XILS Lab CS-80!!!!!!

[hey212]

Ugh now I'm going to try the demo, and owning Syn'X, PolyKB, and XiLs4 I know just how ancient and slow their browser system is. I do like their synths, but the whole skeuomorphic over practical thing they do sometimes is annoying. I wonder what decade it will be before they fix their cumbersome browser? Syn'X got gui updates that improved it, so did PolyKB, now they have a new synth that will need to be updated to not slavishly follow the exact look of the hardware?

They just uploaded a 1.01 beta version that has arrow key navigation fixed and a bunch of the preset naming weirdness cleaned up. An issue I found where turning off individual effects didn't always work also seems to be fixed. Hopefully they'll keep up this pace with updates, but ya, the browser and UI still need work.

[Examigan]

2) The SUSTAIN PEDAL isn't registered on the first default preset.

EDIT2: You need to manually assign which polarity your sustain pedal is. The plugin can't detect it itself (unlike most other synths where you just press it and it gets flipped the correct way around). You can find it under settings/Misc tab. Still.. even trying both options the sustain pedal just isn't working unless I manually assign it to the sustain lever. This really should just work right out of the box as it does for Arturia, Softube, NI etc.

EDIT: Cleaned up some frustration.

I wasn’t sure if you emailed them, but I reported that one to Xavier yesterday after reading what you mentioned.

[Cuauhtli]

I use the gui keys if they're there but could do without them for a smaller synth gui. I like Cherry Audio's approach where you can pull up a small virtual keyboard if you want and use your computer keyboard to play notes/chords.

[SiliconDeath]

I'm not in a hurry to buy it, not fan of xils' implemantaion of UI scaling (prefer how serum/softube does it, whatever that method is), UX not pleasing, how small it looks despite taking entirety of my screen, or the preset browsing/preset browser. Softube doesn't have quite as much bells and whistles visible on the screen at the same time, but at least I can see something on my screen with that.

[markearmusic]

I became more of a fan of XILS following the lovely job they did with the latest iteration of POLYKB-III. Beautiful UI to gaze at, I think
THE EIGHTY. I spotted it at Thomann for $68. That was cheap enough for me....couldn''t resist.

Of course, all I really bought was a serial number...a ticket to one day be able to open Cubase and find THE EIGHTY in my list. THIS because, at least for me, I've been unable to get xild-lab.com to OPEN--through today and SINCE JAN 10th. So, what I've bought then is, for now, is a serial number + XILS site instructions/iLok instructions.

I like the 3 engine element XILS implemented. The UI, somehow just wreaks of feature-rich.

Ok, here's the deal, if it helps anyone else:
I own 4 CS-80s and, until recently, 1 CS-60 (hardware). So, Artiuria version, Softube version, Cherry Audio version and the MEMORY MOON ME-80. I don't need the XILS EIGHTY....except I do.
Which of my 4 pre-existing soft 80s sound like my little hardware? NO CONTEST: MEMORY MOON! No contest.
Softube sounds very lovely, indeed, just seems short on everything in terms of magic, hidden things one might hope to find in software..I'm glad I bought it on sale. Cherry should have done the 3 engine thing, given that they tout their version as a combo of the C and G1. That said, I do like Cherry's version a lot. Arturia....ehh, whatever. It's fancy enough, but doesn't so much sound like a CS-80 to me.
I guess I bought into the 3 engine thing on the XILS unit...morphing amongst the 3. Seems like it'll be fun for sound design.
As I upgrade from my 2016 Intel iMac to a new MAC Mini, I'll have to keep the iMac around and plugged up,IF I expect to continue to use the MEMORY MOON unit. OR, Lord help me, Install Windows on the Mini.

[markearmusic]

I haven''t been able to get the XILS-LAB.com site to load since like JAN 10th.

Is anyone else experiencing this issue?

[fjmartin1]

Love The Eigthy with Diva and LegendHZ in my Laptop...sorry somebody build the Vangelis Hymn preset?
Thanks in advance

[Uncle E]

Of course, all I really bought was a serial number...a ticket to one day be able to open Cubase and find THE EIGHTY in my list. THIS because, at least for me, I've been unable to get xild-lab.com to OPEN--through today and SINCE JAN 10th. So, what I've bought then is, for now, is a serial number + XILS site instructions/iLok instructions.

Sorry, are you saying you have everything you need except the installation files? If so, here are the direct links:

Mac: https://www.xils-lab.com/download_files ... p_V101.dmg
PC: https://www.xils-lab.com/download_files ... p_V101.exe

If that's not the issue, please tell me what's going on and I'll try to resolve it. I can also forward the issue directly to XILS Lab. FWIW, the site opens fine for me. You might want to try opening it in incognito mode or in a different browser.

[mcbpete]

Bought my copy through JRR too and theres a few more steps to leap through than usual:

1. When you buy it in the receipt email you'll get a redemption code, which you put in here: http://redeem.plugivery.com
2. This will then give you a serial which you put in here: https://www.xils-lab.com/store/?pagenam ... ls_id=vssd
3. This will then email you an iLok activation code which you put in your iLok License Manager
4. Then you can download/install the app - https://www.xils-lab.com/store/?pagenam ... #theeighty

[markearmusic]

Thank you kindly for all of this, all the well-organized Effort!
My old iMac is further hamstrung (permanently) in the form of no longer being able to OPEN
.dmg files. A real pain. When I buy new software, the computer WILL open and install a .pkg file, no problem. Were the XILS site working, would have bought it there and received the FULL PKG Folder. So, it appearing I’m gonna have to wait until I get XILS to come back online. I emailed Xavier at XILS, so he’d be aware of the state I’m stuck in.

[Uncle E]

You can download the pkg at the following link:

https://we.tl/t-PX4Qzs1KYi

[fjmartin1]

Love The Eighty...but the browser is older...I prefer like Diva...simply and faster

[zvenx]

So I have demo'ed it twice... first a few days ago, uninstalled it, and tried again earlier today for a few hours.. and uninstalled again..

I am old enough to have been playing synths when the cs80 was still popular.. I don't remember if I ever played one in person, but for sure if I did, I won't be able to say out of this one, the softube one (which is my favourite) and the arturia one which I own but never use, is closest to the original hardware. For sure from their website as others have pointed out, their a/b seems like odd choices...

No sense saying what I find wrong with the GUI, many other users have already said their say and I agree with most of them..

But I don't quite get why people love the sound of this.. like I said it may be closer to the hardware for all I know, but I, as I usually do with demos, create a few short (under one minute) 'songs' with several tracks/instances in them, with it, and what I consider the competitors (in this case the model 77 and the arturial cs 80 v4 which to be honest I don't really like either), and sometimes my other go to tools to see how it fits in and if it jumps out at me like yeah I want/ need this.. And it didn't do anything for me at all. In every instance I preferred the model 77 (though I wish it had an arp like this one does).

I know each person has their own sound aesthetics, but for me there was nothing sound wise that made me say, ah I want this (much less need it) and go off to buy a license.


my two cents.
rsp

[bmanic]

Yeah I don't know what it is about the Softube emulations but they really do sound "right" in a strange way and also seem to fit in a mix exceptionally well (and take EQ very well etc).

Exactly what is "good" about the sound in the Softube version (only tried the demo, never bought it though) is completely missing in the Arturia version. That "something" that is missing in Arturia's synth is probably what people call the "Arturia plastic fake" sound. I have absolutely no idea what it is or why it bothers me so much, especially in the CS-80 V. It's worse here than in any of the other emulations in my opinion. Maybe they just had a neutered too polite sounding hardware CS-80 that they emulated?

Maybe it's the exact same as with various piano libraries where the actual sampled specimen makes a big difference in how "good" something sounds?

[fjmartin1]

I woke up early when my child sleeping,I play my CS 80 collection, I build my Vangelis presets, work hard ,my conclusion is:
Xils The Eigthy
Arturia CS 80 V3 (yes V3)
Model 77 (love this toy but not chorus not reverb not delay inside)