XLN Audio - XO - Improvement, Pros, Cons

[Biome_Digital]

I've just updated XO. It's using 60%/70% CPU, just playing a drum loop!! Something's not right here. Can anyone test?

Latest version too. Working fine for me. Windows 10, FL Studio 20.8.4.

Perhaps just a glitch? You could try closing your DAW (or even restarting your computer) and open the XLN Online Installer and see if it updates anything. Then start again.

Wasn't XO, actually. Was Reaper's Tuner plugin using massive amounts of cpu. Removed it and problem solved!

Oh, good. I think we all have gone through such things at least once.

Yeah, I am glad I spotted that quickly. That could have drove me mad for weeks! lol

[noiseboyuk]

I'm not fan of randomisation! Maybe a happy accident or a nice mistake while working, but not really into the "unknown" or click the "surprise me" button

Likely XO isn't for you.

Why?!!

Er, the rest of the post you snipped?

Er, the rest of your post doesn't make any sense! You are using XO in that way, so what?! You want all others to do the same?! I don't understand your logic! (if there is any!).

Let me spell it out - you don't like working with randomisation. Embracing that is what makes XO work.

And that's enough of that. Thanks.

[TheHelioSequence]

The thing I really appreciated about Atlas 2 was the randomize kit feature, but ultimately I felt it was missing tools to process and produce sounds within the plugin (compression, harmonics/distortion/bitrate, synth like filters, reverb/delay). While I would say that any individual plugins would be better in a final production, there is something about the intention of making a kit with these kind of FX that works better for me workflow wise when writing with XO (or Battery).

The thing that annoys me the most about XO is the lack of ability to randomize the entire kit and each sample. The work around for me is to pull up a preset and then limit the library to a specific sample folder... then I'll get something more unexpected. But overall I'm still really wishing for this feature and feel somewhat disappointed that it was never implemented.

Another miss is that it really seems like XO could include drums samples from any AD2 packs that you own. It would even be nice if any of the midi packs would also import into XO (even if in a somewhat simplified and quantized manner). Why not have some more integration between their product lines?

Great price on either XO or Atlas 2 right now if you've been holding out for a sale.

You can randomise sounds using the "Sample Combiner" in XO.

Yes, I'm doing that already... it's just not completely random. XO is actually trying to choose sounds similar to the original sound and you can randomly select between the small amount they're presenting to you.

What I am really wanting is the ability to randomly choose a kick amongst all of my kicks, for example, not just a small selection of ones "similar" to the original.

Thanks for trying to suggest a solution, though. The current system is better than nothing!

[noiseboyuk]

What I am really wanting is the ability to randomly choose a kick amongst all of my kicks, for example, not just a small selection of ones "similar" to the original.

That's easy. You just tick the sound you want something different for - the kick in this case - then click elsewhere on the map manually, inside the same colour group but far away from the cluster where XO has been basing its suggestions. When you have something in the right ballpark to what you're after, start randomising again.

Love this way of working.

[TheHelioSequence]

I do that as well, but I also want to be able to randomize the entire kit with one button. This is a feature I like in Atlas 2. Good for shaking things up or finding unexpected angles.

[LoveEnigma18]

I do that as well, but I also want to be able to randomize the entire kit with one button. This is a feature I like in Atlas 2. Good for shaking things up or finding unexpected angles.

It might not be as straightforward as in Atlas 2, but XO does have this: either using left and right buttons (above the volume slider in the left corner) on the main view or using randomization in sample combiner. I think these are pretty good ways to swap kits/samples keeping the pattern same.

[LoveEnigma18]

double post

[Biome_Digital]

The thing I really appreciated about Atlas 2 was the randomize kit feature, but ultimately I felt it was missing tools to process and produce sounds within the plugin (compression, harmonics/distortion/bitrate, synth like filters, reverb/delay). While I would say that any individual plugins would be better in a final production, there is something about the intention of making a kit with these kind of FX that works better for me workflow wise when writing with XO (or Battery).

The thing that annoys me the most about XO is the lack of ability to randomize the entire kit and each sample. The work around for me is to pull up a preset and then limit the library to a specific sample folder... then I'll get something more unexpected. But overall I'm still really wishing for this feature and feel somewhat disappointed that it was never implemented.

Another miss is that it really seems like XO could include drums samples from any AD2 packs that you own. It would even be nice if any of the midi packs would also import into XO (even if in a somewhat simplified and quantized manner). Why not have some more integration between their product lines?

Great price on either XO or Atlas 2 right now if you've been holding out for a sale.

You can randomise sounds using the "Sample Combiner" in XO.

Yes, I'm doing that already... it's just not completely random. XO is actually trying to choose sounds similar to the original sound and you can randomly select between the small amount they're presenting to you.

What I am really wanting is the ability to randomly choose a kick amongst all of my kicks, for example, not just a small selection of ones "similar" to the original.

Thanks for trying to suggest a solution, though. The current system is better than nothing!

Yes, you are correct. Total randomness would be perfect. I am sure Altas does this too.

[c_voltage]

BTW About exchanging (that already asked some user once in separate thread). Yes i understand that there is no additional packs, but nobody prevent to share his own achieved presets (maded at least from factory library by various ways), right ? Even on a commercial basis, but why did no one do it (I guess XO allow to import user presets). Strange i not found anything by googling.

[EnGee]

I'm not fan of randomisation! Maybe a happy accident or a nice mistake while working, but not really into the "unknown" or click the "surprise me" button

Likely XO isn't for you.

Why?!!

Er, the rest of the post you snipped?

Er, the rest of your post doesn't make any sense! You are using XO in that way, so what?! You want all others to do the same?! I don't understand your logic! (if there is any!).

Let me spell it out - you don't like working with randomisation. Embracing that is what makes XO work.

And that's enough of that. Thanks.

So, I can't use XO without randomisation Who are you to decide?! Are you drunk or just lost it?!

I absolutely skip the randomisation. I like to load what I want from kits and do my sequences and XO is more than enough for me this way. What's wrong with that? I left Bitwig because it concentrates on "this" randomization and Probability mania.

I leave the randomisation and Probability Theory for the geeks like you!

[noiseboyuk]

Sure EmGee. Buy it and never use randomsation. Go right ahead.

[EnGee]

I have already bought it and I'm using it the way I want. Thanks for the permission!

[chroma]

It’s not that you can’t use it that way, it’s just that randomization is its unique feature…. Maybe there’s something special about its sequencer? I didn’t think so though… I have better drum sequencers & drum samplers than either xo or atlas…..but I love how easy it makes creating new drum kits from a hard drive full of samples….

Kind of like buying a compressor and only using it for saturation… it is done, it’s just unusual….

[DJDJ]

To me, the power of Atlas 2 (and XO, although I like Atlas better) is how it lets me best utilize the gazillion samples I already had.

IMO, that is exactly the main point of both of these. Not "how many samples does it come with?". That's missing the point.

Absolutely agreed. I honestly am surprised that some people are not grasping this point. Its the reason that this software is unique and so incredible and valuable.

But I guess for anyone who doesn't have too many drum samples (yet!), this software doesn't really solve a problem for them

[DJDJ]

I do that as well, but I also want to be able to randomize the entire kit with one button. This is a feature I like in Atlas 2. Good for shaking things up or finding unexpected angles.

XO has this as well. I use it all the time, more often than replacing piece by piece