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

[Unqlenol]

Live does it but it's a bit clunky WAY easier in Reaper.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MpAAQyQfEQo


This kind of stuff would be amazing to have in a plugin that allows dragging midi patterns to the host! I wonder if Xils would ever do a midi dragable sequencer plugin..... just for sequencing. The Styx sequencer with midi drag and 3 over 4 type tuplets and stuff. that would be amazing..

I seem to remember that FXpansion Guru could do that. I might have it wrong though. How amazing would that be for Stix? If it could include CC's in some form it'd be plain bonkers.

[memyselfandus]

I remember it being able to do something Sorta similar but way more limited. It's been a long time.

[Unqlenol]

By the way, on a different note: I have been considering how to circumvent my frustration with not being able to change the length of an individual line in the sequencer to, for example, have a snare cycling in over 3 beats instead of 4. Realizing that this kind of poly-metric feature may never be added, I have decided the way around that is to simply run another instance of Stix set to a different signature. Double Stix with shifting polyrhythms...

Cheers

Oh, man.. I would really like to have this option! Has to be doable? I use reapers piano roll like this to do it

Interesting. Not sure if Cubase can do that. But that's something else, no? Not the same as equally scaled patterns where one cycles over a bar of 4/4 and another over a bar of 3/4 for example. I simply want to change the length of the cycle and on a per drum basis like in Tremor. It really means a lot. I feel that this sort of polyrhythm - different cycle lengths - is musically a very organic phenomenon. With Stix being so organic sounding, it really is a pity that this can't be done. There are workarounds though, eg:
1.Just write a midi part in DAW to trigger the notes in whatever pattern you like.
2.Run another instance of Stix in a different signature.

Stix can do interesting note divisions already.

[memyselfandus]

The sequencer is the closest thing I've seen to what I've always wanted. If we could see an update with drag/drop midi for speedy work flow and a simple way to stretch notes or something without using two instances or more per track it would be my most used plugin. It's Already incredible. I'm hoping this stuff can be added?

[jbuonacc]

Live does it but it's a bit clunky WAY easier in Reaper.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MpAAQyQfEQo

good enough for me, thanks a lot! while watching that i was thinking it'd be cool if you could automate it, then i found this (which i think does a better job of showing it off as well):

[memyselfandus]

Live does it but it's a bit clunky WAY easier in Reaper.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MpAAQyQfEQo

good enough for me, thanks a lot! while watching that i was thinking it'd be cool if you could automate it, then i found this (which i think does a better job of showing it off as well):

Yeah it's great that it's possible!! I've been sending a feature request for an update where you can just drag/stretch or shrink the notes in Live for a few years now but at least it's possible with the marker thing. It's odd you have to have an anchor note and then delete it every time though. Reaper.. you just stretch or shrink the notes. Such a small thing that can add up with workflow. Going to watch the vid in a bit

[jbuonacc]

... It's odd you have to have an anchor note and then delete it every time though.

i was thinking about that after watching it and realized that there's no need to do that at all. as the last note gets stretched by the same amount, you just need to keep an eye on where the end of the last note lines up.

one other thing i learned from that one video i posted is that you can de-select certain notes from being highlighted by using Shift. for as much as i use it in certain ways, i'm always surprised at how much i don't know about Ableton. i don't think i've really read the manual very much at all since first buying version 5 over ten years ago. i barely use/know any of the keyboard shortcuts that allow people to really fly around on it.

[Lotuzia]

....
.... But that's something else, no? Not the same as equally scaled patterns where one cycles over a bar of 4/4 and another over a bar of 3/4 for example. .... I feel that this sort of polyrhythm - different cycle lengths - is musically a very organic phenomenon. With Stix being so organic sounding, it really is a pity that this can't be done. There are workarounds though, eg:
1.Just write a midi part in DAW to trigger the notes in whatever pattern you like.
2.Run another instance of Stix in a different signature.

Stix can do interesting note divisions already.

Such Polyrythms possibilities were considered from the very beginning. And I would not say they will never be implemented In Stix. I already have a rather precise idea of how they could be implemented. But there are other things to consider : A lot -an awfull lot- of time was spent to develop StiX syncing abilities. StiX has sample accurate sync to host tempo. And a lot of things that people would consider as very basic 'mandatory' functions took a long time to implement. I think a ot of people have experienced some bugguy behaviour here and there form HW or SF Drum Machines when it comes to synchronisation functions. It really helped that the head of Xils was an expert and consultant for some hi-end hw specialised synchronisation devices here. So StiX is already a very complex ecosystem. And each move toward more sophisticated sync functions will take a lot of time, IF one consider, like me, that bullet proof synchronisation is the first top priority matter in a sequencer drum machine.

-________

For Polyrythm : What you could also consider, along with the two -good- turnarounds you already mentioned, is to use the PolyStep engine to achieve them. If you carefully program it, so that it loops on a thoughfull number of steps, it can 'easily' be used to perform/fake polytyrhms, if you assign it the the gain of the drumpad, or with extreme filter settings for example.

[Unqlenol]

Thanks for explaining that and for giving hope that it could be implemented. I am sure it could be frustrating if users don't fully appreciate the extent of the achievement and perhaps underestimate how much thought was applied. Thanks for the polystep tip. Good idea.

[memyselfandus]

[memyselfandus]

Is it possible to add a different amount of steps to each kit piece on each beat in the beat options? Say 5 hits for bass drum then 4 hits for the snare and 7 for the hi hat? Is this limited in any way?

Basically. How many number combinations can you have on the same beat?

[Unqlenol]

New question (I think): Am I correct that there is no way to set the various envelopes on a per oscillator basis?

I am also curious to know how I would manage using Stix in a proper arrangement where there may be the occasional non 4/4 moment. Eg: One might have a 2 beat break before a new passage kicks in. Realising that I can print Stix and edit, I still would like to know how to 'manage' Stix if I wanted to keep Stix's sequencer running. If Stix could trigger a pattern on a note division other than the 1st beat of a bar, then sure, this would not be a valid question.
As I see it, currently one would have to have (using my above example) no pattern triggered for the single 2/4 bar and just trigger the individual drum hits for the desired break with midi input.
But (!), will Stix kick in at the beginning of the next bar of 4/4? Or will it now be offset by two beats?

[Lotuzia]

Is it possible to add a different amount of steps to each kit piece on each beat in the beat options? Say 5 hits for bass drum then 4 hits for the snare and 7 for the hi hat? Is this limited in any way?

Basically. How many number combinations can you have on the same beat?

IF I understand your question well :

You can change the number of steps for EACH beat of EACH sequencer line (so for each drumpad) in the BEAT TAB of the Sequencer.

The number of steps for each beat can be set to any number between 1 and 16.

A few examples :

* 8th notes triplets : Set the number of steps to 3
* Pentolets : Set the number of steps to 5
* Heptolets : Set the number to 7
* Sextolets : Set the number to 6
* 16th notes : Set the number to 4 (default)
* 8th notes : Set the number to 2

So you have, for each line, for example,
- 1st beat :16th notes 2nd beat : Sextolets 3rd beat 8th notes 4th beat : 16th notes gain.

You can also add to this the divisi of each step that you have defined in the two other sequencer tabs. So you can have have for the 2nd beat pentolets, and, if you use the divisi on some of these 5 steps, get a mix of 'standard' pentolets, and triplets of pentolets !!! (with some step divisi set to 3)

This actually open thousands of thousands of possibilities, though 90% of users will probably prefer to stay in standard 4/4 and 16th notes. Almost all note figures are possible. ( And, reversing this, that's how the system was created : ie the one that was the best mix of intuitive use, fast workflow, best visual feedback balanced with beeing able to 'write' the more note figures possible)

But yes, I'd say that for rythm wizards and the most experimental crowd, the system is fully open, considering that it's still also a graphical and super fast to use XoX sequencer.

[Lotuzia]

New question (I think): Am I correct that there is no way to set the various envelopes on a per oscillator basis?

I am also curious to know how I would manage using Stix in a proper arrangement where there may be the occasional non 4/4 moment. Eg: One might have a 2 beat break before a new passage kicks in. Realising that I can print Stix and edit, I still would like to know how to 'manage' Stix if I wanted to keep Stix's sequencer running. If Stix could trigger a pattern on a note division other than the 1st beat of a bar, then sure, this would not be a valid question.
As I see it, currently one would have to have (using my above example) no pattern triggered for the single 2/4 bar and just trigger the individual drum hits for the desired break with midi input.
But (!), will Stix kick in at the beginning of the next bar of 4/4? Or will it now be offset by two beats?

No, Stix can already control every aspect of oscillators ( pitch, waveform, volume) with any of the 3 envelopes by using the Macro Mod matrix (Found in the advanced drumpad synthesis tab). Just assign an envelope as source, and an oscillator parameter as destination in this matrix) The interesting thing, is that you'll also be able to control all this machinery via the macro controls of the easy page.

For metrics/signature changing however, there are no real solutions atm, except recording/printing midi data on a midi track, then work on this basis. I can see some solutions in the future for this, the problem beeing how far would/should these solutions go (ie how much of this case should be treated, because there are several problems mixed together), and if they are compatible with the current architecture (and all legacy aspects)

[Lotuzia]

I think I've found a -very clunky - solution for the above particular case Unqlenol : Multiply tempo by two with your host during this two bars breaks. Stix should begin on the first beat after that (and play at 2x speed during the two bars, faking for example 4 bars into 2). The obvious problem is that it will only solve the problem with StiX, and affect all other instruments. No very very far from perfect. But it should (might ?) work ok, less a problem if you use natural playing for other instruments, and more of a scratch head problem if you use other step sequencers and click programming or strict partition writing for the other instruments.