I have been wondering why it takes Squarp so long to release firmware updates, particularly in the case of Hapax. And I assume it’s because they are always working on the next thing… which is cool. Innovation is awesome! Hapax kind of came out of nowhere when it was released. Pyramid was still in production and had a lot of requests for further features at the time.
So with that said, what do you think Squarp is working on for their next hardware release? What would you like to see? Standalone box? Eurorack? I don’t think they’ve hinted at anything, so I suppose the sky’s the limit for ideas here?
I think I would like to see them take a crack at a sampler/sequencer/effects box! A lot of people have asked what is a good sampler to pair with Hapax. It has been discussed as a bit of a missed opportunity for a sampler to not be included in Hapax. Many have paired Rample, a sample player, with Hapax to great enjoyment. I think of something like the Polyend Play that is a sequencer/sample player-> groovebox but not a sampler. And of course Elektron Octatrack, a powerful sequencer, sampler, sample player, mixer, effects processor-> groovebox. Should Squarp make something that rivals these machines? I don’t ask “could” as I think it’s well within their capacity to do this, but “should” they. Why or why not?
What are some other ideas? Would you like to see more modules? A synthesizer? A MIDI 2.0 sequencer type thing? Yes please to a MIDI 1.0/2.0 sequencer thing- though I don’t know what that would look like or how to begin using it… game changing and innovative though for sure!
TLDR - Squarp aren’t large enough to be able to throw ideas at the wall & see what sticks. It’s good they have their own identity & aren’t churning out loads of products.
So while I won’t speculate on what’s next or when to expect it, I’m definitely curious & am happy to wait for it.
Of course I can’t speak for Squarp about this bit: they appear to want to keep things to a manageable scale in a niche market.
One aspect of Squarp’s design principles appears to be integration into larger set ups. Their devices work so well because they don’t overlap functions unnecessarily (ie- sequencing and sampling in 1 box). Instead their current products stay focussed on an intended purpose, meaning we get gear with a depth & coherent user experience. I hope this continues.
Regarding other brands:
Elektron’s an interesting one. Their gear with inbuilt sequencers feels like the inverse of Squarp- designed as a standalone product that can be integrated into studios if the user wants. If you have an Elektron, you don’t need anything else (that old want vs need problem). But Elektrons are annoying for sequencing other gear. They’re just not as good as a Squarp for that job.
Never touched a Polyend product, they seem cool even if they’re a variation on the Elektron theme. The Play+ was a good business & PR lesson for other small companies.
Look at Roland as an example of what happens when packing loads (aka too much) functionality into a single box. Their recent groove boxes & samplers (MC707, MC101, SH4D, MV1, SP404mk2) are bloated & are complex to use. Then they undercut their own sales by overlapping functions between those boxes.
