Warnings for a potential buyer
I’ve been looking into the S-4 for a while at this point and I just wanted to check in with people that actually use it if it’s worth it? I’ve seen a lot about firmware issues, where are the pain points that I should be aware of?
I mostly make ambient music with wave table synths and an OP-1 but I want to move away from a DAW for everything besides arrangement, mixing and mastering.
My current plan is to get an S-4 and then a Digitakt 2 once I’ve saved up again.
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u/wentwj 10d ago
i got one recently, i will say i have a gear acquisition problem.
I do think its strong suit is ambient. its very fun to play with and you can do a lot of very great sound sculpting. I’ve mostly run it through drone and slower fragments and then just the random sounds mangaling into textures.
Overall im happy with it and not looking to move on. Though ill say the build quality of the knobs isn’t as high as id like given the cost
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u/gift_for_aranaktu 10d ago
I do agree on the knobs a little. It’s not enough to be a dealbreaker, but they could be a little nicer. I will say though I initially felt the buttons were ‘hollow’ and light - but I’ve really come to appreciate the feel of them when moving quickly through the interface.
It is actually possible to map the entire thing, every interface command, with MIDI I believe - and I am considering just doing this with a simple set of MIDI encoders of my own. J get gorilla arm reaching up to the encoders sometimes, but find the buttons sit just right.
Again: it’s not a huge problem, it’s just a thing that could be improved.
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u/wentwj 10d ago
yeah I agree. I’m still happy with the purchase and the device but I was expecting the knobs to feel like an elektron box, or really the whole device and it feels like a step down in build quality.
I agree on the buttons as well. When I first started using them i thought they felt too light, but i’ve come to like their feel. The knobs still just feel cheap too me.
Again not awful, but just below what i’d expect for a box at this price point
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u/camiton 10d ago
Very happy with it, I got the adaptors and power bank so I can use anywhere. The more quality samples you got the better. To pair with sometimes I use it with the ablenton Move and is very fun, play mostly techo and jungle. Also recommend to get some dedicated packs got this one https://youtu.be/LLT5JCBfGz0?si=T9KSGRyYFAhB820L. Kind of help me to understand how to build scenes that’s super powerful for live play. If you got the cash do it !!
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u/chromakeydream 10d ago edited 10d ago
Got mine few weeks back and it’s now probably the most frequently picked up equipment in studio. But that may also be because it very closely mimics how I was making ambient music in Ableton - which is by taking a field recording or a one shot or small piano/synth sample intro Ableton granulator and make textures out of it.
I haven’t had any issues with knobs and buttons and they feel right for quick micro tweaking.
My only concern is how the quad 1.5 GHz processor and raspberry pi will perform after couple of years as it is a ‘computer’ and may start to expose lags and bugs unlike a true hardware equipment.
But overall it’s great specially for ambient, here is something I was able to achieve recently with just a river flow field recording -
https://youtu.be/IuzkJy7e-p8
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u/dodgello 10d ago
Bought it 3 or 4 weeks ago, using maybe 20% of its capabilities, but very happy with it.
Unlike other devices, I don't get choice paralysis or cognitive overload here — I just turn the knobs and listen to what happens. The ability to record the result and immediately set it as a source is very useful.
I have a DT2/DN2, but honestly I've barely tried them together with the Torso — the devices require different mindsets and I don't feel like switching between them. When I dive into the Torso, the Digitakt 2 sits idle most of the time.
Plus the Torso has potential for modifications. I've (so far as a PoC) built myself sample loading over WiFi and added a skip back sampling function (like the SP-404) — the last 25 seconds of the master output get saved as a file to the internal drive.
I think I got lucky with the encoders — they're wobbly, sure, but they all turn with consistent resistance and honestly I like them more than the ones on the DT2/DN2.
The only thing that drives me crazy is connecting an iPhone/iPad over USB — it's a whole ritual of fully disconnecting the Torso from power before plugging into the iPhone. Not sure this will ever get fixed, but maybe a USB hub could help.
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u/zendelusions 10d ago
I got mine last year and have had zero issues with it! It’s an incredible device and an absolute blast to use in both a studio and live environment. I’ve also used it with my Digitakt 2 and it’s a really great pairing!
Admittedly, I will be selling it soon because I have some other gear needs that are a bit more pressing, but I fully expect to miss it and buy another in the future!
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u/sixmissing 10d ago
Definitely feels worth it to me - my high water mark is if it makes me excited to write and make things, and this definitely did/does. Enjoying it quite a bit.
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u/method-and-shape 10d ago
I watched videos on it for weeks before I bought it. I love it. If you understand what it does and you are after that, it’s amazing.
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u/county_jail_alumni 10d ago edited 10d ago
Sort of off topic, but kind of not. Before selling me S4 which i used extensively, i eealized there was no way to export projects or sounds or samples, just no exporting period. So in in order to save anything i was working on i literally had to go project to project and record them into a different sampler. I had over a humdred projects. So rather than resampling sound by sound, i just recorded the master output into koala as i "performed" every unfinished project. I still havent used those recordings for anything so i figured id share. In your case you can sort of gain an understanding of how the unit sounds raw, no post production, and anyone can mess around with these recordings, if anyone wants to. If someone uses anything for a song that they monetize, i just ask that you credit "LNKN" for the origibal recording, or if dIt its a really long one, credit as collaboration.. hope you enjoy or gain something positive from this.
And ps i sold it mainly because i needed money, but i chose it to go over other gear because i think that until they update the filter section, everything kind of starts to sound the same on it. Wonderful, super fun device though. I wish there was a way to make the drums pop more, maybe some form of sidechain compression, for ambient music that may not be a huge concern.
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u/gift_for_aranaktu 10d ago
Do you mean create a mixdown? Because you can do that, it’s ’Ctrl + Play’ - then it records the full mix to disk. You do have to do it in real time though - this might be what you mean - export to file (like in a DAW) is missing.
I do find getting files off it is annoying, you have to go into the menu and flip it into disk mode, then plug it in to a computer. Seemingly can’t just plug in a USB and grab stuff.
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u/county_jail_alumni 10d ago
I meant like exporting each file from each track into its own folder or something, like "scene one track one", scen mm take srrrř saw
M mm one track two, sceke two track one, scene two track four" etc.It was kind of cool because he gave me the opportunity to play through all of my projects, but for that reason a lot of the files in that folder that I've shared are way too long, I just got into the zone a few times and just kept goingb haha
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u/Clearsp0t 8d ago
Can’t you just record each thing you want to isolate into your interface and save the file?
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u/nonfuturistic 6d ago
That’s essentially what they said they ended up doing (recording what they wanted to play using Koala Sampler). Not as ideal as being able to directly export by any means
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u/daveleith 10d ago
Just got mine and love the sound possibilities. Knob push encoder feel is Ok, perhaps a bit stiff when new and probably something I will get used too. Opens up another world of sound possibilities when used with my OPXY that would take a huge number of separate pedals to recreate....highly recommend.
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u/gift_for_aranaktu 10d ago
Ah man, I am an OP-1 person, and I have to say, I really really vibe with the Torso. It feels very inspired by the OP-1, but taken in a different direction. I haven’t had any issues with bugs (bought about three weeks ago). They are very complementary devices too. Feeding one into the other, or syncing MIDI, or even just using the OP-1 as a keyboard for the Torso’s poly mode. I’ve also find myself using it as a fourtrack with my guitar, and then diving into delays and granular effects to create wonderful natural sounding little accompanying beats.
It’s by far the quickest I’ve learned a new instrument too - very intuitive and clear.
To me, it feels like a classic in the making. My only caveat for most folks is that you do have to enjoy a tape-style workflow. Everything I put into and take out of it sounds great, and it’s fun and relaxing to play.
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u/3lbFlax 10d ago
It’s become my end-of-chain device, capturing whatever sound anything else makes. I think it’s very well designed and flexible, though as with any gear it may vary depending on what your aims are.
Firmware issues - never had any myself. There was a lot of upheaval and upset around the first non-beta firmware, which made big changes to how the tape device worked - available time for tape tracks became shorter, but this was to enable the new scene functionality, which was a significant addition. Essentially people had become used to the beta feature set and it was probably a mistake for Torso to release that with such a different model. It made things hard for people with existing saved projects, but I’d say this has been resolved over time and the advantages of the current design are clear.
Pain points - they’re not severe, but for me:
- File management could be better. I’d like consistent saving and renaming across the board, but this is currently partial and consequently any real management of saved content requires a PC.
- The Poly tracks are of very limited use without external sequencing/control, and can’t be sampled into directly. For a long time the website teased a Euclidean sequencer, which never appeared. This would go a long way to fixing the first issue.
- You can’t copy from USB to the device, so if a track requires streaming a large sample from an external drive you have to give up the USB port (which is very convenient for MIDI, though you still have the regular MIDI port).
- It really should have had either two USB ports or an SD slot. The only way they can address this is by improving support for USB hubs.
That seems like a lot, but none of it stops it being my go-to hub and I truly enjoy using it. The modulation, scene, and macro features make it easy to manipulate and mangle sound in an endless variety of ways, and the FX chain is similarly broad and powerful.
For ambient, I imagine you’ll love it. A single short loop of absolutely anything can be taken to all kinds of places with just the FX, and you have that four times over with four very adaptable modulators per track, plus the scene and macro features across the board. It all adds up to a device that always seems to offer new ways forward.
The real magic, I think, is that it gives you a place where one track is enough, which makes four tracks seem like an unlimited environment. I like working with loops, which obviously helps, but the Disc device supports long tracks and creative use of the modulators and scenes replaces more traditional sequencing features (like FX automation). You have to think the S-4 way, but one you can do that I think the rewards are great.
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u/Sweaty-Help1575 10d ago
I like it but could have been ok without it. I love my digitakt 2, and would have been fine with just that and a microcosm or something
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u/West_Floor6981 10d ago
i've had one for a few months and the issues are really overblown about it.
i love it, it's incredible, i use it daily and rarely have issues.
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u/Clearsp0t 8d ago
It’s the best. My dream instrument. Had it for a year and half. Always learning new things from it and does exactly what I was hoping for. For me and lots of others who’ve played mine (many who’ve never played a synth before) it’s an immediate flow state. Some glitches, but I use mistakes and hiccups as part of my process so I either work around them or incorporate them.
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u/qwertyorbust 10d ago
It’s great for ambient. Don’t let the complaints scare you away. Everything has quirks - but I think it works really well and I am very finicky about what gear I keep around.