SP-FORUMS

im hoping because they are kinda under a bigger company that the bigger shops will carry them.. (guitar center and sam ash type places) i wanna see it in person for sure.. im not a huge fan of how it LOOKS but i kinda like how it seems to be a little of everything and something new at the same time.. the stuff they have done with the internal sounds is kinda cool but they havent shown anything about sampling yet or what you can do IN the box but im somewhat interested..

the company/hypemen kind of give me the same feeling i get when i see corny white doods acting real ghetto, on the north side, at a community college, with sunglasses on, at night...

Those white dudes probably got high smoking carrots..

When I watch their sales pitch, I feel like I'm about to get sheisted on street sack.

no hate for the concept of the machine at all. it is great that someone is trying to do something. what I don't like is the way they advertise it. if they wanted to do serious business they wouldn't give out updates through youtube. trust me. currently it seems more like a special way for a large company that is behind it to attract more underground dudes like guys from sp-forums .

speaking about who is behind it. i really doubt that 3 dudes who produced beats got enough money to hire lots of engineers and product testers to create & market such advanced product. most probably there is a huge company behind it that does not want currently to associate with it. for example if emu (creative) wanted to create a new drum machine they would hire a bunch of guys that create beats and such they can contribute their ideas to the project. currently it looks just like this. I won't even be surpised if the thing at release would be called something like EMU Beatthang or AKAI Beatthang.

see if akai or other gear producers would create a new product it is always associated with them (whether good or bad) but in this case they associate it with the Beatkangz and if the product fails they won't loose their reputation. I'm like 90% sure that it is just like this. mark my words

"it's alive! it's alive!"...

the -unvolountary- comic spot is a cult on the youtube. the truth is: they're exactly like this or they're doing like this? in every case i prefer this spontaneous (i don't know how much) publicity to the iperserious Maschine spot with a guy "ipnotized" by his screen like a zombie...

...have you seen one video when there are 2 persons from Roland taking notes about the Thang with written "industrial spy" or something? pure marketing-paranoia..

iG9 wrote:being honest, i can't wait to see how this turns out. everybody wants to hate on the grillz but we're quick to up the styleflips right? what sense does that make?

The custom grills in my opinion, although kind of a gimmick of course, are definitely a smart move. Adding a styleflip might not be perfect, but having the possibility to customize gear is definitely underrated. Probably even underestimated as selling point by most companies.

I'm sure those custom face plates for the 404 still sell like hot cakes. Same goes for the StyleFlips, I'm sure those guys won't be out of business anytime soon.

I always thought it was odd that all our beat machines are made by Japanese companies when as much as I love dem Japanese they aren't exactly known for their hip hop. this looks like a labor of love from people who are more part of our (speaking to the heads now) culture than we've ever seen release a product.

Probably true, but its sort of more a matter of how you decide to use the gear. You can make dance, trance, electro, rock, classical music or whatever on most of these machines. I'm sure you are aware of the fact that hiphop in the early days was made with gear that wasn't designed for making hiphop.

Seems most companies didn't really massively change that, making sure these machines are also good allrounders.

You can make dance, trance, electro, rock, classical music or whatever on most of these machines. I'm sure you are aware of the fact that hiphop in the early days was made with gear that wasn't designed for making hiphop.

Of course. It just seems odd that what with the meteoric rise of hip hop as dominating genre that it's taken us this long to see a self contained box with this many cultural accouterments specifically aimed at us.

As to who's backing them I'm pretty sure I saw a picture of them with their backer. Forgot who he was, but it was an old white guy. I'm assuming they didn't hack these things together in their garage, but I wouldn't be surprised if they had the idea to make a beat machine and came up with most of the features / layout, etc...

Anyway I'm tired of seeing all my toys targeted to groups I'm not in. Not that it matters really, but it's like a lot of these companies aren't even willing to acknowledge rap, like it's a dirty secret you can make it with their precious boxen. The promo vids for padKONTROL assumed I was a dnb bumping club kid. The 404 ads for some reason thought I was a middle age man with no musical aspirations and an overactive imagination.:?: I'm not into that dirty south ish really but hey at least it's hip hop. =)

As to who's backing them I'm pretty sure I saw a picture of them with their backer. Forgot who he was, but it was an old white guy.

yes i saw that picture....very doubtful...

i dont know if this has been talked about in THIS thread

but i know i read or saw in a video (or thought i saw or read) that ZOOM is making the beatthang... and i swear i read on one of zooms descriptions of their other machines that beat kangs were mentioned in the info.. like they provided sounds or patters or whatever... im sure they are working with zoom if thats the case.. i cant imagine how much it would cost to get one of these things built from the ground up with NEW technology.. not like a slightly different existing machine tweaked and set up differently to look like something else...

i just wish they had been less corny.. but as someone said.. bad publicity is good...

edit: http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/sb246/index.php beatkangs!

thanx for that info...

timfromtexas wrote:i dont know if this has been talked about in THIS thread

but i know i read or saw in a video (or thought i saw or read) that ZOOM is making the beatthang... and i swear i read on one of zooms descriptions of their other machines that beat kangs were mentioned in the info.. like they provided sounds or patters or whatever... im sure they are working with zoom if thats the case.. i cant imagine how much it would cost to get one of these things built from the ground up with NEW technology.. not like a slightly different existing machine tweaked and set up differently to look like something else...

i just wish they had been less corny.. but as someone said.. bad publicity is good...

edit: http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/sb246/index.php beatkangs!

Yes, thats exactly what I've been trying to explain. I knew about the StreetBox just didn't remember it at the right time. So it seems we came down to conclusion that another beat machines is made by Japanese (no offence at all) and that the only thing the Kangz gave is their hiphop attitude (with all the visuals/ideas) and their signature sounds, this way we got StreetBox on drugs.

well ive worked in bike and skate shops my whole life... this kind of thing happens in that industry all the time.. (at least i suspect this is whats going on with the damn thang)

say i ride pro bmx or im a pro skater.. if im up there popularity wise and skill wise and i have a cool idea for a bike company or team or whatever.. my sponsor or another company hears about my idea and sees how much of a gem i am might help me back my own company... im huge anyway and kids will jump on that ish no worries.. they get a cut out of what im making since they are fronting it and i get most of the creative control (though not all of it since someone else is fronting it) and i still get paid but who knows how much... image is everything a paycheck is another..

several smaller companies being under one umbrella company.. the umbrella has all the money to help out these smaller guys.. but everyone stays happy kinda.. if the little guy flops he hasnt spent TOO much on the idea because big guy fronted a lot of the money.. in the same respect big guy knew what he was getting into but isnt SO pissed because he wouldnt have spent the money if he didnt have it... the big guy also has the resources that the little guy would NEVER have with minimal start up.. like just from a connection standpoint...

i never assumed they were doing the work themselves.. they are probably marketing it on their own and making the site and all the super wack shit.. zoom probably wanted to make a new badass machine and the kangs might have been in on it from the beginning but you bet your ass zoom wasnt going to put the grills and the screw mounts for wearing your drum machine on your head all on their own (creative control/marketing).. thats the kangs input.. there is no insult to anyone in any shape or form in this next statement.. but for the last two years ive been watching tutorials and people playing live on youtube and 90 something percent of the videos i see of people making stuff have been nerdy/loner/stoner/socially awkward white kids/doods.. im not saying thats everyone out there but thats what ive seen.. and its worldwide not just US..

does anyone on this site make anything that the beatkangs are standing for?(jiggity southern RAP beats)

my only thing is... why the fuck are the beatkangs doing this? why didnt dj shadow or dilla or shit even NERD or someone actually established and with a NAME (even though your average radio listener has no idea who those people are)... the kangs did some of this and some of that but i had NEVER EVER heard the KANG word before the THANG..

(this said and done i still wanna play with one) (nohomo)

the only reason i felt like throwing in my opinion on the demographic of sample based musicians from an internet standpoint is because on several of the kangs videos they have imitated a white guy..

(in white business man talk)

"lets hear a beat and dont make it one of those southern rap beats"

something like that..

if i can get my custom grill in poplar, sign me up.

grippin grain..

fah show