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

[Lotuzia]

Hi thanks for the quick reply. I think you understand perfectly. I can just confirm that this is all happening in one pattern- simply whilst trying to develop the pattern. I get that it is hard to explain. If I can find some time I will try to post screenshots or an example of what I mean. I was simply testing the waters with developing a pattern that uses a double time concept. Thanks.

Ok I'll test this in the next days.

A simple trick, because it possibly can apply in the situation you describe : Sometimes -rare but it might still happen- what the GUI shows doesnt reflect exactly the current StiX state. In this case, simply switch pattern (and/or select another drumpad) and go back to the pattern you were editing and correct data will be displayed again. We have tracked these 'display' bugs and thought we have eradicated all of them, but well, ... maybe not all . If it was the case, please report back here, or to me directly.

I can confirm there's sometimes an incorrect behaviour when changing the number of steps per beat.
1/ If I program 8 steps in beats 1 & 4, then program hits, everything's ok
2/ If I program 8 steps in beat 1, then hits, then 8 steps in beat 4. Ok
3/ If I program 8 steps in beat 4, then hits, then 8 steps in beat 1, the hits are shifted ( probably by the ammount of additional steps). And the display isnt right ( though switching to another pattern, then going back to the current edited one will correct this)

So it's safe when you program first your step number changes ( or edit them in case of existing pattenrs), but it's not correct when you change the number of steps of an existing pattern located before another changed pattern. I'll have to investigate this a bit further, but I'd say there are chances that any change of number of steps will shift the hits located in the beats AFTER the changed beat, wether they are standard, or not.

[Lotuzia]

I just got the Stix demo and I'm more interested in the swing /groove of the beats it puts out then anything. Certain grids (Cubase for example) have a robotic feel to them I reckon ... No groove in the grid...Whereas other grids tend to groove better naturally (FL and Live for example) ...but I love Cubase's workflow so with a drum vst like this I can get the groove I want (I thought the swing of stix felt nice)...but if I export midi to the grid I'll lose that. I checked out Revolution but I found it a bit unstable in Kontakt (irregular timing on simple sixteenths for example)... and i thought the swing was OK but nothing to write home about, excellent quality sounds though. The only downside of Stix is you cant change the sample beginning end time but if I export separate tracks from Stix to audio in Cubase (I assume that's possible but I only just got the demo) I could always just manually move the audio (snare for example) back a bit to create the same effect and more groove.

Yes it's possible to export audio in Cubase with the full version.

This said, there's no real need to move the audio after this step, you can do it in StiX. You will possibly be interested by this video tutorial I made about StiX micro position feature.



LtZ

[Unqlenol]

Hi thanks for the quick reply. I think you understand perfectly. I can just confirm that this is all happening in one pattern- simply whilst trying to develop the pattern. I get that it is hard to explain. If I can find some time I will try to post screenshots or an example of what I mean. I was simply testing the waters with developing a pattern that uses a double time concept. Thanks.

Ok I'll test this in the next days.

A simple trick, because it possibly can apply in the situation you describe : Sometimes -rare but it might still happen- what the GUI shows doesnt reflect exactly the current StiX state. In this case, simply switch pattern (and/or select another drumpad) and go back to the pattern you were editing and correct data will be displayed again. We have tracked these 'display' bugs and thought we have eradicated all of them, but well, ... maybe not all . If it was the case, please report back here, or to me directly.

I can confirm there's sometimes an incorrect behaviour when changing the number of steps per beat.
1/ If I program 8 steps in beats 1 & 4, then program hits, everything's ok
2/ If I program 8 steps in beat 1, then hits, then 8 steps in beat 4. Ok
3/ If I program 8 steps in beat 4, then hits, then 8 steps in beat 1, the hits are shifted ( probably by the ammount of additional steps). And the display isnt right ( though switching to another pattern, then going back to the current edited one will correct this)

So it's safe when you program first your step number changes ( or edit them in case of existing pattenrs), but it's not correct when you change the number of steps of an existing pattern located before another changed pattern. I'll have to investigate this a bit further, but I'd say there are chances that any change of number of steps will shift the hits located in the beats AFTER the changed beat, whether they are standard, or not.

Thanks for checking. It's terrible news though. That plus the sample import issues on PC discussed many moons ago are disheartening. Is there any development going on for Stix at the moment? Or is this it for the foreseeable future?

[Lotuzia]

Hi thanks for the quick reply. I think you understand perfectly. I can just confirm that this is all happening in one pattern- simply whilst trying to develop the pattern. I get that it is hard to explain. If I can find some time I will try to post screenshots or an example of what I mean. I was simply testing the waters with developing a pattern that uses a double time concept. Thanks.

Ok I'll test this in the next days.

A simple trick, because it possibly can apply in the situation you describe : Sometimes -rare but it might still happen- what the GUI shows doesnt reflect exactly the current StiX state. In this case, simply switch pattern (and/or select another drumpad) and go back to the pattern you were editing and correct data will be displayed again. We have tracked these 'display' bugs and thought we have eradicated all of them, but well, ... maybe not all . If it was the case, please report back here, or to me directly.

I can confirm there's sometimes an incorrect behaviour when changing the number of steps per beat.
1/ If I program 8 steps in beats 1 & 4, then program hits, everything's ok
2/ If I program 8 steps in beat 1, then hits, then 8 steps in beat 4. Ok
3/ If I program 8 steps in beat 4, then hits, then 8 steps in beat 1, the hits are shifted ( probably by the ammount of additional steps). And the display isnt right ( though switching to another pattern, then going back to the current edited one will correct this)

So it's safe when you program first your step number changes ( or edit them in case of existing pattenrs), but it's not correct when you change the number of steps of an existing pattern located before another changed pattern. I'll have to investigate this a bit further, but I'd say there are chances that any change of number of steps will shift the hits located in the beats AFTER the changed beat, whether they are standard, or not.

Thanks for checking. It's terrible news though. That plus the sample import issues on PC discussed many moons ago are disheartening. Is there any development going on for Stix at the moment? Or is this it for the foreseeable future?

Well if you look at Xils instruments recent and ancient history, they all received some major updates at some point, not only incuding fixes, but also a lot of new and innovative features. So I can't see why StiX would be an exception to these rules & philosophy. Wether these precise points you mention will be adressed in a point update, or be part of something with more ambition -because I would also like some new terrific features included in StiX somewhere in the future- I can't however tell. Nor can I promise anything actually. What I can say is that I have informed Xils-lab about these points, and documented them, and am atm waiting for a more precise answer. So, we'll see. Anyway, I still see StiX, in its current state, as the most interesting, deep and powerfull sf drum machine. But yes, it's not perfectr and certainly could be even better. Thanks for all the feedback.

[Unqlenol]

Thank for the extensive and honest response. I do agree about it's depth as I have indicated in previous posts. This makes these issues all the more frustrating. For me, if a deep instrument causes me workflow issues because it does not do all the things it says on the tin, then I instinctively start making other plans. Time is too precious for the dads among your customer base. Something like that sequencer issue I would plain assume would be working at least by the end of Beta testing. I am amazed that that kind of detail is not picked up.

In the case of Stix, I considered relegating it to secondary duties - and printing a lot as I go, both midi and audio...maybe rather using Falcon to build my own drum environments instead. For now, I feel I won't give up and will try work within the unfortunate unintentional limitations - possibly exploring exotic relationships between Stix and Falcon.

Anyhow, good luck - I still love Stix and I will hope for the best from Xils.

[Unqlenol]

Right, I have been working hard on location recordings and I have finally had some time to get in touch with my personal electronic creations. I load a Cubase Project with Stix and suffer from the 'Wave no Found' error. I have spoken about this before. Right. I am happy to move on and load new samples, however, I am unable to load any samples from the sample load menu. I just get that error 'Wave no Found'.

Now how would you go about troubleshooting this?

My feelings about Stix have been expressed a fair bit in this thread.
Let's say the following, if I may suggest:

Yes, we all know Stix is possibly the deepest bestest drum seq synth hybrid ever. Cool.
We have heard all about it many times in this thread. But bugs like these? And the sequencer not doing what it is meant to? They are crippling. I was told by Xils many moons ago that the sample import issue would be looked at. I've heard nothing.
I don't want my money back. I want it to work.

Have any other users on PC using Cubase suffered from this sample import issue?
Can anyone help?

I am meant to be making music, not moaning on this thread...

[Numanoid]

There will be a STiX CM version, shipping with next issue: 17th of May

[Distorted Horizon]

There will be a STiX CM version

Installed it, played with it, thought "wtf?!", uninstalled it, won't ever install it again.

Maybe a great DM for someone but definitely not for me

[Lotuzia]

There will be a STiX CM version

Installed it, played with it, thought "wtf?!", uninstalled it, won't ever install it again.

Maybe a great DM for someone but definitely not for me

Don't know if I already posted these soundclips : All StiX ( in stereo, not using individual outputs, nor any additional processing), all the synths are Xils PolyKB II ( patches full compatible with PolyKB III btw)

Inséparables

Analog Activity

[simmo75]

There will be a STiX CM version

Installed it, played with it, thought "wtf?!", uninstalled it, won't ever install it again.

Maybe a great DM for someone but definitely not for me

Stix is a big disappointment. It could be so good but Xils-Labs doesn't seem bothered about development.
My main problem as with a lot of other peoples is the lack of Drag and drop midi. The excellent sequencer seems pointless without it. I'm really surprised at Xils, they've missed an opportunity to have the best drum synth there is but the reality is, it's a ball ache to use it.

[HunterKiller]

There will be a STiX CM version

Installed it, played with it, thought "wtf?!", uninstalled it, won't ever install it again.

Maybe a great DM for someone but definitely not for me

Stix is a big disappointment. It could be so good but Xils-Labs doesn't seem bothered about development.
My main problem as with a lot of other peoples is the lack of Drag and drop midi. The excellent sequencer seems pointless without it. I'm really surprised at Xils, they've missed an opportunity to have the best drum synth there is but the reality is, it's a ball ache to use it.

It's similar situation with Xils 3/4. There are quite a few things that could be improved on them, yet, even when multiple people complain, for months/years, it gets ignored.

In real life, that's how one goes about life, when one wants to have bad relationships all around them.

[Lotuzia]

Stix is a big disappointment. It could be so good but Xils-Labs doesn't seem bothered about development.
My main problem as with a lot of other peoples is the lack of Drag and drop midi. The excellent sequencer seems pointless without it. I'm really surprised at Xils, they've missed an opportunity to have the best drum synth there is but the reality is, it's a ball ache to use it.

It's similar situation with Xils 3/4. There are quite a few things that could be improved on them, yet, even when multiple people complain, for months/years, it gets ignored.

In real life, that's how one goes about life, when one wants to have bad relationships all around them.

I'll reply more in detail to simmo75 about the way Stix export midi data.(because it does export patterns to midi, with a different workflow).

So for Hunterkiller

1/ False : StiX includes a lot of features that were asked by users. It's not storytelling, it's facts, and these facts can be read in this thread and other StiX related threads, here or in other forums. I listened -a lot- to all users requests, and I reported and shared them to/with Xils-Lab, and then ... choices were made. Because a musical instrument can't incude all users requests : Some are conflicting with each others, the global architecture and base paradigms allow to modify certain things, and less, or not at all, other things. Then a musical instrument is -sometimes, and in this case- a global philosophy. As in every philosophical debate, some opinions will diverge. And not 100% of the people who participate in these discussions will be 100% satisfied. It might be obvious, but I have to restate this here because ........

2/ 3 is not a crowd. And Kvr is not the center of the world. And 3 in KVR do not have more authority than 3 everywhere else in the world.
I can see that in KVR everytime sompeone find one or two ranting fellows about one particular subject, it becomes : 'multiple people'. 'we the people' then 'we the truth'. But no, it's still only 3 people lobbying together to get results. This doesn't mean that these people will be ingored, or that their request won't be heard. It means that their requests are listened to, then balanced in a global context (a 'musical instrument'), then some request are satisfied, and other posponed for a possible future, while some are simply rejected.

3/ It's not 'wanting to have 'bad relationship all around them'. ( Wich has barely no sense; both from an humanist or even commercial POV btw). It's simply that some requests are accepted, some others stay at the bottom of the pile. And some others are rejected.

This is my global opinion for all forums, all subjects : 3/5 is not a crowd, and if some people see that their requests are not obeyed to immediatly, like if they were orders, or the expression of 'the truth' (because the crowd is always right, like history tells us, especially when it's such a tiny crowd that they think they represent everybody), it's not because some people want to build a bad relationship with them : It's because they think in a different way, have different priorities, different goals, and, in short, have different opinions. And that's all.

Besides all that, StiX is a very young instrument. Add to that that multiple Xils-Lab instruments have received more than significant updates over time (like Xils3/4/LE). Hope there can be for StiX future. Serious hopes. At least, I have this hope in me.

[Lotuzia]

There will be a STiX CM version

Installed it, played with it, thought "wtf?!", uninstalled it, won't ever install it again.

Maybe a great DM for someone but definitely not for me

Stix is a big disappointment. It could be so good but Xils-Labs doesn't seem bothered about development.
My main problem as with a lot of other peoples is the lack of Drag and drop midi. The excellent sequencer seems pointless without it. I'm really surprised at Xils, they've missed an opportunity to have the best drum synth there is but the reality is, it's a ball ache to use it.

Now for a more precise answer about this particular subject.

When you say it's already kind of good, you might think about it's sound, the huge synthesis possibilities, with never seen features, or the sequencer and it's multiple never seen tied modulations etc.

So, Midi export is only one part of Stix complex engine and thousands of functions. I personnaly don't use it, and dozens of drum machines don't even have a sequencer, and between those who have, some of these sequencers are way less powerfull than StiX one, and not all export patterns to midi. But some people requested it. And that's why we implmented it.( so we listen ..)

Now let's focus once again on this Midi Export feature.

StiX can export midi, in real time, and between any locators ( this means that you can actually ^print in midi any number of patterns between two locators, and any arrangement of the patterns, in a single operation, wich might be in some situations much quicker than exporting x patterns by drag'n'drop, then rearranging them in your Daw to make a 'song structure')

All that beeing said, if you can't live without Midi export via Drag'n'Drop only, and that this fact negates all the other advantages of StiX for you, making it relatively painful to operate, I admit that StiX might simply not be for you, in it's current state at least.

Depending to the workflow of different people, some instruments simply match or less, with different musicians. It's a difficult alchemy, and it doesnt work every time. And it's ok like that. That's why we have different musical instruments offered, and pick the ones that click with us.

Now, it's not fair to say that no one cares about develoment. Nor that it won't have some at some point. I, for example,have a lot of new functions that I would like to be implemented in StiX. I can't 100% guarantee that any of these functions will be implemented in StiX, or 100% implemented etc. But reasonable hopes I have. Reasonable means that if 50% of my ideas are 50% implemented in the future, striking and musical surprises there will be. And I won't rant because some will be left out (wich is certain to happen, as it has happened in the past). For reasons that I'll find OK, or less. I'm a pragmatic guy, I'm satisfied with what I have, try to get more, and, still, to be happy if more doesnt come.

All this discussion made me think of a developper who announced version 3 of a famous synthesizer in ... 2012 'in a few months' . And postponed it. And postponed it. And postponed it. Then, people still have faith in it. I wonder why it could not be similar with StiX, wich is a very young instrument, and hopefully have a bright future, still to be written.

Well, you decide.

[HunterKiller]

So for Hunterkiller

1/ False : StiX includes a lot of features that were asked by users. It's not storytelling, it's facts, and these facts can be read in this thread and other StiX related threads, here or in other forums. I listened -a lot- to all users requests, and I reported and shared them to/with Xils-Lab, and then ... choices were made. Because a musical instrument can't incude all users requests : Some are conflicting with each others, the global architecture and base paradigms allow to modify certain things, and less, or not at all, other things. Then a musical instrument is -sometimes, and in this case- a global philosophy. As in every philosophical debate, some opinions will diverge. And not 100% of the people who participate in these discussions will be 100% satisfied. It might be obvious, but I have to restate this here because ........

2/ 3 is not a crowd. And Kvr is not the center of the world. And 3 in KVR do not have more authority than 3 everywhere else in the world.
I can see that in KVR everytime sompeone find one or two ranting fellows about one particular subject, it becomes : 'multiple people'. 'we the people' then 'we the truth'. But no, it's still only 3 people lobbying together to get results. This doesn't mean that these people will be ingored, or that their request won't be heard. It means that their requests are listened to, then balanced in a global context (a 'musical instrument'), then some request are satisfied, and other posponed for a possible future, while some are simply rejected.

3/ It's not 'wanting to have 'bad relationship all around them'. ( Wich has barely no sense; both from an humanist or even commercial POV btw). It's simply that some requests are accepted, some others stay at the bottom of the pile. And some others are rejected.

This is my global opinion for all forums, all subjects : 3/5 is not a crowd, and if some people see that their requests are not obeyed to immediatly, like if they were orders, or the expression of 'the truth' (because the crowd is always right, like history tells us, especially when it's such a tiny crowd that they think they represent everybody), it's not because some people want to build a bad relationship with them : It's because they think in a different way, have different priorities, different goals, and, in short, have different opinions. And that's all.

Besides all that, StiX is a very young instrument. Add to that that multiple Xils-Lab instruments have received more than significant updates over time (like Xils3/4/LE). Hope there can be for StiX future. Serious hopes. At least, I have this hope in me.

This is a perfect example of how to not answer customers and start developing bad relationships.

[zerocrossing]

I don't know. XILS has always done well by me. I think they have some of the best emulations available. Stix isn't for me. I've not really heard an audio demo that impressed me, and my brief time with the demo left me feeling that it's way of beat construction wasn't for me either. I'm not mad about it. I moved on and continue using the tools I like. I don't think they're trying to have a "bad relationship" with me. They just made a product that isn't targeted at me. I think XILS 3 is still a great emulation, but I never updated to 4. I just wasn't that interested. Same with the new PolyKB. I just find that UI too clumsy to work with, even though the sound quality is great. Again, not angry at them. They just missed their mark on those, for me. On the other hand, I think Syn'X is a great plug in, and I picked that up after a few hours with the demo.

I can see feeling disappointed about a product, but to think that it has something to do with the developer not wanting a good relationship with their customers... that's a bit narcissistic, don't you think? Maybe the developer just has a different vision of their software than you.