Xils lab StiX User Manual

A virtual analog and multisynthesis drum machine coupled with a sophisticated drum sequencer, and incredibly deep control

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StiX

by Xils

User Manual

www.xils-lab.com

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Summary of Contents for Xils lab StiX

Page 1 StiX by Xils User Manual www.xils-lab.com...
Page 2: Table Of Contents
The Position Parameter (1) : You can shift, and adjust in a very precise way, the position ( temporal position) of each step of any sequencer line in StiX. You can therefore apply both swing and/or micro shifts to any sequencer line..24 The Velocity Parameter (2) You can specify a different velocity for each step of the sequencer lane....24...
Page 3: Stix By Xils
( Intermodulation between samples and all synthesis parameters @ audio rate ) Sequencing : StiX offers you a next level XoX Drum Pattern edit and a Per DrumPad sequencer line edit with an incredible number of per step options : Step time Division MicroPlacement, Gate Time, Velocity, Modulation Matrix...
Page 4: Installing Stix
To download the latest eLicenser Control Center (eLC), please go to: http://www.elicenser.net/en/latest_downloads.html You’ll need a StiX Activation Code to load your license onto the dongle (This Activation code has been sent to you in the email confirmation of your purchase) First, plug your dongle into a USB port of your computer.
Page 5: Mac (Osx 10.5 And Later)
Mac (OSX 10.5 and later) To install the StiX on a computer equipped with Mac OSX 10.5 or later, download the latest version of either the iLok or eLicenser versions from the XILS-lab website to make sure you have the latest version of the software.
Page 6: Getting Started With Stix
Global presets; until you find one you want to experiment with. The drumpads you hear when you play the first pattern of a global preset are the ones whose Sequencer Lines are populated. In StiX, each of the 10 drumpads has its own sequencer line.
Page 7 B, aso. You can record pattern changes in your Daw, and build entire tracks very quickly. No need to make another pattern just to add a few drum hits : Just play them live while StiX is running ! You can trigger the 10 Drum Sounds by playing them on your Midi keyboard in the C1-B1 range.
Page 8: Stix Overview
StiX Overview StiX UI is divided into 7 logical areas. 1/ The Global Preset bar : Where you can load, save, browse and sort Global Presets 2/ The Drumpads Area : Used to select the Drumpad to edit. Manage & randomize Drumkits Presets.
Page 9 To go back to the MultiLine Editor, just click on the Toggle Sequencer Editors button (1) With StiX, you’re never more than one click away from the task you wish to perform. Now let’s detail the different parts of the instrument...
Page 10: The Drum Pads & Drum Kit Area
The Drum Pads & Drum Kit area Drumkits A drum kit is comprised of 10 drum pads, and each drum pad can of course have a different sound. You can save load, create, save, rename, randomize drumkits. Drumkits have their own dedicated Preset file format. Play drumkits : Right click on a drumpad (1) Load Kit : Load a DrumKit (3) Save Kit : Save your Kit and allows you to give it a name and a category (3)
Page 11: Drumpads Area
Import Kit (7) : Will open a dialog box allowing you to browse your HDs and load a previously saved DrumKit. Please note that StiX Drumkits have their own file format. They are very useful to port DrumKits between systems running under different OS on different computers, or for Workgroups to exchange data.
Page 12 StiX offers you 4 hardwired modulations responding to velocity per pad •...
Page 13: The Drum Pad Name Zone And Display (8)
Note : The PolyStep Modulator is an extremely powerfull tool to add automatic variations to a beat. You can achieve spectacular electronic effects with it. Or be as subtle as desired. It’s one of the sequencing/synthesis tools available on StiX that CAN’T be...
Page 14 Import/Export function : Please note that the FACTORY drumpads are automatically excluded from the Drumpads export/import function, as you don’t need to export them, as they are always present in StiX. Return to the Eazy Edit Page (9) : Click on the Eazy toggle control, located at the right of the Advanced Synthesis tab.
Page 15: The Advanced Edit Page
In this page you have total control over the selected drum sound synthesis parameters. In StiX, each drum sound is made with a complete and complex modeled analog synthesizer, which can also make use of samples in a primitive, but efficient way, and of FM synthesis. The Advanced Edit Page is a bit crowded, but the reward is an incredible flexibility to create your sounds.
Page 16 ‘Sustain’ in R-CLAP envelope : If S= 1, all the peaks will have the same value, if S= 0.5, level will increase from 0,5 to 1, if S=0, the level will go from 0 to 1 (The first AD repeat will not be heard) More info : Watch our video tutorial about StiX R-Claps Envelopes : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2toH0SimEk The Global Envelope Shaper selector (4) : Set the relative rate of the ALL envelopes, whether ADSR or R-CLAP envelopes are selected.
Page 17: The Filter Section (6)
Sequencer Gate Time parameter, where this relationship is explained in detail. The Filter Section (6) Deep in the heart of all analog synthesizer are filters. StiX filters make use of the famous Xils-Lab modeled analog filters, with their unique 0df and non linear algorithms.
Page 18: Samples Management
Samples management Samples : If you click on the Sample name zone (5), a drop-down list (1) will display all the available Samples of StiX internal sample libraries, sorted by category ( BD, Snare etc), including the banks you have created. You can change the sort order by selecting other criteria with the ‘Sort By’...
Page 19: Lfo Section
LFO Section StiX LFO section includes two polyphonic LFOs that can be midi synced. Each LFO has the same properties, and you can cumulate waveforms. You can specify if the LFO will be free running, or reset on each note On event.
Page 20: The Macro Modulation Matrix Area
Pattern Management StiX offers 12 (Twelve) Patterns where you can store different sequences & rhythms. These Patterns can be organized and combined in the Song Mode (Next Chapter of this manual) to build complex, sophisticated drum tracks. They can also be chained Live by...
Page 21: The Time Signature : Number Of Beats Per Bar (4)
Pattern will be lost, and your edits gone. Pattern Preset Management (3) : Works in an identical way to the other Presets in StiX : You can define criteria, sort patterns using filters, save/load/Delete patterns, rename them or save them with new names etc...
Page 22: The Song Panel
Repeat these operations until the track is completed. Beginning of Song Control Display (Start) : Here you can choose the bar, and the beat, when StiX will start and begin to play its first pattern in Song Mode. Left Click in this area and select the bar number in the DropDown menu...
Page 23: The Sequencer : Creating And Editing Patterns
Step per Beat Editor (4) : Click on the Single Line Editor toggle button to enter it. Lock Pattern Function (5) : The selected pattern will always be visible in Song mode, allowing you to edit it without the risk of automatic switching patterns when StiX runs. The Time Division Parameter (6) In default mode, the drum sound will be triggered only ONCE per sequencer step.
Page 24: The Sequencer Single Lane Editor
(so that the natural resonances of the drum instruments breathe and can be heard/separated in the mix). Though ..brutal can be desired, in this case all you have to do is to let the sequence line as it is ( And StiX will function as the terrible brute drum machine it can also be).
Page 25: The Step Matrix Modulation 1 & 2 Lines (4)
Level, and not a Time factor. Therefore, depending on how the drum sound is programmed, some parts of the envelope will be active ( heard), or not, depending on the GATE time in the sequencer. To ease the use of StiX, each factory Drum Sound have been tagged with a recommended Gate Time.
Page 26: The Mixer Area
Solo Led : Activates the Solo Function for this Channel ( All other Channels are muted ) (You can solo several channels) Output : Let you allow this Output mixer to be used for the Master output (Only in StiX Multi Out Version ) Gang Mode : When this diode is activated, you can control all volume sliders by moving only one of them.
Page 27: The Fx Mixer Area
The Effect Area Here you can taylor StiX Reverb, Delay, Phaser and Crusher/Distortion Fx units. Only one effect can be visible at a time. Just click on the Label of the effect you want to edit to display its controls.
Page 28: Delay Unit
StiX reverb is stereo, and its signal will always be directed to the Main Stereo Bus output. You can specify the amount of reverb for each drum sound. Reverb Predelay Time : Set the time before the reverberated signal occurs...
Page 29: The Transport Area
Song/Pattern Mode Toggle : Just click on this button to switch between the Pattern Mode and the Song Mode. When the Pattern Mode is selected StiX will loop the pattern selected in the Pattern Area display. Each time you select a new pattern in this mode, the new pattern will begin to play at the fist beat of the next bar.
Page 30: Options
Automation with Midi Controllers You can assign midi Cc to almost each StiX parameter to control it with an external midi device, or make automation lines in your Daw. As StiX has more than hundreds of parameters, this automation is ‘channelized’...
Page 31: Credits
Our partner Wave Alchemy provided some demo samples, used to build demo kits of famous drum machines The ‘Different Steps per Beat’ algorithm is licensed to Xils-Lab by Xavier Oudin for the exclusive use in ‘StiX by Xils ’ Drum...