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

[Lotuzia]

Respect for bringing your ideas to light and making it available to us.
This thing is fun and I sure like the sound of it!

Currently when tuning knobs (in particular fine-tuning using the right mouse button) it only makes adjustments when within StiX's GUI.
(In both Bitwig and Cubase 8.5) Something you are probably aware of.

Are you planning to make improved versions of the demo available to us as well?

Thanks

Yes, the demo versions will be updated simultaneously with the full versions until v1.0 is released.( and after )

[Lotuzia]

I've compiled some of the *Single Drumpad* audio demos in one longer clip.
StiX Single Drumpad Demo A

What you hear in a Single Drumpad demo is just ONE line of StiX sequencer, playing ONE drum sound, and cycling on ONE bar.

(For the record the first example in this clip was created in 7 mouse clicks, including loading the drumsound, and writing the sequence ! That's how fast StiX can be in the workflow.)

Here the second 'Single Drumpad demos' compilation.

StiX single Drumpad Demo B

for example : You can make HH Closed and Open within a single sequencer line with Stix ....

+ Merry Xmas to all

[ariston]

Okay, an initial impression:

The GUI could really use some work. It's not particularly attractive, unless you like the military look. The faux 3D is at odds with flat elements, there's a lot of wasted space in some areas, and it gets pretty crowded in others. Some elements have strange labels, while others have none. To be fair, there's a lot going on here, but that's exactly why good GUI designers are worth their weight in gold - making complexity seem simple is the key. I found it to be counter-intuitive and not very inviting.

Once I got past the initial yuck factor, the fun gradually began. First off, it's nice to have the chunky Xils filters in a dedicated drum synth. Seems like they're almost made for percussive sounds. The oscillator section is deep, and the overall sound is satisfyingly upfront and punchy. I actually like it more than Tremor, which is brighter but also a tad brittle.
The ability to set different lengths in the sequencer section is brilliant; it fair begs you to create weird and original beats. Adding subtle or wild variations to the sounds with the mod section is also pretty nifty.

One thing about the FX: the distortion is really weak. It only mutes the sound a little, it almost sounds like compression instead of distortion. And the bitcrusher and sample rate knobs don't do much either. The effect only becomes noticeable at very low bit/sample rates, and I'm pretty sure 8-bit/11 KHz should be a bit crunchier than it is now. Maybe a bug?

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied. It definitely brings some new stuff to the drum machine table, and it's well worth the intro price. One addition that would be awesome: a per-bar intelligent automatic randomizer (see Audio Damage Tatoo). It shouldn't be a biggie to implement it, because the randomisation that's included already works well.

[VariKusBrainZ]

I'm a Xils fan but also agree the GUI is horrible.

It's just about Ok using this style for the previous effects but it just doesn't work for StiX, I truly believe it will put a lot of potential customers off.

It's like being served a fine cooked meal on a paper plate with plastic utensils

[sqigls]

My mother always told me that if i can't say something nice, then I should say nothing.
SO…






sorry mum

f**k guys.
Talk about a let down.
The hype - The sound, the GUI…

100 bones,
AND it's iLok.

Maybe just don't!?
You may as well just paid Image Line for the rights to Drummackxxzzzx and been done with it.
Never been so disappointed with a drum synth.

I didn't want to leave a comment, but really. That's a shocker.

[ariston]

Okay, just got the newsletter in which they're addressing some of these concerns. It IS a beta, after all. Can't wait to see the 1.0 release. But, again: the stuff going on under the hood is great. No gripes there.

Another thing I've noticed: the Stix multi-out doesn't work (or I can't get it to work). I can route the instruments to separate tracks, but they're still audible in the main track. The little buttons at the bottom of the mixer don't change this (I'm assuming that that's what they're there for, since they're not labelled yet).

[Numanoid]

Regular MRSP at €179

That is a lot to ask in the market nowadays

[Ingonator]

Another thing I've noticed: the Stix multi-out doesn't work (or I can't get it to work). I can route the instruments to separate tracks, but they're still audible in the main track. The little buttons at the bottom of the mixer don't change this (I'm assuming that that's what they're there for, since they're not labelled yet).

In the Multi plugin the additional buttons below the mixer are for on/off of the instruments at the master output. They have no function at the additional single instrument outputs.
If you want to switch off the master out and just keep the single instrument outputs just mute the master track in your host project. Which DAW/host are you using?

[PALU]

Ok - as promised I've tried the demo. And I can say it sounds good (I'm in the country, so - laptop with the headphones, but it sounds interesting even on that setup) and it can make some great polyrhytmic, weird rhythms... I lack some of the BreakTweaker-kind of rhythms (divide 4 bars into 13 steps with microedit and use the slope and tension to make them go slower and faster in the musical way), but maybe you can do such things - I had a little time to check it.

but... the GUI... oh man...

The GUI is very unreadable for me . It looks like a placeholder from some plugin coding environment. And I don't mean that it lacks eye candy - I'm a Reaper guy and I can live without eye candy. But it's really unreadable. I had to check every time what knob does what. And tweaking took ages. Really, no fun.

For example you have three FREQ knobs in the advanced synthesis panel beside each other. The color-coding helps a little bit, but I had to check the header (or the help text on mouse over) every time to know which knob does what.

Under the FILTER header you have three PEV knobs - totally weird. There is a total lack of consistency of how you place the knobs/buttons for me. Is it by row? By column? I'm sorry, but it looks like software I write for myself, when I put a knob or a button on the GUI as I'm writing the code.

The envelopes are a good example of it. 12 unlabeled knobs... I have to check the row and the column label to know what I'm tweaking. I know it's a really basic knowledge that 4 knobs for env would be A, D, S and R. But with these 12 knobs I need to check what button does what every time. It takes a fraction of a second - but it's really slowing down the work. And is totally unnecessary.

The three EASY/ADVANCED buttons on the right of the XoX grid - what's that?! No labeling, no info, no nothing. And for me - I know it's totally subjective - it should be on the left side not the right side (the same with the EASY/ADVANCED synthesis tab button).

The FX SEND is per pad (which is logical and obvious), but the SWING that is next to it is (correct me if I'm wrong) global. It should be clearly distinguished graphically. What part is global, what part is per pad.

These are only few examples...

And it lacks for me a graphical division of parts in the GUI - the grey background without any borders adds to the unreadability (there are borders on the bottom part and that helps a lot). Add to that all the shortened labels on the knobs... Oh my... Oh my...

I really hope that it's beta GUI and it's not only polishing that it needs... It need IMHO - much more.

[ariston]

In the Multi plugin the additional buttons below the mixer are for on/off of the instruments at the master output. They have no function at the additional single instrument outputs.
If you want to switch off the master out and just keep the single instrument outputs just mute the master track in your host project. Which DAW/host are you using?

Like I said, the buttons don't change anything. Or, to put it another way: they DON'T mute the master output, which is what I assume they should be doing. I know how to work around this, but there should be no need for a workaround, right?

Not a biggie, I'm sure it'll be fixed. Just wanted to call attention to it. Win 7 64, Ableton 9.5.

[boombaxx]

Looks very interesting. Gotta a question i tried it with midi send to another drum vst Steve Slate. SSD received no midi from Stix. Is this possible ?.

[republik]

I just tried the demo and this drum machine has a lot of potential. Where is the best place to send bug reports or comments? I find the envelopes and white noise go a little haywire when flipping through the presets and playing the sequencer at the same time. Almost as if sometimes the envelopes don't decay/release when changing to another preset. Some of the drum levels in the preset are also way to hot and clipping. It seems odd because it's only one drum sound that will be too loud, so it seems like it's not deliberate and I'm not hearing the preset the way it's intended to sound. Possible bug, maybe? I get the impression that if I save a preset (in DAW or in the plugin preset manager) it may not sound the same the next time I open it.

[cowby]

Demo'ed it... and i'll say it's a tough war for Xils-lab.

A bit late to the market. Consider the heartbeat released this summer(?) and now has the price dropped. And not to mention that Fxpansion tremor also 50% off. Both drum synths are top and very tweakable. I tried to patiently demo StiX but the sound and tweaking fun not as good as Punch... I immediate know my wait is waste.

[trimph1]

Regular MRSP at €179

That is a lot to ask in the market nowadays

And Omnisphere is how much?

[ObsoleteAcc99]

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