StiX : MultiSynthesis Drum Machine (v1.6 Released + Flash sales)

[jbuonacc]

the new GUI is looking pretty nice! the "sunken" look of the two sub-sections is a bit much, but isn't too bad i guess.

no way to change the names of the "instruments" though? i've always hated drum synths that assume you're using a traditional kit like that.

[Lotuzia]

For the installer, yes, it belongs to the category of things we dont see anymore, after having installed nearly 100 StiX beta versions, I confess I just dont read them anymore. Thanks for the more precise text.

It needs looking at some more - the iLok version installer asks for the location of the 32Bit Syn-X internal folder

......

On a more positive note - the new beta GUI is much improved - less cramped and simply more 'professional' - looking forward to the final release version

installing Syn-X ..... Yes this must be changed. When I said we barely look at the sentences of the installer anymore .... Thanks for the report ! ( Edit : This is fixed in the next version )

And thanks for the encouragments. Yes the GUI is much better now. Still things and details to improve though. But much less 'major things'. I think we're coming close to the final GUI. UI has also been improved meanwhile. Still need some improvements too.

I'd also recommend to people who stilll have not made their final decision to keep an eye on the beta evolutions. When StiX 1.0 will be released, the 50% beta campaign discount will simultaneously end. But there's still some time left, and it will be announced in a newsletter.

[Lotuzia]

Is there any way to bypass this screen by the way - I de-selected the 32Bit plugin (as I'm on Live 64Bit) so why does it still ask for the location ?

I think that's because the first screen is where the actual application is installed, then the second is where the 64bit VST is installed

Yes, on this screen/page of the installer, you fill two informations, you first select the location where the plug itself will be installed (preset files, samples, manual etc) , then your usual 32b plugs location. On the next page, you choose the location of the 64b version of the plug. If you did not choose to install the 32b bits version in the very first page of the installer, I think it doesnt matter whatever location you mention in the screen you mention, but it's still needed for the plugs location. On my PC StiX installer remember where a previous version was intalled. Not for the 32b and 64b locations though.

[Lotuzia]

Hello!

I like the Smart Random and wild random but could we also have it per drumpad if you just want to for example only want to do it on the snare?

Thanks. Glad you like it.

Yes its a LOT OF FUN to generate new drumkits on the fly. Great creativity and productivity booster imho.

So, what you ask for is a kind of 'random load of -selected- drumpad' function ? The idea is cool. We'll consider it ( but probably not for v1.0 version)

[Lotuzia]

Seems there will be v0.97E installer : There's a crash affecting certain -ILOK only- systems with the V0.97D installer. It will be fixed in the next beta. If you're confronted to such a problem, please revert to the v0.96 installer for the moment. Thanks-

[Lotuzia]

the new GUI is looking pretty nice! the "sunken" look of the two sub-sections is a bit much, but isn't too bad i guess.

no way to change the names of the "instruments" though? i've always hated drum synths that assume you're using a traditional kit like that.

(new GUI/UI) : Thanks

Drumpads names : First it's important to say that you can have a drumkit with 2 kicks and 3 snares if you wish so in StiX. You probably already know it, but it might be info for some other readers.

Well, there are pro arguments, and cons, as usual.

So names are just 'names', and at the same time, they also correspond to drums categories and subcategories, and in Stix this is used for several functions like quick browsing in one category or sub category with the arrows. ( So in the SNARE category, you'll find subcategories like Rimshots, Claps etc, and you can also create your own subcategories ) There's also the possibility that users use GM midifiles, so that the names garantee for most drumkits that a Kick will be a kick etc. All this is also used for the Intelligent Random Kit functions. And for tags/criterias of both drumkits and drumpads presets, to quickly filter percussions only kits, or 'analog sanres', for example.

We could have added, it's true, the possibility to rename the drumpads, but then we should have synced everything with the mixer names, sequencer names etc, adding a certain cpu hit for the GUI/UI with additional controls and routines, while adding possible bug sources, alias refs for the presets formats etc, and another level of complexity for users to make the relationship between all the above. With the solo functions you can instantaneously hear what make a drumpad, and you can also see the name of the drumpad at once in the EZ synthesis area.

Also,finally, generic drumpads names are a good start for users who have less experience, or only limited experience with other drum machines, including vintage ones, that all -or almost all- have similar *names* to identify the drum pads, making the transition to StiX maybe smoother for them.

In Stix a lot of effort has been put so that both veterans and rookies can be happy with it, but maybe we could have made some other choices. It's not an easy thing to achieve. The cursor is hard to set in many areas.

All in all, I'd say that StiX is very flexible for these subjects : In the end you have complete control over the final drumkit you really want to have.

[Lotuzia]

Testing Song Mode. Press start on the daw, and everything flows.

StiX Glasgow

Kick is VA and one oscillator only HH are virtual analog also ( closed and open are made with the same sound) . No compressor, no nothing. Keys are FM8, and the bass courtesy of PolyKB II. I've also saved the drumkit and it will be included in the V 1.0.

[MillerSam]

Seems there will be v0.97E installer : There's a crash affecting certain -ILOK only- systems with the V0.97D installer. It will be fixed in the next beta. If you're confronted to such a problem, please revert to the v0.96 installer for the moment. Thanks-

It was my crash report. I use actually Ableton 9.5 64 Bit iLok Installer and it's crash when I launch it in the AU and VST Version. I hope Xavier will solve it. The new GUI is much better

[mcbpete]

Not sure the matching BPM to the host is working quite as planned at the moment! Currently slowing down the BPM whilst StiX is playing causes it to stop for a second or two (presumably it's silently playing through the pattern or something) before continuing at the new speed, and speeding up the BPM whilst playing causes it to 'slip' (not sure how best to do describe it, like a cassette tape head slipping if you press fast forward on the cassette player) and then pause briefly very before playing the pattern at the correct BPM.

[Lotuzia]

Seems there will be v0.97E installer : There's a crash affecting certain -ILOK only- systems with the V0.97D installer. It will be fixed in the next beta. If you're confronted to such a problem, please revert to the v0.96 installer for the moment. Thanks-

It was my crash report. I use actually Ableton 9.5 64 Bit iLok Installer and it's crash when I launch it in the AU and VST Version. I hope Xavier will solve it. The new GUI is much better

Thanks for the report. Yes, it will be solved, the problem is that we cant replicate it atm. But we know it affects certain systems with Ilok. Once we can replicate it, it will be -hopefully- fast to fix.

[Lotuzia]

Not sure the matching BPM to the host is working quite as planned at the moment! Currently slowing down the BPM whilst StiX is playing causes it to stop for a second or two (presumably it's silently playing through the pattern or something) before continuing at the new speed, and speeding up the BPM whilst playing causes it to 'slip' (not sure how best to do describe it, like a cassette tape head slipping if you press fast forward on the cassette player) and then pause briefly very before playing the pattern at the correct BPM.

Hmmm, I just tried tempo changes within a bar, and it seems to work ok here, but I've not yet tested continuous accelerando and rallentendo continuous curves. Test conditions : Did you try very drastic tempo curves changes ( like 50 to 200 bpm buring one beat), or more smooth transitions ( like 120 to 90 over a 4 bars duration ? ). Or both ? SO that I can try to recreate the experience in similar conditions. ( also I would need your host and OS details if possible) Anyway, so it seems that the *follow tempo* global engine will probably need to be reworked in the future. Fixing it totally -if it's possible- for v1.0 depends of the time needed to do so.

[mcbpete]

This was with manually changing the tempo by just a few BPM (like from 100 to 90 BPM) by clicking and dragging the tempo box on my DAW as StiX was playing. I wonder if the DAW is spitting out too many automation points too quickly for StiX to cope?

This is using Ableton 9.5 (64 bit build) on Windows 10 BTW.

[CinningBao]

Well I can hear days of loveliness ahead with this..
Lovely work Lotuzia!

I've spotted a GUI bug if it hasn't yet been picked up..
The FX block - the Reverb block seems to have some label graphics from the Delay block overlapped (see pic)

Also, I've got a strange situation with a single oscillator Kick which changes character depending on if it's triggered from Pattern1 or Pattern2,3,4...

I've attached a preset file so others can see if it's me or the plugin! Pattern1 the kik is tight, Pattern2 it's got this oscillator release which I can't seem to get rid of without altering gate times; I'm pretty sure I shouldn't need to though.. have a listen, if you will.

[Lotuzia]

This was with manually changing the tempo by just a few BPM (like from 100 to 90 BPM) by clicking and dragging the tempo box on my DAW as StiX was playing. I wonder if the DAW is spitting out too many automation points too quickly for StiX to cope?

This is using Ableton 9.5 (64 bit build) on Windows 10 BTW.

Thanks for the additional info. Yes it might be too many automation tempo points, that was my first thought too. It needs further investigations. It might be not possible, or possible within certain limits ( like thin tempo automations curves ) Not easy ...

[Lotuzia]

Well I can hear days of loveliness ahead with this..
Lovely work Lotuzia!

I've spotted a GUI bug if it hasn't yet been picked up..
The FX block - the Reverb block seems to have some label graphics from the Delay block overlapped (see pic)

Also, I've got a strange situation with a single oscillator Kick which changes character depending on if it's triggered from Pattern1 or Pattern2,3,4...

I've attached a preset file so others can see if it's me or the plugin! Pattern1 the kik is tight, Pattern2 it's got this oscillator release which I can't seem to get rid of without altering gate times; I'm pretty sure I shouldn't need to though.. have a listen, if you will.

Thanks for the report on the forgotten text layer I spotted it also two days ago. It will be fixed.

So I DLed your pattern andimported it in my StiX, and the answer is : Check the GATE TIME of the bass drum in the single line sequencer editor. In pattern A, only the first step of kick line has its gate time altered, and has approx gate time 50% ( so that explains why the two following kick strikes are shorter, because their gate time is zeroed, wich gives the nice contrast/effect). In Pattern B however, all the steps of the Kick have the same GATE TIME (like if you had used the gang mode edit ), but it's slighty shorter than the first step of pattern A ( approx 30%) So all you need to do to recover the same kick character is adjust the gate time in pattern B and maje it a bit longer for the 1rst kick. And now that you have understood the trick, yoàu can fix all the patterns as you want. And use this for all your beats.

the GATE TIME parameter is an essential parameter in StiX. I'd also recommend to read the little chaper I wrote in the manual about the relationship between the sequencer gate time and the analog enveloppes. It takes a few minutes, but once you'll have mastered it, nothing will stop you

And .... nice minimal beat I enjoyed it.