Man, this is my new favorite series on RUclips. Haven't missed an episode yet. The idea of trying out and exploring the gear no one seems to like is brilliant! I appreciate that you force yourself to make music with them too, rather than some boring 'review' of it or something. Thanks for these!
They focus on nightmares first. The users then turn the nightmares into dreams. Everyone hated the TR machines when they came out except broke rap and electronica artists
I actually did get one new after it had been out a year or two. It was discounted HEAVILY. It wasn't the worst device but compared to other Roland grooveboxes that came before it I think it was kinda terrible (that LED display and those presets, ugh). Also I'm kinda shocked at the amount of gear I still own that has been featured on this channel. Man, I bought some crap.
This was my first groovebox. I knew nothing about them. It caught my eye from across the room like a cheap suit. I wanted it because it looked so futuristic like something out of A Clockwork Orange. For a beginner, it was great.
Oh my word, that D&B groove at 3:05 is just heavenly. This little orange bastard is just begging the 2000s kid left in me to hop onto Reverb and pick it up!
I used mine for a sound module and used the strongest sounds only. It's a mean machine if you can drag those sounds out and use them. The guy I sold it to was excited to get it so I think the D2 has a secret fan base out there. A secret cult of Roland D2 followers with a lust for orange plastic and low resolution touch controllers.
The D2 was my first machine, bought it for cheap in 2004 cause the music shop wanted to get rid of it :). The sounds are fantastic and very versatile and the 32 step sequencer very complete though incredibly painful to program when used as a standalone. I spent hours having absolute fun with it, made hip hop, ska, jazzy electro shit... you name it, even ringtones for my phone :) but the day I plugged a midi keyboard into it it blew my mind: you can tweak everything: filters, lfos... new dimensions open up! I gave it to a friend when I went into MPCs, and somedays I regret the simple days sitting on the floor, headphones on my ears, grooving away. The D2, always in my heart! thanks for the video!
The "fugly gear" bit had me dying haha. As a musician who has never owned anything Roland, I'm both happy and sad. I'm intrigued by the TB-3, not a fan of touchscreens either but I always like the jams you use it in. "If it sounds good, it IS good" -Duke Ellington
I was on the verge of buying one of these about 10 years back. I don't know if I'm ok it never happened, or regret not getting one. I'm sure it would have been collecting dust by this point, unfortunate to say. I was basically going to use it to fool around with break-beats...and honestly I like the sound of the early 00s and trance...I was middle school/high school age around that time and played a lot of Dance Dance Revolution. As cheesy as it is, the sound of the early 00s definitely holds a place in my heart.
I bought one when they came out,was my 1st piece I ever bought,along w/ an XP-80.I had never made music before but your brother Moby inspired me once I realized one person could make it all.I loved my D2,spent 100's of hours learning it,even bought another.I rarely used the patterns in it but instead hooked my XP up to it and used as a controller to record into the user patterns.Also would write tracks into it.When I did use the patterns I made sure to change the instrument and mangle them.You could come up w/ some great sounds/patterns that were nothing like the "cheesie" originals.I no longer have one,lost it and all my equipment in a fire.Want to start rebuilding my collection,but COVID has mostly screwed up my income.Once this is all over and things are back to normal(or as close as we can get)I will for sure buy one again just b/c it's what I learned on and when used "correctly" it can do some great music.
This show rocks. I love the way that you build solutions to make questionable gear undeniably hip. This show is such a fantastic example that with a little ingenuity and an attitude that doesn't immediately dismiss a design team's bad idea, one is totally capable of making music.
@@AudioPilz I wanna see someone try to make a touch based synthesizer out of the flesh machines in ExistenZ! Squeeze it tightly to change the lowpass filter! Rub that belly button thing to change tempo! Where is that kickstarter?!
Roland: the best and the worst gear of ALL TIME And frankly I would say this thing isn't quite as bad as the Yamaha thing with the cd and built in speakers
@@AudioPilz "EDIT...oops this was meant for Gelatinous"...The XIIB is basically a slightly different box version of the original DJX which is highly respected among Home/Bedroom studios. Personally I find the ridiculous controls of the XIIB pretty fun..."CD thing" which is basically a weighted knob, is pretty intuitive for muting and playing parts parts as well as for triggering loops and arpeggios. The FX section works nicely and the 3 band EQ...is a 3 band EQ plus the digital filter is fairly buttery.lol The only issue is the false fader. But through a midi controller like the Arturia keystep pro...or even Beatstep P...it's a great rompler box with percussion...
@@BendApparatus I had the DJX keyboard and box when they were first released. I was recently offered a box for free and my first thought was YES, this will be of great use now I have a Beatstep Pro 👌 I've yet to pick it up, can't wait to see what fun I could have.
@@RANDOMLOOPGENERATOR I do as well... thought I wish I understood more about MIDI and knew how to use the Beatstep P's functions better. So far it feels like I've only accessed about 30% of what the XIIB can do through MIDI...
I think the orange Roland D-2 looks great! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... and ugliness too. Also, even "bad" gear can sound great with creativity.
Bought this 20 years ago and thought it looked pretty cool. Even started to use it last year. Not so enthousiastic about the drum pad, but otherwise I still like it, and the looks. Good it still has the same value.
Interesting series. There are many channels about legendary gears, synths, etc. So, a very unique angle this channel offers. You know, your peter bit was also interesting :)
I like D2. I use it as a 4-midi channel desktop sound mound module. It works 100% with the MC-505 patch editor! It has most same params as Roland JV-1080. It’s great for programming pads and bass sounds, especially with the modulation modes between two tones! Also excellent for midi mapping aftertouch, velocity, mod wheel, and pitch bend to 4 pitches, 4 filters cutoff / resonance, 4 amps / pan, and 8 lfos. It’s seriously great for making 4 tone stacked sounds user presets! I like to mix n match pad sounds across 4 midi channels.
crnkmnky I’ve been spotted! Hehe with digits I tried to strike a balance between modern tones and oldschool synth patches. My sound design leans keyboard-playerish
@@rayforceaddict The presets are a nice selection. The concept (resurrecting phase distortion synthesis) definitely intrigues me. I just have to spend some time learning to design. 😅
as always FABOULOUS CONTENT. Also extremmelly curious on what is your professional background or if there is anyway we can listen to your work and productions!!
that Moog filter trick is the same thing I do for my MS-2000 (worthy of an episode for sure) except I use the Strange Science F1 Eurorack filter. The mildest amount of analog lowpass can work wonders
Wow, I just got one YESTERDAY! Had hoped it would be a decent replacement for the MC-303 I had to part with a few years back. The awful user interface and unresponsive buttons make external MIDI controls a must.
How in the hell did I miss this episode! This thing is legend and I’m buying one right now. I think Roland needs to make a super pro updated version of this. So epic.
2021 october...waiting to shake virtual hands with a seller with a D2 unit, just for fun, because i´m not musician but since confinement i amassed a little arsenal of EDM tiny machines...Great video! Fantastic editing! Congratulations & thanks from Madrid City Spain.
I actually had a lot of fun with my D2. It started freezing up regularly and I could never get it fixed. I eventually let it go and I miss it's orange weirdness sometimes.
I enjoy this format a lot and I'm happy to see your channel is growing and the show get's even better with every episode. In love with se trockene Humor.
hi! This is a Great video , as you do always, I made live perofrmances with external midi controllers and D2 for years. I loved this machine. Have a nice day!
@@AudioPilz Check out the game's "D" And "enemy Zero" by the same company. They're pretty badass! There kind of Point & click survival with puzzle-solving and horror elements. But they got great Atmosphere and story!👌👍
Zoom wins, Roland close second. Yamaha did some great stuff with QY300 & 700 as RM1x. The current MC-101 and 707 are nice though. What about a future Yamaha QY-1000? Yamaha is good at this.
It's similar to the chaos pad but has 3 distinct modes: triggering sounds, XY effects, or DJ turntable. Thus the zones and circular design on the grid.
I got a Yamaha SU700,I'm not yet in the 'groove' with it but I'd love to have your opinion about that gear cause I'm wondering if I should keep it or leave it.
Was just looking at one one line for $400 Australian (€256) and came to your vid first for maximum cred. As usual , tried to just listen whilst doing something else , but on immediate replay experienced about ten laugh out loud moments in the first few seconds with your “rambunctious meme ninja” editing style , even too fast for my attention span. Top marks for detail, once again. Always entertaining and informative . Almost 100% certain that I could find some matching 90s activewear in the same orange, consequently I’m quite tempted to buy this fugly heap of shi- I mean Groovebox powerhouse!.
This is a great machine. It has all the bread-and-butter sounds you ever need, and in decent quality. Some sounds are even excellent - I often use one of the saxophone sounds at live gigs, and people are always surprised where the sax came from ... I use it purely as a sound module via midi-keyboard. But even the D-field is a winner: nothing gives you chaotic, unpredictable notes like the d-field played with five fingers. A sax via 5-fingered d-field sounds almost like Sun Ra ;-) And all those effect sounds - falling filters, blibs, singing whales end whatnot ... you don't need to waste whole soundbanks on complex synths for that, you just dial them in. Add a good outboard reverb/delay, and you are good to go. I love it!
Perhaps not as ugly as a Casio XW-PD1... which i have sitting in a box because it has no midi... check it out, it's the worst gear I've ever touched and meant for the aliens from Arrival
Like a door keypad, a fire engine and the Millennium Falcon had a wild sex orgy together and forgot to take precautions. Note to self: make appointment for psychotherapy.
I just found this channel today and I have to say I love how petty it is. Most channels will talk about some obscure piece of gear and say "underrated classic??" and you're over here calling groove boxes ugly. God bless you.
well, the volcas are toys compaired to the d2. even make songs in a surten scale, chord scales, i bet you don't own the d2. any idea why it got 8 numbers on the touchpad?! i bet you don't or maybe 1/10 you know why. you can create your own patches, own arpegioss, own scales, while you don't because wats in there is more than you need. call it cheesy, well then you never know how this D2 works. it has all the buttons and sliders and effects that even a 1000 dollar synths don't have. 2 lfo that can respond to every effect or patch or sliders on 512 1/4 steps, but it can have 96 steps in 1 volca step. ppi96. if i see the whole mega tutorial on the digitone i still find stuff the new ones cant but opposite too. what they buikd on a digitone i can build on a roland mc and or a d2. the d2 is the mc909 in pocket skin. you can build complete finished songs with that thing, 16 channel polyphonic and 32 bars per part and endless long songs, no new synth or groovebox touches that
Thanks for the insight. Had some fun with the custom scales but the D-Field was so wonky that I didn't manage to record even one proper melody. Does it work better on other units?
@@AudioPilz the scale settings are bind to the arpeggiators, record and system settings must be set right to record that. i know the reputation of the d2 and i laugh with everyone who then buys the volcas.
@@stefanie_m466 - Hey, I added a D-Beam to my Volca so it is almost as professional as Roland now. (I agree about the coarse resolution of Volca and Pocket Operator, I thought my DR-110 was bad)
Great video and love your style. Please continue to keep them under 10 minutes. I have so many unwatched video from RUclips channels as I just don't have 30 minutes a time to watch them.
My favorite RUclips show. I never knew this stuff existed and now I want it all. If you don't skyrocket prices for obscure used gear, you will be in near future
Thanks again for the flashback! Every preset sounds like budget PS2 game menu music. This is a known fact! I also suspect during development meetings one executive asked: "What if just put a D-Beam on it for controlling everything and no knobs?" Then the biggest nerd in the back yelled out one word: "Touchpad!" This is the fugliest Roland box on the planet. I picked up a new but heavily discounted D2 20 years ago for $200 US. So it has not gone up in value at all. Why do I still keep the D2 around? Answer: For those sweet, sweet 2-Step UK garage PS2 presets. ;-)
Hey i bought my kid one of those years ago when he was 14. Its still here with my stuff. It sounds great just never figured it out much myself, Some have though He did using a early Midi controller keyboard. They produced a bunch of Kid Stuff. I still have the vids.
Really enjoy your series - it stands out from all the other gear reviews. Keep up the good work and quality. A suggestion for future candidates: Gear from the mid 90s german company called Quasimidi. They made mostly virtual analog techno synths and groove boxes like the Raven, Polymorph, Rave-O-Lotion or Sirius. Its not all crap but seems to fit very well to your series.
I can't believe you did it! I feel kind of responsible for this. I've been waiting a review video on the d2 since forever! I own one and youtube it's full only with people doing terrible music with it. Thank you so much!
Oh you're too generous here. Both eye bleed and ear bleed in the same unit! It has a JV engine in there? Then someone stole half the frequencies 'cause I didn't get much under 400Hz on anything. Dated pattern, poor sample set, no low end. I won't fault it for searing the high frequencies since this seemed to be a trend in ROMplers for awhile. And now after commenting too many times I'll make some suggestions: Yamaha REX50 for bad effects, Yamaha CS6R for nose-bleed highs (and pre-motif OS from hell - oh and see if you can get a PLG board for extra credit) , and EMu Classic Keys for "What were they thinking" price-point stripping of a good module (Vintage Keys module done oh-so wrong). I can go on, but if you can find any of these then I'd be plenty amused since they're not really that mainstream.
Another fun episode. The D2 has one of the most unique, powerful and underrated sequencers, in my opinion. One very usable and interesting feature is the ability to fade-reverse the state of muted/unmuted tracks. Also, if orange isn't your thing.. There's ultra-rare blue and pink versions! Lol
This things look always had me saying why? I have the sp-505 sampler which is ugly & slow to load its memory, but it has really good FX & sounds really nice to my ears. 👌
I bought one cheap simply to have a bit of Roland Gear; thought it would be great. It sounds fantastic. I mostly use the grand piano patch and just use like that. It comes into it's own when using with an external midi keyboard. It's easy to program and create songs on the fly like using an 8 track recorder. The D zone pad controller thingy is absolute pants though. It's been well worth the money.
I nominate the little Yamaha QR-10. It’s my favorite device for trying out chords and it can mute parts on and off. I use the bass lines and pads from it to pair with the RW drum machine. It has a sweet sampler and a built in speaker that isn’t terrible. Around 100 bucks if you wanna try one out!
This show only gets better 🔥
Thanks!
If nothing else I watch for the comments
Agreed!
If you stand on it... Does it show you your weight?
No, you get beamed aboard ship
@@AudioPilz Not 2-B confused with D-Beam, with both it could slide off the table on that much awesomesauce.
Lol ‘Let’s see if it can handle contemporary music’, proceeds to make 80s Detroit techno
I could have gone for early 90s trance;)
I seriously thought the same thing. lol
@@AudioPilz i recently did :D
Man, this is my new favorite series on RUclips. Haven't missed an episode yet. The idea of trying out and exploring the gear no one seems to like is brilliant! I appreciate that you force yourself to make music with them too, rather than some boring 'review' of it or something. Thanks for these!
Thanks for watching! Stick around!
Reminds me of that famous quote by Carl Sagan: 'Roland's R&D department... capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares.'
what a poetic quote
They focus on nightmares first. The users then turn the nightmares into dreams. Everyone hated the TR machines when they came out except broke rap and electronica artists
I never actually bought one of these.
I got mine for free from someone that clearly wanted to punish me for something.
Choose your friends wisely
@@AudioPilz Sage advice.
@@AudioPilz Keep your friends close, and your enemies using Bad Gear. ;)
I actually did get one new after it had been out a year or two. It was discounted HEAVILY. It wasn't the worst device but compared to other Roland grooveboxes that came before it I think it was kinda terrible (that LED display and those presets, ugh). Also I'm kinda shocked at the amount of gear I still own that has been featured on this channel. Man, I bought some crap.
i recently did :D
This was my first groovebox. I knew nothing about them. It caught my eye from across the room like a cheap suit. I wanted it because it looked so futuristic like something out of A Clockwork Orange. For a beginner, it was great.
Oh my word, that D&B groove at 3:05 is just heavenly. This little orange bastard is just begging the 2000s kid left in me to hop onto Reverb and pick it up!
Yeah, there are some gems in that orange box
100% with you on this
I got one bathering dust, need to fish it out and take it for a run round the block
I seriously thought the exact same freaking thing.
Oh man I was gonna comment the same thing. Honestly that was very legit for a demo track 🤯
I used mine for a sound module and used the strongest sounds only. It's a mean machine if you can drag those sounds out and use them.
The guy I sold it to was excited to get it so I think the D2 has a secret fan base out there.
A secret cult of Roland D2 followers with a lust for orange plastic and low resolution touch controllers.
...or phat romplers in a small package
(͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)
That MOOG filter turned it into pure magic.
Gold!
@@AudioPilz what is the filter you used?
The D2 was my first machine, bought it for cheap in 2004 cause the music shop wanted to get rid of it :). The sounds are fantastic and very versatile and the 32 step sequencer very complete though incredibly painful to program when used as a standalone. I spent hours having absolute fun with it, made hip hop, ska, jazzy electro shit... you name it, even ringtones for my phone :)
but the day I plugged a midi keyboard into it it blew my mind: you can tweak everything: filters, lfos... new dimensions open up!
I gave it to a friend when I went into MPCs, and somedays I regret the simple days sitting on the floor, headphones on my ears, grooving away. The D2, always in my heart! thanks for the video!
Pleasure, stick around!
The "fugly gear" bit had me dying haha. As a musician who has never owned anything Roland, I'm both happy and sad. I'm intrigued by the TB-3, not a fan of touchscreens either but I always like the jams you use it in. "If it sounds good, it IS good" -Duke Ellington
Thanks! Yeah, the TB3 really grew on me!
I was on the verge of buying one of these about 10 years back. I don't know if I'm ok it never happened, or regret not getting one. I'm sure it would have been collecting dust by this point, unfortunate to say. I was basically going to use it to fool around with break-beats...and honestly I like the sound of the early 00s and trance...I was middle school/high school age around that time and played a lot of Dance Dance Revolution. As cheesy as it is, the sound of the early 00s definitely holds a place in my heart.
If you like that sound it's an ideal machine
I bought one when they came out,was my 1st piece I ever bought,along w/ an XP-80.I had never made music before but your brother Moby inspired me once I realized one person could make it all.I loved my D2,spent 100's of hours learning it,even bought another.I rarely used the patterns in it but instead hooked my XP up to it and used as a controller to record into the user patterns.Also would write tracks into it.When I did use the patterns I made sure to change the instrument and mangle them.You could come up w/ some great sounds/patterns that were nothing like the "cheesie" originals.I no longer have one,lost it and all my equipment in a fire.Want to start rebuilding my collection,but COVID has mostly screwed up my income.Once this is all over and things are back to normal(or as close as we can get)I will for sure buy one again just b/c it's what I learned on and when used "correctly" it can do some great music.
First love is the deepest
This channel makes 2020 not that bad.
Thanks! Happy to hear that!
This show rocks. I love the way that you build solutions to make questionable gear undeniably hip. This show is such a fantastic example that with a little ingenuity and an attitude that doesn't immediately dismiss a design team's bad idea, one is totally capable of making music.
Thank you so much!
Your editing ideas and quality are insane. Thanks and 🥂 cheers 😁
Thank you so much!
This looks like one of those late 70s gaming systems that only played Pong.
...or something out of a Cronenberg movie
@@AudioPilz I wanna see someone try to make a touch based synthesizer out of the flesh machines in ExistenZ! Squeeze it tightly to change the lowpass filter! Rub that belly button thing to change tempo!
Where is that kickstarter?!
It is a horrible looking thing, I don't even care if it is good, I could'nt bear looking at it!
Also can be a playschool toy, in nightmare mode.
I
That's like out of my lab! Kudos for the DarkStar!
I dunno man, that sounds like a great setup to me.
Why do I keep coming back watching these wild reviews? Because they are so funny and informative! Thank You!
Thank you!!!
Roland: the best and the worst gear of ALL TIME
And frankly I would say this thing isn't quite as bad as the Yamaha thing with the cd and built in speakers
The DJX?
The DJX is much more unusable but the built-in engine is actually pretty nice
@@AudioPilz "EDIT...oops this was meant for Gelatinous"...The XIIB is basically a slightly different box version of the original DJX which is highly respected among Home/Bedroom studios. Personally I find the ridiculous controls of the XIIB pretty fun..."CD thing" which is basically a weighted knob, is pretty intuitive for muting and playing parts parts as well as for triggering loops and arpeggios.
The FX section works nicely and the 3 band EQ...is a 3 band EQ plus the digital filter is fairly buttery.lol The only issue is the false fader.
But through a midi controller like the Arturia keystep pro...or even Beatstep P...it's a great rompler box with percussion...
@@BendApparatus I had the DJX keyboard and box when they were first released. I was recently offered a box for free and my first thought was YES, this will be of great use now I have a Beatstep Pro 👌 I've yet to pick it up, can't wait to see what fun I could have.
@@RANDOMLOOPGENERATOR I do as well... thought I wish I understood more about MIDI and knew how to use the Beatstep P's functions better. So far it feels like I've only accessed about 30% of what the XIIB can do through MIDI...
Man your script for this episode absolutely killed it 🤣 hilarious after watching all the other eps!
Oh yea & the memes are just so on point XD
Thanks!
I think the orange Roland D-2 looks great! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... and ugliness too. Also, even "bad" gear can sound great with creativity.
True that!
Bought this 20 years ago and thought it looked pretty cool. Even started to use it last year. Not so enthousiastic about the drum pad, but otherwise I still like it, and the looks. Good it still has the same value.
Great sounds but the interface is really tedious
Love this show!! I can’t believe it hasn’t completely blown up yet!!
Working on it;)
for someone whose setup use to be a mc303 w yamaha djb & korg kaossilator, this channel really speaks to me
Great minds... ;)
Interesting series. There are many channels about legendary gears, synths, etc. So, a very unique angle this channel offers. You know, your peter bit was also interesting :)
Thanks!
I like D2. I use it as a 4-midi channel desktop sound mound module. It works 100% with the MC-505 patch editor!
It has most same params as Roland JV-1080.
It’s great for programming pads and bass sounds, especially with the modulation modes between two tones!
Also excellent for midi mapping aftertouch, velocity, mod wheel, and pitch bend to 4 pitches, 4 filters cutoff / resonance, 4 amps / pan, and 8 lfos. It’s seriously great for making 4 tone stacked sounds user presets!
I like to mix n match pad sounds across 4 midi channels.
Interesting! I have to try that editor too!
"These presets seem cheesy and dated" -- I'm 40 and thought they were pretty hip and now :(
The sound of our early twens;)
DIGITS!
crnkmnky I’ve been spotted! Hehe with digits I tried to strike a balance between modern tones and oldschool synth patches. My sound design leans keyboard-playerish
@@rayforceaddict The presets are a nice selection. The concept (resurrecting phase distortion synthesis) definitely intrigues me. I just have to spend some time learning to design. 😅
The show's getting a lot more concise. I can't believe I've only just subscribed now, looking forward to more in the future
Thanks!
I actually really like the presets that came out of that thing. I kind of want one now.
Some total classics among the presets
I love orange things. Looks very attractive.
Got a nice built-in rompler as well
as always FABOULOUS CONTENT. Also extremmelly curious on what is your professional background or if there is anyway we can listen to your work and productions!!
Thank you so much! Long story and I would say it's more about the gear
The truth is Moby is alive and kicking lol
Excellent episode! As previously mentioned in the comments fro this post, your show keeps getting better and better. Keep up the good(hard)work!
Thank you so much!
I don’t think it’s that ugly. Especially compared to the Yamaha thing or the yoga hoop (which is really in a class by itself).
Cheerleader effect? ;)
that Moog filter trick is the same thing I do for my MS-2000 (worthy of an episode for sure) except I use the Strange Science F1 Eurorack filter. The mildest amount of analog lowpass can work wonders
Cool!
Wow, I just got one YESTERDAY! Had hoped it would be a decent replacement for the MC-303 I had to part with a few years back. The awful user interface and unresponsive buttons make external MIDI controls a must.
Well, I found it more accessible than the 303
How in the hell did I miss this episode! This thing is legend and I’m buying one right now. I think Roland needs to make a super pro updated version of this. So epic.
Much recommended!!!
Your videos are pure entertainment and your talent is overkill!!
Thank you so much, it means a lot to me
2021 october...waiting to shake virtual hands with a seller with a D2 unit, just for fun, because i´m not musician but since confinement i amassed a little arsenal of EDM tiny machines...Great video! Fantastic editing! Congratulations & thanks from Madrid City Spain.
Thank you!!! Love Madrid! Have fun with the D2!
I actually had a lot of fun with my D2. It started freezing up regularly and I could never get it fixed. I eventually let it go and I miss it's orange weirdness sometimes.
Yeah, it's a nice colorful thing among the greyness of studio environments
I enjoy this format a lot and I'm happy to see your channel is growing and the show get's even better with every episode. In love with se trockene Humor.
Sänks! Se humor needs to be trocken;)
This channel is a hidden gem
Thank you so much!
These videos come out so fast you are a true mad lad
Sleep is the enemy
Not going to lie, I absolutely loved all the preset patterns. It's Ape Escape in a box!!
Quite some gems among the presets
I'm embarrassed i wasn't subscribed yet after the first one! this is next level man :)
No problem, welcome & stick around!
We all know who this was targeted to- the "KAOSS GENERATION! "
Is that the one between GenX and Millenials?
@@AudioPilz honestly, kinda?
hi! This is a Great video , as you do always, I made live perofrmances with external midi controllers and D2 for years. I loved this machine. Have a nice day!
Thank you so much!!!
these kinds of cheesy late 90s/early 00s sounds have been growing on me lately, it’s the 20 year rule at work
Looking forward to 90s raves after the pandemic
Entire reason I started this project 👀
Thanks for this serie! In depth, informative and just fun. Slowly bingewatching almost every episode right now...
Thank you so much!!!
when are you going to put out an album of jam tracks produced for this show? they've all been really good!
Thanks! I'll maybe drop a few wednesday episodes to find time for that
@@AudioPilz some extra bandcamp bucks to help make that OP-1 episode possible won't hurt ;)
Orange was the new black...
Production values are shooting up btw! Great job!
Thanks!
When I saw the title "D-2" I immediately thought of the Dreamcast game by the software developer "Warp".
Wow, didn't know that
@@AudioPilz Check out the game's "D" And "enemy Zero" by the same company. They're pretty badass! There kind of Point & click survival with puzzle-solving and horror elements. But they got great Atmosphere and story!👌👍
I've wanted one of these for a while. Not sure if I still do though! Great video!
Thanks!
3:04 sounds like music from some demo disc for psx.
That's a very good comparison
Oh my good lord I just did a search and you have done a video on the DJX2B, a magical object from my childhood... 😱
I would consider it dark magic;)
AudioPilz all I know is that I probably couldn’t do a handstand on it any more without serious risk to my life.
Zoom wins, Roland close second.
Yamaha did some great stuff with QY300 & 700 as RM1x.
The current MC-101 and 707 are nice though.
What about a future Yamaha QY-1000? Yamaha is good at this.
Yeah. Yamaha is good at many things. Motorbikes, for example ;)
@@AudioPilz Yamaha is very solid (polka not so much, but hey).
OMGGG I see a Yamaha DJX IIB in your live setup!! Literally my first piece of "dj gear" at the ripe age of 13. Wow...... Mind Blown.
so is the D-field just a D-beam without the beam? that's so lame
It's truly lame. VERY lame
I like the function of D-field area 5 to 8 for scrolling through the step-editor. But it's unusable for it's intended use.
@@AudioPilz Is it as bad (or worse) than, say, an original Kaossilator pad (if you've used one of those)?
It's similar to the chaos pad but has 3 distinct modes: triggering sounds, XY effects, or DJ turntable. Thus the zones and circular design on the grid.
@@user-ld8ep5qr7m I have one but the pad is broken. The kaossilator pad is a lot better than the D-field.
Seriously! I LIOVE YOUR CHANNEL! So happy to find it! You have a new long term alien follower! Best, synthwave artist Ai Accident
Thank you so much! Live long and prosper!
I got a Yamaha SU700,I'm not yet in the 'groove' with it but I'd love to have your opinion about that gear cause I'm wondering if I should keep it or leave it.
Powerful machine but steep learning curve. I would keep it
Was just looking at one one line for $400 Australian (€256) and came to your vid first for maximum cred. As usual , tried to just listen whilst doing something else , but on immediate replay experienced about ten laugh out loud moments in the first few seconds with your “rambunctious meme ninja” editing style , even too fast for my attention span. Top marks for detail, once again. Always entertaining and informative . Almost 100% certain that I could find some matching 90s activewear in the same orange, consequently I’m quite tempted to buy this fugly heap of shi- I mean Groovebox powerhouse!.
Nice find!!!
3:04 ah I see you found the Sewerslvt preset
Thanks for making me google that😂
The edit is getting better and better
Thanks!
Does it have a digital low-pass filter that you can apply?
Yeah, but it's not my favorite
You are setting the quality bar exceedingly high with each episode .
Thank you so much!
Didnt the V Synth also had a D field,
You should also check out the eg-101
Currently in negotiations about an EG101
@@AudioPilz Looking forward to that video. First gear I ever bought was the Roland EG101.
This is a great machine. It has all the bread-and-butter sounds you ever need, and in decent quality. Some sounds are even excellent - I often use one of the saxophone sounds at live gigs, and people are always surprised where the sax came from ... I use it purely as a sound module via midi-keyboard. But even the D-field is a winner: nothing gives you chaotic, unpredictable notes like the d-field played with five fingers. A sax via 5-fingered d-field sounds almost like Sun Ra ;-)
And all those effect sounds - falling filters, blibs, singing whales end whatnot ... you don't need to waste whole soundbanks on complex synths for that, you just dial them in. Add a good outboard reverb/delay, and you are good to go.
I love it!
Nice technique!
Perhaps not as ugly as a Casio XW-PD1... which i have sitting in a box because it has no midi... check it out, it's the worst gear I've ever touched and meant for the aliens from Arrival
Already searching for the falcon...
Holy f**k, just searched for it and the Casio XW-PD1 makes the D2 look like an Apple design! Like an oversized toy door keypad. Wow. Wow.
Like a door keypad, a fire engine and the Millennium Falcon had a wild sex orgy together and forgot to take precautions. Note to self: make appointment for psychotherapy.
I just found this channel today and I have to say I love how petty it is. Most channels will talk about some obscure piece of gear and say "underrated classic??" and you're over here calling groove boxes ugly. God bless you.
Thanks! But let's be honest: ugly it is!
well, the volcas are toys compaired to the d2. even make songs in a surten scale, chord scales, i bet you don't own the d2. any idea why it got 8 numbers on the touchpad?! i bet you don't or maybe 1/10 you know why. you can create your own patches, own arpegioss, own scales, while you don't because wats in there is more than you need. call it cheesy, well then you never know how this D2 works. it has all the buttons and sliders and effects that even a 1000 dollar synths don't have. 2 lfo that can respond to every effect or patch or sliders on 512 1/4 steps, but it can have 96 steps in 1 volca step. ppi96. if i see the whole mega tutorial on the digitone i still find stuff the new ones cant but opposite too. what they buikd on a digitone i can build on a roland mc and or a d2. the d2 is the mc909 in pocket skin. you can build complete finished songs with that thing, 16 channel polyphonic and 32 bars per part and endless long songs, no new synth or groovebox touches that
Thanks for the insight. Had some fun with the custom scales but the D-Field was so wonky that I didn't manage to record even one proper melody. Does it work better on other units?
@@AudioPilz the scale settings are bind to the arpeggiators, record and system settings must be set right to record that. i know the reputation of the d2 and i laugh with everyone who then buys the volcas.
@@AudioPilz bid 2000 dollars for it. i will say NO!!! maybe 3000 euros, i would say yes.
@@stefanie_m466 - Hey, I added a D-Beam to my Volca so it is almost as professional as Roland now. (I agree about the coarse resolution of Volca and Pocket Operator, I thought my DR-110 was bad)
The volcas don't look like they came from a 1990s arcade prize counter tho
I used to have one. Definitely some good sounds hidden inside. Nice vid, as usual!
Thanks!
Not gonna lie. Those preset patterns are really compelling to me.
There are certainly some nice ones among them
Great video and love your style. Please continue to keep them under 10 minutes. I have so many unwatched video from RUclips channels as I just don't have 30 minutes a time to watch them.
Thanks! Yeah, too much too long videos on YT
3:37 Da Bass almost sounds like Russian Hard Bass donk.
It's an international Hard Bass Donk, appreciated in many countries around the world😅
That "Russian Hard Bass" is actually heavily inspired by UK Scouse House which was relying on donks way before the Russians did it.
Korg came along a few years later n said ‘but what if we got rid of everything but the d field/touchpad, 1 knob and 2-3 buttons and paint it yellow?’
...and it ended up in Kaoss;)
It's made for drunk DJ's
who spill alcohol on their gear
You can polish it using clean spirits
Those presets sound like the Jet Set Radio OST. I think I'm in love.
Best!
Again you completely missed it’s intended purpose: A Sasquatch Detector!
Controller for ACME© nukes
My favorite RUclips show. I never knew this stuff existed and now I want it all. If you don't skyrocket prices for obscure used gear, you will be in near future
Thanks!
I had to wait 4 days because I was on holiday with very limited internet, and boy, what is waiting for me!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks again for the flashback! Every preset sounds like budget PS2 game menu music. This is a known fact! I also suspect during development meetings one executive asked: "What if just put a D-Beam on it for controlling everything and no knobs?" Then the biggest nerd in the back yelled out one word: "Touchpad!" This is the fugliest Roland box on the planet. I picked up a new but heavily discounted D2 20 years ago for $200 US. So it has not gone up in value at all. Why do I still keep the D2 around? Answer: For those sweet, sweet 2-Step UK garage PS2 presets. ;-)
I still have mine at my parent's house! Should check it out after 18 years.
Yeah, that one's a lot of fun (a bit freaky tho)
@@AudioPilz Yes, I remember... Headphones on, weed and off to the races!
Hey i bought my kid one of those years ago when he was 14. Its still here with my stuff. It sounds great just never figured it out much myself, Some have though He did using a early Midi controller keyboard. They produced a bunch of Kid Stuff. I still have the vids.
You're a good parent! (unironically)
Really enjoy your series - it stands out from all the other gear reviews. Keep up the good work and quality. A suggestion for future candidates: Gear from the mid 90s german company called Quasimidi. They made mostly virtual analog techno synths and groove boxes like the Raven, Polymorph, Rave-O-Lotion or Sirius. Its not all crap but seems to fit very well to your series.
Thanks! I would love to do Quasimidi stuff but it has become very rare and expensive
@@AudioPilz I guess some technical flaws of these boxes turn into vintage features over time...
I can't believe you did it! I feel kind of responsible for this. I've been waiting a review video on the d2 since forever! I own one and youtube it's full only with people doing terrible music with it. Thank you so much!
Pleasure and thanks for the suggestion!
Oh you're too generous here. Both eye bleed and ear bleed in the same unit! It has a JV engine in there? Then someone stole half the frequencies 'cause I didn't get much under 400Hz on anything. Dated pattern, poor sample set, no low end. I won't fault it for searing the high frequencies since this seemed to be a trend in ROMplers for awhile. And now after commenting too many times I'll make some suggestions: Yamaha REX50 for bad effects, Yamaha CS6R for nose-bleed highs (and pre-motif OS from hell - oh and see if you can get a PLG board for extra credit) , and EMu Classic Keys for "What were they thinking" price-point stripping of a good module (Vintage Keys module done oh-so wrong). I can go on, but if you can find any of these then I'd be plenty amused since they're not really that mainstream.
Great ideas, thank you!
love the editing here man
Thanks!
AHAHAH THE BACKGROUND, seriously, your videos just keep getting better!
Thanks!
As someone shamelessly carried by that 90s synth charm, these videos about the grooveboxes packed full of it are extremely enjoyable
Raver kids ASMR ;)
Another fun episode. The D2 has one of the most unique, powerful and underrated sequencers, in my opinion. One very usable and interesting feature is the ability to fade-reverse the state of muted/unmuted tracks. Also, if orange isn't your thing.. There's ultra-rare blue and pink versions! Lol
Thanks! I saw a black one
Amazing montage! Thank you AudioPilz
Thanks!
Maaaan those edition skills get and more more amazing every episode!!!!
Thanks!
This things look always had me saying why? I have the sp-505 sampler which is ugly & slow to load its memory, but it has really good FX & sounds really nice to my ears. 👌
Sp505 is breathtakingly ugly but fun. Had one years ago
Desperately want more music like the one previewed on 3:05 !
Oldskool DnB!!!
Absolutely hilarious, yet brilliant review of one of my favourite bits of kit. Bravo!
Thank you so much!
I ued it a lot, but only with midi, but as alway with Roland unfinished with flaws, untight sequenser. Thank for shareing
Thanks for watching!
I bought one cheap simply to have a bit of Roland Gear; thought it would be great. It sounds fantastic. I mostly use the grand piano patch and just use like that. It comes into it's own when using with an external midi keyboard. It's easy to program and create songs on the fly like using an 8 track recorder. The D zone pad controller thingy is absolute pants though. It's been well worth the money.
Nice!!!
The production quality was incredible on this video!
Thanks!
I nominate the little Yamaha QR-10. It’s my favorite device for trying out chords and it can mute parts on and off. I use the bass lines and pads from it to pair with the RW drum machine. It has a sweet sampler and a built in speaker that isn’t terrible. Around 100 bucks if you wanna try one out!
Great idea! Seems to be rather rare in my area
Wait there is the Suzuki Q-chord or the Omnichord. It seems to be in the love/hate territory. 🙂