The Liven XFM is a battery-powered groovebox that offers 4 FM synth engines, a 4-track sequencer and effects.
It comes with over 300 presets, for leads, keyboards, strings, winds, basses, pads, chords, drums, and sound effects. And it offers 16 physical control knobs, parameter locking for each sequencer step, a looper, and SYNC IN/OUT and MIDI IN/OUT connectors to make synchronized performance with other equipment easy.
Features:
Controls:
15 physical control knobs
Optional LATCH function prevents jumps in value when knob position and parameter values do not match.
LCD dot indicates when a parameter value matches the saved value, or when the value has been changed.
One physical encoder.
Audio output
Stereo line out (stereo 3.5mm mini jack)
Headphone out (stereo 3.5mm mini jack)
Compatible with Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator2 Series SYNC OUT
Speaker
Audio in
LINE IN (stereo 3.5mm mini-jack)
‘Compatible with Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator 2 Series SYNC IN
Interfaces
MIDI IN connector (5-Pin DIN type)
MIDI OUT connector (5-Pin DIN type)
SYNC IN jack (monaural 3.5mm mini jack)
SYNC OUT jack (monaural 3.5mm mini jack)
Synth Engine
Four FM synth engines, X-LAB, XFORM, X-LFO, and LIBRARY
6-note polyphonic
Voice mode
6-note polyphonic mode
Mono mode
Legato mode with adjustable glide time
Arpeggiator modes (Up, Down, UpDown, DownUp, Up&Down, Down&Up, Up+1, Up+2, Down-1, Down-2, Random, Play Order)
Filter
Low Pass
High Pass
Band Pass
Each track has its own filter envelope.
Effects
Chorus
Flanger
Send Delay
Insert Delay
Bit Crusher
Reverb
Distortion
Low Pass
High Pass
Isolator
LFO
Each track has one LFO which can affect both pitch and filter cutoff.
Adjustable LFO Shapes.
Adjustable start time delay for each LFO.
Sound memory
512 FM sound memory slots (16 x 32 banks)
Sequencer
4 tracks
Up to 64 steps per pattern
128 patterns
Step length can be set from 1/1 to 1/32
Enter longer notes (Tie)
Track level and pan can be set independently
FX send amount can be set independently for each track
Pattern BPM / Global BPM can be set
Step copy and paste function
Track copy and paste function
Transpose function
Real-time recording
Directly enter notes for each step when sequencer is on or off
Parameter lock function
Random playback function (Playback step size can be set)
Stutter function
Note Trigger probability can be set between 25% and 100%
Pattern chain function
Metronome and pre-count function
Swing function
MIDI
Notes, control changes, clock input/output
IMPORT/EXPORT of user data
Firmware update via Sysex
https://sonicware.jp/pages/liven-xfm-preorder
$200 including a fancy hard carry case currently! £20 shipping to EU. I really don't need this, but I couldn't help myself- VST money for hardware!
4-OP XFM engine (DX7?) with 15 knobs and 30 buttons, battery powered and a built in speaker! Parameter locking, 64 note patterns with chain etc.
Not so sure about editing FM with a 2 line display…but if they have simplified it so you can only tweak stuff that sounds good it may work.
