Ive seen many videos and I feel that I connect with the workflow more than the sampletrak than the mpc. What your opinion?
The Sampletrak is like a poor mans SP 1200 cause the sound and kinda even the workflow..Its really hands on..The MPC has a much better sequencer..Better with sequencing different gear through midi..And just programing your tracks..The zoom has better effects..And some might prefer the hands on workflow..If I could I would try to get or keep both.. The MPC is better but sometimes bringing a new piece of gear in your arsenal is inspiring..Resale value of the MPC could be high in good condition..On ebay ive seen some for 700 or even 1k..But the zoom could be real fun lol..Its eaisier to sequence a whole song with drops and transitions on a MPC. And the MP is a beast if you mix it with a daw..I would try to keep both or stick with the MP but if you choose the zoom I feel u..its like a baby SP 1200.
to be honest I do like the hands on-ness of the zoom and I think Ima go forward with it. I have a feeling that Ill have a lot more fun with the zoom
thanks for the feedback btw
I might fix my mpc up to sell with some new parts and stuff
@@epson_ecotank_et-2850 Cool.
I had the beat thang and it was ahead of it's time and in some ways STILL IS. It was a stand alone device with many cool features and a great layout. From talking to customer support and people who worked on it the beat thang simply didn't have the technical software support team$ Just like the Tempest drum machine it was created and then abandon financially to work out the kinks and general upkeep. Mine simply crashed over and over into it stopped working.😢
I did learn from this not to fall for the hype and research a product to make sure a device is going to have a group dedicated to working out the kinks. If a device has too many basic features that are not available upon release I wait.
Smart thinking.
This video was a gem 💎 I remember wanting one of these so bad
I feel you.
Yes i wasnt buying nothing called no beat thang... I remember lookin at it when I was buying my first drum machine. It looked so cheap and the marketing just cheapened it more. I found a 2000XL for $300 eventually. Best purchase ever
Hell Yeah!!..For $300!!..Wow the good ol days lol.
Just found your channel, I subbed
Thanks fam.
DSK represents Beat Thang til this day
Oh ok.
It's always impressive when an independent company can make a full groovebox! (BTW - DELUGE!) Note "Bang" and "Blang" buttons! I considered buying for EDM use. As you said, something just seemed a bit "toy-ish" about it, and I never found a place to try it for long enough to decide.
I feel u.
i owned a beat thang and EVERY session i ever had on the thing ended with it crashing and myself giving up out of frustration.
Lol. thats crazy.
Bro I really wanted this machine and yea I admit the Beat Kang Beat Thang name was hella sketchy but the features were worth it. Only bug was that it was only available in the US and not the UK. I watched all the vids and even sat through RZA making a beat. It deffo had great potential especially with the layout of the pads and the connnectivity to the computer via vst/software to continue creating. Where are they now? 😢
Dope as a sound module though, Just cant get it to Reboot and come on.
The failure of the Beat Thang due to and its design and layout can't be overstated enough. No one serious about making beats or sequencing wants to spend $1,400 on a machine that looks like a $250 Akai XR-20. It's not that it glows in the dark -- it's that it doesn't stop glowing. The MPC Live's pad's light up partially when played or played back. The Beat Thang also put a bunch of non square pads on, which make the unit look even more like a toy. I mean, this thing looks ridiculous. And beyond that, there's a reason producers prefer pads in a square configuration -- you're reaching a lot less for any pad you need.
Can you view it on a program without a liquid crystal if you connect to the computer?
I think I saw it in your video
I get what your saying now the screen broke and you want to know if u could see the hardware image virtually on the computer..I dont think so but the sounds and sequences you can make on the beat thang virtual is pretty much identical to using the hardware. So even with a broken screen you could probably use the hardware to control the vst virtual if u have it..As long as the buttons on the hardware are working though.
@@DyReckProductions You said you can control the vst virtual
using hardware even if the screen is broken,
can I just install the hardware on my computer?
If so, where can I get the program?
@@레트로창고 Now for that you might have to do some web searching or ask someone in this comment section a couple people here still have and use the Beat Thang and Beat Thang virtual they might be able to send you a download...Here's a link to a guy thats real good with the beat thang he's showing a way to use it as a midi controller you might get some info on his page he has alot of Beat Thang stuff.... ruclips.net/video/PTXMm3TKDeY/видео.html And here's a site that claims they have a download for 10$ but you would have to do your research and check it out..... btvsolo.com/solo.
Here's a amazon link that might work......www.amazon.com/Solo-Review-Beat-Thang-Virtual/dp/B01HGH3IH6/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=beat+thang+virtual&qid=1624378066&sr=8-2
@@DyReckProductions thanks so much~
Got one in mint condition in the box turned it on once , bought it strictly as a collection piece . For $250
Wish they would just out of the blue drop a new operating system. Would be crazy.
AKAI totally stole. It’s whole vibe for the live 😂😂
Yeah.. alot of similarities.
Did they really "steal" it or is the Live just the logical version of a standalone MPC/controller hybrid? What is similar about it and Beat Thang? The horizontal layout, I guess?
The Beat Thang really is a machine. But I agree about the price. Thumbs up on the video.
I'm sorry I ment a really good machine.
@@Dee9158 Thanks fam.
I really liked it it’s a beautiful machine great sounds
Dope sounds!
I remember this...'thang'...from watching KOTD Battles back in the days. I think Loe Pesci did some commercial video with it
Oh ok.
Hahah most people will prolly have no idea what or who you’re talking about LOL. But yeah same machine and I remember that. Rip bender
I am still using the DESKTOP app to convert / re-sample / filter efx's my stuff.
Cool.
The pricing of this machine when it first came out was ridiculous that’s what hurt them the most I had one for while and they just couldn’t compete with that beast none as that MPC
It was also the first thing like this to have a color screen like that. The MPC of that time was like a calculator screen.
Yeah man.
I remember when the Beat Thang was being sold in Best Buy...That’s when Best Buy was trying to have a music department like the guitar center LOL... I had one and it kept crashing. So I had to return it due to Bad tech-support ....My Mpc Live was a better investment....✌🏾🧔🏾🎧
I feel u.
The pads remind me of the ones on the Ensoniq ASR-X.
Yup.
But every machine glows in the dark today mpc x live one maschine
Yeah your right..Mad folks took shots at the beat thang for glowing in the dark.
I had to have one when It came out bought BT Virtual , Loved it finally found a unit bought it just to have one found out it had a terrible operating system ... If you saved too much to the internal hard drive it would shut down permanently crash factor was HIGH!!!! mine crashed and now I cant find the operating system and it sits under my shelf till this day LOL... If you have any info on it please share.
Some of the old Beat thang forums might have some info ..but im not sure.
Youre so right about the marketing. That made it seem real gimmicky. Aint nobody listening to Jermaine Dupri for shit.
Lmao.
Great video...lol I still have the software disk..
This Name...I always liked technical Names with Numbers and Letters. If this where a fictional Groovebox in GTA San Andreas it might be funny though.
The Software Version looks a lot better.
Thanks, for your great Content! You always bring a smile to my Face.
Thanks bro!..I appreciate it.
Had ALOT of Bug's with the Upgrade Version had two of them and Dallas Austin didn't stand behind his produce after he got ownership of the company
I had a Beat Thang. I didn’t really like it. I was already using Maschine MK1 when I got it and was more used to that. Mine crashed and I sent it back to Sweetwater. But it felt like a quality piece of gear. They were $699 when I got mine brand new.
Oh ok cool..u got it for a good price.
The software isn to slow and crashes sometimes. I have an exemplar and I like to play with it and sounds are good. I got a new software from a nerd. it runs a little better now. what i like to is that you have diverse light set ups and the pads (and her order). so its a rare kool sampler
Oh ok cool.. no doubt fam.